Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 1997 Ford Aspire, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Air bags14
- Electrical system12
- Engine and engine cooling11
- Fuel system, gasoline11
- Power train7
- Service brakes, hydraulic4
- Unknown or other4
- Wheels4
- Steering3
- Structure3
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 7 injuries and 1 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 3 1997 Aspire vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 3 people died inside them. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 2 variants: combined 7.3–9.1 L/100 km (about 26–32 mpg US), CO₂ 168–209 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aspire · Subcompact · Regular gasoline | 8.1 | 6.3 | 7.3 |
| Aspire · Subcompact · Regular gasoline | 9.8 | 8.3 | 9.1 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
No recall campaigns cover the 1997 Ford Aspire.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Ford told its dealers about the 1997 Ford Aspire: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 625715 | BRAKE SHIFT INTERLOCK.*JB |
| 623988 | INFORMATION REGARDING TRANSMISSION FLUID USAGE CHARTS. *SLC |
| 623944 | SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT HEATER CORE LEAKS. *SLC |
| 615463 | SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT A MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP ON WITH DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE P0300 STORED IN MEMORY. ENGINEERING IS INVESTIGATING. *TT |
| 615359 | INFORMATION ON VEHICLES EXHIBITING A MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP ON WITH DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE P0300 STORED IN MEMORY. *TT |
| 612203 | INFORMATION REGARDING THE NEW TRANSMISSION COOLER FLUSHER- SERVICE TIP. *MJS |
| 6091775 | SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT REPEAT MISFIRE DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES P0300 - P0304 AFTER SSM 11543 (REPLACEMENT DISTRIBUTION VANE COVER) HAS BEEN PERFORMED. *TT |
| 6090087 | INFORMATION ON IDENTIFYING NON-APPROVED / ALTERNATE REFRIGERANTS WHICH COULD CAUSE SAFETY, AND PERFORMANCE CONCERNS IF INSTALLED IN FORD A/C SYSTEMS. *TT |
| 6090082 | INFORMATION FOR SERVICING AND DIAGNOSING BRAKE VIBRATION, BRAKE INSPECTION, AND BRAKE FRICTION MATERIAL REPLACEMENT. *TT |
| 6089681 | SUBJECT ON A WIRE HARNESS TERMINAL REPAIR KIT AVAILABLE FOR REPAIRING ELECTRICAL WIRING HARNESSES. *TT |
| 608431 | INFORMATION ON THE NEW FLUSH AND FILL TOOL AVAILABLE THROUGH ROTUNDA. *TT |
| 607469 | SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT A MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP (MIL) ON AND CODES P0140 OR P0141 PRESENT WITH NO DRIVEABILITY CONCERNS. *TT |
| 606981 | INFORMATION REGARDING DOOR LOCK FREEZING REPAIR. *TT |
| 606508 | CONDITIONS WITH THE BRAKE LAMPS INADVERTENTLY DISABLING THE BRAKE SHIFT INTERLOCK. *TT |
| 606461 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY HAS RELEASED A PRIVATE LABELED MATERIAL TO BE USED FOR IRON PARTICLE / ACID RAIN SERVICE REPAIRS. *TT |
| 606420 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY NOW RECOMMENDS SAE 5W-30 VISCOSITY GRADE FOR SERVICING ANY FORD GASOLINE-POWERED VEHICLE REGARDLESS OF MODEL YEAR. *TT |
| 605562 | SUBJECT REGARDING THE AVAILABILITY OF HUB-MOUNT BRAKE ROTOR MACHINING EQUIPMENT. *TT |
| 605302 | INFORMATION ON HEAD GASKET OIL & COOLANT PASSAGES. *TT |
| 605238 | SUBJECT REGARDING REPEATED MISFIRE CODES - DTCS P0300 - P0304. *TT |
| 604059 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY HAS RELEASED A NEW ELECTRICAL GREASE ( F8AZ - 19G208-AA ) TO REDUCE THE POSSIBILITY OF MOISTURE CORROSION AT THE TERMINALS. *YC |
| 603695 | EXPERIENCING A " BUZZING " OR " RATTLING " NOISE FROM THE EXHAUST SYSTEM. *YC |
| 601343 | A NEW SILICONE GASKET AND SEALANT. *YC |
| 601312 | INFORMATION ON A BUZZING OR RATTLE NOISE FROM THE EXHAUST SYSTEM. *TT |
| 601290 | INFORMATION ON TIRE COMPANY TELEPHONE NUMBERS FOR CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE. *YC |
| 601264 | AVAILABILITY OF HUB-MOUNT BRAKE ROTOR MACHINING EQUIPMENT. *YC |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
FUEL VAPOR VALVE LEAKS
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation