Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1997 Ford Explorer owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
While driving my 1997 Ford Explorer on I-64 e at approximately 60 MPH, smoke started to pour into the car from under the dashboard. I pulled over as fast as possible and was met by a virginia dot truck who noticed me suddenly cross two lanes to get to the breakdown lane. He grabbed his fire extinguisher and put the fire out within seconds of my stopping. The fire department was not called because it was put out so quickly. After having it towed to a shop, I was informed that it appears to have started in the cruise control switch and burned through the master cylinder. The fire was extinguished within 15-30 seconds from the time I stopped but the mechanic said that the car does not have any brakes as a result of the fire. I consider myself lucky to have been able to stop at all. My car was not and still has not been recalled. …
Dt*: the contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle lurched forward out of control and was difficult to stop when the brake pedal was depressed. The second incident happened when the vehicle was started from the parked position. The brake pedal was depressed and the gear was shifted from park to drive when it accelerated out of control. The vehicle was taken to two independent service dealers and one service dealer, but the problem could not be recreated. The third occurrence resulted in a collision with another vehicle parked in the driveway when acceleration reached 50 MPH. No injuries were reported, although a police report and photos were taken. The manufacturer was contacted. The contact's phone number was the son of the vehicle's owner. Updated 11/30/2006 - the driver of the vehicle reported some neck pain later that night which was not apparent at the time of the accident.
Tl contact owns a 1997 Ford Explorer. While driving on October 3, 2008 without warning the front end of the vehicle caught fire. The driver and passenger were able to exit the vehicle. The passenger sustained injuries to the arm and shoulder. The manufacturers recall letter 00V422000, vehicle speed control was received in November 2009. Report 378123209 was filed with the manufacturer; however, the failure could not be investigated, because the vehicle was destroyed. The sumner county sheriff report number was 9386782. The failure and the current mileages were 130,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while sitting in a drive-thru with the brakes engaged, the vehicle suddenly accelerated and there was an increase in engine rpms. The contact stated that he attempted to hold the brakes but the vehicle would not stop. As a result, the contact crashed into another vehicle. A police report was not filed and no injuries were reported. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer and the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and the current mileage was 190,000.
Tl contact owns a 1997 Ford Explorer. While driving 35 MPH, he noticed smoke coming from the under the hood. In addition, flames erupted from the engine compartment after he opened the hood. The dealer stated that the vehicle speed control switch caused the fire. There is a recall for the vehicle speed control (NHTSA campaign id 07V336000) however the dealer stated that his VIN was not included. As of January 30, 2008, the dealer had not repaired the vehicle. The current and failure mileages were 160,000. Updated 02-19-08 updated 02/19/08
Tl contact owns a 1997 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that there was a small motor bike lodged under the vehicle, which somehow caused it to catch fire. The entire front end of the vehicle and the front cabin seats were destroyed. There are three vehicle speed control recalls on this year, make, and model vehicle, but it has not been determined if the VIN was included. There were no injuries. A police report was filed. The recall numbers and VIN were unknown. The failure mileage was 159,000.
Tl * the contact owns a 1997 Ford Explorer. While driving at speeds of 45 MPH, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact coasted into a nearby parking lot and suddenly, noticed a fire had erupted near the drivers side window. The contact did not report any injuries. The fire department was called to the scene but a fire report was not taken. The vehicle was towed to her place of residence and has not yet been repaired. The failure mileage and current mileages were 100,000.
Tl contact owns a 1997 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the vehicle caught fire while being serviced for the radio. The dealer stated that the cruise control caused the fire. The dealer stated that the VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign id number 07V336000 (vehicle speed control). The dealer disconnected the vehicle speed control. As of November 1, 2007, the dealer had not repaired the vehicle. The failure mileage was 70,000 and current mileage was 106,000.
