1997 Ford Explorer Sport Recalls
No NHTSA recalls on record for the 1997 Ford Explorer Sport. That means NHTSA has no open safety campaign for this vehicle — it does not guarantee the absence of problems. Owners have filed 44 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the engine and engine cooling. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Complaints by component
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.
“1997 ford explorer and began to back out of my parents driveway on the way to work. I used the electrical seat mover button to move my seat back a few inches and within only 10 seconds smoke was in my face. I jumped out of the car, turned the car off, and ran in my house. I got water to try and…”
“1997 ford explorer and began to back out of my parents driveway on the way to work. I used the electrical seat mover button to move my seat back a few inches and within only 10 seconds smoke was in my face. I jumped out of the car, turned the car off, and ran in my house. I got water to try and…”
“Tl* the contact owns a 1997 ford explorer sport. The contact stated that the vehicle was parked on an incline when it rolled forward and crashed into another vehicle. The vehicle was not destroyed. The vehicle was taken to a local repair shop and the repair shop stated that the transfer case…”
“Tl*the contact owns a 1997 ford explorer sport. While driving approximately 45 mph she heard a ticking noise. She was unable to identify where the noise was located. She stated that no warning lights illuminated on the dashboard of the vehicle. She continued to drive home and parked the vehicle.…”
“1997 ford explorer sport. Consumer would like information regarding an accident that occurred in sept 2010. *ta”
“Tl*- the contact owns a 1997 ford explorer sport. While traveling 30 mph she smelled something burning in the vehicle. She then saw a bit of smoke coming from under the hood of the vehicle. She pulled the vehicle over and a person came up to the vehicle and advised her to get out of the vehicle…”
“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…”
“Tire failure resulting in a blowout.*jb”
Defect investigations
SPARK PLUG EJECTION FROM CYLINDER HEAD
ON SEPTEMBER 6, 2005, ODI RECEIVED A PETITION REQUESTING THAT THE AGENCY INVESTIGATE ALLEGATIONS OF ENGINE SPARK PLUG EJECTION IN CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 1997 THROUGH 2004 FORD VEHICLES WITH TRITON V-8 AND V-10 ENGINES.ODI RECEIVED A TOTAL OF 474 NON-DUPLICATIVE COMPLAINTS ON THE SUBJECT VEHICLES WHERE THE COMPLAINANT, OR…
SPARK PLUG EJECTION FROM CYLINDER HEAD
ON SEPTEMBER 6, 2005, ODI RECEIVED A PETITION REQUESTING THAT THE AGENCY INVESTIGATE ALLEGATIONS OF ENGINE SPARK PLUG EJECTION IN CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 1997 THROUGH 2004 FORD VEHICLES WITH TRITON V-8 AND V-10 ENGINES.ODI RECEIVED A TOTAL OF 474 NON-DUPLICATIVE COMPLAINTS ON THE SUBJECT VEHICLES WHERE THE COMPLAINANT, OR…
SPARK PLUG EJECTION FROM CYLINDER HEAD
ON SEPTEMBER 6, 2005, ODI RECEIVED A PETITION REQUESTING THAT THE AGENCY INVESTIGATE ALLEGATIONS OF ENGINE SPARK PLUG EJECTION IN CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 1997 THROUGH 2004 FORD VEHICLES WITH TRITON V-8 AND V-10 ENGINES.ODI RECEIVED A TOTAL OF 474 NON-DUPLICATIVE COMPLAINTS ON THE SUBJECT VEHICLES WHERE THE COMPLAINANT, OR…
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 1997 Ford Explorer Sport as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.