1997 Ford Explorer Electrical System Problems
Owners have filed 80 complaints with NHTSA about electrical system problems on the 1997 Ford Explorer, 5% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 98,197 miles. The words owners use most often: “caught fire” (9% of reports).
- 80electrical system complaints
- 98,197median miles at failure
- 1mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 41%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Caught fire: mentioned in 7 of 80 complaints (9%)
- Spark plugs: mentioned in 5 of 80 complaints (6%)
At what mileage do electrical system problems happen?
Based on 17 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 80 complaints, 1 mention a crash, 18 a fire, 1 an injury.
Ford Explorer electrical system complaints by model year
| Model year | Electrical System complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Explorer | 9 | 21% | 1,000 |
| 2025 Explorer | 23 | 22% | 3,500 |
| 2024 Explorer | 2 | 10% | — |
| 2023 Explorer | 13 | 12% | 33,000 |
| 2022 Explorer | 39 | 14% | 24,850 |
| 2021 Explorer | 47 | 11% | 23,000 |
| 2020 Explorer | 186 | 15% | 9,900 |
| 2019 Explorer | 20 | 7% | 45,600 |
| 2018 Explorer | 58 | 8% | 35,000 |
| 2017 Explorer | 93 | 5% | 46,500 |
| 2016 Explorer | 128 | 5% | 41,785 |
| 2015 Explorer | 93 | 5% | 54,620 |
| 2014 Explorer | 100 | 6% | 60,000 |
| 2013 Explorer | 163 | 7% | 57,060 |
| 2012 Explorer | 63 | 8% | 39,000 |
| 2011 Explorer | 95 | 8% | 56,300 |
| 2010 Explorer | 12 | 10% | 60,000 |
| 2009 Explorer | 2 | 6% | 250 |
| 2008 Explorer | 38 | 26% | 72,000 |
| 2007 Explorer | 25 | 12% | 61,000 |
| 2006 Explorer | 39 | 6% | 57,500 |
| 2005 Explorer | 36 | 7% | 78,000 |
| 2004 Explorer | 55 | 4% | 52,000 |
| 2003 Explorer | 54 | 5% | 51,475 |
| 2002 Explorer | 148 | 4% | 94,000 |
| 2001 Explorer | 29 | 8% | 71,500 |
| 2000 Explorer | 78 | 8% | 91,700 |
| 1999 Explorer | 92 | 7% | 75,000 |
| 1998 Explorer | 114 | 6% | 105,000 |
| 1997 Explorer | 80 | 5% | 98,197 |
| 1996 Explorer | 47 | 3% | 143,000 |
| 1995 Explorer | 55 | 7% | 156,914 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists electrical system for the 1997 Ford Explorer. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
My lights don't work stabilizing bar is bad,speed control dose not work security key code not working,door controls do not work.wiper work sometimes.ball joint are bad, tires wearing bad,,bushings are very bad.transmission is starting to slip,all wheel drive does not work, it grinding sound.heaf…
I recently found out my vehicle has an open recall regarding the possible leakage of the speed control deactivation switch, which could cause a fire whether the vehicle is running or not. The ford manufacturer's recall #09s09 and the nhtsa recall #09v399000. This is still an open recall.i contacted…
On december 23rd, 2016 i was coming home from work around 6:00 pm. My car was a 1997 ford explorer eddie bauer edition. I had just gotten off of the highway and turned onto my road when i began to smell smoke, so, i pulled off into an empty parking lot beside a walking trail. I could tell that it…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1997 Ford Explorers have electrical system problems?
No. NHTSA has 80 owner complaints about electrical system for the 1997 Ford Explorer (5% of the 1,731 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 1997 Ford Explorer electrical system?
No recall currently lists electrical system for this vehicle.
At what mileage do electrical system problems start?
The median reported mileage is 98,197 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about electrical system problems on the 1997 Ford Explorer?
The most frequent phrase is “caught fire”, in 7 of 80 complaints, followed by “spark plugs” (5).
Other 1997 Ford Explorer problems
See all 1997 Ford Explorer problems or electrical system problems across all Explorer years.