1998 Ford Explorer Problems and Recalls (1,517 Complaints)

The most-reported problem on the 1998 Ford Explorer is Tires (17% of 1,517 owner reports). There are 13 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Tires — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 1,517 complaints · 13 recalls

What problems show up on the 1998 Ford Explorer?

259 of 1,517 filings named Tires (17% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.

Second is Cruise / speed control (248 reports).

There are 13 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Tires, Lights, Electrical, and Fuel system. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.

The 1997 has 1,331 reports on file; this year has 1,517. Older years collect more reports just by being on the road longer. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.

What to check before you buy a 1998 Ford Explorer

A useful visit to this page takes five minutes. YearTell does not score years and cannot see the vehicle in front of you.

  1. Look up the VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov. This year has 13 campaigns on file below.
  2. Tires. Check age, tread depth and uneven wear. Uneven wear often points back to alignment.
  3. Cruise / speed control. Test cruise control and ask about unintended-acceleration reports on this year.
  4. Engine. Have a shop check for oil consumption, coolant leaks, rough idle and unusual engine noise.
  5. Skim a few owner reports below for Tires. Look for the same symptom repeating.
  6. Take that list to a mechanic. Do not turn the complaint total into a score.

What owners reported

System named most often: Tires 259 complaints · 17.1% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
  • Crashes 132
  • Fires 102
  • Injuries 134
  • Deaths 8
Compare with 1997 →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Which systems owners named

Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.

Which systems owners named Tires (TIRES) appears in 259 of 1,517 owner complaints (17.1%) in this vehicle snapshot. Tires (TIRES): 259 complaints, 17.1% of reports Tires (TIRES) 27 crash reports 1 fire reports 259 · 17.1% Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL): 248 complaints, 16.4% of reports Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 27 crash reports 43 fire reports 248 · 16.4% Engine (ENGINE): 170 complaints, 11.2% of reports Engine (ENGINE) 1 crash reports 16 fire reports 170 · 11.2% Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM): 88 complaints, 5.8% of reports Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 2 crash reports 31 fire reports 88 · 5.8% Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY): 87 complaints, 5.7% of reports Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) 1 fire reports 87 · 5.7% Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN): 84 complaints, 5.5% of reports Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 6 crash reports 1 fire reports 84 · 5.5% Suspension (SUSPENSION): 78 complaints, 5.1% of reports Suspension (SUSPENSION) 9 crash reports 78 · 5.1% Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES): 70 complaints, 4.6% of reports Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 16 crash reports 1 fire reports 70 · 4.6% Steering (STEERING): 56 complaints, 3.7% of reports Steering (STEERING) 9 crash reports 1 fire reports 56 · 3.7% Unclassified NHTSA leftover: 1,103 complaints, 72.7% of reports Unclassified NHTSA leftover 86 crash reports 49 fire reports 1,103 · 72.7% 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
Tires (TIRES) 259 17.1% 27 crashes · 1 fires
Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 248 16.4% 27 crashes · 43 fires
Engine (ENGINE) 170 11.2% 1 crashes · 16 fires
Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 88 5.8% 2 crashes · 31 fires
Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) 87 5.7% 0 crashes · 1 fires
Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 84 5.5% 6 crashes · 1 fires
Suspension (SUSPENSION) 78 5.1% 9 crashes · 0 fires
Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 70 4.6% 16 crashes · 1 fires
Steering (STEERING) 56 3.7% 9 crashes · 1 fires
Unclassified NHTSA leftover 1,103 72.7% 86 crashes · 49 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

When reports and recalls showed up

When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.

