← New search

1997 Ford Club Wagon

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Limited comparison data

There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.

About this comparison →

How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

Other model years Selected year
Compare all Club Wagon 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: 2 of 28 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.

  • Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 8 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Tires. Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Visibility. Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

2 crash reports1 fire reports1 injury reports

What owners actually said

28 reports
Mileage unknown · Feb 1, 1999
Engine And Engine CoolingService Brakes, HydraulicSuspension

FRONT BRAKES FAILED. YH

NHTSA ODI #607087

Mileage unknown · Feb 1, 1999
Power Train

TRANSMISSION SHIFTING HARD AND JERKS FORWARD AND BACKWARD. NLM

NHTSA ODI #606106

Mileage unknown · Jan 21, 1999
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

EXPERIENCING ONGOING PROBLEM WITH BRAKE PEDAL GOING DOWN TO THE FLOOR WHENEVER THE VEHICLE IS DRIVEN IN WET CONDITION, NO MATTER WHAT THE SPEED MAYBE. VEHICLE BEEN INSPECTED/REPAIRED BY INDEPENDENT DEALER, AND PROBLEM STILL OCCURS. DELER/MFR. NOT NOTIFIED AT THIS TIME. NEEDS HELP IN THIS MATTER.

NHTSA ODI #833849

Mileage unknown · Nov 6, 1998
Tires

WE HAVE A VIBRATION IN THE TIRES AND TWO DEALERS HAVE TOLD US IT IS THE TIRES. RANCHO FORD IS OUR CLOSES DEALER SO WE HAVE GONE THERE. THEY REPLACED TWO TIRES 6 MONTH'S AGO AND THAT HEPLED A LITTLE. SINCE THAT TIME WE HAVE HAD THREE FLATS BECAUSE OF THE VALVE STEMS RIPPING, MY THOUGHT THE VIBRATION HAS CAUSED THIS AND IT COST US…

Read full complaint

WE HAVE A VIBRATION IN THE TIRES AND TWO DEALERS HAVE TOLD US IT IS THE TIRES. RANCHO FORD IS OUR CLOSES DEALER SO WE HAVE GONE THERE. THEY REPLACED TWO TIRES 6 MONTH'S AGO AND THAT HEPLED A LITTLE. SINCE THAT TIME WE HAVE HAD THREE FLATS BECAUSE OF THE VALVE STEMS RIPPING, MY THOUGHT THE VIBRATION HAS CAUSED THIS AND IT COST US A NEW TIRE. WE HAVE PAID TO HAVE TIRES BALANCED EVEN AT THE DEALER BUT IT STILL VIBRATES. THE RANCHO FORD CUSTOMER RELATIONS MANAGER TOLD ME THAT THEY CONSIDER THE VIBRATION A CHARACTERISTIC OF THE VAN.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: LT245/75R1 )

NHTSA ODI #700363

Mileage unknown · Nov 4, 1998
Service Brakes, HydraulicVisibility

THIS VEHICLE'S FRONT HEAT FAILED AT 9569 MILES. THE DEALER SAID THE HEATER BOX BLEND DOOR FAILED. THE DEALER REPLACED THE HEATER BOX UNDER WARRANTY SUPPOSEDLY WITH A MANUFACTURER MODIFIED UNIT TO CORRECT A KNOWN DEFECT IN DESIGN. THIS VEHICLE'S FRONT BRAKES FAILED AT 11,780 MILES. THE DEALER SAID THAT THE CALIPERS WERE DEFECT…

Read full complaint

THIS VEHICLE'S FRONT HEAT FAILED AT 9569 MILES. THE DEALER SAID THE HEATER BOX BLEND DOOR FAILED. THE DEALER REPLACED THE HEATER BOX UNDER WARRANTY SUPPOSEDLY WITH A MANUFACTURER MODIFIED UNIT TO CORRECT A KNOWN DEFECT IN DESIGN. THIS VEHICLE'S FRONT BRAKES FAILED AT 11,780 MILES. THE DEALER SAID THAT THE CALIPERS WERE DEFECTIVE AND REPLACED THEM AND THE PADS UNDER WARRANTY. AT 14,824 MILES THE REAR BRAKES WERE GRABBING AND REQUIRED SERVICE. THE DEALER PERFORMED SERVICE AT NO CHARGE. AT 23,550 MILES THE FRONT HEAT FAILED AGAIN. THE DEALER IS AGAIN REPAIRING UNDER WARRANTY. (EXACT SAME PROBLEM.) ALSO AT THIS SAME MILEAGE (23,550, ALMOST EXACTLY DOUBLE THE MILEAGE OF THE FIRST BRAKE FAILURE), THE BRAKES FAILED AGAIN. THE DEALER SAID THE FRONT BRAKES NEED REPLACEMENT AGAIN AND THE REAR BRAKES NEED SERVICE AGAIN AS WELL. THIS TIME I WILL HAVE TO PAY MYSELF. THE DEALER ALSO STATES THAT THIS IS NORMAL MILEAGE FOR BRAKE REPLACEMENT FOR THIS MODEL VEHICLE AND I CAN EXPECT SIMILAR RESULTS THROUGHOUT MY OWNERSHIP OF THIS VEHICLE. I AM SUBMITTING THIS COMPLAINT PRIMARILY BECAUSE OF THE BRAKE SITUATION (ALTHOUGH THE HEATER IS AN ANNOYING SITUATION).BESIDES BEING AN UNDUE EXPENSE AND INCONVENIENCE FOR OWNERS OF THIS MODEL VEHICLE, MY MAIN CONCERN IS SAFETY RELATED. THE DEALER SAYS THAT THIS IS NORMAL MILEAGE FOR BRAKE REPLACEMENT FOR THIS VEHICLE. THIS VEHICLE HAS NEVER TOWED ANYTHING ALTHOUGH IT IS FACTORY EQUIPPED FOR TOWING. HOW MANY MILES COULD I EXPECT OUT OF A SET OF BRAKES IF I ACTUALLY DID TOW WITH THIS VEHICLE? 3000 - 5000? ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE. MOST OF THE MILEAGE ON THIS VEHICLE ARE HIGHWAY OR COUNTRY MILES WITH ALMOST NO CITY MILES. MOST STATES REQUIRE ANNUAL VEHICLE SAFETY INSPECTIONS. WITH THE AVERAGE DRIVER ACCUMULATING 12,000 OR MORE MILES PER YEAR, PEOPLE WITH THIS VEHICLE WILL REQUIRE BRAKES BEFORE A YEARLY INSPECTION. THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO WILL NOT KNOW THE WARNING SIGNS THAT THEIR VEHICLE NEEDS NEW BRAKES UNTIL THE VEHICLE DOES NOT STO

NHTSA ODI #700312

Mileage unknown · Jun 9, 1998
Visibility

EXTERIOR REAR VIEW MIRROR MAKES OBJECTS SEEM FURTHER AWAY THAN THEY ARE.

NHTSA ODI #536504

Mileage unknown · Feb 24, 1998
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

WHILE DEPRESSING THE BRAKES PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR, THE VEHICLE STARTED PULLING TO THE LEFT. *AK

NHTSA ODI #821657

Mileage unknown · Feb 18, 1998
Visibility

HEATER FOR VEHICLE FAILED.

NHTSA ODI #530646

Official recalls

0

No 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

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.