FRONT BRAKES FAILED. YH
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
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.
What owners actually said
28 reportsTRANSMISSION SHIFTING HARD AND JERKS FORWARD AND BACKWARD. NLM
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.
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…
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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 )
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…
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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
EXTERIOR REAR VIEW MIRROR MAKES OBJECTS SEEM FURTHER AWAY THAN THEY ARE.
WHILE DEPRESSING THE BRAKES PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR, THE VEHICLE STARTED PULLING TO THE LEFT. *AK
HEATER FOR VEHICLE FAILED.
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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
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