1997 Ford Aspire

Fatalities reported

Owners filed 60 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the air bags. No safety recall has been issued.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Air Bags6
101
Fuel System, Gasoline4
000
Electrical System › Ignition4
000
Power Train › Automatic Transmission3
000
Electrical System › Wiring › Front Underhood3
020
Air Bags › Frontal3
102
Wheels2
000
Visibility › Windshield2
000
Tires2
100
Steering › Steering Wheel/Handle Bar2
101

What owners reported

Newest filings
Tires
Filed Sep 15, 200892,000 milesFL

CAR SUDDENLY STARTED VIBRATING VIOLENTLY. CAUSE WAS A SIX INCH SECTION OF TREAD APPEARED TO HAVE SEPARATED INTERNALLY. STOPPED BEFORE TIRE FAILED COMPLETELY. 30,000 MILES ON A TIRE GUARANTEED FOR 75,000 MILES. DEALER SAID 62% OF WEAR HAD OCCURRED. *TR

Air Bags
Filed Aug 16, 200730,000 milesSC

AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY AND FLASHES FOR THE LAST 6 YEARS. DOES IT MEAN AIR BAGS ARE OUT OF SERVICE, MALFUNCTIONING? THE VEHICLE HAD NO ACCIDENTS, AND IN GOOD MAINTAINED CONDITION. *JB

Fuel System, Gasoline › Delivery › Hoses, Lines/Piping, and Fittings
Filed Apr 2, 2007293,212 milesMS

I OWN A 1997 FORD ASPIRE AND I WAS DRIVING THE OTHER DAY AND I STOPPED AT THE STORE. WHEN I LEFT THE STORE AND GOT IN MY CAR TO CRANK IT UP THE CAR SPUTTERED AND SHOOK THEN STOPPED RUNNING. I LIFTED UP THE HOOD AND NOTICED THAT THE FUEL LINE WAS POURING OUT GAS. I CALLED A MECHANIC TO COME AND FIX THE PROBLEM, WHICH COST ME 300 DOLLARS. WHEN I TOLD THE MECHANIC ABOUT THE PROBLEM, HE SAID THAT THIS WAS RECALLED ON THE 1994 MODEL YEAR OF THIS CAR, BUT MY CAR IS A 1997, WHICH MEANS THAT THIS PROBLEM WAS NEVER FIXED ON FUTURE CARS. I THINK THAT THIS SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED SINCE IT WAS RECALLED ON A EARLIER MODEL, BUT I STILL HAD THE SAME PROBLEM IN A LATER MODEL CAR. *JB

Wheels › Hub
Filed Apr 4, 2005CA

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED DRIVER HEARD A LOUD KNOCKING NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT BOTH REAR WHEEL HUBS, AND THE FRONT PASSENGER WHEEL HUB WERE CRACKED, AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. HOWEVER, THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE .*AK

Air BagsCrash1 injured
Filed Jan 15, 2004101,000 milesOR

DURING A CRASH INTO A LIGHT POLE AT 25 MPH THE AIR BAGS IN OUR 1997 FORD ASPIRE EXPLODED INTO THE FACE OF MY 15 YEAR WHO WAS FULLY RESTRAINED IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. HE IS 5'11" AND 168 LBS. HE IS SUFFERING FROM "BURNS" BRUISING, SEVER MOUTH LACERATIONS (HE HAS BRACES). HE IS ALSO UNABLE TO SEE IN THE EYE THAT WAS HIT, DUE TO THE IMPRINT OF THE BAG SCORED INTO HIS CORNEA. THE 17 YEAR OLD DRIVER HAS A CRACKED RIB.

Air Bags › Frontal › Driver Side › Inflator Module
Filed Dec 16, 2003NC

AIR BAG LIGHT FLASHES CODE 32 ALL THE TIME. WILL STOP ABOUT ONCE A MONTH. HAVE LOOKED AT SEVERAL OTHER VEHICLES OF THE SAME YEAR AND SEEMS TO HAVE SAME PROBLEM. VEHICLE HAVE NOT BEEN IN ACCIDENT.*AK

Unknown or Other
Filed May 7, 200385,464 milesID

SPEEDOMETER BEGAN TO WHIRR LOUDLY. NEEDLE BEGAN TO GYRATE, THEN SURGE TO 100 MPH. NEEDLE THEN BROKE OFF AND FELL TO THE BOTTOM OF THE PLASTIC LENS. *JB

