Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1997 Ford Mustang owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
My emergency brake fails when enganged and the brakes are properly adjusted.the e-brake pops loose causing the car to roll even in 1st gear.I have been ran over by the failure and the car was sold to me by duval Ford and they told me they wouldn't fix beacause of the 131,000 miles but they certified the car as perfect for sale.not to include the rear end needed rebuilt the intake was cracked and leaked into the cylinder causing the rod to spin a bearing.
Car was parked in first gear with parking break up. Car was hit with hardly any force and rolled back into another vehicle... Did not know there was a recall on this until today March 8, 2003. Also numerous times car has been in shop for check engine light...no one knows what causes it come on.. Spent $2000 so far.
Was informed by the garage I took my car to that my master brake cylinder and hydroboost were leaking. I was talking this over with a lawyer friend of mine and she informed me of a recall on federal vehicles, police, etc. But this was not a general recall. But if you had under 100,000 miles on your vehicle it would be fixed through Ford. I called Ford and they told me there was no such recall even after I told them I could furnish them with case law numbers in florida. I am not sure what I should do and hope you can help.
Driving approximately 25-30mph and caming to a stop, attempted to make a right turn, started to accelerate ,vehicle started to slide,tried to turn back and vehicle started to go towards the curb. Hit the brakes and the vehicle did not stop and ran into curb.seat belts did not hold in place, daughter went forward and hit head on dash ,then air bags deployed in a delayed reaction. Seat belts were replaced, but they don't know why they did not hold secure.
Consumer will provide VIN.# upon receipt. Consumer was driving approximately 85mph when he applied the brakes and left front brake line separated at the crimp. Consumer had a head-on collision into a tire barrier / cement wall. Vehicle was a total loss. Ford came out and took the broken brake line from the car, and consumer has heard nothing yet.
I feel that the mounting bracket where the teeth on the hand/parking brake mesh is too thin. Thus the amount of friction caused by the weight of the fuel in the fuel tank sways enough to cause the parking brake to dislodge and become disengaged.
Reported ABS light continually on; ABS control module ordered 09/04/1999 (cost to owner for part: $600+). Part was received and to be installed 11/11/1999, however, new part was also defective and part was re-ordered. In checking, the technician found another problem with ABS--part estimated at $800. Received both parts and installed on 11/30/1999. $500 was applied under "warranty." owner still had to pay total of $900+ for parts and labor for a system (ABS control module and ABS hcu unit) that should not have failed in a car this new! Also, if the part ordered the first time was also defective, it would seem that there could be a major problem with these parts at manufacturer's level.
Consumer received 00v34900, regarding the emergency parking brake. Consumer took the vehicle for recall repairs and dealer confirmed that the problem had been corrected. While vehicle was parked on the driveway, which has a slight incline, with the emergency brake on and in the proper gear, the emergency brake failed and the vehicle rolled into the house causing several thousand dollars in damage. After inspection of the vehicle dealer said, the emergency brake failure had nothing to do with the actual faulty emergency brake. Consumer is concerned about the safety of the vehicle.
1/11/98 parking brake failed while parked on incline and in first gear. Car rolled down driveway into lawn and hit mailbox. Was towed to dealer and dealer could find no problem. Paid out of pocket for damages to bumper and to mailbox. 12/1/2000 recieved safety recall 00s37 which describes this situation exactly. Contacted Ford rep kathy allen, " will not send a investigator, the incident is too old" thus denied the claim that the car rolling is related to the recall. I am now looking for others with similar issues to form or join a class action lawsuit against Ford.
@ 7000 miles the transmission assembly went out & had to be replaced. At 14000 miles front end misaligned, needed 2 new front tires & alignment, @ 21000 miles drivers window quit, @ 21797 brakes began grinding needed replacement pads,@ 21000 miles engine started spark knocking & continues to date. 5 attempts to correct not corrected.@27,462 miles dealer decarboned engine & again 300 miles later. Still spark knocking. Begining lemon law processes 3/28/99.( dot number: )
Related recalls
Parking brake › Conventional
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with manual transmissions. If a vehicle is parked with the parking brake not fully applied and not in first gear, as directed in the owner guide, and the self adjustment pawl subsequently skips one or two teeth, the vehicle could move on some grades.
Remedy: Dealers will modify the parking brake control and install a plate or over-bracket to the control to lock the self adjust mechanism in position following adjustment.
NHTSA investigations
Front brake hose
There is no summary currently available
Brake complaints in other Mustang years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 1997 Ford Mustang?
NHTSA has 38 complaints about the brakes of the 1997 Ford Mustang, 18% of the model year's 208 complaints. The component named most often is conventional (16 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1997 Ford Mustang brake problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 00V-349 (conventional, Oct 30, 2000). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 1997 Ford Mustang brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 87,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 9 crashes, 0 fires and 2 injuries and 1 death to brakes 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.