Problems · NHTSA complaints

1998 Ford Expedition problems

Owners filed 851 complaints about the 1998 Ford Expedition with NHTSA between Jan 1998 and Jul 2023. The most-cited component is suspension (144).

Complaints
851
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
44
Reported by owners
Fires
79
Reported by owners
Injuries
41
People reported injured
Deaths
1
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Suspension144
  2. Engine and engine cooling126
  3. Electrical system114
  4. Vehicle speed control80
  5. Power train70
  6. Visibility54
  7. Steering51
  8. Service brakes, hydraulic46
  9. Tires40
  10. Wheels37
  11. Seat belts26
  12. Structure25
  13. Air bags21
  14. Fuel system, gasoline18

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Oct 29, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
199860
1999138
200075
200190
200265
200379
200462
200595
200623
200722
200829
200920
201021
201116
201215
20136
201416
20152
20167
20173
20183
20192
20201
20210
20220
20231

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Suspension

144 reports1 crash1 fire
“WHEN WE BOUGHT THE VEHICLE IT HAD 22 INCH CHROME WHEELS AND TIRES. IT ALSO WANDERED ALL OVER THE ROAD. WE BOUGHT NEW STOCK SIZED RIMS AND NEW STOCK SIZED TIRES. IT STILL WANDERS ALL OVER THE ROAD. WE HAD IT ALIGNED. IT STILL WANDERS ALL OVER THE ROAD. GOOGLE SHOWS MANY, MANY COMPLAINTS REGARDING THESE VEHICLES' SUSPENSION, BLAMING RUSTING REAR LOWER TRAILING ARMS AND IN ONE CASE A LEFT STABILIZER LINK BROKE. I HAVE NOT CRAWLED UNDER THE CAR AS IT IS MY SISTER'S AND SHE LIVES A WAYS AWAY, BUT SHE WANTS TO SELL IT AND IS WORRIED IF IT IS SOMETHING MAJOR SOMEONE MAY GET HURT. WE CAN BE DRIVING STRAIGHT DOWN THE ROAD FROM 25MPH TO 60MPH AND THE VEHICLE JUST SORT OF FEELS LIKE THE BACK END IS NOT IN LINE WITH THE FRONT OR SOMETHING AND IT JUST TRIES TO CHANGE LANES ON ITS OWN.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 18, 2017SuspensionODI 11023952

Engine and engine cooling

126 reports8 fires
“COIL AND SPARK PLUG BLOW OUT OF ENGINE WHEN TRUCK WAS STARTED (1998). THE EXPEDITION HAS BEEN KNOWN TO HAVE THIS ISSUES AS WELL AS OTHER ISSUES. WHY IS FORD NOT TAKING RESPONSIBILITY; SO FAR ACCIDENT AVOIDED. I HAD TO REPLACE ONE COIL PACK EACH YEAR SO FAR BUT THIS WAS THE WORSE. I NEEDED THE CINDER RETREADED TO FIT THE SPARK PLUG IN. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 2, 2012Engine and engine cooling, Power trainODI 10453753

Electrical system

114 reports2 crashes32 fires
“TAKATA RECALL: THE SPARK PLUGS HAVE BLOWN OUT OF THE ENGINE BLOCK. THEY HAVE BEEN REPAIRED 3 TIMES. EACH TIME, IT SMELLS OF AN ELECTRICAL LINE IS BURNING, THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER GOES ERRATIC AND THEY ZEROS OUT AND DOESN'T MOVE. THIS HAS HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING ON CITY AND HIGHWAYS.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 9, 2019Electrical system, EngineODI 11206618

Vehicle speed control

80 reports9 crashes33 fires1 related recall
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD EXPEDITION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED AND SURGED AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 24, 2019Vehicle speed controlODI 11209744

Power train

70 reports4 crashes1 fire1 related recall
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD EXPEDITION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE SHIFT LEVER WAS PLACED INTO THE PARK POSITION, THE VEHICLE WOULD REVERSE AND FAILED TO MOVE BACK INTO THE PARK POSITION. THE FAILURE RECURRED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 211,096.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 12, 2014Power trainODI 10654339

Visibility

54 reports1 fire
“FIRST, THE INTERIOR LIGHTS AND RUNNING LIGHTS WOULD NOT POWER OFF WHILE ALL DOORS WERE CLOSED, DOOR AJAR INDICATOR WAS ON. TOOK TO DEALER PROBLEM RESOLVED FOR A MONTH OR SO. NOW NEED TO SPRAY WD40 ON LATCHES RELIGIOUSLY. DEALER ALSO REPLACED CRUISE CONTROL HARNESS AT THIS TIME. THEN CAME THE RADIO AND HEATER RUNNING WITH THE KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION. BEEPS AND CLICKS AND BAD SMELLS COMING FROM UNDER DASH. AGAIN TO THE DEALER, NO CODES FOUND FOR THE ISSUES I WAS HAVING. BATTERY DRAINING OCCURRING FREQUENTLY NOW AND NO RESOLUTION. I NOW HAVE TO DISCONNECT THE BATTERY EVERYNIGHT. NOW WHEN I DRIVE DOWN THE ROAD I GET THE MANY FAILURE LIGHTS FLASHING ON THE DASH, THE WINDOWS WON'T WORK, SPEEDOMETER FAILS, TRUCK LOSES POWER AND THE TRANSMISSON SHIFTS STRANGELY. I WAS HOURS FROM HOME AND DOING 70MPH ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN EVIDENCING DECIDED TO NOT WORK AT THE SAME TIME. THEN I REALIZE THAT THIS IS OCCURRING ONLY WHEN IT RAINS OR IS VERY WET OUT. AND I WAS TRULY AFRAID FOR MY LIFE AND THE OTHERS THAT WERE ON THE ROAD WITH ME. I HAD TO DRIFT ACROSS A LANE OF TRAFFIC WITH NO POWER TO GET TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I PUT THE TRUCK IN PARK AND PUT MY HEAD DOWN, WHEW, AND THE…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 28, 2010Engine and engine cooling, Power train, Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Visibility, Latches/locks/linkages, Interior lightingODI 10303088
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 29, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.