RoadVitals

1997 Ford Aspire

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
60
Latest Sep 15, 2008
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
0
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
1
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
8
7 injuries, 1 deaths reported

Overview

Our database contains 60 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1997 Ford Aspire, most frequently naming the airbags, electrical and engine categories. 1 NHTSA investigation names it; and 48 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

No recalls in our database for this model year

That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.

Safety investigations

NHTSA inquiries naming this vehicle. An investigation is not a finding of a defect.

PE98040ClosedPreliminary Evaluation

FUEL VAPOR VALVE LEAKS

Opened Jul 15, 1998
Closed Nov 16, 1998

There is no summary currently available

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:LINKAGES

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

View all 60
Tires & wheels
Filed Sep 15, 2008

CAR SUDDENLY STARTED VIBRATING VIOLENTLY. CAUSE WAS A SIX INCH SECTION OF TREAD APPEARED TO HAVE SEPARATED INTERNALLY. STOPPED BEFORE TIRE FAILED COMPLETELY. 30,000 MILES ON A TIRE GUARANTEED FOR 75,000 MILES. DEALER SAID 62% OF WEAR HAD OCCURRED. *TR

NHTSA ID
10242232
Incident
Sep 7, 2008
Mileage
92,000 mi
Airbags
Filed Aug 16, 2007

AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY AND FLASHES FOR THE LAST 6 YEARS. DOES IT MEAN AIR BAGS ARE OUT OF SERVICE, MALFUNCTIONING? THE VEHICLE HAD NO ACCIDENTS, AND IN GOOD MAINTAINED CONDITION. *JB

NHTSA ID
10199825
Incident
Mar 1, 2001
Mileage
30,000 mi
Fuel system
Filed Apr 2, 2007

I OWN A 1997 FORD ASPIRE AND I WAS DRIVING THE OTHER DAY AND I STOPPED AT THE STORE. WHEN I LEFT THE STORE AND GOT IN MY CAR TO CRANK IT UP THE CAR SPUTTERED AND SHOOK THEN STOPPED RUNNING. I LIFTED UP THE HOOD AND NOTICED THAT THE FUEL LINE WAS POURING OUT GAS. I CALLED A MECHANIC TO COME AND FIX THE PROBLEM, WHICH COST ME 300 DOLLARS. WHEN I TOLD THE MECHANIC ABOUT THE PROBLEM, HE SAID THAT THIS WAS RECALLED ON THE 1994 MODEL YEAR OF THIS CAR, BUT MY CAR IS A 1997, WHICH MEANS THAT THIS PROBLEM WAS NEVER FIXED ON FUTURE CARS. I THINK THAT THIS SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED SINCE IT WAS RECALLED ON A EARLIER MODEL, BUT I STILL HAD THE SAME PROBLEM IN A LATER MODEL CAR. *JB

NHTSA ID
10186732
Incident
Mar 31, 2007
Mileage
293,212 mi
Tires & wheels
Filed Apr 4, 2005

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED DRIVER HEARD A LOUD KNOCKING NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT BOTH REAR WHEEL HUBS, AND THE FRONT PASSENGER WHEEL HUB WERE CRACKED, AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. HOWEVER, THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE .*AK

NHTSA ID
10117393
Incident
Jan 5, 2005
Airbags
Filed Jan 15, 2004
Crash reported1 injury reported

DURING A CRASH INTO A LIGHT POLE AT 25 MPH THE AIR BAGS IN OUR 1997 FORD ASPIRE EXPLODED INTO THE FACE OF MY 15 YEAR WHO WAS FULLY RESTRAINED IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. HE IS 5'11" AND 168 LBS. HE IS SUFFERING FROM "BURNS" BRUISING, SEVER MOUTH LACERATIONS (HE HAS BRACES). HE IS ALSO UNABLE TO SEE IN THE EYE THAT WAS HIT, DUE TO THE IMPRINT OF THE BAG SCORED INTO HIS CORNEA. THE 17 YEAR OLD DRIVER HAS A CRACKED RIB.

NHTSA ID
10070184
Incident
Apr 15, 2003
Mileage
101,000 mi
Airbags
Filed Dec 16, 2003

AIR BAG LIGHT FLASHES CODE 32 ALL THE TIME. WILL STOP ABOUT ONCE A MONTH. HAVE LOOKED AT SEVERAL OTHER VEHICLES OF THE SAME YEAR AND SEEMS TO HAVE SAME PROBLEM. VEHICLE HAVE NOT BEEN IN ACCIDENT.*AK

NHTSA ID
10050619
Incident
May 3, 2002
Filed May 7, 2003

SPEEDOMETER BEGAN TO WHIRR LOUDLY. NEEDLE BEGAN TO GYRATE, THEN SURGE TO 100 MPH. NEEDLE THEN BROKE OFF AND FELL TO THE BOTTOM OF THE PLASTIC LENS. *JB

NHTSA ID
10018380
Incident
Dec 2, 2002
Mileage
85,464 mi
Airbags
Filed Apr 8, 2003
Crash reported2 injuries reported

MY TWO TEENAGE SONS ARE SUFFERING FROM INJURIES CAUSED BY THE EXPLOSION OF THE AIRBAGS IN OUR 1997 FORD ASPIRE. MY OLDEST SON, THE DRIVER IS SUFFERING FROM A BROKEN RIB, AND MY YOUNGER SON, THE PASSENGER HAS 2ND - 3RD DEGREE BURNS AND SEVERE BRUISING TO HIS FACE, AS WELL AS HIS EYE. THE EMERGENCY ROOM DOCTORS WAS ABLE TO SEE THE IMPRINT OF THE BAG ON HIS CORNEA. THEIR AGES ARE 17 AND 15, THEY ARE BOTH 5'11" AND WEIGH 168 LBS. THEY ARE NOT SMALL CHILDREN. THEY WERE BOTH PROPERLY RESTRAINED WITH LAP AND SHOULDER HARNESSES. THE CAR SLID INTO A LIGHT POLE AT ABOUT 25 MPH DURING A RAINSTORM. *NLM

NHTSA ID
10014147
Incident
Apr 5, 2003
Mileage
101,000 mi

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

03148

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:COOLING UNIT AND LINES

NEW TRANSMISSION COOLER FLUSHER - SERVICE TIPS. 2003 ESCORT AND SUPER DUTY F SERIES INCLUDED. *TT

02176

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH

LAMP-BRAKE-INVADVERTENT DISABLING OF BRAKE SHIFT INTERLOCK. *MJ

01181

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:PARK/NEUTRAL START INTERLOCK SWITCH

BRAKE SHIFT INTERLOCK.*JB

01157

INFORMATION REGARDING TRANSMISSION FLUID USAGE CHARTS. *SLC

01156

VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:HEATER CORE

SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT HEATER CORE LEAKS. *SLC

0015

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

INFORMATION REGARDING THE NEW TRANSMISSION COOLER FLUSHER- SERVICE TIP. *MJS

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Ford Aspire by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
1998000—
1997Viewing600143.9
1996330145.4
1995640148.4
1994542163.6
1987100—

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.