1998 Ford Explorer Sport Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Explorer Sport years
- More complaints than other years 3rd of 9 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- None on file
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 121 complaints with NHTSA about the 1998 Ford Explorer Sport. That ranks 3rd out of 9 Explorer Sport model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is latches/locks/linkages (33 complaints, 27%), typically at around 88,000 miles. Complaints mention 5 crashes, 13 fires, 13 injuries. There are no safety recalls on file for this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 121owner complaints
- 0safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 5complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1998 Ford Explorer Sport problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Latches/locks/linkages | 33 | 27% | 88,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 18 | 15% | 101,500 | — | — |
| Seats | 14 | 12% | 97,500 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 12 | 10% | 100,251 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 12 | 10% | 120,789 | — | — |
| Tires | 11 | 9% | 155,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 8 | 7% | 70,700 | — | — |
| Visibility | 7 | 6% | 80,205 | — | — |
| Structure | 5 | 4% | 68,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 4 | 3% | 69,250 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 3 | 2% | 123,400 | — | — |
| Steering | 3 | 2% | 64,500 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 2 | 2% | 118,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 2 | 2% | 163,466 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 2 | 2% | 110,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 2 | 2% | 60,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 1 | 1% | 168,455 | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 1 | 1% | 115,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 1 | 1% | 174,559 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1998 Ford Explorer Sport recalls (0)
No safety recalls are on file for the 1998 Ford Explorer Sport.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Spark plug ejection from cylinder head (DP05005) — opened Sep 22, 2005, closed Jan 4, 2006.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
My vehicle will not run on reverse. I can shift perfectly fine to all my gears without any fussing or clunking noises coming from the gear shifts/transmission. But as soon as i try to put it on reverse my vehicle does not move, it seems like it's in neutral instead of reverse. At the moment of…
After changing the front wheel bearing hubs, the vehicle abs light came on. This has been going on for about a year. The vehicle does stop, but the abs function doesn't work. This has not been a problem for me, but, sometimes the abs light stays out for a while and then comes back on. Dealer stated…
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…
General tire tread separation ford explorer. *tr
Subject: defective seat frame caused by faulty seat recliner bolt comments: i have a 1998 ford explorer sport that was recalled by ford for a faulty drivers seat recliner bolt. On june 2nd 2010 i took my explorer to future ford of concord ca to have the recall repair work performed, which it was…
Other Ford Explorer Sport years
← 1997 Explorer Sport · 1999 Explorer Sport →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 Explorer Sport | 5 | 0 |
| 2004 Explorer Sport | 18 | 0 |
| 2003 Explorer Sport | 65 | 0 |
| 2002 Explorer Sport | 133 | 3 |
| 2001 Explorer Sport | 188 | 5 |
| 2000 Explorer Sport | 71 | 1 |
| 1999 Explorer Sport | 93 | 0 |
| 1998 | 121 | 0 |
| 1997 Explorer Sport | 37 | 0 |
See all Ford Explorer Sport problems by year, every Ford model, or the Ford VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1998 Ford Explorer Sport?
Owners most often report latches/locks/linkages, electrical system, seats problems. The top one, latches/locks/linkages, accounts for 33 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1998 Ford Explorer Sport?
No safety recalls are on file for this model year.
Was the 1998 Ford Explorer Sport a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Explorer Sport model years, the 1998 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.