1998 Ford Explorer Seats Problems
Owners have filed 70 complaints with NHTSA about seats problems on the 1998 Ford Explorer, 4% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 85,056 miles. The words owners use most often: “driver seat” (27% of reports).
- 70seats complaints
- 85,056median miles at failure
- 7mention a crash
- 9mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- $190typical repair cost reported by owners
- 35%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.
- Driver seat: mentioned in 19 of 70 complaints (27%)
- Assembly recliner: mentioned in 5 of 70 complaints (7%)
- Lever broke: mentioned in 5 of 70 complaints (7%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical seats repair on the 1998 Ford Explorer at $190, and half of them between $190 and $360.
Based on 5 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2000–2007), 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 seats problems happen?
Based on 20 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 70 complaints, 7 mention a crash, 9 an injury.
Ford Explorer seats complaints by model year
| Model year | Seats complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Explorer | 7 | 17% | 2,600 |
| 2025 Explorer | 3 | 3% | — |
| 2024 Explorer | 2 | 10% | — |
| 2023 Explorer | 1 | 1% | — |
| 2022 Explorer | 5 | 2% | — |
| 2021 Explorer | 17 | 4% | 77,000 |
| 2020 Explorer | 40 | 3% | 35,000 |
| 2019 Explorer | 3 | 1% | 13,000 |
| 2018 Explorer | 7 | 1% | 5,600 |
| 2017 Explorer | 16 | 1% | 40,311 |
| 2016 Explorer | 32 | 1% | 45,000 |
| 2015 Explorer | 16 | 1% | 49,451 |
| 2014 Explorer | 7 | 0% | 62,670 |
| 2013 Explorer | 10 | 0% | 50,500 |
| 2012 Explorer | 2 | 0% | 40,000 |
| 2011 Explorer | 7 | 1% | 20,236 |
| 2010 Explorer | 20 | 17% | 2,500 |
| 2009 Explorer | 3 | 9% | 70,030 |
| 2008 Explorer | 27 | 18% | 71,000 |
| 2007 Explorer | 24 | 12% | 77,500 |
| 2006 Explorer | 11 | 2% | 22,549 |
| 2005 Explorer | 3 | 1% | 36,000 |
| 2004 Explorer | 6 | 0% | 15,500 |
| 2003 Explorer | 12 | 1% | 51,677 |
| 2002 Explorer | 30 | 1% | 53,400 |
| 2001 Explorer | 24 | 6% | 81,500 |
| 2000 Explorer | 39 | 4% | 60,535 |
| 1999 Explorer | 68 | 5% | 70,000 |
| 1998 Explorer | 70 | 4% | 85,056 |
| 1997 Explorer | 38 | 2% | 95,000 |
| 1996 Explorer | 29 | 2% | 130,000 |
| 1995 Explorer | 19 | 2% | 137,315 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Seats:front assembly:recliner
Problem: On certain sport utility vehicles equipped with high back seats, the upper bolt on the driver's side high back seat, that attaches the seat recliner mechanism to the seat back frame, could fracture. If the bolt fractures and does not jam in the seat back frame, the seat back may recline until it makes contact with an object behind the seat, such as the second row seat cushion.
Risk: The driver could potentially lose contact with the steering wheel or foot pedals during such an event, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the driver seat upper bolt with a metal spacer and bolt. In addition, seats with tubular back frames will have the fully threaded lower recliner bolt replaced with a partially threaded bolt. Owner notification began on august 29, 2003. Owners should contact ford at 1-800-392-3673.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Speed control gets hot to touch. All top facing has melted off from heat. I was on highway and my steering wheel became extremely hot. My seat was repaired after recall years ago. It continues to drop low to floor.
Upon getting into my car the seat suddenly fell backwards , thank goodness i was not driving down the street i could have been injured or killed. The post that holds the drivers seat in the upright position broke. After checking on line for recalls i found that there is a problem with this and a…
About 3 years ago i started to notice the drivers side seat reclining and i couldn't reset it to the upright position. Through the years the recline got worst and i contacted ford and advised them that this may be related to their recall # 03v281000. Ford responded by telling me that i already got…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1998 Ford Explorers have seats problems?
No. NHTSA has 70 owner complaints about seats for the 1998 Ford Explorer (4% 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 seats?
Yes: 1 safety recall list seats. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do seats problems start?
The median reported mileage is 85,056 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix seats problems on the 1998 Ford Explorer?
Owners report a typical cost of $190 (half paid between $190 and $360), from 5 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about seats problems on the 1998 Ford Explorer?
The most frequent phrase is “driver seat”, in 19 of 70 complaints, followed by “assembly recliner” (5).
Other 1998 Ford Explorer problems
See all 1998 Ford Explorer problems or seats problems across all Explorer years.