Total Complaints
6 filings
FORD MUSTANG COBRA · model year
1997 FORD MUSTANG COBRA
6 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1997FORDMUSTANG COBRA carries 6 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1997 MUSTANG COBRA is parking brake with 1 filings, followed by power train:manual transmission (1) and seat belts:front:retractor (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 2 investigation files overlapping the 1997 MUSTANG COBRA. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
6
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| PARKING BRAKE | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20100312SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 FORD MUSTANG, COBRA. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS PARKED IN HIS DRIVEWAY HE APPLIED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE AND THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY BEGAN TO COAST DOWN HIS DRIVEWAY. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS INFORMED NHTSA RECALL #00V349000 PARKING BRAKE: CONVENTIONAL DID NOT APPLY TO HIS VEHICLES VIN NUMBER. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 93000.
Mileage: 93,000
20060516ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
1997 FORD COBRA NUMBER 6 SPARK PLUG CAME OUT AND CAR STALLED HAD TO BE TOWED. *NM
Mileage: 66,000
20060119ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
TWO TIMES THE AIR INTAKE SUCKED IN WATER AND BLEW THE ENGINE. ONE TIME FORD COVERED THE COST OF THE ENGINE AND THE SECOND TIME THE $7000 CHARGE WAS PAID BY MY FATHER (PREVIOUS OWNER). *JB
Mileage: 58,000
20050308SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
DRIVERS SIDE SEAT BELT FAILS TO FUNCTION, WILL NOT CATCH/STOP FORWARD MOTION WHEN JERKED/PULL ON. I ASK MECHANIC TO LOOK AT IT WHEN IT STOPPED RETRACTING. CAR WAS IN FOR AN OIL CHANGE. HE ADVISED ME THAT THE SEAT BELF WILL NOT FUNCTION IF I WERE IN AN ACCIDENT, OFFERING NO DRIVER RESTRAINT. BASICLY THE CAR IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE.*AK
20031014POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION
MANUAL TRANSMISSION LOCKS IN REVERSE GEAR. *LA
Mileage: 56,450
20010306PARKING BRAKE
CONSUMER STARTED THE VEHICLE TO WARM IT UP, THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WAS FULLY ENGAGED FROM THE NIGHT BEFORE, WHILE EXITING THE VEHICLE IT BEGAN TO ROLL BACKWARD BUT BEFORE THE CONSUMER COULD HIT THE BRAKE IT HAD ALREADY HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE. NLM
Compare 1997FORDMUSTANG COBRA to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1997 FORD MUSTANG COBRA have?▼
The 1997 FORD MUSTANG COBRA has 6 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1997 FORD MUSTANG COBRA?▼
The most-complained component for the 1997 FORD MUSTANG COBRA is PARKING BRAKE with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION and SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR.
Is the 1997 FORD MUSTANG COBRA safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.