1997 Ford Expedition Tires Problems
- Complaints
- 36about this part
- Share
- 4%of 853 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 130,000miles
- Trend
- StableComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.
NHTSA recorded 36 complaints about the tires of the 1997 Ford Expedition, 4% of the 853 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 130,000 miles. 2 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“Our spare tire that was mounted underneath the car, -fell off- while driving through a residential neighborhood. The cable broke that was holding it in place underneath the car. Thank goodness we were not on the freeway. It will cost $100. To repair.”
NHTSA complaint #10319219, filed 2010-03, 136,000 miles“While driving down the highway a normal speed the spare tire on my Expedition fell off when the cable holding the tire up seemed to have broke. My vehicle ran over the tire and I could see the spare bouncing wildly down the road. Fortunately, no other cars hit the tire but it was extremely close since a car just passed from the other direction and there would have been no way they could have missed the bouncing tire in the oncoming lane. Ford does not know how close they came to killing innocent people. The road was smooth without bumps, the tire just fell off. …”
NHTSA complaint #10399202, filed 2011-05, 130,000 miles“The spare tire of my 1997 Ford Expedition (truck) is normally threaded with a wire rope and winched up into place beneath the back of the Expedition. It works well and is easier to use than the traditional bolt/plate. However, in january 2005,my wife was driving on grant road a major street in tucson arizona and the wire rope broke and the tire flew off from beneath our Expedition and bounced wildly down the road. Fortunately nothing and no one hit the tire; but there was potential for a very serious accident if it had been hit by one or more cars. …”
NHTSA complaint #10112205, filed 2005-02, 102,300 miles“Dt: on june 27, 2005 while driving about 65 MPH the consumer heard a noise. And upon stopping, the consumer noticed the spare tire fell off. No damage to the vehicle was reported. The cable broke completely off, and the tire was gone. Owner called Ford, and they were not concerned. The brake line ruptured.”
NHTSA complaint #10126789, filed 2005-08, 165,000 miles“The spare tire retention cable failed, causing the spare tire to fall out of the bottom of my 1997 Ford Expedition. This happened under normal highway driving conditions on a busy section of road. There fortunately were no vehicles following at the time or there most assuredly would have been an accident.”
NHTSA complaint #10082719, filed 2004-07, 170 milesTires: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 1 | 1% |
| 2023 | 1 | 2% |
| 2022 | 2 | 2% |
| 2017 | 1 | 0% |
| 2014 | 1 | 1% |
| 2013 | 1 | 1% |
| 2012 | 1 | 1% |
| 2010 | 2 | 3% |
| 2008 | 4 | 3% |
| 2007 | 29 | 13% |
| 2006 | 6 | 2% |
| 2005 | 8 | 3% |
| 2004 | 26 | 9% |
| 2003 | 57 | 9% |
| 2002 | 26 | 8% |
| 2001 | 59 | 10% |
| 2000 | 172 | 19% |
| 1999 | 184 | 19% |
| 1998 | 38 | 5% |
| 1997 | 36 | 4% |
Other parts of the 1997 Ford Expedition
138 complaintsBrakes
110 complaintsElectrical system
95 complaintsSteering
94 complaintsEngine cooling
89 complaintsVehicle speed control
79 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
76 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
44 complaintsWheels
41 complaintsBody and structure
38 complaintsAir bags
26 complaintsLatches, locks and linkages
26 complaints
← All problems reported for the 1997 Ford Expedition
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology