Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
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.
I was driving my 1997 Ford Mustang gt and all of a sudden the coolant light turned on and the whole cockpit filled up with smoke. Upon not being able to see and the coolant light turning on I immediately had to pull over. After towing the car home I noticed that the intake manifold developed a crack and anti-freeze was sprayed everywhere. An intake manifold is a part that should last the life of a car with proper manufacturing. I did some further research and found that food changed the manifold style in 1999 and changed to a aluminum front runner of the intake manifold instead of the plastic resin that the anti-freeze can eat through. I also found a TSB about it #0222. Driving at highway speeds and then not being able to see anything is not a very pleasant experience. Especially now that I have a very inconvenient and costly problem that I feel Ford should have to pay for.
I have been having a problem with my 1997 Ford Mustang. This is a problem that has gotten progressively worse over the past few years. At first, when starting my car, the engine would turn over yet the car would immediately die. After a couple of attempts, the car would eventually start and stay started. Now, when attempting to start my car, the engine turns over yet the car dies immediately. In most cases, the car does not start until it has been serviced. It has been taken to 3 service providers (including Ford), who have been unable to duplicate and/or fix the problem. Recently, Ford replaced my air flow valve and sensor and just after picking the car up and driving it for about 30 minutes, I went into a store just to come out and find that my car won't start. Once started the car always continues to run with no problem. Please please help!
Original owner of a 1997 Mustang gt. Car had 124,289 miles on it at the time of this incident. I was at a stop light with one car in front of me. Light turned green and we preceded through the intersection. I was still in first gear, car let out a loud bang. It honestly sounded like a gun had fired. I was through the intersection so I turned off the engine and coasted to the shoulder. I had the car towed to Ford. They told me that the spark plug had exploded and cracked the head. Repairs by Ford totaled $2956.91 and it took them a week to fix the car. I have the receipt from Ford showing a detailed list of parts replaced, which included replacing the right cylinder head, 8 new spark plugs and gaskets, oil change, engine coolant flushed.
(1) events leading up to the failure: Ford poorly designed an intake manifold so that the coolant running through it actually eats away the plastic. (2) failure and its consequences: the intake cracked and sprayed coolant throughout the engine bay. This rendered the car undriveable. (3) what was done to correct the failure: nothing was done to correct the failure. Ford has a program (97m91) wherein when the part fails(regardless of mileage), the dealership will repair it at no cost to the customer. This program stated that it was covered from 7 years of the start of the warranty of the vehicle. My intake manifold failed at 7 years and 59 days with only 23000 miles on the car.
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that the plastic intake manifold was cracked and causing coolant to leak. The contact believed that the failure was contributed to a design flaw. The dealer was contacted and they advised the contact that they would not service any vehicles over ten years of age. The contact stated that the intake manifold failed twice since owning the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 150,000.
Cracked intake manifold. Part on this high performance car is made of plastic. There are numerous web sites that state Ford is aware and has made repairs for this in the past. There is no recall not 'program' that Ford has for this known defect. All will fail at some time. A mechanic recommended to contact Ford rather than pay him to repair as Ford is aware of this problem and has paid for repairs in the past.
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while traveling 35 MPH, a foul odor started to emit into the cabin. The contact then merged to the side of the road because he became distraught. The vehicle was driven to the contact's home. The vehicle was not taken to a mechanic and was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 128,000 and the current mileage was 130,000.
1997 Ford Mustang gt 4.6l 8cl oil in radiator, but no water in engine. Car runs great but will run hot after a few weeks of replacing the radiator. Compression test did not show loss of compression. Mechanics are baffled because the car runs so well without missing or power loss. Further test can not prove blown head gasket. Car doesn't even smoke. Im confused, need help and hoping there is a recall.
NHTSA investigations
Spark plug ejection from cylinder head
On September 6, 2005, odi received a petition requesting that the agency investigate allegations of engine spark plug ejection in certain model year 1997 through 2004 Ford vehicles with triton v-8 and v-10 engines.odi received a total of 474 non-duplicative complaints on the subject vehicles where the complainant, or the dealer repairing the vehicle, reported that a spark plug detached from the cylinder and/or…
Engine complaints in other Mustang years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 1997 Ford Mustang?
NHTSA has 60 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 1997 Ford Mustang, 29% of the model year's 208 complaints. The component named most often is engine (17 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1997 Ford Mustang engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 1997 Ford Mustang, though it has 2 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 1997 Ford Mustang engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 92,000 miles, and 4% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 1 fire and 1 injury to engine & cooling 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.