Owner-reported complaints naming the engine system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1997 Ford Explorer Sport submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 8 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
DRIVING ALONG EVERYTHING IS FINE, LOSE POWER PULL OFF THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND THE VEHICLE I SEE BLACK SMOKE AND THEN FLAMES, COULDN'T GET OUT BECAUSE OF POWER WINDOWS AND LOCKS. WENT TO THE BACK OF THE VEHICLE AND KICKED MY WAY OUT AND THE VEHICLE WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES IN MINUTES AND BURNED TO THE GROUND. *TR
THE CRANKSHAFT BROKE OFF AND WENT INTO THE FAN SHIELD. THE FORD MECHANIC SAYS HE HAS NOT SEEN THIS BEFORE AND IT LOOKS LIKE A DEFECT IN THE METAL. IT WAS GOOD THAT I WAS GOING ONLY 30MPH AT THE TIME OR IT WOULD HAVE GONE THROUGHT THE FAN ITS SELF. IT COULD HAVE HAD MANY CONSEQUENCES. *TR
THE ENGINE ON MY 1997 FORD EXPLORER CAUGHT ON FIRE AND DESTROYED MY VEHICLE. *NM
THE PROBLEM I'M HAVING INVOLVES A 1997 FORD EXPLORER SPORT (4.0L-5SPD-NON-AUTO CLIMATE CONTROL)--THE TEMP IS NOT CONTROLLABLE AND REMAINS HOT ALL THE TIME EXCEPT FOR MAX A/C--THIS PROBLEM SEEMS TO COMMONLY INVOLVE BUT IS NOT NECCESSARILY LIMITED TO THE BLEND DOOR, BLEND DOOR ACTUATOR AND HEATER BOX--TO MY KNOWLEDGE THERE HAVE BEEN NO DEATHER OR INJURIES CAUSED BY THIS PROBLEM BUT IT IS SIGNIFICANT NON THE LESS . *AK
I HAD TAKEN MY VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASSIONS DUE TO COOLANT LOSS AND THE TEMPARATURE GUAGE READING COOL. ON EACH OCCASSION THEY REPLACED THE THERMOSTAT. THE LAST TIME WAS JUST PRIOR TO THE EXPIRATION OF THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. I SPECIFICALLY REQUESTED THAT IT BE TESTED AND CHECKED THOUROUGHLY BECASUE I DID NOT WANT TO REPLACE AN ENGINE AFTER THE WARRANTY EXPIRED. THEY REPLACED THE THERMOSTAT. SHORTLY AFTER I EXPERIENCED THE SAME DIFFICULTY. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A PRIVATE GARAGE AND THEY REPORTED THAT THE HEAD GASKETS HAD FAILED AND WERE LEAKING. I CONTACTED THE SERVICE MANAGER AT THE DEALERSHIP AND HE REQUESTED THAT I BRING THE VEHICLE TO THEM FOR TESTS. SEVERAL DAYS LATER THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT CALLED AND INFORMED ME THAT THE HEAD GASKETS HAD FAILED AND THAT COOLANT WAS ENTERING THE CYLINDERS. THEY OFFERED TO REPLACE THE ENGINE FOR $4600.00. NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.*AK
TO BEST DESCRIBE MY PROBLEM IS THAT THE CAMSHAFT BROKE OFF RIGHT AT TIMING PULLEY.THIS BREAK CAUSE THE SERPENTINE BELT TO WRAP AROUND ALL THE OTHER COMPONENTS. I WAS TRAVELING ALONG THE EXPRESS WAY AT 65 MPH, WHEN I LOSS OF POWER STEERING, AND A LOSS CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE FOR A PERIOD OF TIME UNTIL I REGAIN CONTROL. *AK
I HAVE A GENERAL RECALL, I HAVE A 1997 FORD EXPLORER SPORT, MY FRONT CAMSHAFT CHAIN GUIDE NEEDS REPLACING, I TOOK IT IN AT THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED, HE TOLD ME MY VECHILE IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY(102000), I NED HELP WITH THIS MATTER. THANKS
CONSUMER STATES THAT THERE IS A SENSOR THAT IS CAUSING VEHICLE TO HEAT UP, CAUSING VEHICLE TO NOT BE ABLE TO RESTART. *SLC THE CAMSHAFT WAS REPLACED. THE RADIO GOES OFF AT ANYTIME, THE CONSUMER HAS DIFFICULTY SHUTTING THE RADIO OFF MANUALLY. *JB
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.
Data on this page last refreshed .