Factory build sheet
1997 Ford Explorer XL
Build 1FMCU24E-V · 4L 6cyl · Four-wheel drive · Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV)
VIN positions 1 through 8 read 1FMCU24E and position 10 reads V. Those nine characters define this build. Position 9 and positions 11 through 17 differ on every car.
Every Explorer whose VIN starts 1FMCU24E and carries V in position 10 left the plant with the same engine, transmission, drivetrain and equipment listed below. We know of 61 of them.
- Decoded Jul 7, 2026
- 61 known VINs
This configuration is identical to 1997 Ford Explorer XL 4L 6cyl Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) (81 vehicles). That page carries the full record.
Factory specification
As filed by Ford with NHTSA for this build. Fields the filing does not record are left out entirely — a missing row means no recorded value, not a missing feature.
Engine
- Displacement
- 4 L
- Displacement (CI)
- 241
- Cylinders
- 6
- Configuration
- V-Shaped
- Engine manufacturer
- Ford
- Valve train
- Single Overhead Cam (SOHC)
- Fuel type
- Gasoline
Drivetrain
- Drive type
- Four-wheel drive
- Brake system
- Hydraulic
Body & chassis
- Body class
- Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV)/Multi-Purpose Vehicle (MPV)
- NHTSA body type
- MULTIPURPOSE PASSENGER VEHICLE (MPV)
- Doors
- 2
- Manufacturer
- FORD MOTOR COMPANY
Weight rating
- GVWR class
- Class 1C
- GVWR
- 4,001–5,000 lb
Gross vehicle weight rating is the loaded ceiling set by the manufacturer, not the car's own weight.
How this VIN pattern is read
A 17-character VIN carries two kinds of information: what was built, and which one it is. This page is the first kind — the nine highlighted positions.
| Positions | Characters | What they encode |
|---|---|---|
| 1–3 | 1FM | FORD MOTOR COMPANY · World manufacturer identifier |
| 4–8 | CU24E | Model, body style, engine and restraint system |
| 9 | × | Check digit — computed per vehicle, not part of the build |
| 10 | V | Model year — 1997 |
| 11 | × | Assembly plant |
| 12–17 | ×××××× | Production sequence number, unique to each vehicle |
61 vehicles carry this build
Every VIN we have decoded to 1FMCU24E-V shares the specification above.
- 61 Known VINs
- 1FMCU24E 3VUD55579
- 1FMCU24E 0VUB70857
- 1FMCU24E 5VUA19660
- 1FMCU24E 9VUA06975
- 1FMCU24E 7VUD52345
- 1FMCU24E 6VUC53743
- 1FMCU24E 4VUD45210
- 1FMCU24E 8VUC66493
- 1FMCU24E 4VUC55247
- 1FMCU24E 6VUC68226
- 1FMCU24E 7VUA63093
- 1FMCU24E 0VUD12611
- 1FMCU24E 3VUB00687
- 1FMCU24E 3VUA04381
- 1FMCU24E 5VUB71602
- 1FMCU24E 1VUC55982
- 1FMCU24E 8VUB10681
- 1FMCU24E 6VUA85781
- 1FMCU24E 6VUB63928
- 1FMCU24E 6VUA19179
- 1FMCU24E XVUC35410
- 1FMCU24E 3VUC47141
- 1FMCU24E 7VUA03699
- 1FMCU24E 0VUD56253
- 1FMCU24E 1VUC69963
- 1FMCU24E 2VUC63525
- 1FMCU24E XVUC48884
- 1FMCU24E 5VUD40825
- 1FMCU24E 2VUB18212
- 1FMCU24E XVUA33067
- 1FMCU24E XVUC48853
- 1FMCU24E 4VUA33730
- 1FMCU24E 6VUC79114
- 1FMCU24E 1VUC56212
- 1FMCU24E 7VUD28174
- 1FMCU24E 6VUD18896
- 1FMCU24E 8VUD21122
- 1FMCU24E 1VUC27941
- 1FMCU24E 3VUD12201
- 1FMCU24E XVUC88060
- 1FMCU24E 7VUC64802
- 1FMCU24E 7VUC67943
- 1FMCU24E 8VUB98616
- 1FMCU24E 3VUC20568
- 1FMCU24E XVUC93937
- 1FMCU24E 1VUC63497
- 1FMCU24E 8VUA14341
- 1FMCU24E 0VUC48649
- 1FMCU24E 9VUC94903
- 1FMCU24E 1VUD52079
- 1FMCU24E 9VUD33408
- 1FMCU24E 1VUC61992
- 1FMCU24E 9VUB70596
- 1FMCU24E 8VUC31095
- 1FMCU24E 9VUA33240
- 1FMCU24E 7VUC50172
- 1FMCU24E 8VUC35518
- 1FMCU24E 5VUC95112
- 1FMCU24E 4VUC85669
- 1FMCU24E 4VUC93853
- 1FMCU24E 5VUD10787
Neighboring configurations
Other factory configurations of the Explorer, each with its own build sheet. The set is fixed by the VIN patterns themselves, so it does not shuffle as prices or inventory move.
- 1997 XL 4L 6-cyl · Sport utility vehicle suv mult · 4WD 81 vehicles
- 1997 XL 4L 6-cyl · Sport utility vehicle suv mult · 4WD 72 vehicles
- 1997 XL 4L 6-cyl · Sport utility vehicle suv mult 303 vehicles
- 1997 XL 4L 6-cyl · Sport utility vehicle suv mult 305 vehicles
- 1998 Sport 4L 6-cyl · Sport utility vehicle suv mult 193 vehicles
Keep going
Where this data comes from
Specification fields are decoded from the manufacturer's filings in the NHTSA vPIC database, keyed on VIN positions 1–8 and 10. We publish the filed values as they stand and leave out anything the filing does not record.
Vehicle counts come from the 61 VINs of this build we have seen in dealer inventory. They are a sample of the road population, not a production figure.