1998 Ford Expedition Engine and Engine Cooling Problems
Owners have filed 127 complaints with NHTSA about engine and engine cooling problems on the 1998 Ford Expedition, 15% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 110,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “spark plug” (43% of reports).
- 127engine and engine cooling complaints
- 110,000median miles at failure
- 0mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $4,500typical repair cost reported by owners
- 41%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Spark plug: mentioned in 54 of 127 complaints (43%)
- Cylinder head: mentioned in 19 of 127 complaints (15%)
- Heard loud: mentioned in 11 of 127 complaints (9%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical engine and engine cooling repair on the 1998 Ford Expedition at $4,500, and half of them between $3,400 and $6,400.
Based on 25 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2001–2011), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do engine and engine cooling problems happen?
Based on 81 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 127 complaints, 6 a fire, 1 an injury.
Ford Expedition engine and engine cooling complaints by model year
| Model year | Engine and Engine Cooling complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 Expedition | 1 | 2% | — |
| 2021 Expedition | 3 | 1% | 14,500 |
| 2020 Expedition | 4 | 1% | 87,017 |
| 2019 Expedition | 31 | 6% | 79,714 |
| 2018 Expedition | 25 | 7% | 85,354 |
| 2017 Expedition | 5 | 1% | 107,500 |
| 2016 Expedition | 3 | 1% | 122,500 |
| 2015 Expedition | 1 | 1% | — |
| 2013 Expedition | 1 | 1% | 95,833 |
| 2011 Expedition | 2 | 3% | 33,500 |
| 2010 Expedition | 3 | 5% | 41,000 |
| 2008 Expedition | 3 | 2% | 31,000 |
| 2007 Expedition | 9 | 4% | 45,000 |
| 2006 Expedition | 75 | 25% | 70,100 |
| 2005 Expedition | 47 | 15% | 72,000 |
| 2004 Expedition | 26 | 9% | 75,000 |
| 2003 Expedition | 127 | 21% | 90,000 |
| 2002 Expedition | 95 | 28% | 95,800 |
| 2001 Expedition | 122 | 21% | 100,000 |
| 2000 Expedition | 116 | 13% | 102,000 |
| 1999 Expedition | 248 | 26% | 98,539 |
| 1998 Expedition | 127 | 15% | 110,000 |
| 1997 Expedition | 89 | 10% | 131,629 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists engine and engine cooling for the 1998 Ford Expedition. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
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…
#6 spark plug blew out of cyl head. Reinstalled and replaced coil since it broke mount. Put back in service and next plug in bank (#7) blew within 10 miles at approx same speed. When searching the internet this is a common problem with fords modular engine prior to 04. When they make special tools…
Spark plug blew out while driving on highway -- very dangerous. Had children in car. Had to be towed. My mechanic told me this is a recurring problem with this engine--5.4l-- in other fords as well. He had another ford with same problem come in the previous week, and has seen several others…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1998 Ford Expeditions have engine and engine cooling problems?
No. NHTSA has 127 owner complaints about engine and engine cooling for the 1998 Ford Expedition (15% of the 836 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 1998 Ford Expedition engine and engine cooling?
No recall currently lists engine and engine cooling for this vehicle.
At what mileage do engine and engine cooling problems start?
The median reported mileage is 110,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix engine and engine cooling problems on the 1998 Ford Expedition?
Owners report a typical cost of $4,500 (half paid between $3,400 and $6,400), from 25 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about engine and engine cooling problems on the 1998 Ford Expedition?
The most frequent phrase is “spark plug”, in 54 of 127 complaints, followed by “cylinder head” (19).
Other 1998 Ford Expedition problems
See all 1998 Ford Expedition problems or engine and engine cooling problems across all Expedition years.