This vehicle is no longer listed, so the estimate starts from $3,689 — the typical market price for this build. Move the numbers to match your own loan.

Vehicle price

Down payment

10% down

Interest rate (APR)

7.0% is a typical rate for a well-qualified buyer — use your own quote if you have one.

Loan term

Estimated monthly payment

$66

per month

60 months · 7.0% APR · $369 down

Amount financed

$3,320

Total interest

$640

Estimate only. Excludes tax, title, registration and dealer fees, and assumes a fixed-rate loan with equal monthly payments. Your actual rate depends on your credit and lender.

Decoded from the VIN

NHTSA build data for 1FMDU34E3VUA04035

Engine

4.0L · V6

Body

Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV)/Multi-Purpose Vehicle (MPV)

Fuel

Gasoline

Doors

Model year

1997

Made by

FORD MOTOR COMPANY

✗ Backup camera
✗ Blind-spot monitor
✗ Lane departure
✗ ABS
✗ Electronic stability

Fuel economy (EPA)

Combined

MPG

City

MPG

Highway

MPG

$3,320 /yr est. fuel

Assumes 15,000 miles a year at $3.10/gallon and 14 MPG combined.

5-year cost to own

Beyond the sticker: what this 1997 Ford Explorer likely costs over five years at 15,000 mi/yr.

Fuel $16,600

Insurance $5,950

Maintenance & repairs $7,000

Total, 5 years $29,550

Estimate — insurance and taxes vary by driver and state.

Safety & recalls

NHTSA crash tests & recall campaigns for this model year

The 1997 Ford Explorer has 12 recall campaigns as of September 2026. EPA combined fuel economy: 14 MPG.

12 recall campaigns on this model year

Check accident & title history →

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

DOPE, INC. IS RECALLING 42,540 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES.

NHTSA campaign 09E025000
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

FORD IS RECALLING MODEL YEARS 1995-2003 WINDSTAR, 2000-2003 EXCURSION DIESEL, 1993-1997 AND 1999-2003 F-250 SD THROUGH F-550 SD DIESEL, 1992-2003 E-150 THROUGH E-550, 1995-2002…

NHTSA campaign 09V399000
EXTERIOR LIGHTING

SABERSPORT IS RECALLING 16,270 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES.

NHTSA campaign 09E012000

Recall campaigns apply to the model year, not to one car. Check remedy status for this VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Model-level data for the 1997 Ford Explorer from NHTSA (recalls, NCAP crash tests) and EPA fueleconomy.gov, refreshed September 3, 2026.

How it compares to rivals

Median asking price for comparable body styles listed near this car

Model	Median price	For sale nearby	vs this car
1997 Ford Explorer (this car)	$3,689	4	—
1998 Jeep Wrangler	$10,850	2	+$7,161

Cheapest active listings of each comparable body style in this region — median of what those models actually ask.

Market by model year

What each model year costs right now — live supply, median asking price and how much value each year keeps versus the newest one.

Year	Units for sale	Median price	vs newest	Avg mileage
2027	5,157	$51,131	100%	—
2026	24,488	$49,355	97%	707 mi
2025	3,623	$39,989	78%	21,222 mi
2024	2,014	$35,111	69%	29,476 mi
2023	5,650	$31,990	63%	42,812 mi
2022	3,570	$28,316	55%	62,515 mi
2021	2,789	$23,995	47%	79,419 mi
2020	3,687	$22,197	43%	86,607 mi