1997 Ford Explorer Structure Problems
Owners have filed 50 complaints with NHTSA about structure problems on the 1997 Ford Explorer, 3% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 84,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “door handles” (12% of reports).
- 50structure complaints
- 84,000median miles at failure
- 0mention a crash
- 2mention an injury
- 0related recalls
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Door handles: mentioned in 6 of 50 complaints (12%)
- Open inside: mentioned in 5 of 50 complaints (10%)
At what mileage do structure problems happen?
Based on 7 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 50 complaints, 1 a fire, 2 an injury.
Ford Explorer structure complaints by model year
| Model year | Structure complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Explorer | 2 | 5% | — |
| 2025 Explorer | 7 | 7% | 1,600 |
| 2023 Explorer | 10 | 9% | 10,000 |
| 2022 Explorer | 11 | 4% | 39,000 |
| 2021 Explorer | 25 | 6% | 61,500 |
| 2020 Explorer | 45 | 4% | 40,302 |
| 2019 Explorer | 150 | 50% | 63,125 |
| 2018 Explorer | 288 | 39% | 60,950 |
| 2017 Explorer | 658 | 39% | 76,000 |
| 2016 Explorer | 591 | 24% | 82,750 |
| 2015 Explorer | 410 | 23% | 90,000 |
| 2014 Explorer | 276 | 16% | 92,500 |
| 2013 Explorer | 439 | 20% | 70,000 |
| 2012 Explorer | 144 | 17% | 96,500 |
| 2011 Explorer | 110 | 9% | 101,000 |
| 2010 Explorer | 1 | 1% | 6,900 |
| 2009 Explorer | 2 | 6% | 105,000 |
| 2008 Explorer | 1 | 1% | 7,000 |
| 2007 Explorer | 11 | 5% | 80,000 |
| 2006 Explorer | 11 | 2% | 19,695 |
| 2005 Explorer | 151 | 30% | 77,300 |
| 2004 Explorer | 426 | 33% | 72,000 |
| 2003 Explorer | 354 | 31% | 70,000 |
| 2002 Explorer | 486 | 15% | 66,400 |
| 2001 Explorer | 29 | 8% | 100,000 |
| 2000 Explorer | 29 | 3% | 93,310 |
| 1999 Explorer | 47 | 3% | 100,000 |
| 1998 Explorer | 48 | 2% | 112,000 |
| 1997 Explorer | 50 | 3% | 84,000 |
| 1996 Explorer | 63 | 4% | 123,743 |
| 1995 Explorer | 39 | 5% | 112,762 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists structure 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.
The driver side interior door handle return spring unseated resulting in interior door handle that does not return to the fully stowed position after actuation. If the interior door handle return spring is unseated, could the door unlatch in the event of a side impact crash, increasing the risk of…
I own a ford explorer xlt 1997 and the rear passenger door on the drivers side only opens from the inside while the other rear passenger door will not open from the inside or out (child lock not activated). The drivers door doesn't lock and when it does lock, it doesn't unlock or sticks so bad it…
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 ford explorer. The contact stated that the driver side door could not be opened from the interior or exterior of the vehicle, causing the contact to have to enter and exit the vehicle from the passenger side. The contact also stated that the rear passenger door could not…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1997 Ford Explorers have structure problems?
No. NHTSA has 50 owner complaints about structure for the 1997 Ford Explorer (3% 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 structure?
No recall currently lists structure for this vehicle.
At what mileage do structure problems start?
The median reported mileage is 84,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about structure problems on the 1997 Ford Explorer?
The most frequent phrase is “door handles”, in 6 of 50 complaints, followed by “open inside” (5).
Other 1997 Ford Explorer problems
See all 1997 Ford Explorer problems or structure problems across all Explorer years.