AI Damage1997 Ford Club Wagon reliability: common problems
Owners of the 1997 Ford Club Wagon filed 28 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and tires. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 28
- involving a crash
- 3
What fails most often
- 1 Service brakes 29% of all complaints
- 2 Tires 21% of all complaints
- 3 Visibility 21% of all complaints
- 4 Engine and cooling 14% of all complaints
- 5 Equipment 11% of all complaints
- 6 Powertrain 11% of all complaints
- 7 Wheels 11% of all complaints
- 8 Air bags 4% of all complaints
- Service brakes: 8 complaints (29% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Tires: 6 complaints (21% of all).
- Visibility: 6 complaints (21% of all).
- Engine and cooling: 4 complaints (14% of all).
- Equipment: 3 complaints (11% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 28 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service brakes | 8 | 2 | 0 |
| Tires | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Air bags | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Heater blend door failed several times and door is broken the defroster unit does not work and windshield is foggy. Yh
He was wearing his seatbelt at the time. I think the design of this airbag cover is atrocious and dangerous. We have photos of him and the airbag. We want to know if samething would happen again if we purchase the same vehicle model year 1999, even if it now is a reduced force airbag--the cover design looks the same.
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).
#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.
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.
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).
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.
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.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 6,792 of 32,257 model years in the NHTSA data (top 21% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Club Wagon has 10 complaints (17 years in the data). This year has 28, above average.
What to check before buying
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Tires. Tire age by DOT code, bulges, wear pattern.
- Visibility. Wipers, mirrors, defrosters, cracked glass.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1997 Ford Club Wagon?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, tires, visibility. Total complaints: 28. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: A/C or heater (18%), vibration (11%), brake failure (7%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1997 Ford Club Wagon?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 1997 Ford Club Wagon from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 1997 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-06.