Air Bags › FrontalCrash2 injured
Filed Apr 8, 2003101,000 milesOR

MY TWO TEENAGE SONS ARE SUFFERING FROM INJURIES CAUSED BY THE EXPLOSION OF THE AIRBAGS IN OUR 1997 FORD ASPIRE. MY OLDEST SON, THE DRIVER IS SUFFERING FROM A BROKEN RIB, AND MY YOUNGER SON, THE PASSENGER HAS 2ND - 3RD DEGREE BURNS AND SEVERE BRUISING TO HIS FACE, AS WELL AS HIS EYE. THE EMERGENCY ROOM DOCTORS WAS ABLE TO SEE THE IMPRINT OF THE BAG ON HIS CORNEA. THEIR AGES ARE 17 AND 15, THEY ARE BOTH 5'11" AND WEIGH 168 LBS. THEY ARE NOT SMALL CHILDREN. THEY WERE BOTH PROPERLY RESTRAINED WITH LAP AND SHOULDER HARNESSES. THE CAR SLID INTO A LIGHT POLE AT ABOUT 25 MPH DURING A RAINSTORM. *NLM

Fuel System, Gasoline › Storage › Tank Assembly
Filed Jan 22, 2003CA

CONSUMER STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AND WITHOUT WARNING THE FUEL TANK HAS CRACKED CAUSING FLUID TO LEAK OUT. DEALER NOTIFIED. TS

Air Bags › Frontal
Filed Dec 30, 2002MD

CONSUMER STATED WHILE APPLYING THE BRAKES, THE AIR BAG SUDDENLY DEPLOYED.*JB

Air Bags
Filed Nov 4, 2002MD

AIR BAG LIGHT HAD BEEN ILLUMINATING AND AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY DUE TO POSSIBLE DEFECTIVE CLOCKSPRING. *SCC...*AK

Electrical System › 12v/24v/48v Battery
Filed Oct 18, 2002CA

CONSUMER STATES OF HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE RIMS ON HER VEHICLE. DEALER WAS CONTACTED. MR. CONSUMER WAS INFOMRED A NEW BATTERY WAS NEEDED, THE VEHICLE WAS LEAKING COOLANT, AND THE ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON.*JB

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Jul 23, 2002IL

VEHICLE HAS HAD (3) TRANSMISSIONS REPLACED WITH ONE OF THE TRANSMISSIONS LOSING A PIN, RESULTING IN SYSTEM HAVING POWER FAILURE. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS.*AK

Visibility › Windshield
Filed Jun 27, 2002IA

DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW HAS IMPLODED TWO TIMES. VEHICLE WAS NOT OCCUPIED. FIRST IMPLOSION WAS AUGUST OF 1999 AND SECOND IMPLOSION WAS JUNE OF 2002. COST TO REPLACE WAS COVERED FIRST TIME UNDER WARRANTY. COST TO REPLACE SECOND TIME WAS $276.00 AND WAS NOT COVERED BY FORD. SEVERAL INTERNET WEBSITES INDICATE THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE.THANKFUL THIS VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND UNOCCUPIED AT EACH OCCURRENCE. *AK

Fuel System, Gasoline › Storage
Filed Nov 27, 2001OH

BECAUSE OF A DEFECTIVE PART, THE FUEL TANK VENTILATION SYSTEM LEAKED GASOLINE FUMES INTO THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT AND HAD APPARENTLY DONE SO SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS BUILT. THE DEALER REP. STATED THAT THEY HAD THIS PROBLEM IN THE PAST WITH 2 OR 3 OTHERS.

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Nov 8, 2001CO

1997 FORD ASPIRE.50 MPH ON MAJOR ROUTE IN DENVER WHEN CAR SUDDENLY LOST ALL GEARS. 55,400 MILES ON CAR, I AM NOT A SPEEDRACER, NOR WAS PREVIOUS OWNER, TORQUE CONVERTER THOROUGHLY RUINED, $1000 TO FIX, POSSIBLY MORE IF WHOLE TRANNY IS SHOT. NARROWLY ESCAPED SERIOUS INJURY. CAR IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRENTY OF ANY KIND. CAR NOT DRIVABLE AS IT HAS ABSOLUTELY NO GEAR SELECTION.

Steering › Steering Wheel/Handle Bar
Filed Sep 12, 2001VA

THE STEERING WHEEL COLUMN LOCKS AND JAMS, THE DRIVER IS UNABLE TO GET THE STEERING COLUMN LOOSE TO BE ABLE TO TURN CAR ON OR TO BE ABLE TO DRIVE THE CAR. NLM

Air Bags › Side/Window
Filed Sep 4, 2001MI

WHILE ATTEMPTING TO STOP FOR A DEER CROSSING DRIVER'S SIDE AND PASSENGER'S SIDE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

Fuel System, Gasoline
Filed Jul 11, 2001NV

THERE IS A FUEL SMELL COMING FOM INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF VEHICLE. ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAMES ON. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK

Air Bags
Filed May 14, 2001WY

SRS/ AIRBAG SENSOR LIGHT STAYS ILLUMINATED WHILE DRIVING. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED.*AK

20 of 60 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 1995
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
1997 — this page60021Fatalities reported
199633010Routine
199564020Routine
199454222Fatalities reported

Compare every Aspire year →

Reading this record

1 death reported in complaints filed with NHTSA.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Most recent recall on file: none. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.