1997 Ford Ranger Problems, Recalls & Reliability
536 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 1997 Ford Ranger, alongside 7 recall campaigns and 2 defect investigations. It scores 53/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Electrical leads the reports, typically around 78,000 miles.
Below average
Where 1997 sits among all Ranger years
What owners report
“The interior dome light and ignition alarm will not stop/turn off when vehicle is turned off. The ignition alarm stops only when the key is removed, the dome light stays on for extreme extended periods of time. I have had this repaired once in 1998 or 99. Vehicle was under warranty. The ford motor…”— owner report to NHTSA, 1997 Ranger
“Fuel tank filler assembly failed, large quantities of gas leaked when tank filled, $227 for repair, $194 for car rental waiting for parts”— owner report to NHTSA, 1997 Ranger
“I have had 9 flat tires and one blowout with the firestone wilderness at tires.( dot number: )”— owner report to NHTSA, 1997 Ranger
“Left front rotor. Cracked all the way through. With numerous other partial thickness cracks. Rotor in good shape”— owner report to NHTSA, 1997 Ranger
“Automatic transmission will hang up between shifts acts like it is in neutral or drag out the shift if at low speed like 1st to 2nd gear. Transmission will also make a loud noise when down shifting to 1st gear at low speeds.”— owner report to NHTSA, 1997 Ranger
“The control switch for heat/air has to be turned to the off position. If not, the heat is uncontrollable and stifling”— owner report to NHTSA, 1997 Ranger
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 140 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 100,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 68,000 and 132,992 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (7)
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…
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…
DOPE, INC. IS RECALLING 42,540 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY…
Fix: DOPE, INC. WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 28, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT DOPE, INC. AT 1-626-272-1798.
SABERSPORT IS RECALLING 16,270 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY…
Fix: SABERSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 11, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SABERSPORT AT 1-909-598-7589.
K2 MOTOR IS RECALLING 1,921 AFTERMARKET HEADLAMPS OF VARIOUS MODELS SOLD FOR USE ON THE ABOVE LISTED VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS ARE MISSING THE AMBER SIDE REFLEX REFLECTOR WHICH FAILS TO CONFORM WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD…
Fix: K2 MOTOR WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND. THE RECALL BEGAN ON DECEMEBER 17, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT K2 MOTOR AT 1-909-839-2992.
CERTAIN PRO-A MOTORS CORNER LAMPS, TURN SIGNALS, AND HEADLIGHTS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE…
Fix: PRO-A MOTORS WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER TO REPURCHASE THE LAMPS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 3, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT PRO-A MOTORS AT 323-838-2988.
THIS IS NOT A SAFETY RECALL IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SAFETY ACT. HOWEVER, IT IS DEEMED A SAFETY IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN BY THE AGENCY. EQUIPMENT DESCRIPTION: FORD IS REPLACING ALL FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT 15, 16, AND 17 INCH TIRES MOUNTED ON FORD TRUCKS AND…
Fix: THE REPLACEMENT/REIMBURSEMENT PROGRAM FOR THIS CAMPAIGN EXPIRED ON MARCH 31, 2002. HOWEVER, CUSTOMERS CAN CONTACT FORD AT 1-877-917-3673 OR GO ON-LINE TO WWW.FORD.COM FOR POSSIBLE ASSISTANCE.
TIRE DESCRIPTION: FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT, SIZE P235/75R15, PRODUCED AT THE DECATUR, ILLINOIS TIRE PLANT AND ALL FIRESTONE RADIAL ATX AND RADIAL ATX II TIRES, SIZE P235/75R15. OPERATION OF THESE TIRES AT LOW INFLATION PRESSURES, HIGH SPEED, AND IN HOT…
Fix: THE REPLACEMENT/REIMBURSEMENT PROGRAM FOR THIS CAMPAIGN EXPIRED ON AUGUST 29, 2001. HOWEVER, CUSTOMERS SHOULD CONTACT FIRESTONE CUSTOMER SERVICE AT 1-800-465-1904 FOR POSSIBLE ASSISTANCE.
Federal defect investigations
Technical service bulletins
202 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on transmission & drivetrain and engine — are on file for the 1997 Ford Ranger. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 1997 Ranger TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 1997 Ford Ranger reliable?
The 1997 Ford Ranger drew 536 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 53/100, scored against the model's worst year (1999).
What are the most common 1997 Ford Ranger problems?
The top reported problems for the 1997 Ford Ranger are electrical (78 complaints), fuel system (68), and wheels & tires (66).
At what mileage do 1997 Ford Ranger problems show up?
Owners most often report 1997 Ford Ranger problems around 100,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 68,000 and 132,992 miles.
Does the 1997 Ford Ranger have recalls?
7 recall campaigns apply to the 1997 Ford Ranger. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.