1997 Ford Explorer Power Train
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE MADE A CRACKING NOISE, DRIVESHAFT FAILED, AND THEN BECAME UNABLE TO DRIVE. DEALER HAS FIXED IT. *AK
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE WOULD AUTOMATICALLY GO INTO 4- WHEEL DRIVE. CANNOT DRIVE ON DRY PAYMENT WHEN IN 4- WHEEL DRIVE. VHEICLE IS HEAVY GOING FOR STEERING. DEALER RESET COMPUTER & COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG. *AK
WHEN CHANGING GEAR INTO REVERSE DEFECT IN TRANSMISSION WILL CAUSE A TEN SECONDS DELAY, VEHICLE WILL NOT MOVE BEFORE IT WILL ACTUALLY ENGAGE THE REVERSE GEAR. DEALER HAS REBUILT TRANSMISSION, NOW SAYING THIS IS NORMAL WITH VEHICLE. *AK
TRANSMISSION LEAKED ON THE CONVERTER CAUSING FIRE.
WHILE DRIVING ALONG AT 25-3M MPH IN RAIN, AND AFTER ENGAGING 4-WHHEL DRIVE, VEHICLE FLIPPED OVER ON ITS TOP.
DRIVING 68MPH ON HIGHWAY WHEN VEHICLE STARTED VIBRATING EXCESSIVELY. SLOWED DOWN FOR 1ST EXIT & VIBRATIONS DECREASED; BUT STARTED UP AGAIN. TOOK TO MECHANIC AT GAS STATION TO CHECK OUT & INFORMED WAS DRIVESHAFT. HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO NEAREST DEALER. *AK *JB
4 WHEEL DRIVE INDICATOR LIGHT FLASHES.
MANUAL CLUTCH FAILED SEVERAL TIMES, REPAIRS MADE HOWEVER STILL FAILED.
VIBRATION/GRINDING IN FRONT DRIVE LINE.
Trend Over Time
Complaints by year
Other Issues
Common problems reported
Quick Summary
The 1997 Ford Explorer has 84 Power Train complaints on file. 11 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.