One problem related to front suspension wheel bearing has been reported for the 1997 Ford Thunderbird. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
Front ball joint popped out of socket while driving. Dealer has replaced control arm and ball joint twice, and problem reoccurred. The front suspension collapsed completly and the rear lower ball joint broke. Tension arm bushing and lower control arm on right side failed causing the vehicle to pull when applying brakes. The left front swaybar failed. The left front wheel bearing failed.