1998 Ford Explorer Service Brakes, Hydraulic Problems
Owners have filed 86 complaints with NHTSA about service brakes, hydraulic problems on the 1998 Ford Explorer, 4% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 70,598 miles. The words owners use most often: “brakes pedal” (7% of reports).
- 86service brakes, hydraulic complaints
- 70,598median miles at failure
- 18mention a crash
- 5mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 44%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.
- Brakes pedal: mentioned in 6 of 86 complaints (7%)
- Please provide: mentioned in 6 of 86 complaints (7%)
- Brake rotors: mentioned in 5 of 86 complaints (6%)
At what mileage do service brakes, hydraulic problems happen?
Based on 18 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 86 complaints, 18 mention a crash, 2 a fire, 5 an injury.
Ford Explorer service brakes, hydraulic complaints by model year
| Model year | Service Brakes, Hydraulic complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Explorer | 1 | 1% | 20,000 |
| 2022 Explorer | 3 | 1% | 39,793 |
| 2021 Explorer | 3 | 1% | 69,615 |
| 2020 Explorer | 2 | 0% | 74,000 |
| 2019 Explorer | 2 | 1% | 36,033 |
| 2018 Explorer | 2 | 0% | 982 |
| 2015 Explorer | 4 | 0% | 115,000 |
| 2014 Explorer | 2 | 0% | 111,315 |
| 2013 Explorer | 7 | 0% | 52,000 |
| 2012 Explorer | 2 | 0% | 56,285 |
| 2011 Explorer | 7 | 1% | 9,250 |
| 2010 Explorer | 6 | 5% | 6,900 |
| 2008 Explorer | 3 | 2% | 10,800 |
| 2007 Explorer | 8 | 4% | 38,000 |
| 2006 Explorer | 23 | 4% | 52,872 |
| 2005 Explorer | 8 | 2% | 48,684 |
| 2004 Explorer | 31 | 2% | 36,000 |
| 2003 Explorer | 31 | 3% | 50,000 |
| 2002 Explorer | 89 | 3% | 40,000 |
| 2001 Explorer | 31 | 8% | 28,500 |
| 2000 Explorer | 56 | 6% | 56,000 |
| 1999 Explorer | 64 | 5% | 66,000 |
| 1998 Explorer | 86 | 4% | 70,598 |
| 1997 Explorer | 83 | 5% | 90,000 |
| 1996 Explorer | 120 | 8% | 101,700 |
| 1995 Explorer | 75 | 9% | 110,014 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists service brakes, hydraulic 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.
The explorer brake peddle went to the floor to stop the vehicle . There was smoke coming from under the hood . In a few seconds , the truck was in flames. Police and firemen were called to the location . They put the fire out in a few minutes . *tr
I was driving 45 mph when the accelerator went all the way to the floor, i put the car in neutral and then speedometer went all the way up to the max, and coasted off to the side as soon as i could. This caused the engine to be damaged and the car is not drivable. *tr
1998 ford explorer vin#[xxx] registered to the state of nevada; original owner: [xxx]...registered because of disability reasons to wife [xxx]...we were involved in a car crash accident...resulting to a total loss at baker, california because of the vehicle cruise control recall which could cause…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1998 Ford Explorers have service brakes, hydraulic problems?
No. NHTSA has 86 owner complaints about service brakes, hydraulic 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 service brakes, hydraulic?
No recall currently lists service brakes, hydraulic for this vehicle.
At what mileage do service brakes, hydraulic problems start?
The median reported mileage is 70,598 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about service brakes, hydraulic problems on the 1998 Ford Explorer?
The most frequent phrase is “brakes pedal”, in 6 of 86 complaints, followed by “please provide” (6).
Other 1998 Ford Explorer problems
- Tires problems (696)
- Vehicle Speed Control problems (281)
- Engine and Engine Cooling problems (189)
- Electrical System problems (114)
- Suspension problems (111)
- Visibility problems (108)
- Power Train problems (103)
- Seats problems (70)
See all 1998 Ford Explorer problems or service brakes, hydraulic problems across all Explorer years.