1997 Ford Club Wagon recalls & problems

Safety recalls

Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. A recall listed here may already have been fixed on a particular car: enter its 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (New Car Assessment Program). Ratings are comparable only between vehicles of similar size and weight, and ratings from 2011 on use tougher tests than earlier years. Photos: NHTSA.

What owners report

*Median odometer reading when the problem happened, where owners gave one. One complaint can name several problem areas.

Recent owner complaints

• Tires

  DURATURN TRAVIA H/T DELAMINATED WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY MONDAY OCTOBER 26, 2020. 1 TON VAN SHUDDERED AND SHOOK THE STEERING WHEEL. REDUCED SPEED AND LEFT THE FREEWAY. CHANGED TO SPARE TIRE. DURATURN VISIBLY MIS-SHAPED BUT REMAINED ON THE RIM. VIEWED RECALL IN PROGRESS FOR DURATURN TRAVIA A/T TIRES, INCLUDING MY SIZE 245/75R16 (WHICH ARE LOAD RANGE E). THE DATE RANGE ON MY TIRES IS IN THE DATE RANGE OF THE RECALL (2016). CALLED THE RECALL WEBPAGE PROVIDED REP (DAVE 626-513-8989) TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY AND LEFT MESSAGES EACH DAY. NO REPLY. NO OTHER CONTACT PHONE NUMBER OPTIONS FOUND ONLINE. MY 4 VAN TIRES HAVE ABOUT 85% TREAD LEFT AND ARE ALL THE SAME BRAND ETC. DOT UFRN EL8…

  Oct 26, 2020
• Engine and engine coolingFire

  #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

  Mar 25, 2009 · 62,000 miles
• Tires

  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

  Dec 17, 2003 · 95,000 miles
• Wheels › Lugs/nuts/bolts/studs

  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

  Sep 17, 2002
• Tires

  CONSUMER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR THE TIRES. THE RECALL ONLY APPLIED TO THE SPARE BECAUSE CONSUMER HAD PREVIOUSLY REPLACED THE OTHER FOUR TIRES. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE IN TO HAVE THE RECALL PERFORMED. THE SALES ASSOCIATE INSPECTED THE TIRE AND INFORMED CONSUMER HE COULD NOT REPLACE THE TIRE WITH OUT A CODE FROM GOODYEAR. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE AND TIRE TO ANOTHER DEALER. THE DEALERSHIP DID NOT HAVE ONE IN STOCK AND TOLD CONSUMER TO COME BACK ON MONDAY TO HAVE THE TIRE REPLACED. ON MONDAY THE TIRE HAD NOT BEEN ORDERED. IT TOOK CONSUMER 5 TRIES TO HAVE THE TIRE REPLACED AS STATED IN THE RECALL. *JG

  May 21, 2002
• Service brakes, hydraulic › Foundation components › Disc

  WHEN DRIVING AT 60 MPH FRONT END OF VEHICLE VIBRATES AND BRAKES BECOME INOPERABLE. TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALER SEVERA TIMES. PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN REMEDIED AS OF YET. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION, AND IDENTIFICATION NUMBER.*AK

  Apr 16, 2002
• Equipment adaptive/mobility

  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

  Sep 3, 2001
• Visibility › Defroster/defogger/hvac system

  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.

  Feb 15, 2001

Owner complaints are submitted to NHTSA by the public and are not verified. Shown as filed (NHTSA removes personal details); long reports are shortened.