1997 Ford Explorer Sport Trac Recalls
No NHTSA recalls on record for the 1997 Ford Explorer Sport Trac. That means NHTSA has no open safety campaign for this vehicle — it does not guarantee the absence of problems. Owners have filed 6 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the power train. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Complaints by component
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.
“While driving 1997 ford explorer xlt 4x4 v6 sohc upon acceleration on to freeway, the gas peddle stuck to floor and would not release. The result was a blown engine/small fire,no injuries thank god, because the only way to stop vehicle was to put into neutral and then park. The foot brake and…”
“Broken front sway bar link on 1997 ford explort xlt. Replace parts. *nm”
“Transfer case failure when transferred from normal operation to 4 wheel drive. If this had happened while I was on the road instead of in front of my home, I believe an accident most surely would have occurred. Thank god I tested the 4 wheel operation before I took a trip to the snow country.…”
“I think the rear door of ford explorers should be investigated. I have a 1997 ford explorer xlt. The weld that holds the rear door at the top is starting to come apart. I was informed that this is an engineering defect on ford explorers by a ford body shop. Why has there not been a recall on this…”
“I drive a 1997 ford explorer xlt. The driver's side seat belt today became unlatched when I hit the breaks hard. This is the second time that this has happened. Had I hit another car, I would have gone through the windshield. Ford wants to charge me $100 for the repair. *jb”
“I have a 1997 ford explorer sport and it is down for the second time with a timing chain problem. The first was when I bought the used vehicle in 1999 from a car lot in lynnwood, wa it had 49,000 miles on it and it need the timing chain assembly replaced. Now 4 years later it is sitting at a shop…”
Defect investigations
SPARK PLUG EJECTION FROM CYLINDER HEAD
ON SEPTEMBER 6, 2005, ODI RECEIVED A PETITION REQUESTING THAT THE AGENCY INVESTIGATE ALLEGATIONS OF ENGINE SPARK PLUG EJECTION IN CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 1997 THROUGH 2004 FORD VEHICLES WITH TRITON V-8 AND V-10 ENGINES.ODI RECEIVED A TOTAL OF 474 NON-DUPLICATIVE COMPLAINTS ON THE SUBJECT VEHICLES WHERE THE COMPLAINANT, OR…
SPARK PLUG EJECTION FROM CYLINDER HEAD
ON SEPTEMBER 6, 2005, ODI RECEIVED A PETITION REQUESTING THAT THE AGENCY INVESTIGATE ALLEGATIONS OF ENGINE SPARK PLUG EJECTION IN CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 1997 THROUGH 2004 FORD VEHICLES WITH TRITON V-8 AND V-10 ENGINES.ODI RECEIVED A TOTAL OF 474 NON-DUPLICATIVE COMPLAINTS ON THE SUBJECT VEHICLES WHERE THE COMPLAINANT, OR…
SPARK PLUG EJECTION FROM CYLINDER HEAD
ON SEPTEMBER 6, 2005, ODI RECEIVED A PETITION REQUESTING THAT THE AGENCY INVESTIGATE ALLEGATIONS OF ENGINE SPARK PLUG EJECTION IN CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 1997 THROUGH 2004 FORD VEHICLES WITH TRITON V-8 AND V-10 ENGINES.ODI RECEIVED A TOTAL OF 474 NON-DUPLICATIVE COMPLAINTS ON THE SUBJECT VEHICLES WHERE THE COMPLAINANT, OR…
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 1997 Ford Explorer Sport Trac as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.