When reports and recalls showed up Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Oct 1997; the first recall shown was reported in Nov 1997. 1997-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 1998-Q1: 7 owner reports 7 1998-Q2: 19 owner reports 19 1998-Q3: 43 owner reports 43 1998-Q4: 49 owner reports 49 1999-Q1: 121 owner reports 121 1999-Q2: 42 owner reports 42 1999-Q3: 77 owner reports 77 1999-Q4: 38 owner reports 38 2000-Q1: 40 owner reports 40 2000-Q2: 29 owner reports 29 2000-Q3: 232 owner reports 232 2000-Q4: 88 owner reports 88 2001-Q1: 44 owner reports 44 2001-Q2: 57 owner reports 57 2001-Q3: 37 owner reports 37 2001-Q4: 33 owner reports 33 2002-Q1: 39 owner reports 39 2002-Q2: 28 owner reports 28 2002-Q3: 26 owner reports 26 2002-Q4: 18 owner reports 18 2003-Q1: 13 owner reports 13 2003-Q2: 21 owner reports 21 2003-Q3: 39 owner reports 39 2003-Q4: 34 owner reports 34 2004-Q1: 18 owner reports 18 2004-Q2: 21 owner reports 21 2004-Q3: 21 owner reports 21 2004-Q4: 16 owner reports 16 2005-Q1: 14 owner reports 14 2005-Q2: 22 owner reports 22 2005-Q3: 25 owner reports 25 2005-Q4: 8 owner reports 8 2006-Q1: 7 owner reports 7 2006-Q2: 6 owner reports 6 2006-Q3: 12 owner reports 12 2006-Q4: 6 owner reports 6 2007-Q1: 8 owner reports 8 2007-Q2: 8 owner reports 8 2007-Q3: 6 owner reports 6 2007-Q4: 12 owner reports 12 2008-Q1: 13 owner reports 13 2008-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2008-Q3: 6 owner reports 6 2008-Q4: 8 owner reports 8 2009-Q1: 7 owner reports 7 2009-Q2: 8 owner reports 8 2009-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2009-Q4: 7 owner reports 7 2010-Q1: 8 owner reports 8 2010-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2010-Q3: 5 owner reports 5 2010-Q4: 6 owner reports 6 2011-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2011-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2011-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2011-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2012-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2012-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2012-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2012-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2013-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2013-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2014-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2014-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2014-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2014-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2015-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2015-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2015-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2015-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2016-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2016-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2017-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2018-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2018-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2019-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2019-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2019-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2019-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2020-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 Owner reports Oct 1997 Jan 2020 Recall campaign 97V215000 ◆ Recall campaign 97V215000 Recall campaign 98V060000 ◆ Recall campaign 98V060000 Recall campaign 99V062001 ◆ Recall campaign 99V062001 Recall campaign 99V164000 ◆ Recall campaign 99V164000 Recall campaign 00V168000 ◆ Recall campaign 00V168000 Recall campaign 00T005000 ◆ Recall campaign 00T005000 Recall campaign 00V422000 ◆ Recall campaign 