1997 Ford Thunderbird Engine cooling Problems
- Complaints
- 54about this part
- Share
- 32%of 169 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 67,452miles
- Trend
- StableComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.
NHTSA recorded 54 complaints about the engine cooling of the 1997 Ford Thunderbird, 32% of the 169 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 67,452 miles. 1 of these say a crash was involved and 1 a fire, according to the filers.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“When I bought the car, a year ago, it ran great. One day as I as coming up a hill, my car started shaking. It was a cracked intake manifold, that of which Ford was in a class action lawsuit in 2005. Which covered a select few of thunderbirds. However now that my manifold cracked, there not at fault. We had the car fixed, only to learn afterwards that Ford had several issues about the faulty intake.”
NHTSA complaint #10260469, filed 2009-03, 159,000 miles“Vehicle would not hold any radiator fluid,causing the temperature gauge to rise. Tried to refill the radiator fluid, but 5 minutes later it ran out. Could not drive vehicle. Took the vehicle to my mechanic,who told me that the intake manifold was cracked and needed to be replaced. He replaced the intake manifold,so the I would be able to drive the vehicle.”
NHTSA complaint #10110043, filed 2005-02, 120,811 miles“Upper intake manifold on my 1997 4.6 l Thunderbird cracked and blew all the coolant into the engine compartment. I had to pay Ford to replace the upper intake and the plugs that were fouled out. They refused any responsibility even with a formal written complaint to their home office. It is my understanding this is happening to a lot of their 4.6 l engines in a variety of vehicles.”
NHTSA complaint #10135684, filed 2005-09, 98,000 miles“I am the original owner of a 1997 Ford thunder bird with the 4.6 engine. The intake manifold is cracked . I have been informed this is a recalled part on some cars but it seems my car is not included in the recall. The original repair part is not available any long do to the flaw. Since this is the case it woud seem to me all vehicles with this intake manifold would be included in the recall.”
NHTSA complaint #10080637, filed 2004-07, 80,000 miles“The plastic intake manifold on my 1997 Ford Thunderbird cracked spilling out all my coolant and causing my engine to overheat, this is a design flaw that should be coverd by Ford motor company, this happend while driving down gratiot ave. In roseville mi at 40 miles per hour with no previous warning, this failure happend 7/3/2011 saturday over the forth of july weekend, where I couldn't get it to a open Ford dealership, now I connot use my vehical for work monday 7/4/2011. Will this repair be coverd by Ford motor company?”
NHTSA complaint #10410350, filed 2011-07, 55,770 milesRelated service bulletins
- 10023943Oct 1, 2007Some 1997-2008 vehicles equipped with a 4.6l 2v, 5.4l 2v, or 6.8l 2v engine--spark plug thread repair procedure--not covered under new vehicle limited warranty. *nj this includes…
- 10018959Dec 14, 2005Extended coverage program 05n04 - extended coverage for composite intake manifold. This program is being provided as a settlement to a class action lawsuit. The terms of the…
Engine cooling: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 3 | 11% |
| 2004 | 5 | 15% |
| 2003 | 3 | 9% |
| 2002 | 24 | 26% |
| 1997 | 54 | 32% |
| 1996 | 65 | 28% |
| 1995 | 49 | 19% |
| 1994 | 61 | 20% |
| 1993 | 171 | 40% |
| 1992 | 27 | 15% |
| 1991 | 14 | 13% |
| 1990 | 11 | 8% |
| 1989 | 13 | 10% |
| 1988 | 7 | 8% |
| 1987 | 4 | 7% |
| 1986 | 7 | 30% |
| 1985 | 1 | 7% |
| 1984 | 6 | 23% |
Other parts of the 1997 Ford Thunderbird
22 complaintsSuspension
18 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
17 complaintsTires
16 complaintsFuel system
13 complaintsVehicle speed control
11 complaintsSteering
9 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
7 complaintsAir bags
6 complaintsBody and structure
6 complaintsOther or unknown
5 complaintsElectrical system
4 complaints
← All problems reported for the 1997 Ford Thunderbird
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 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