Total Complaints
38 filings
FORD PROBE · model year
38 NHTSA complaints, 7 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1997FORDPROBE carries 38 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 7 crashes, 1 fire, 3 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 PROBE is engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline with 6 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:engine (6) and power train:automatic transmission (3). 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 177 investigation files overlapping the 1997 PROBE, and 8 remain open. 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.
Total Complaints
38 filings
Crashes Reported
7 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 6 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 6 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 3 |
| SEATS | 2 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL | 2 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS | 2 |
| SUSPENSION | 2 |
| AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | 2 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION | 2 |
| AIR BAGS | 2 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| TIRES:TREAD/BELT | 1 |
I HAVE A 1997 FORD PROBE GT 6 CYLINDER. THE OVER DRIVE LIGHT KEEP FLICKERING OVER DRIVE OFF AND THEN CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STAYS ON FOR DAYS. I HAD THIS CHECKED OUT AND THE TPS THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR CHECK OUT BAD SO I HAD THIS REPLACED. THIS PROBLEM STILL EXIST. I WENT TO SEVERAL SERVICE STATIONS THEY ALL SAY I DON'T KNOW. I WOULD JUST IGNORE THIS BUT THE SLOWS DOWN TO LOWER GEAR THIS IS SCARY. I LOVE THIS FORD PROBE IS THERE ANYTHING I CAN DO. I FOUND A SIGHT ON THE INTERNET AND RELAYED A INTERCOOLING FOR THE TRANS, IS THIS CORRECT!!! *NM
Mileage: 98,000
THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION (CD4E) HAS BEEN ACTING UP, OVERDRIVE LIGHT ON DASH STARTS FLASHING WHIH THEN CAUSES HARSH SHIFTING AND POWER LOSS IN TRANNY AND ENGINE. I HAVE READ HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THESE TRANSMISSIONS AND BELIEVE IT SHOULD BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE MANUFACTURER TO TAKE CARE OF THESE PROBLEMS. *AK
Mileage: 57,000
LTR REQUEST A COPY OF THE NHTSA REPORT RE AN AIRBAG PROBE OF THE 1997 FORD ESCORT. ATTY REPRESENTING CLIENT INJURED WHEN AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY IN A 1997 FORD ESCORT. *MR *NM
I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE DISTRUBUTOR WHICH CAUSED IT TURN OVER, BUT NOT START, AND CLUTCH WITH IN ONE MONTH. ALSO MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON AN DTHEY CAN'T FIGURE OUT WHY, AND MY CRUISE CONTROL DOES NOT WORK. *AK
CONSUMER STATES THERE IS A PROBLEM ,WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE SHUT DOWN, FORCING THE CONSUMER TO PULL OUT OF THE ROAD. *AK
INVOLVED IN AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT IN LEXINGTON KY APPROXIMATE SPEED AT 20 MPH CRASHED THE FRONT OF VEHICLE AND THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOYED FRONT OF VEHICLE SUSTAINED MAJOR DAMAGE. *NLM
Mileage: 79,000
ENGINE PROBLEMS SINCE OWNING CAR. CAR CRANKS BUT WON'T START. HAS HAPPENED TOO MANY TIMES TO COUNT SINCE I'VE OWNED THE CAR. THE INCIDENT DATE I CHOSE WAS THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED. IT HAPPENED THE FIRST TIME 2 MONTHS AFTER A RECALL REPAIR HAD BEEN DONE AND HAS CONTINUED UNTIL TODAY. THE VEHICLE COMPONENT I CHOSE IS A GUESS SINCE THE PROBLEM HAS NEVER BEEN DETERMINED. MANY THINGS HAVE BEEN REPLACED BUT THE PROBLEM PERSISTS.
Mileage: 16,897
THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER FAILED TWICE.THE SECOND FAILURE WAS 50000 MILES AFTER THE FIRST. *YH
WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, VEHICLE SUDDENLY STALLED, WHICH REQUIRED CONSUMER TO STEER WITHOUT POWER, VEHICLE WAS TOWED AND THE MECHANIC INFORMED CONSUMER THAT NOT ONLY WAS THERE A PROBLEM WITH THE TIMING BELT, BUT THE TIMING BELT TENSIONER AS WELL, APPARENTLY AN EXTERNAL SPRING IN THE TIMING BELT TENSIONER BROKE OFF AND GOT CAUGHT IN THE TIMING BELT, CONSUMER STATES IN FEBURARY 1999 HE RECEIVED A RECALL NOTIFICATION (98S30) IN WHICH HE COMPLIED FOR THE SAME MECHANICAL FAILURE, AND TWO YEARS LATER THE PROBLEM OCCURS AGAIN, CONSUMER BELIEVES THAT THE WORK WAS NEVER PERFORMED AND IS REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE CHARGES HE HAS INCURRED.*JB
WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, VEHICLE SUDDENLY STALLED, WHICH REQUIRED CONSUMER TO STEER WITHOUT POWER, VEHICLE WAS TOWED AND THE MECHANIC INFORMED CONSUMER THAT NOT ONLY WAS THERE A PROBLEM WITH THE TIMING BELT, BUT THE TIMING BELT TENSIONER AS WELL, APPARENTLY AN EXTERNAL SPRING IN THE TIMING BELT TENSIONER BROKE OFF AND GOT CAUGHT IN THE TIMING BELT, CONSUMER STATES IN FEBURARY 1999 HE RECEIVED A RECALL NOTIFICATION (98S30) IN WHICH HE COMPLIED FOR THE SAME MECHANICAL FAILURE, AND TWO YEARS LATER THE PROBLEM OCCURS AGAIN, CONSUMER BELIEVES THAT THE WORK WAS NEVER PERFORMED AND IS REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE CHARGES HE HAS INCURRED.*JB
WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 2 MPH CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS HIT BY ANOTHER VEHICLE GOING ABOUT 45 MPH, IMPACT WAS ON THE DRIVER SIDE NEAR FRONT OF VEHICLE. NEITHER AIRBAG DEPLOYED. CONSUMER HIT HER HEAD ON WINDSHIELD.*AK
OIL FROM ENGINE IS LEAKING ONTO SPARK PLUGS. MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED.*AK
FORD (HQ AND DEALER) HAVE BEEN REPEATEDLY CONTACTED ON THESE ISSUES. FORD'S INTERNAL REVIEW BOARD ISSUED ARULING STATING THAT NO COMPENSATORY ACTION IS APPROPRIATE. FORD ISSUED AN OFFER TO HAVE A DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVE OVERSEE A REPRESENTATIVE WITHIN FOURTEEN DAYS OF THEIR RULING, WHICH I DID NOT RECEIVE UNTIL THE OFFER HAD EXPIRED. I HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO ANOTHER FORD GARAGE WITH SIMILAR DENIAL OF ANYTHING WRONG BEING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. THEIR IS OBVIOUSLY SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE BRAKES - THEY SQUEAL ALMOST CONTINUOUSLY. ALSO, THE ENGINE / TRANSMISSION POWER LOSS, VIBRATIONS, AND INTERMITTENT HESITATIONS HAVE INCREASED SINCE MY OWNERSHIP OF THE VEHICLE. I AM INTERESTED TO SEE IF OTHER CONSUMERS HAVE EXPERIENCED SIMILAR PROBLEMS AND HOW THESE PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN RECTIFIED. THE ISSUE WITH THE BAR IN THE SEAT DEVELOPED WITHIN SIX MONTHS, I HAVE SIMPLY DEALT WITH IT, UNTIL NOW AS I HAVE READ ON YOUR SITE THAT OTHER CONSUMERS HAVE HAD THIS SAME PROBLEM. I REQUEST THAT I B
