Reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers, shown in full
Data refreshed
Our database holds 60 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1997 Ford Aspire. Each one is a report filed by an owner or driver and published by NHTSA without most of them being verified. A complaint is not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. Narratives are shown exactly as filed.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Showing 1–25 of 60 · page 1 of 3
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
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
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
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
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.
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
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
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
CONSUMER STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AND WITHOUT WARNING THE FUEL TANK HAS CRACKED CAUSING FLUID TO LEAK OUT. DEALER NOTIFIED. TS
CONSUMER STATED WHILE APPLYING THE BRAKES, THE AIR BAG SUDDENLY DEPLOYED.*JB
AIR BAG LIGHT HAD BEEN ILLUMINATING AND AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY DUE TO POSSIBLE DEFECTIVE CLOCKSPRING. *SCC...*AK
CONSUMER STATES OF HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE RIMS ON HER VEHICLE. DEALER WAS CONTACTED. MR. CONSUMER WAS INFOMRED A NEW BATTERY WAS NEEDED, THE VEHICLE WAS LEAKING COOLANT, AND THE ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON.*JB
VEHICLE HAS HAD (3) TRANSMISSIONS REPLACED WITH ONE OF THE TRANSMISSIONS LOSING A PIN, RESULTING IN SYSTEM HAVING POWER FAILURE. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS.*AK
DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW HAS IMPLODED TWO TIMES. VEHICLE WAS NOT OCCUPIED. FIRST IMPLOSION WAS AUGUST OF 1999 AND SECOND IMPLOSION WAS JUNE OF 2002. COST TO REPLACE WAS COVERED FIRST TIME UNDER WARRANTY. COST TO REPLACE SECOND TIME WAS $276.00 AND WAS NOT COVERED BY FORD. SEVERAL INTERNET WEBSITES INDICATE THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE.THANKFUL THIS VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND UNOCCUPIED AT EACH OCCURRENCE. *AK
BECAUSE OF A DEFECTIVE PART, THE FUEL TANK VENTILATION SYSTEM LEAKED GASOLINE FUMES INTO THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT AND HAD APPARENTLY DONE SO SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS BUILT. THE DEALER REP. STATED THAT THEY HAD THIS PROBLEM IN THE PAST WITH 2 OR 3 OTHERS.
1997 FORD ASPIRE.50 MPH ON MAJOR ROUTE IN DENVER WHEN CAR SUDDENLY LOST ALL GEARS. 55,400 MILES ON CAR, I AM NOT A SPEEDRACER, NOR WAS PREVIOUS OWNER, TORQUE CONVERTER THOROUGHLY RUINED, $1000 TO FIX, POSSIBLY MORE IF WHOLE TRANNY IS SHOT. NARROWLY ESCAPED SERIOUS INJURY. CAR IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRENTY OF ANY KIND. CAR NOT DRIVABLE AS IT HAS ABSOLUTELY NO GEAR SELECTION.
THE STEERING WHEEL COLUMN LOCKS AND JAMS, THE DRIVER IS UNABLE TO GET THE STEERING COLUMN LOOSE TO BE ABLE TO TURN CAR ON OR TO BE ABLE TO DRIVE THE CAR. NLM
WHILE ATTEMPTING TO STOP FOR A DEER CROSSING DRIVER'S SIDE AND PASSENGER'S SIDE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS.*AK
THERE IS A FUEL SMELL COMING FOM INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF VEHICLE. ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAMES ON. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK
SRS/ AIRBAG SENSOR LIGHT STAYS ILLUMINATED WHILE DRIVING. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED.*AK
WHILE DRIVING RADIO, AND ALL ELECTRICAL POWERED UNITS WENT OUT. SMOKE WAS NOTICED COMING FROM UNDER HOOD. VEHICLE WAS PULLED OVER, AND THERE WAS A FIRE UNDER HOOD THAT APPEARED TO START NEAR WIRE HARNESS. FIRE WAS PUT OUT BY FIRE DEPARTMENT. FORD HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN FOR A ENGINE CHECK LIGHT 4 TIMES IN THE PAST SIX MONTHS. EACH TIME, THE MECHANICS CLAIMED A DIFFERENT CAUSE FOR THE CODES IN MEMORY. THE PROBLEM IS, IF IT IS THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER, WHICH WAS REPLACED AT 58481 MILES, IT IS POSSIBLE FOR IT TO CAUSE A VEHICLE FIRE. THE PROBLEM HAS NOT RECURRED AGAIN YET, BUT THE LAST VISIT, NOTHING WAS CHANGED TO REMEDY ANY UNDERLYING PROBLEM. I THINK FOUR TIMES FOR A PROBLEM IS A BIT OUT OF LINE, AND WOULD LIKE AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE PROBLEM SINCE IT OCCURRED SHORTLY AFTER THE WARRANTY SUPPOSEDLY ENDED. FULL DETAILS OF THE CASE CAN BE OBTAINED FROM THE STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE, FINANCIAL FRAUD DIVISION IN OREGON.
FALSE DEPLOYMENT OF THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER FRONTAL AIR BAGS WHILE DRIVING CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE. *MJS
DISTRIBUTOR SHORTED OUT/ MULTI FUCTION SWITCH MALFUCTIONED/ ALTERNATOR MALFUCTION ALTENATOR BROKE OFF HOUSING. *AK
WHILE TRAVELING SMELLED FUEL IN SIDE VEHICLE. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. PLEAE PFROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
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.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
Data on this page last refreshed .