Factory build sheet
1997 Ford Explorer XL
Build 1FMDU32X-V · 4L 6cyl · Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV)
VIN positions 1 through 8 read 1FMDU32X 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 1FMDU32X and carries V in position 10 left the plant with the same engine, transmission, drivetrain and equipment listed below. We know of 305 of them.
- Decoded Jul 7, 2026
- 305 known VINs
This configuration is identical to 1997 Ford Explorer XL 4L 6cyl Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) (425 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
- Horsepower
- 152 hp
- Fuel type
- Gasoline
Drivetrain
- Brake system
- Hydraulic
Body & chassis
- Body class
- Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV)/Multi-Purpose Vehicle (MPV)
- NHTSA body type
- MULTIPURPOSE PASSENGER VEHICLE (MPV)
- Doors
- 4
- Manufacturer
- FORD MOTOR COMPANY
Weight rating
- GVWR class
- Class 1D
- GVWR
- 5,001–6,000 lb
Gross vehicle weight rating is the loaded ceiling set by the manufacturer, not the car's own weight.
The same build, other model years
Ford used the VIN pattern 1FMDU32X for 8 model years. Nothing but the year changes between these pages, so the price gap between them is depreciation on an identical car.
- 1991 XL 4L 6cyl Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) · 38 vehicles code M
- 1992 XL 4L 6cyl Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) · 83 vehicles code N
- 1993 XL 4L 6cyl Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) · 129 vehicles code P
- 1994 XL 4L 6cyl Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) · 187 vehicles code R
- 1995 XL 4L 6cyl Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) · 306 vehicles code S
- 1996 XL 4L 6cyl Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) · 519 vehicles code T
-
1997 You are here code V
- 1999 XL 4L 6cyl Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) · 30 vehicles code X
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 | DU32X | 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 |
305 vehicles carry this build
Every VIN we have decoded to 1FMDU32X-V shares the specification above.
- 305 Known VINs
Cars are filed by a fixed rule based on the VIN, so a car never moves between groups.
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 425 vehicles
- 1997 XLT 5L 8-cyl · Sport utility vehicle suv mult · AWD 647 vehicles · $9,249 median
- 1998 Sport 4L 6-cyl · Sport utility vehicle suv mult 193 vehicles
- 1998 Sport 4L 6-cyl · Sport utility vehicle suv mult · 4WD 256 vehicles
- 1998 XL 5L 8-cyl · Sport utility vehicle suv mult 263 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 305 VINs of this build we have seen in dealer inventory. They are a sample of the road population, not a production figure.