00V422000 Recall campaign 03V281000 ◆ Recall campaign 03V281000 Recall campaign 06E026000 ◆ Recall campaign 06E026000 Recall campaign 06V286000 ◆ Recall campaign 06V286000 Recall campaign 09E012000 ◆ Recall campaign 09E012000 Recall campaign 09E025000 ◆ Recall campaign 09E025000 Recall campaign 09V399000 ◆ Recall campaign 09V399000 Investigation RQ98020 ● Investigation RQ98020 Investigation EA99001 ● Investigation EA99001 Investigation SQ99017 ● Investigation SQ99017 Investigation PE99045 ● Investigation PE99045 Investigation PE99049 ● Investigation PE99049 Investigation PE03020 ● Investigation PE03020 Investigation EA05005 ● Investigation EA05005 Investigation DP05005 ● Investigation DP05005
  • Campaign 98V060000 was reported 35 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 99V164000 was reported 566 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 00T005000 was reported 679 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 03V281000 was reported 2,064 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 09E025000 was reported 3,913 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
1997-Q4 Owner reports 2
1998-Q1 Owner reports 7
1998-Q2 Owner reports 19
1998-Q3 Owner reports 43
1998-Q4 Owner reports 49
1999-Q1 Owner reports 121
1999-Q2 Owner reports 42
1999-Q3 Owner reports 77
1999-Q4 Owner reports 38
2000-Q1 Owner reports 40
2000-Q2 Owner reports 29
2000-Q3 Owner reports 232
2000-Q4 Owner reports 88
2001-Q1 Owner reports 44
2001-Q2 Owner reports 57
2001-Q3 Owner reports 37
2001-Q4 Owner reports 33
2002-Q1 Owner reports 39
2002-Q2 Owner reports 28
2002-Q3 Owner reports 26
2002-Q4 Owner reports 18
2003-Q1 Owner reports 13
2003-Q2 Owner reports 21
2003-Q3 Owner reports 39
2003-Q4 Owner reports 34
2004-Q1 Owner reports 18
2004-Q2 Owner reports 21
2004-Q3 Owner reports 21
2004-Q4 Owner reports 16
2005-Q1 Owner reports 14
2005-Q2 Owner reports 22
2005-Q3 Owner reports 25
2005-Q4 Owner reports 8
2006-Q1 Owner reports 7
2006-Q2 Owner reports 6
2006-Q3 Owner reports 12
2006-Q4 Owner reports 6
2007-Q1 Owner reports 8
2007-Q2 Owner reports 8
2007-Q3 Owner reports 6
2007-Q4 Owner reports 12
2008-Q1 Owner reports 13
2008-Q2 Owner reports 5
2008-Q3 Owner reports 6
2008-Q4 Owner reports 8
2009-Q1 Owner reports 7
2009-Q2 Owner reports 8
2009-Q3 Owner reports 4
2009-Q4 Owner reports 7
2010-Q1 Owner reports 8
2010-Q2 Owner reports 2
2010-Q3 Owner reports 5
2010-Q4 Owner reports 6
2011-Q1 Owner reports 4
2011-Q2 Owner reports 2
2011-Q3 Owner reports 2
2011-Q4 Owner reports 1
2012-Q1 Owner reports 3
2012-Q2 Owner reports 2
2012-Q3 Owner reports 2
2012-Q4 Owner reports 1
2013-Q2 Owner reports 2
2013-Q3 Owner reports 1
2014-Q1 Owner reports 2
2014-Q2 Owner reports 2
2014-Q3 Owner reports 2
2014-Q4 Owner reports 3
2015-Q1 Owner reports 2
2015-Q2 Owner reports 3
2015-Q3 Owner reports 1
2015-Q4 Owner reports 3
2016-Q1 Owner reports 1
2016-Q3 Owner reports 1
2017-Q3 Owner reports 1
2018-Q2 Owner reports 3
2018-Q3 Owner reports 2
2019-Q1 Owner reports 1
2019-Q2 Owner reports 1
2019-Q3 Owner reports 1
2019-Q4 Owner reports 2
2020-Q1 Owner reports 1
Recall campaign 1 97V215000
Recall campaign 1 98V060000
Recall campaign 1 99V062001
Recall campaign 1 99V164000
Recall campaign 1 00V168000
Recall campaign 1 00T005000
Recall campaign 1 00V422000
Recall campaign 1 03V281000
Recall campaign 1 06E026000
Recall campaign 1 06V286000
Recall campaign 1 09E012000
Recall campaign 1 09E025000
Recall campaign 1 09V399000
Defect investigation 1 RQ98020
Defect investigation 1 EA99001
Defect investigation 1 SQ99017
Defect investigation 1 PE99045
Defect investigation 1 PE99049
Defect investigation 1 PE03020
Defect investigation 1 EA05005
Defect investigation 1 DP05005
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-09-06 Open source record

