IllustrationWHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND APPLYING BRAKES VEHICLE SHAKES, AND THERE IS A GRINDING NOISE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. ALSO,AIR BAG LIGHT/ ENGINE CHECK LIGHT ARE ON. *AK
1997 Ford Aspire
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1997 Ford Aspire do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 54.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Aspire years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 6 of 60 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Air Bags. Review the 14 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 12 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 11 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
6 crash reports2 fire reports4 injury reports
Air Bags complaints
14 reportsVEHICLE EXPERIENCED "LOOSE GEARS IN THE TRANSMISSION SYSTEM WHERE THE DEALER HAD TO REPLACE THE GEARS. ALSO, AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON, AND DEALER REPLACED IT, BUT PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. IN ADDITION, KEY BREAKS IN THE DOOR LOCKS/ VEHICLE IDLES AND STALLS UNEXPECTEDLY/DRIVER'S SEAT IS VERY LOOSE, DEALER TIGHTENED THE SEAT,BUT PROBLE…
Read full complaint
VEHICLE EXPERIENCED "LOOSE GEARS IN THE TRANSMISSION SYSTEM WHERE THE DEALER HAD TO REPLACE THE GEARS. ALSO, AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON, AND DEALER REPLACED IT, BUT PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. IN ADDITION, KEY BREAKS IN THE DOOR LOCKS/ VEHICLE IDLES AND STALLS UNEXPECTEDLY/DRIVER'S SEAT IS VERY LOOSE, DEALER TIGHTENED THE SEAT,BUT PROBLEM IS STILL OCCURRING/, AND ALL DOORS WERE NOT ALIGNED PROPERLY. OCCUPANT NEEDED TO SLAM THE DOOR AND CUT HER FINGER. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT BLINKS REPEATEDLY DESPITE FOUR REPAIR ATTEMPTS. *AK
WHILE DRIVING THE DRIVER ATTEMPTED TO APPLY THE BRAKES AND THERE WERE NO BRAKES. VEHICLE HIT ANOTHER CAR. BEFORE THE DRIVER HIT OTHER VEHICLE, THE AIR BAG DEPLOYED, CAUSING THE DRIVER TO HIT OTHER VEHICLE. *AK
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1PE98040 · Fuel Vapor Valve Leaks
Opened Jul 15, 1998 · Closed Nov 16, 1998
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Vehicle Speed Control:linkages
There is no summary currently available