1998 Ford Explorer Power Train Problems
Owners have filed 103 complaints with NHTSA about power train problems on the 1998 Ford Explorer, 5% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 102,157 miles.
- 103power train complaints
- 102,157median miles at failure
- 6mention a crash
- 3mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $2,600typical repair cost reported by owners
- 21%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical power train repair on the 1998 Ford Explorer at $2,600, and half of them between $1,500 and $4,500.
Based on 5 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2000–2009), 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 power train problems happen?
Based on 18 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 103 complaints, 6 mention a crash, 1 a fire, 3 an injury.
Ford Explorer power train complaints by model year
| Model year | Power Train complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Explorer | 3 | 7% | — |
| 2025 Explorer | 15 | 15% | 8,967 |
| 2024 Explorer | 1 | 5% | — |
| 2023 Explorer | 12 | 11% | 10,600 |
| 2022 Explorer | 61 | 23% | 22,000 |
| 2021 Explorer | 126 | 29% | 46,000 |
| 2020 Explorer | 495 | 40% | 42,000 |
| 2019 Explorer | 35 | 12% | 82,500 |
| 2018 Explorer | 50 | 7% | 86,000 |
| 2017 Explorer | 123 | 7% | 55,425 |
| 2016 Explorer | 215 | 9% | 47,075 |
| 2015 Explorer | 86 | 5% | 50,000 |
| 2014 Explorer | 79 | 5% | 75,207 |
| 2013 Explorer | 119 | 5% | 60,000 |
| 2012 Explorer | 55 | 7% | 46,740 |
| 2011 Explorer | 64 | 5% | 50,500 |
| 2010 Explorer | 28 | 24% | 80,500 |
| 2009 Explorer | 3 | 9% | 78,000 |
| 2008 Explorer | 36 | 24% | 84,325 |
| 2007 Explorer | 57 | 27% | 69,000 |
| 2006 Explorer | 296 | 47% | 60,460 |
| 2005 Explorer | 99 | 20% | 75,000 |
| 2004 Explorer | 460 | 35% | 50,000 |
| 2003 Explorer | 335 | 30% | 77,000 |
| 2002 Explorer | 1,502 | 46% | 80,173 |
| 2001 Explorer | 42 | 11% | 108,700 |
| 2000 Explorer | 133 | 14% | 77,500 |
| 1999 Explorer | 115 | 9% | 91,000 |
| 1998 Explorer | 103 | 5% | 102,157 |
| 1997 Explorer | 104 | 6% | 95,594 |
| 1996 Explorer | 120 | 8% | 138,579 |
| 1995 Explorer | 119 | 14% | 103,310 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists power train for the 1998 Ford Explorer. 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.
I was going down clinton keith in murrieta when all of a sudden my transmission would not shift passed 3rd. It was working fine the day before. So i took it slow back home and the closer i got home the transmisson started slipping gears.
Rear end roars and speedometer quit working
The timing chain tensioner broke allowing the chain to slip. It was a recall problem but i was not the original owner and the problem must not have been addressed, or else the recall didn't get done properly. After the repair it hasn't had good oil pressure at idle. It is too bad that ford put this…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1998 Ford Explorers have power train problems?
No. NHTSA has 103 owner complaints about power train for the 1998 Ford Explorer (5% of the 1,959 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 Explorer power train?
No recall currently lists power train for this vehicle.
At what mileage do power train problems start?
The median reported mileage is 102,157 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix power train problems on the 1998 Ford Explorer?
Owners report a typical cost of $2,600 (half paid between $1,500 and $4,500), from 5 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
Other 1998 Ford Explorer problems
See all 1998 Ford Explorer problems or power train problems across all Explorer years.