53 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 1997 Ford Explorer cite fuel system, gasoline, 3% of all 1,789 complaints for this model year. NHTSA also lists 1 recall on this component.
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH WHEN HE WAS INFORMED THAT A FIRE HAD ERUPTED FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO MOVE THE VEHICLE OFF THE ROADWAY AND EXIT THE VEHICLE JUST AS IT BURST INTO FLAMES. THE POLICE ARRIVED TO ASSIST AND A POLICE REPORT WAS AVAILABLE. THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN UNDISCLOSED LOCATION. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND ADVISED THE CONTACT TO TAKE PICTURES OF THE FAILURE AND DAMAGES. THE CONTACT WAS ALSO INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS UNDER RECALL UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 98V060000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS), WHICH COULD POSSIBLY HAVE BEEN THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 234,000.”
“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT SMELLED GASOLINE IN THE VEHICLE AND AFTER LOOKING UNDERNEATH THE HOOD HE NOTICED THAT THE FUEL LINE WAS LEAKING FROM A BRACKET BEHIND THE MOTOR. THE CONTACT SPOKE TO THE MANUFACTURER ABOUT RECALL CAMPAIGN 98V060000, FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS, BUT THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE RECALL HAD CLOSED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 118,034.”
“STUCK ACCELERATOR ON 1997 FORD EXPLORER WITH 58,000 MILES. WHILE DRIVING ON INTERSTATE 287/78 IN NJ I TRIED TO TURN OFF THE CRUISE CONTROL BUT INSTEAD THE CAR ACCELERATED UNCONTROLLABLY TO OVER 85 MPH. I GAINED CONTROL BY TURNING THE ENGINE ON AND OFF UNTIL REACHING A SAFE PLACE TO STOP. AN NJDOT TRUCK HELPED ME AND LATER THAT DAY I EMAILED WHAT HAPPENED TO FORD'S CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE. I WANTED THEM TO HAVE A DEALER EXAMINE MY EXPLORER TO SEE IF THIS WAS CAUSED BY A MATERIAL DEFECT OF NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR, IN WHICH CASE I WOULD REPAIR IT. THEY REFUSED TO HELP SO I WROTE A LETTER TO DEARBORN AND RECEIVED A RESPONSE SAYING THE MATTER WAS CLOSED (CASE # 1510510480). MY WIFE SAID (AND I BELIEVE HER) THAT IF SHE WERE DRIVING IT WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN A CRASH. I NOTED THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE 2002 ESCAPE THAT SOUNDS LIKE THE SAME PROBLEM. I JUST WANT TO PREVENT POTENTIAL LOSS OF LIFE DUE TO THIS, IN MY OPINION, FAULTY DESIGN OR MANUFACTURER GLITCH. NJDOT DOCUMENTED THE CASE SINCE I SENT THEM A "THANK YOU" AND THEY RESPONDED. THE VEHICLE PUT ME AND OTHERS ON THE HIGHWAY IN A LIFE-THREATENING SITUATION (VIZ A VIZ TOYOTA) BUT FORD IS UNWILLING TO CONSIDER THE CASE.…”
“TL*- THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 FORD EXPLORER SPORT. WHILE TRAVELING 30 MPH SHE SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING IN THE VEHICLE. SHE THEN SAW A BIT OF SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE. SHE PULLED THE VEHICLE OVER AND A PERSON CAME UP TO THE VEHICLE AND ADVISED HER TO GET OUT OF THE VEHICLE BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. ANOTHER PERSON APPROACHED THE SCENE WITH A FIRE EXTINGUISHER, BUT BY THIS TIME THE FLAMES COMING OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THEY USED UP THE ENTIRE FIRE EXTINGUISHER, BUT COULD NOT PUT THE FIRE OUT. THE TIRES EXPLODED AND ALL OF THE WINDOWS BLEW OUT. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CAME, THEY TRIED TO PUT OUT THE FIRE, BUT THERE WASN'T ENOUGH WATER PRESSURE BY THE TIME THE SECOND FIRE TRUCK CAME OUT THE FIRE WAS VERY CLOSE TO THE GASOLINE TANK. LUCKILY THEY WERE ABLE TO PUT THE FIRE OUT BEFORE IT GOT TO THE GAS TANK, BUT THE THING THAT IS LEFT OF THE VEHICLE IS THE METAL FRAME. SHE HAS NOT YET CALLED FORD, BUT BELIEVES THIS IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. THERE WERE NO INJURIES SUSTAINED. THE DAMAGES WERE SO SEVERE THEY WERE UNABLE TO TELL WHAT CAUSED THE FIRE. ALL SHE KNEW WAS THAT THE FIRE STARTED UNDERNEATH THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE ON THE DRIVER SIDE. THE…”
“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON HIS VEHICLE (NUMBER 98S09) REGARDING THE WARNING LABEL THAT WAS TO BE INSTALLED ON THE FUEL BRACKET; HOWEVER, HIS WAS INSTALLED ON THE FUEL LINE ITSELF. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE LESS THAN 102,266.”
“I BOUGHT A 1997 FORD EXPLORER ON FEBRUARY 23, 2008. ON OCTOBER 3, 2008 I USED MY EXPLORER TO JUMP ANOTHER VEHICLE. I HAD THE NEGATIVE CABLE GROUNDED TO A BRACKET RIGHT NEXT TO THE BATTERY (THE MOST OBVIOUS PLACE TO GROUND TO). WHILE TRYING TO JUMP THE OTHER VEHICLE FUEL STARTED LEAKING FROM THE FUEL LINES THAT ARE ATTACHED TO THAT BRACKET. THE FUEL LINES WERE MELTED BECAUSE OF JUMPING ON THAT BRACKET AND THERE WAS FUEL RUNNING OVER THE JUMPER CABLES AND DOWN THE SIDE OF THE ENGINE. I COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED BUT MOST LIKELY KILLED IF THE JUMPER CABLES SPARKED. I WAS LOOKING ON THE INTERNET TO SEE HOW MUCH IT WOULD COST TO HAVE THE FUEL LINES REPLACED AND I STUMBLED ACROSS A RECALL STATING THAT ON MY SPECIFIC EXPLORER " THE ENGINE FUEL LINES CAN BE DAMAGED IF THE VEHICLE IS JUMP STARTED AND THE GROUND CABLE IS ATTACHED TO THE FUEL LINE BRACKET THAT IS LOCATED NEAR THE BATTERY. SINCE THE BRACKET IS NOT GROUNDED, THE STAINLESS STEEL FUEL LINE BRAID COULD ACT AS A GROUND POTENTIALLY OVERHEATING THE PTFE INNER LINER OF THE FUEL LINE RESULTING IN DAMAGE TO THE FUEL LINE. CONSEQUENCE: THE FUEL LINES CAN LEAK, AND IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE, A FIRE…”
Showing 6 of 53 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: MULTI-PURPOSE PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 4.0L SINGLE OVERHEAD CAM ENGINES. THE ENGINE FUEL LINES CAN BE DAMAGED IF THE VEHICLE IS JUMP STARTED AND THE GROUND CABLE IS ATTACHED TO THE FUEL LINE BRACKET THAT IS LOCATED NEAR THE BATTERY. SINCE THE BRACKET IS NOT GROUNDED, THE STAINLESS STEEL FUEL LINE BRAID COULD ACT AS A GROUND POTENTIALLY OVERHEATING THE PTFE INNER LINER OF THE FUEL LINE RESULTING IN DAMAGE TO THE FUEL LINE.
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.