Safety Recalls (13)

Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.

In short, these campaigns were filed about Tires, Lights, Electrical, and Fuel system.

  1. Recall campaign 00T005000

    Tires

    Report date
    Component:
    Tires (TIRES)
    Consequence:
    IF THE TREAD SEPARATES FROM THE TIRE, THE DRIVER CAN LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A CRASH CAUSING INJURY OR DEATH.
    Remedy:
    THE REPLACEMENT/REIMBURSEMENT PROGRAM FOR THIS CAMPAIGN EXPIRED ON AUGUST 29, 2001. HOWEVER, CUSTOMERS SHOULD CONTACT FIRESTONE CUSTOMER SERVICE AT 1-800-465-1904 FOR POSSIBLE ASSISTANCE.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. Recall campaign 00V168000

    Safety recall 00V168000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    THE LIGHT GIVEN OFF FROM THE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS IS BRIGHTER THAN ALLOWED BY U.S. STANDARDS.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL BE ADVISED TO DEACTIVATE THE RUNNING LIGHT FUNCTION AND TO COMPLETE ANY OUTSTANDING SAFETY RECALLS ON THESE VEHICLES.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  3. Recall campaign 00V422000

    Safety recall 00V422000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    THIS COULD RESULT IN ENGINE SURGE WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BREAKS FREE.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE ORIGINAL THROTTLE BODIES.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  4. Recall campaign 03V281000

    Safety recall 03V281000

    Report date
    Component:
    Unclassified NHTSA leftover
    Consequence:
    THE DRIVER COULD POTENTIALLY LOSE CONTACT WITH THE STEERING WHEEL OR FOOT PEDALS DURING SUCH AN EVENT, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE DRIVER SEAT UPPER BOLT WITH A METAL SPACER AND BOLT. IN ADDITION, SEATS WITH TUBULAR BACK FRAMES WILL HAVE THE FULLY THREADED LOWER RECLINER BOLT REPLACED WITH A PARTIALLY THREADED BOLT. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON AUGUST 29, 2003. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT FORD AT 1-800-392-3673.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  5. Recall campaign 06E026000

    Safety recall 06E026000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    WITHOUT THE AMBER REFLECTORS, THE VEHICLE WILL BE POORLY ILLUMINATED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.
    Remedy:
    PRO-A MOTORS WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER TO REPURCHASE THE LAMPS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 3, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT PRO-A MOTORS AT 323-838-2988.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  6. Recall campaign 06V286000

    Safety recall 06V286000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    OVERHEATING COULD RESULT IN SMOKE OR BURN AND AN UNDERHOOD FIRE.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL INSTALL A FUSED WIRING HARNESS INTO THE SPEED CONTROL SYSTEM FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 7, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD AT 1-866-436-7332. (NOTE: ALSO SEE RECALLS 05V017 AND 05V388)
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  7. Recall campaign 09E012000

    Safety recall 09E012000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    DECREASED LIGHTING VISIBILITY MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
    Remedy:
    SABERSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 11, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SABERSPORT AT 1-909-598-7589.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  8. Recall campaign 09E025000

    Lights

    Report date
    Component:
    Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING)
    Consequence:
    DECREASED LIGHTING VISIBILITY MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
    Remedy:
    DOPE, INC. WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 28, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT DOPE, INC. AT 1-626-272-1798.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  9. Recall campaign 09V399000

    Safety recall 09V399000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    A VEHICLE FIRE COULD OCCUR WITH OR WITHOUT THE ENGINE RUNNING.
    Remedy:
    FORD WILL NOTIFY OWNERS THAT DEALERS WILL INSTALL A FUSED WIRING HARNESS IN LINE WITH THE SCDS. ON 1999-2003 WINDSTAR VEHICLES WITH A LEAKING SCDS, DEALERS WILL ALSO INSPECT THE ABS CONTROL MODULE CONNECTOR AND REPAIR AS NECESSARY. REPAIRS WILL BE COMPLETED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 27, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD AT 1-888-222-2751.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  10. Recall campaign 97V215000

    Electrical

    Report date
    Component:
    Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
    Consequence:
    THE STANDARD SPECIFIED THAT A WARNING TO THE DRIVER SHALL BE ACTUATED WHENEVER THE KEY HAS BEEN LEFT IN THE LOCKING SYSTEM AND THE DRIVER'S DOOR IS OPENED.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL INSTALL A JUMPER WIRE TO PROVIDE THE NECESSARY GROUND CIRCUIT IN THESE VEHICLES.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  11. Recall campaign 98V060000

    Fuel system

    Report date
    Component:
    Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)
    Consequence:
    THE FUEL LINES CAN LEAK, AND IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE, A FIRE COULD POTENTIALLY RESULT.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL INSTALL A WARNING LABEL ON THE FUEL LINE BRACKET ADVISING OWNERS NOT TO USE IT FOR A JUMP START GROUND. ALSO A REVISED BOLT WILL BE INSTALLED IN THE ALTERNATOR BRACKET TO PROVIDE A CONVENIENT JUMP START GROUND LOCATION.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  12. Recall campaign 99V062001

