Problems · NHTSA complaints

1998 Ford Explorer problems

Owners filed 2,099 complaints about the 1998 Ford Explorer with NHTSA between Dec 1997 and Jan 2020. The most-cited component is tires (704).

Complaints
2,099
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
187
Reported by owners
Fires
122
Reported by owners
Injuries
233
People reported injured
Deaths
16
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Tires704
  2. Vehicle speed control292
  3. Engine and engine cooling198
  4. Electrical system134
  5. Suspension111
  6. Visibility107
  7. Power train99
  8. Latches/locks/linkages93
  9. Service brakes, hydraulic88
  10. Seats83
  11. Steering71
  12. Fuel system, gasoline56
  13. Structure52
  14. Equipment46

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 Nov 7, 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
19972
1998121
1999282
2000758
2001230
2002123
2003133
200498
2005101
200646
200751
200839
200933
201025
201110
20128
20134
20149
20159
20163
20172
20185
20196
20201

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

Tires

704 reports78 crashes1 fire2 related recalls
“THESE TIRES ARE STILL UNDER WARRANTY. WHEN THEY WERE FIRST INSTALLED, WE NOTICED A STRANGE SOUND. WE DID NOT ASSUME IT WAS FROM THE TIRES, BUT THOUGHT IT WAS RELATED TO THE ROTORS. THIS IS NOT OUR ONLY VEHICLE AND WE DON'T DRIVE IT ALL OF THE TIME; IN FACT IT IS PARKED MUCH OF THE TIME. WE DID NOT GET THE ROTORS REPLACED UNTIL AUGUST OF 2013. THE SOUND CONTINUED EVEN WITH THE NEW ROTORS, TO OUR SURPRISE. SO WE WENT BACK AND CHECKED A SECOND MECHANIC WHO THEN REMOVED ALL OF THE TIRES. AFTER INSPECTING THE TIRES, THE MECHANIC SHOWED US WHERE THEY WERE DEFECTIVE. HE PHYSICALLY POINTED OUT SOME AREAS WHERE THEY WERE DEFORMED. HE TOLD US TO TAKE THEM BACK TO WHERE WE PURCHASED THEM FOR REPLACEMENT. IN SHORT, WE WERE NOT ABLE TO GET THEM REPLACED AT WAL MART WHERE THEY WERE PURCHASED. I WOULD LIKE THESE TIRES INDEPENDENTLY INSPECTED SO THAT WE CAN VERIFY THAT THEY ARE INDEED DEFECTIVE. THANK YOU. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 13, 2013Tires, WheelsODI 10547763

Vehicle speed control

292 reports31 crashes55 fires4 related recalls
“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.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 9, 2020Vehicle speed control, SeatsODI 11298074

Engine and engine cooling

198 reports2 crashes18 fires
“MY CAR WAS PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY AND WAS OFF. WE HEARD A NOISE FROM INSIDE THE HOUSE AND MY 1998 FORD EXPLORER WAS IN FLAMES FROM THE ENGINE AREA. WE HAD TO CALL THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THE CAR WAS QUICKLY ENGULFED. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 2, 2014Engine and engine coolingFire reportedODI 10562589

Electrical system

134 reports4 crashes51 fires1 related recall
“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”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 6, 2019Electrical system, Air bags, WheelsCrash reportedODI 11287420

Suspension

111 reports12 crashes
“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.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 19, 2019Suspension, Electrical system, Electronic stability control (esc)ODI 11170910

Visibility

107 reports1 fire
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30-70 MPH, THE VEHICLE WOULD LOOSE POWER BUT THE ENGINE WOULD CONTINUE TO RUN. THE VEHICLE WOULD EVENTUALLY STALL BUT WAS ABLE TO BE RESTARTED AFTER SEVERAL MINUTES. IN ADDITION, THE WIPER BLADES WOULD ALSO FAIL AND WOULD NOT OPERATE AS THEY SHOULD WHEN INCLEMENT WEATHER AROSE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THEY ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE WIRING IN THE ENTIRE VEHICLE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 130,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 6, 2012Electrical system, VisibilityODI 10446784
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 7, 2026

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