When I lifted off off the gas pedal to brake for stopped traffic, the gas pedal seemed to stick and rev the engine as I was trying to stop. I had plenty of time to stop, but because of the speed of the engine it took longer to slow down, and I hit the vehicle in front of me. This has happened twice to me and at least once with my wife over a 3 year period. The oct 15th resulted in an accident.
Safety complaint involving a stuck accelerator on a 97 Ford Explorer. The incident occurred on a county road, while traveling a 50 MPH, when a attempt was made to slow down the vehicle as it approached an intersection. After several attempts to apply brakes failed, I was able to maneuver the vehicle to the right shoulder and stop it by switching off the engine. Searching to find the source of the problem, I reached for the accelerator pedal, which was loose and subsequently dangled in my hand. The vehicle was towed to north county Ford, vista ca., where it was revealed that"broken accelerator bracket welds" were the source of the problem. The car was then repaired at a cost of $132.89. On Monday May 12 and again on Tuesday May 13, I called Ford motor co. Consumer service [phone], to report what I believe is a safety defect in the vehicle and to request a reimbursement for the repair. …
Related recalls
Vehicle speed control
Ford is recalling model years 1995-2003 windstar, 2000-2003 excursion diesel, 1993-1997 and 1999-2003 f-250 sd through f-550 sd diesel, 1992-2003 e-150 through e-550, 1995-2002 explorer, 1997 and 2002 Mercury mountaineer, 1995-1997 and 2001-2003 ranger, and 1994 f53 vehicles equipped with the texas instruments speed control…
Remedy: Ford will notify owners that dealers will install a fused wiring harness in line with the scds. On 1999-2003 windstar vehicles with a leaking scds, dealers will also inspect the ABS control module connector and repair…
Vehicle speed control
Vehicle description: sport utility vehicles equipped with 4.0l sohc engines and still retain the original throttle body (part numbers 97jf-9e926ab or 97jf-9e926-ac). Some of the original throttle bodies installed allowed a gap between the plate and bore to be built too narrow.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the original throttle bodies.
Vehicle speed control
Vehicle description: certain 1997-1999 rhd explorer equipped with 4.0l ohv/sohc engines and cruise control built from May 29, 1996 through March 4, 1999; 1998-1999 explorer/mountaineers equipped with 4.0l ohv/sohc or 5.0l engines or 1998-1999 rangers equipped with 2.5l, 3.0l ffv/efi or 4.0l engines and cruise control built from…
Remedy: Dealers will replace the cruise control cables. At the present time, the replacement cables are not available. Customers are being advised not to use the cruise control system until a replacement can be made.
Vehicle speed control
Vehicle description: multi-purpose passenger vehicles equipped with 5.0l engines originally sold or currently registered in the states of alaska, idaho, iowa, maine, michigan (upper peninsula only), minnesota, montana, nebraska, new hampshire, new york, north dakota, south dakota, vermont, wisconsin, and wyoming.
Remedy: Dealers will install a revised pcv system with water heated vacuum source.
NHTSA investigations
Throttle sticking
There is no summary currently available
Throttle sticking
On January 23, 1997, Ford motor company issued special service message (ssm) 10240, announcing that a revised throttle body would be available during the first quarter of 1997 for 1997 model year Ford explorers equipped with the 4.0l single overhead cam (sohc) engine.the ssm stated the revised throttle body would address increased throttle efforts that had been experienced on these vehicles.on July 31, 1998, the…
Acceleration complaints in other Explorer years
Frequently asked questions
How common are acceleration problems on the 1997 Ford Explorer?
NHTSA has 202 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 1997 Ford Explorer, 12% of the model year's 1,731 complaints. The component named most often is accelerator pedal (60 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1997 Ford Explorer acceleration problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 09V-399 (vehicle speed control, Oct 13, 2009); NHTSA recall 00V-422 (vehicle speed control, Dec 27, 2000); NHTSA recall 99V062001 (vehicle speed control, Mar 30, 1999). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 1997 Ford Explorer acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 100,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 27 crashes, 10 fires and 13 injuries and 1 death to speed control & acceleration problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.