    Safety recall 99V062001

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    IF THE CRUISE CONTROL IS USED AND THIS CONDITION IS PRESENT, A STUCK THROTTLE COULD RESULT, WHICH COULD POTENTIALLY RESULT IN A CRASH.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE CRUISE CONTROL CABLES. AT THE PRESENT TIME, THE REPLACEMENT CABLES ARE NOT AVAILABLE. CUSTOMERS ARE BEING ADVISED NOT TO USE THE CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEM UNTIL A REPLACEMENT CAN BE MADE.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  13. Recall campaign 99V164000

    Safety recall 99V164000

    Report date
    Component:
    Unclassified NHTSA leftover
    Consequence:
    IF THIS OCCURS AND THE PRIMARY HOOD LATCH IS EITHER NOT ENGAGED OR IS RELEASED, A HOOD FLY-UP COULD OCCUR.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL INSTALL A SECONDARY HOOD LATCH WITH COMPONENTS THAT ARE COATED PRIOR TO ASSEMBLY FOR IMPROVED LATCH PIVOT CORROSION PROTECTION.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

What owners actually wrote

Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-09-07
Safety incident filters
Showing 10 of 1,517 complaints · page 1 of 61
2020-01-09Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL)
NHTSA ODI 11298074
CrashFireInjuryDeath
SPEED CONTROL GETS HOT TO TOUCH. ALL TOP FACING HAS MELTED OFF FROM HEAT. I WAS ON HIGHWAY AND MY STEERING WHEEL BECAME EXTREMELY HOT. MY SEAT WAS REPAIRED AFTER RECALL YEARS AGO. IT CONTINUES TO DROP LOW TO FLOOR.
2019-12-06WHEELS
NHTSA ODI 11287420
CrashFireInjuryDeath
MY SEAT BELT ON MY PASSENGER SIDE DOES NOT WORK HALF THE TIME. MY DOOR LOCKS DO NOT WORK RIGHT. I CAN'T GET MY WINDOW ON THE DRIVER SIDE TO GO UP AND DOWN. I HIT A TREE GOING 55 MILES AN HOUR IN MY AIRBAG DID NOT EVEN DEPLOY. I'M LUCKY I'M STILL ALIVE. THE FENDERS RUBBING UP AGAINST MY TIRE. SPEED CONTROL IS WRONG. WHENEVER I'M GOING 55 MILES AN HOUR IT SAYS 57 ACTUALLY I DON'T REMEMBER THE CORRECT DATE. BUT I'M SURE IT SHOWS I KNOW IT WAS 2017. SOMEBODY RAN ME OFF THE ROAD. MY TRUCK HIT THE TREE AND MY AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. I'M LUCKY IT DIDN'T I GUESS BECAUSE DON'T AIRBAGS HAVE METAL SHARDS IN THEM IS WHAT I WAS TOLD
2019-10-13FUEL SYSTEM
NHTSA ODI 11268145
CrashFireInjuryDeath
PARKED IN PARKING SPACE STARTED CAR PUT IN REVERSE, ENGINE ROARED, ACCELERATED IN REVERSE APPLYING BRAKES DID NOTHING , BOTH FEET ON BRAKES , TURNED WHEEL SO THAT CAR WAS NOT TO HIT PARKED CARS BEHIND US, CAR CONTINUED RACING IN REVERSE WITH CONTINUED APPLYING BRAKES, THRU IT INTO PARK CAR CONTINUED IN REVERSE , TURNED KEY OFF & CAR CONTINURED IN REVERSE UNTIL HITTING PARKED CAR WHICH STOPPED US TOTAL DISTANCE ABOUT 200 FEET, WHICH SEEMED A LOT LONGER,I FELT I DID EVERYTHING CORRECTLY MAYBE IF THROWN IN NEUTRAL BRAKES WOULD HAVE WORKED, VERY FRIGHTING HAVING NO CONTROL TO STOP
2019-07-14STRUCTUREUnclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11231838
CrashFireInjuryDeath
DOOR LOCKS AND WINDOWS QUIT WORKING AFTER BUYING IT. SO MANY ISSUE ..THE STEERING WHEEL CONTROL WORDS MELTED. BACK DOOR DON'T SHUT PROBABLY AND NEVER HAS SINCE BOUGHT. THIS WAS BOUGHT AS A NEW NOT USED VEHICLE. DOOR LOCKS WAS THE WORSE.THEY SOMETIMES STICK AND WON'T UNLOCK SINCE BOUGHT NEW.NEVER FIX BY BUTLER FORD IN MILLEDGEVILLE GA. OVERDRIVE SWITCH SLIPS OUT OF POSITION. DOES NOT SHOW CORRECT SPEED. I COULD GO ON AND ON
2019-04-15Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
NHTSA ODI 11196183
CrashFireInjuryDeath
