VIN

Decoding VIN

Reading VIN 1FM5K7D97DGB00297 live from the NHTSA database…

Decoded · NHTSA vPIC · VIN 1FM5K7D97DGB00297 · Checked Aug 6, 2026
Year
Horsepower
Recalls
MPG
NHTSA
Save this as a full VIN report (PDF) Specs, recalls, complaints & value — one clean, shareable file.
PROGet the PDF report

Full VIN decode

Everything NHTSA's vPIC database knows about this exact vehicle:

Decoding from NHTSA…

Vehicle history — accidents, title & owners

The decode above is what this vehicle is. For what it's been through — accidents, title brands, odometer, theft/total-loss and previous owners — pull a full history report.

Full vehicle history report

What has this car been through?

  • Accidents & damage
  • Title brands — salvage, flood, lemon
  • Odometer rollback check
  • Theft & total-loss records
  • Previous owners & usage
  • Open liens
Get the full report →

ForCar's decode, recalls, safety & MPG are always free.

What's this worth?

Market value for this exact year, from real US listings — free.

Estimated market value
$
$Trade-in $Dealer
No market data for that exact year yet — our listings are still building.

This VIN, character by character

How 1FM5K7D97DGB00297 breaks down:

Open recalls

Checking recalls…

ForCar Reliability Score

Scoring…

Complaints on this exact build 4

NHTSA publishes the first 11 characters of the VIN with every complaint — that identifies the plant, model year, body and engine. So these are reports from cars built exactly like this one, not an average across the whole model.

1FM5K7D97DG•••••• 2013 Ford EXPLORER

This build is quieter than most: 4 complaints against 13 for the average 2013 Ford EXPLORER build.

4on this build
2115on the model
162builds in total
Most reported Engine 2 Power Train 1 Vehicle Speed Control 1 Steering 1

What owners of this build wrote

Steering Apr 2019
The contact owns a 2013 ford explorer. While driving low speeds, the steering seized. The vehicle was placed in park and then restarted. The power assist fault warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer and manufacturer were not made…
Unknown Or Other Dec 2016
We experience noxious fumes in the cabin when either the heater or air conditioner are on. It smells like exhaust or industrial chemicals or rotten eggs (hard to describe). Our local ford dealership claimed it came from a leaking water pump (which they replaced under warranty)…
Power Train Jul 2016
Delay or lag under heavy acceleration, was making a left onto incoming traffic from a complete stop, should have had enough time under normal circumstances to make the turn but there was about a 3 second delay before the engine really kicked in and started accelerating and ended…
Engine Jan 2016
The contact owns a 2013 ford explorer. While driving at various speeds, the accelerator pedal was depressed but the vehicle lost power. The vehicle also hesitated before accelerating. In addition, the contact noticed an abnormal noise coming from the engine compartment and the…

Owner complaints

Now the whole model — all 162 builds of it, not just this build. Same NHTSA reports, wider net:

Loading owner complaints…

Upgrade to Pro

You know what it is. Find out what it's worth.

  • Exact value for this VIN, adjusted for mileage
  • The original window sticker and factory options
  • Full research report as a PDF you can hand to a mechanic
  • Decode a whole list of VINs at once
  • No ads, no tracking — and much more
Free plan available — no credit card needed
Save this as a full VIN report (PDF) Specs, recalls, complaints & value — one clean, shareable file.
PROGet the PDF report

More free ForCar tools

A VIN opens the door — here's the whole map. Every decoder, calculator and ranking runs free on official NHTSA & EPA data:

Decoded via NHTSA vPIC. Recalls, complaints and safety from NHTSA; MPG from EPA fueleconomy.gov. Full history reports from our partner. VIN 1FM5K7D97DGB00297 · decoded Aug 2026. — ForCar Reviewed by , founder of ForCar.