The 1997 Ford Mustang is a small car that came with a choice of 3.8L 6-cyl and 4.6L 8-cyl engines. At 29 years old, many are reaching the point where repairs cost more than the car is worth. Running or not, we'll make you an offer and tow it away for free.
| Body style | Subcompact Cars |
|---|---|
| Engines | 3.8L 6-cyl, 4.6L 8-cyl |
| Transmissions | Automatic 4-spd, Manual 5-spd |
| Drive | Rear-Wheel Drive |
| Fuel | Regular Gasoline, Premium Gasoline |
| Fuel economy | 15–18 city / 22–27 highway / 18–21 combined MPG |
| EPA annual fuel cost | $3,200–$4,350 a year (EPA estimate at current fuel prices, 15,000 miles) |
| Tailpipe CO₂ | 423–494 grams per mile |
| Versions tested by EPA | 5 configurations |
| Age | 29 years |
Specs, fuel cost and emissions from the EPA's fueleconomy.gov data. Your car's exact equipment may differ.
NHTSA lists 2 safety recalls covering the 1997 Ford Mustang. Open recalls don't stop you from selling or junking the car, but check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which apply to yours.
Equipment description: passenger vehicles that have had the driver's air bag module replaced after april 5, 2000. The replacement driver's air bag module inflator may have insufficient welds that could prevent proper inflation of the air bag.
Risk: In the event of a crash, the driver's air bag may not properly deploy which could potentially result in less than the intended level of occupant protection.
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with manual transmissions. If a vehicle is parked with the parking brake not fully applied and not in first gear, as directed in the owner guide, and the self adjustment pawl subsequently skips one or two teeth, the vehicle could move on some grades.
Risk: This could result in unintended vehicle movement and a vehicle crash without prior warning.
Owners have filed 185 complaints about the 1997 Ford Mustang with NHTSA. 18 reports involved a crash and 4 reports involved a fire. Owners reported 13 injuries.
Complaints are reports from owners and aren't verified by NHTSA. One complaint can list several components. Mileage is the median odometer reading owners reported for that component.
Manufacturers have filed 167 technical service bulletins and communications with NHTSA covering the 1997 Ford Mustang. These are repair instructions for known issues, not recalls.
Some 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
Extended 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
General (PCM) power train control module programming procedures. *tt
Intermittent loss of power or crank no start - possible pats lamp flashing and diagnostic trouble codes (dtcs) u1147 and/or u1262. *tt
Vehicles may experience vibration/shake at steady speed approximately 100 km/h (62 mps), vehicles with 3.8 l engine and convertible top. *mjs
Some vehicles may exhibit a rattle noise from the door wedge when driving on rough roads. *tt
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications (technical service bulletins).
NHTSA opened 2 defect investigations covering the 1997 Ford Mustang.
Spark plug ejection from cylinder head
On september 6, 2005, odi received a petition requesting that the agency investigate allegations of engine spark plug ejection in certain model year 1997 through 2004 Ford vehicles with triton v-8 and v-10 engines.odi received a total of 474 non-duplicative complaints on the subject vehicles where the complainant, or t
Front brake hose
There is no summary currently available
It depends on its condition, whether major parts like the engine, transmission and catalytic converter are still there, and current scrap and parts prices where you live. Its parts make up much of its value. Enter your ZIP code above for a free offer on your specific car.
Yes. We buy 1997 Mustangs that don't start, were in an accident, failed inspection or have a blown engine or transmission. Towing is always free.
Yes. Open recalls don't prevent a junk sale. NHTSA lists 2 recalls for the 1997 Ford Mustang; you can check whether any are still open on yours with the VIN lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Usually the title and a photo ID. Rules differ by state, including what to do with your plates and whether to file a notice of sale. Check our state-by-state car title guides for the official forms.
Data retrieved October 2026.
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