MY EXPLORER HAD BEEN PARKED IN MY DRIVEWAY FOR WELL OVER 15 HOURS WHEN I HEARD MY NEIGHBOR SCREAMING. THE SUV WAS FULLY IGNITED INTO FLAMES.JUST OUT OF NO WHERE. I WAS ABLE TO GET THE FIRE OUT WITH MY WATER HOSES BEFORE THE GOTTA DEPARTMENT SHOWED UP BUT THE ENTIRE VEHICLE IS RUINED AND HALF MY GARAGE AS WELL. THE FIRE STARTED DOWN BY THE BRAKES AND THE ENTIRE VEHICLE WAS ENGOLFED WITHIN SECONDS. OBVIOUSLY IT WAS ELECTRICAL. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION I BELIEVE IT WAS THE CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH MALFUNCTION. MY SUV HAD 134,000 MILES ON IT AND KEPT IN IMMACULATE CONDITION. I WILL DOWNLOAD THE FIRE DEPARTMENTS REPORT ONCE TO GET IT. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TT
2019-01-19Suspension (SUSPENSION)
NHTSA ODI 11170910
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I WAS DRIVING MY TRUCK AND ONE DAY IT STARTED ACTING WEIRD. MY STEREO STARTED SHUTTING OFF AND COMING IN BY ITSELF. A COUPLE DAYS LATER I WAS DRIVING AND MY STEREO AND INFORMATION CENTER WENT OUT AND CAME BACK ON. MY TRUCK WILL ONLY GO ABOUT 30MPS CAUSE IT WON'T SHIFT EITHER. COUPLE DAYS AGO IT STARTED BACK FIRING. WHAT COULD BE THE PROBLEM.
2018-07-28Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
NHTSA ODI 11114246
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I WAS GOING DOWN CLINTON KEITH IN MURRIETA WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN MY TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT SHIFT PASSED 3RD. IT WAS WORKING FINE THE DAY BEFORE. SO I TOOK IT SLOW BACK HOME AND THE CLOSER I GOT HOME THE TRANSMISSON STARTED SLIPPING GEARS.
2018-07-03Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11105330
CrashFireInjuryDeath
GAS PEDAL BRACKET WELDING BROKE WHILE DRIVING AND GAS PEDAL IS NOW JUST DANGLING - CHECKED ON INTERNET AND THERE ARE A LARGE AMOUNT OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT SAME THING - SHOULD BE A RECALL
2018-06-15Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11101990
CrashFireInjuryDeath
FRONT PASSENGER DOOR LOCK AND LATCH STUCK AND UNABLE TO OPEN DOOR FROM EITHER INSIDE OR OUTSIDE. OCCURS BOTH STATIONARY AND IN MOTION.
2018-05-11Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11093383
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN OPERATION, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BECAME DETACHED. THE CONTACT ACTIVATED THE HAZARD LIGHTS AND DROVE HOME WITH CAUTION. THE DEALER (PHIL LONG FORD AT CHAPEL HILLS, 1565 AUTO MALL LOOP, COLORADO SPRINGS, CO 80920, ([redacted]) WAS NOTIFIED, BUT COULD NOT DIAGNOSE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER INDICATED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL TO PROVIDE A REMEDY. THE CONTACT WAS UNCERTAIN THAT IF THE PART WERE REPLACED, THE FAILURE WOULD RECUR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

Ford Explorer Complaints by Year

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems on the 1998 Ford Explorer?

Owners named Tires most often — 259 of 1,517 reports (17%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.

Are there recalls for the 1998 Ford Explorer?

NHTSA lists 13 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Tires, Lights, Electrical, and Fuel system. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.

What should I inspect before buying a 1998 Ford Explorer?

Look up the VIN for open recalls. Check age, tread depth and uneven wear. Uneven wear often points back to alignment. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.

Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?

No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.

EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

 Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-09-07. YearTell is not a government agency.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources