1997 Ford Ranger Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Ranger years
- More complaints than other years 6th of 28 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 411 complaints with NHTSA about the 1997 Ford Ranger. That ranks 6th out of 28 Ranger model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is tires (57 complaints, 14%), typically at around 50,379 miles. Complaints mention 40 crashes, 8 fires, 44 injuries. There is 1 safety recall covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 2 defect investigations involving it.
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- 411owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 2NHTSA investigations
- 40complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1997 Ford Ranger problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tires problems | 57 | 14% | 50,379 | “firestone wilderness” (25%) | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline problems | 55 | 13% | 101,000 | “fuel tank” (31%) | $690 |
| Power Train | 42 | 10% | 84,990 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 36 | 9% | 48,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 36 | 9% | 101,000 | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 34 | 8% | 101,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 28 | 7% | 78,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 25 | 6% | 116,500 | — | — |
| Suspension | 25 | 6% | 121,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 23 | 6% | 128,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 22 | 5% | 53,423 | — | — |
| Steering | 21 | 5% | 85,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 14 | 3% | 71,500 | — | — |
| Equipment | 14 | 3% | 50,750 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 14 | 3% | 70,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 12 | 3% | 69,898 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 9 | 2% | 96,122 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 9 | 2% | 63,300 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 8 | 2% | 129,500 | — | — |
| Engine | 4 | 1% | 60,000 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 4 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 3 | 1% | 70,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 3 | 1% | 162,500 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 3 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Wheels | 3 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 2 | 0% | 170,800 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Diesel | 1 | 0% | 100,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Traction Control System | 1 | 0% | 1,500 | — | — |
| Trailer Hitches | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1997 Ford Ranger recalls (1)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Vehicle speed control
Problem: Ford is recalling model years 1995-2003 windstar, 2000-2003 excursion diesel, 1993-1997 and 1999-2003 f-250 sd through f-550 sd diesel, 1992-2003 e-150 through e-550, 1995-2002 explorer, 1997 and 2002 mercury mountaineer, 1995-1997 and 2001-2003 ranger, and 1994 f53 vehicles equipped with the texas instruments speed control deactivation switch (scds). The scds may leak internally and then overheat, smoke, or burn.
Risk: A vehicle fire could occur with or without the engine running.
Fix: Ford will notify owners that dealers will install a fused wiring harness in line with the scds. On 1999-2003 windstar vehicles with a leaking scds, dealers will also inspect the abs control module connector and repair as necessary. Repairs will be completed free of charge. The safety recall began on october 27, 2009. Owners may contact ford at 1-888-222-2751.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Front seat belt (DP00005) — opened Oct 2, 2000, closed May 15, 2001.
- Steering knuckle separations (PE99045) — opened Jul 6, 1999, closed Oct 29, 1999.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 FORD RANGER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE HAVING A ROUTINE INSPECTION AT HALDEMAN FORD OF KUTZTOWN, INC. (15465 KUTZTOWN RD, KUTZTOWN, PA 19530, [redacted]) THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE FRONT AND REAR SUBFRAME WAS SEVERELY CORRODED. AFTER HAVING AN EMISSIONS…
Ford ranger 4x4 xlt 4.0l has had problems from the beginning front tires two out , fog lights, air conditioning, transmission shift points , check engine light when new and to this day gas mileage not as stated on window sticker ,also windows motor and controls
Belt separation on 2 tires in one month time span. Fusion touring 195 70r14 91t. These tires have 8/32 tread remaining. Failures were front right, then left read one month later. Caused difficulty steering as the car was all over the road plus bumpy ride. The tires are visibly bulging baloon. I…
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 ford ranger. Upon inspection, it was discovered that the fuel tank was not secured and was hanging from the subframe of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the failure was caused by severe rusting and corrosion of the…
Excessive rust not caused by normal wear and tear, had spare tire carrier rust off while on the road
Other Ford Ranger years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Ranger | 7 | 8 |
| 2025 Ranger | 43 | 13 |
| 2024 Ranger | 93 | 13 |
| 2023 Ranger | 18 | 4 |
| 2022 Ranger | 37 | 5 |
| 2021 Ranger | 118 | 6 |
| 2020 Ranger | 130 | 7 |
| 2019 Ranger | 270 | 11 |
| 2017 Ranger | 1 | 0 |
| 2016 Ranger | 1 | 0 |
| 2014 Ranger | 1 | 0 |
| 2011 Ranger | 235 | 5 |
| 2010 Ranger | 156 | 8 |
| 2009 Ranger | 169 | 7 |
| 2008 Ranger | 326 | 5 |
| 2007 Ranger | 270 | 5 |
| 2006 Ranger | 272 | 12 |
| 2005 Ranger | 289 | 9 |
| 2004 Ranger | 404 | 10 |
| 2003 Ranger | 243 | 1 |
| 2002 Ranger | 346 | 3 |
| 2001 Ranger | 515 | 4 |
| 2000 Ranger | 670 | 3 |
| 1999 Ranger | 755 | 4 |
| 1998 Ranger | 576 | 5 |
| 1997 | 411 | 1 |
| 1996 Ranger | 413 | 2 |
| 1995 Ranger | 321 | 1 |
See all Ford Ranger problems by year, every Ford model, or the Ford VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1997 Ford Ranger?
Owners most often report tires, fuel system, gasoline, power train problems. The top one, tires, accounts for 57 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1997 Ford Ranger?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1997 Ford Ranger a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Ranger model years, the 1997 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.