FORD (HQ AND DEALER) HAVE BEEN REPEATEDLY CONTACTED ON THESE ISSUES. FORD'S INTERNAL REVIEW BOARD ISSUED ARULING STATING THAT NO COMPENSATORY ACTION IS APPROPRIATE. FORD ISSUED AN OFFER TO HAVE A DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVE OVERSEE A REPRESENTATIVE WITHIN FOURTEEN DAYS OF THEIR RULING, WHICH I DID NOT RECEIVE UNTIL THE OFFER HAD EXPIRED. I HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO ANOTHER FORD GARAGE WITH SIMILAR DENIAL OF ANYTHING WRONG BEING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. THEIR IS OBVIOUSLY SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE BRAKES - THEY SQUEAL ALMOST CONTINUOUSLY. ALSO, THE ENGINE / TRANSMISSION POWER LOSS, VIBRATIONS, AND INTERMITTENT HESITATIONS HAVE INCREASED SINCE MY OWNERSHIP OF THE VEHICLE. I AM INTERESTED TO SEE IF OTHER CONSUMERS HAVE EXPERIENCED SIMILAR PROBLEMS AND HOW THESE PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN RECTIFIED. THE ISSUE WITH THE BAR IN THE SEAT DEVELOPED WITHIN SIX MONTHS, I HAVE SIMPLY DEALT WITH IT, UNTIL NOW AS I HAVE READ ON YOUR SITE THAT OTHER CONSUMERS HAVE HAD THIS SAME PROBLEM. I REQUEST THAT I B
FORD (HQ AND DEALER) HAVE BEEN REPEATEDLY CONTACTED ON THESE ISSUES. FORD'S INTERNAL REVIEW BOARD ISSUED ARULING STATING THAT NO COMPENSATORY ACTION IS APPROPRIATE. FORD ISSUED AN OFFER TO HAVE A DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVE OVERSEE A REPRESENTATIVE WITHIN FOURTEEN DAYS OF THEIR RULING, WHICH I DID NOT RECEIVE UNTIL THE OFFER HAD EXPIRED. I HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO ANOTHER FORD GARAGE WITH SIMILAR DENIAL OF ANYTHING WRONG BEING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. THEIR IS OBVIOUSLY SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE BRAKES - THEY SQUEAL ALMOST CONTINUOUSLY. ALSO, THE ENGINE / TRANSMISSION POWER LOSS, VIBRATIONS, AND INTERMITTENT HESITATIONS HAVE INCREASED SINCE MY OWNERSHIP OF THE VEHICLE. I AM INTERESTED TO SEE IF OTHER CONSUMERS HAVE EXPERIENCED SIMILAR PROBLEMS AND HOW THESE PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN RECTIFIED. THE ISSUE WITH THE BAR IN THE SEAT DEVELOPED WITHIN SIX MONTHS, I HAVE SIMPLY DEALT WITH IT, UNTIL NOW AS I HAVE READ ON YOUR SITE THAT OTHER CONSUMERS HAVE HAD THIS SAME PROBLEM. I REQUEST THAT I B
METAL BAR HAS PROTRUDED THROUGH DRIVER'S SEAT ON RIGHT, UPPER SIDE AND CONTACTS DRIVER'S BACK.
OXYGEN SENSOR FAILED. *ET
VEHICLE HAS EXPERIENCED ELECTRICAL FAILURES OF BLOWN FUSES FOR NO KNOWN REASON. *ET
FRONT AND REAR TIRES EXPERIENCE EXCESSIVE WEAR AND RUBBING NOISE. *ET
WHEN DRIVING VEHICLE UNDER A SLIGHT PUDDLE OF WATER LIGHTS ON DASHBOARD ILLUMINATE, AND VEHICLE STALLS OUT, CAUSING LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL.*AK
Unintended Transmission Downshift and Rear Wheel Lock-up
Timing Belt Failure
Underbody shields detachment
B-Pillar Trim Detachment
Unintended Transmission Downshift and Rear Wheel Lock-up
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.