Problems · by component
1998 Ford F-150 service brakes, hydraulic problems
107 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 1998 Ford F-150 cite service brakes, hydraulic, 8% of all 1,418 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
107
8% of all complaints
Crashes
16
Reported by owners
Fires
3
Reported by owners
Injuries
6
Reported by owners
What owners say about the service brakes, hydraulic
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD F-150. WHILE PARKED, THE CONTACT DISCOVERED THAT BRAKE FLUID WAS LEAKING FROM THE MASTER CYLINDER ONTO THE SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH AND THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 05V388000 (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 176,000.”
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD F-150. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE PRESSURE SWITCH WAS LEAKING. THE VEHICLE RECEIVED RECALL REPAIRS FOR A VOLUNTARY MANUFACTURER RECALL IN 2006 FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE WHO DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED UNDER A RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT FURTHER REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 120,000.”
“WHILE BRAKING TO TURN, THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND I WAS UNABLE TO STOP. LUCKILY I WAS ALREADY SLOWING FOR THE TURN AND WAS ABLE TO DOWNSHIFT TO SLOW ENOUGH FOR THE TURN. MECHANIC SAID THE BRAKE LINE WAS RUSTED THROUGH. WITH THE RECENT RECALL OF RUSTED GAS TANK STRAPS ON THIS VEHICLE, BELIEVE A RECALL ON RUSTED BRAKE LINES IS ALSO WARRANTED. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A FATAL ACCIDENT UNDER DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES, I.E., TRYING TO STOP AT A TRAIN TRACK, PULLING A TRAILER, OR GOING FASTER. *KB”
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD F-150. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED THE CONTACT STATED A FIRE STARTED ON THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED AND A REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTO SHOP. THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THE FIRE MAY HAVE STARTED WITHIN THE BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000.”
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD F-150. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE BRAKES DID NOT RESPOND AND THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO A VEHICLE. A REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP WHERE THE MECHANIC STATED THE BRAKE LINE WAS RUSTED. ONE OF THE FUEL TANK STRAPS WERE COVERED WITH RUST AND THE OTHER STRAP WAS BROKEN. THE BRAKE LINES WERE REPLACED. THE FUEL TANK STRAPS WERE NOT REPAIRED BECAUSE THE PART WAS NOT AVAILABLE AND HAD TO BE ORDERED. THERE WAS A NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 11V385000 ( FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY:MOUNTING) THAT MAY BE RELATED TO THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS UNAWARE IF THE VIN WAS INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 170,000.”
“FAILURE WAS IMMEDIATE, FORD F150 FUEL TANK STRAPS. WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD APPARENTLY THE TANK STRAPS GAVE WAY AND THE FUEL TANK DROPPED. BEFORE COMING TO A STOP AND AFTER CATCHING SOME UNEVEN PAVEMENT, FUEL TANK WAS PEALED OPEN AND LOSING ABOUT 8 GALLONS GAS. FIRE DEPT WAS CALLED AND THEY CLEANED UP SPILL. BOTH STRAPS BROKE AND FUEL TANK IS UN-REPAIRABLE. UPDATED 08/05/11 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED HE EXPERIENCED OTHER PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE, SUCH AS A LEAKING POWER STEERING GEAR BOX, BRAKE LINES HAD TO BE REPLACED, THERE WAS A LEAK IN THE 4-WHEEL DRIVE GEAR BOX, THE MUFFLER HANGERS, BALL JOINTS, TIE ROD ENDS AND SHOCKS ALL HAD TO BE REPLACED. UPDATED 08/11/1*JB *TR”
Showing 6 of 107 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 7, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.