1997 Ford Explorer Tires Problems
Owners have filed 669 complaints with NHTSA about tires problems on the 1997 Ford Explorer, 39% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 78,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “firestone wilderness” (31% of reports).
- 669tires complaints
- 78,000median miles at failure
- 56mention a crash
- 71mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 78%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.
- Firestone wilderness: mentioned in 210 of 669 complaints (31%)
- Tire size: mentioned in 186 of 669 complaints (28%)
- P235 75R15: mentioned in 182 of 669 complaints (27%)
- Tread separation: mentioned in 81 of 669 complaints (12%)
At what mileage do tires problems happen?
Based on 15 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 669 complaints, 56 mention a crash, 2 a fire, 71 an injury.
Ford Explorer tires complaints by model year
| Model year | Tires complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 Explorer | 2 | 1% | — |
| 2021 Explorer | 2 | 0% | — |
| 2020 Explorer | 2 | 0% | 267 |
| 2019 Explorer | 2 | 1% | 10,850 |
| 2018 Explorer | 10 | 1% | 24,000 |
| 2017 Explorer | 22 | 1% | 20,000 |
| 2016 Explorer | 15 | 1% | 16,132 |
| 2015 Explorer | 3 | 0% | 500 |
| 2014 Explorer | 4 | 0% | 102,500 |
| 2013 Explorer | 2 | 0% | 30,000 |
| 2011 Explorer | 2 | 0% | 26,000 |
| 2009 Explorer | 2 | 6% | 105,508 |
| 2008 Explorer | 1 | 1% | 11,300 |
| 2007 Explorer | 21 | 10% | 28,500 |
| 2006 Explorer | 4 | 1% | 58,043 |
| 2005 Explorer | 10 | 2% | 68,874 |
| 2004 Explorer | 19 | 1% | 31,104 |
| 2003 Explorer | 15 | 1% | 74,000 |
| 2002 Explorer | 38 | 1% | 58,600 |
| 2001 Explorer | 62 | 17% | 90,000 |
| 2000 Explorer | 217 | 23% | 62,500 |
| 1999 Explorer | 370 | 27% | 84,000 |
| 1998 Explorer | 696 | 36% | 86,000 |
| 1997 Explorer | 669 | 39% | 78,000 |
| 1996 Explorer | 570 | 39% | 139,500 |
| 1995 Explorer | 205 | 24% | 102,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists tires 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.
On 7/29/2013 we purchased a set of 4 kumho solus kr21 tires. The car is used primarily for highway travel ? Once weekly work commute and for vacation road trips. We had not yet driven it off pavement with the new tires. On 4/16/2014 i started the car to go to work. I heard an odd noise from the…
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 ford explorer with winston win winner at tires, size: 255/70r16. The contact stated that the side wall of the front passenger's side was leaking and the other three tires had developed cracks throughout the tires. The vehicle was not diagnosed and the tires were replaced…
Spare tire hoist cable failed on 1997 ford explorer xlt, resulting in spare tire breaking free of the vehicle while in motion. *tr
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1997 Ford Explorers have tires problems?
No. NHTSA has 669 owner complaints about tires for the 1997 Ford Explorer (39% 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 tires?
No recall currently lists tires for this vehicle.
At what mileage do tires problems start?
The median reported mileage is 78,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about tires problems on the 1997 Ford Explorer?
The most frequent phrase is “firestone wilderness”, in 210 of 669 complaints, followed by “tire size” (186).
Other 1997 Ford Explorer problems
See all 1997 Ford Explorer problems or tires problems across all Explorer years.