132 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 1998 Ford F-150 cite suspension, 9% of all 1,418 complaints for this model year. NHTSA also lists 1 recall on this component.
“VEHICLE EXPERIENCES A VIOLENT SHAKING IN THE STEERING AND FRONT SUSPENSION CALLED "THE DEATH WOBBLE". OCCURS AS SPEEDS BETWEEN 40 AND 70 MPH. OCCURS IF ROAD IS SOMEWHAT BUMPY. OCCURS OFTEN AND COULD RESULT IN LOSS OF CONTROL. IT REQUIRES THAT I SLOW DOWN TO ABOUT 5 MPH BEFORE IT STOPS. THIS IMMEDIATE NEED TO SLOW DOWN IF DANGEROUS IF SOMEONE IS FOLLOWING ME (ESPECIALLY A LARGE TRUCK.)”
“REPORT RECEIPT DATE: JUL 15, 1998 NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 98V161000 COMPONENT(S): FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE , SUSPENSION MY REAR SUSPENSION IS BAD - HAS THIS BEEN TAKEN CARE OF ON MY VEHICLE? GEM MODULE IS HAVING TROUBLE. I HAVE BEEN READING THIS PART HAS CAUSED A LOT OF TROUBLE FOR THIS FORD MODEL.”
“SHOCK UPPER MOUNT SIMPLY FELL OFF CAUSING DRIVER SIDE REAR SHOCK TO DRAG GROUND. AFTER FURTHER INSPECTION ALSO NOTICED AT THE LOCATION OF THE RUSTED OUT MOUNT LOCATION THAT THE REAR WIRING FOR THE TAIL LIGHT WERE SEVERED CAUSING TRUCK TO NOW BE STUCK IN PARK. ALSO WHILE INSPECTING NOTICED REAR FRAME IS SIMPLY FALLING APART AND OTHER AREAS THROUGHOUT THE FRAME ARE WEAK AS WELL. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY CONCERN AFTER DOING RESEARCH I AM FINDING MANY ACCOUNTS OF THE SAME ISSUE ONLINE BUT NO MANUFACTURE RECALLS. WHY ISN'T FORD DOING ANYTHING ABOUT THIS ISSUE? I'VE NEVER SEEN FRAMES DO THIS. TRUCK NEEDS FULL FRAME REPLACEMENT.”
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD F-150. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE INSPECTING THE VEHICLE, HE NOTICED THAT THE RETAINING CLIPS THAT SUPPORTED THE FRONT AND REAR LEAF SPRINGS WERE MISSING. THERE WAS A RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 98V161000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE, SUSPENSION). THE RECALL EXPIRED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,000.”
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD F-150. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A SNAPPING SOUND FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. AFTER COMING TO A STOP THE CONTACT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THAT THE BRACKET THAT CONNECTED TO THE LEAF SPRING ON THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE WAS FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTICS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE MILEAGE WAS 146,000. UPDATED 5/11/12 *CN THE SHACKLE ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. UPDATED 05/15/12”
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD F-150. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED WHEN HE NOTICED THAT ONE OF THE FUEL TANK STRAPS WAS FRACTURED DUE TO CORROSION. THE TWO REMAINING FUEL TANK STRAPS WERE EXPERIENCING CORROSION AS WELL, BUT WERE NOT FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND WAS REPAIRED UNDER THE RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 11V385000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY:MOUNTING). THE CONTACT EXPRESSED CONCERN BECAUSE ONLY THE FRACTURED STRAP WAS REPLACED UNDER THE RECALL. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT ACCORDING TO THE RECALL, THEY WERE ONLY OBLIGATED TO REPLACE THE FRACTURED STRAP. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THEY WOULD ONLY REPLACED THE STRAP WHICH FRACTURED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE REAR LEAF SPRINGS FRACTURED AND PIERCED THROUGH THE TRUCK BED DUE TO CORROSION. IN ADDITION, THE FRAME UNDER THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE ALSO EXHIBITED RUST AND CORROSION. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 175,000.”
Showing 6 of 132 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: LIGHT DUTY 4-WHEEL DRIVE PICKUP TRUCKS. IF THE VEHICLE IS OVERLOADED, THE REAR LEAF SPRINGS CAN BE OVERSTRESSED. A FATIGUE FRACTURE OF THE SPRING CAN OCCUR. THE CENTER LEAF OF THE SPRING CAN FRACTURE AT THE FORWARD EDGE OF THE SPRING SEAT AND, IN SOME CASES, CONTACT THE FUEL TANK.
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.