1997 Ford Explorer Vehicle Speed Control Problems

NHTSA component category: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL · data through 07/12/2026

121Vehicle Speed Control complaints

7%Of all 1,731 complaints

#3Most-reported category

Source: U.S. NHTSA complaint data. Complaints are unverified reports from vehicle owners — a complaint is not a confirmed defect.

How vehicle speed control ranks on this vehicle

TIRES:TREAD/BELT396 · 22.9%

TIRES332 · 19.2%

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL121 · 7%

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE77 · 4.4%

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE74 · 4.3%

Share of the 1,731 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 1997 Ford Explorer overview page.

What owners report

“CRUISE CONTROL FAILED. ALSO,BRAKES COMPLETELY FADED. VEHICLE STOPPED BY TURNING ENGINE OFF, STOP MADE WITHOUT POWER STEERING OR BRAKES.”NHTSA complaint 781527 — filed 10/22/1998

“CRUISE CONTROL FAILED TO DISENGAGE. VEHICLE STOPPED BY TURNING ENGINE OFF.”NHTSA complaint 781376 — filed 10/22/1998

“CAR SURGES OUT OF CONTROL REGARDLESS OF THE GEAR AND WITHOUT WARNING.”NHTSA complaint 541059 — filed 09/23/1998

Excerpts are shortened and scrubbed of personal details; they are individual, unverified reports.

Vehicle Speed Control complaints by year filed

Frequently asked questions

Does the 1997 Ford Explorer have vehicle speed control problems?

Vehicle Speed Control is the #3 most-reported problem area on the 1997 Ford Explorer: 121 of 1,731 complaints on file (7%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.

How many complaints does the 1997 Ford Explorer have in total?

1,731 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/12/2026. Across all categories, 155 involved a crash, 53 involved a fire, 214 reported injuries, and 34 reported deaths.

What does NHTSA's vehicle speed control category include?

NHTSA assigns each complaint to standard component categories; this page reports the VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL category exactly as NHTSA defines and records it.

About this data — Complaint figures on this page are consumer reports submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a U.S. government agency. NHTSA does not verify individual complaints; a complaint is not proof that a defect exists, and counts reflect what owners chose to report, not confirmed failure rates. Recall information comes from official NHTSA safety recall campaigns; recall repairs are free at authorized dealers. Always check your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. CarModelProblems.com is an independent site and is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. Data through 07/12/2026.