1997 Ford Club Wagon: problems, recalls and reliability
0 recalls and 28 owner complaints on record; most reports concern service brakes, hydraulic; the 1995 and 1996 model years look more trouble-free.
Data updated weekly
0
recalls
28
owner complaints
1
fire reports
-
typical failure mileage, mi
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
No recall campaigns1 fire report
Common problems
Computed from 28 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
Limited data: only 28 complaints on record for this model year - too few for percentage statistics. Bars show raw report counts; read them as individual owner reports, not reliability rates. For a fuller picture, check nearby model years.
Service Brakes, Hydraulic (brakes)6 complaints
Tires6 complaints
Visibility (windshield, wipers, defroster, mirrors)4 complaints
Engine And Engine Cooling (engine, radiator, overheating)4 complaints
Wheels (wheels, lug nuts, bearings)3 complaints
Power Train (transmission, axles, driveline)2 complaints
“#4 spark plug came out of my 1997 ford e350 van with a v-10 engine. The van has only 62,000 miles and has the original spark plugs. There was a small fire. *tr”Owner report · Engine And Engine Cooling · Mar 2009
“While driving 55 mph right rear tire blew out. Consumer managed to pull over to change tire. Dealership mechanic was notified, but did not resolve the problem. Tire size 2457516. *ak”Owner report · Tires · Dec 2003
“Upon returning from a routine drive, it was discovered that two lugs: nuts were completely missing and five of the remaining six were loose. The wheels are constructed of polished aluminum and are optional equipment from the manufacturer (wheeled coach). Further investigation showed deterioration as a possible result of the aluminum in the wheels reacting with the steel of the lugs. Because this is an emergency vehicle, one of thousands on the road, it is important to provide this information to ems providers across the country to advise them to routinely check their lug nuts, especially on aluminum wheels.*ak”Owner report · Wheels · Sep 2002
Show 7 more owner reports
“This is a problem with a modification--electronic hand controls provided by emc co in louisiana. This problem has happened several times: they are electronic hand controls that work with the brake and accelerator. Three times the controls have failed to work so that either the accelerator has been stuck or the brakes have not worked. From what I understand doing a little investigation of my own, this is not an isolated problem, but I can find no information on the www regarding it. I hope you'll look into it.*ak”Owner report · Electrical System · Sep 2001
“Heat blend door failed, no front heat/defrost, safety hazard, $391 to replace. Small plastic piece broke and only cold air produced through front heater. Found at least 9 other odi documents on the same problem for just the 97 model year, listed under e150, club wagon and econoline models. More than a coincidence it seems.”Owner report · Visibility · Feb 2001
“The cable that holds spare tire broke. Spare bounced onto highway. Fortunately there were no other vehicles behind us at the time. Service department at dealership told us cable looked "frayed." but there was no reason for it to have frayed. *ak”Owner report · Equipment · Oct 2000
“This was an r-16, load range e tire. The 3rd to delam on us in the past year. The tread depth was still healthy on all three tires. All three came apart at highway speeds, in summer weather on interstate highways (two in montana, one in missouri) they de-lammed quite violently, in two cases the body of our motorhome was damaged. Had any other cars been in the area when the tires blew apart they would have been at risk from the debris. We maintained the inflation levels recommended on the tires and rotated the tires every 5000 miles.*ak (tiresize: lt225/75)( dot number: tire size: lt225/75 )”Owner report · Tires · Sep 2000
“While driving one of the wheel studs broke off and several were stripped resulting in the wheel detaching from the vehicle, causing damage to the wheel well and hub areas of the vehicle. (ohio traffic crash report) *mjs”Owner report · Wheels · Jul 2000
“Had an accident. The right side wheel lugs: nuts had been stripped off completely. The entire wheel, along with the brake system, had came off. There was no carter key used on the wheel. The vehicle was inspected by an independent inspector, jim williams. *ak”Owner report · Wheels · Jun 1999
“The passenger's side airbag deployed during a broadside collison. This severely injured my 13 year old son who is 5'2" tall. The cover of the metal airbag flew up, strking him in the face and causing a 4inch deep larceration on his forehead, requiring stitches and plastic surgery. He was wearing his seatbelt at the time. I think the design of this airbag cover is atrocious and dangerous. We have photos of him and the airbag. We want to know if samething would happen again if we purchase the same vehicle model year 1999, even if it now is a reduced force airbag--the cover design looks the same. *ak”Owner report · Air Bags · Mar 1999
When filing, owners marked a crash in 3 of these complaints and injuries in 1 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
How other years compare
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Is the 1997 Ford Club Wagon reliable?
NHTSA has 28 owner complaints and 0 recall campaigns on record for the 1997 Ford Club Wagon. The most complained-about area is service brakes, hydraulic.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.