AI Damage1997 Ford Mountaineer: common problems
Owners of the 1997 Ford Mountaineer filed 7 complaints with NHTSA, most often about vehicle speed control and air bags. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 7
What fails most often
- 1 Vehicle speed control 29% of all complaints
- 2 Air bags 14% of all complaints
- 3 Latches, locks, linkages 14% of all complaints
- 4 Seats 14% of all complaints
- 5 Service brakes 14% of all complaints
- 6 Steering 14% of all complaints
- 7 Tires 14% of all complaints
- Vehicle speed control: 2 complaints (29% of all).
- Air bags: 1 complaints (14% of all).
- Latches, locks, linkages: 1 complaints (14% of all).
- Seats: 1 complaints (14% of all).
- Service brakes: 1 complaints (14% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 7 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle speed control | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Latches, locks, linkages | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 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.
I am 84 yrs old and afraid to drive car worried fire could start while driving.
Seatback is loose and keeps falling backwards. Cause unkwown.
The rear liftgate door, door handles and locks were replaced at 30,000 miles. Consumer stated now at 90,000 the handle and locks need to be replaced again. The lift gate will not open, 1 or 2 door locks have been broken for a long time. Scc
The gas pedal sticks. Most of the time when stopped, begin to push on the pedal, it will not move until the pressure then breaks free, while giving much gas and lunging forward, and happens while driving. Scc
Momentary loss of power steering while traveling in one foot of water at 5 mph. Dealer was notified. Feel free to provide us with any further details on this matter.
When applying abs brakes pedal becomes extremely hard and resists application, cause unknown. Please give further details.
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 12,538 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 34% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Mountaineer has 5 complaints (8 years in the data). This year has 7, above average.
What to check before buying
- Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Latches, locks, linkages. Door, hood and tailgate latches, especially near the impact.
- Seats. Occupant sensor, power adjustment, seat mounts.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1997 Ford Mountaineer?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: vehicle speed control, air bags, latches, locks, linkages. Total complaints: 7. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: door locks, latches, handles (14%), loss of power / limp mode (14%), smoke, burning smell, fire (14%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1997 Ford Mountaineer?
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 Mountaineer 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 2026-11-05.