Five problems related to engine exhaust system have been reported for the 1997 Ford Explorer. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
Engine check light came on and stayed on when weather got cold. The Ford service said the the air intake valve gaskets shrank and was letting in too much air and carbon monoxide into to the gas tank. I've never seen or heard of this happening with truck under 100,000 miles.
I purchased this vehicle in November of 1998. At the time it had 10,000 miles on it. I noticed the vehicle had what seemed to be a shutter or vibration. I took the vehicle back to the dealership and the service manager drove with me for many miles. He stated that this was a normal characteristic of the vehicle. Everything is a normal characteristic of the vehicle. I have taken the vehicle to a certified transmission repair/replacement shop and have found that this problem is actually an emissions problem, and that the computer needs to be flashed to change the strategy of the torque converter. I would like this issue addressed as it causes my vehicle to vibrate and at highway speeds the vehicle feels very unsafe.
Vehicle vibrates at idle in drive or park at 625 rpms. Dealer replaced the exhaust system per Ford, however the problem remains.
Emissions control system failure.
While running engine emitted an awful odor, dealer has been unable to determine source.