1998 Ford Explorer Visibility Problems
Owners have filed 108 complaints with NHTSA about visibility problems on the 1998 Ford Explorer, 6% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 79,500 miles. The words owners use most often: “rear windshield wiper” (12% of reports).
- 108visibility complaints
- 79,500median miles at failure
- 0mention a crash
- 2mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $1,800typical repair cost reported by owners
- 53%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.
- Rear windshield wiper: mentioned in 13 of 108 complaints (12%)
- Motor failed: mentioned in 10 of 108 complaints (9%)
- Blend door: mentioned in 8 of 108 complaints (7%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical visibility repair on the 1998 Ford Explorer at $1,800, and half of them between $860 and $1,850.
Based on 6 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2002–2006), 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 visibility problems happen?
Based on 8 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 108 complaints, 1 a fire, 2 an injury.
Ford Explorer visibility complaints by model year
| Model year | Visibility complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Explorer | 2 | 5% | 7,300 |
| 2025 Explorer | 3 | 3% | 7,550 |
| 2023 Explorer | 5 | 5% | 11,750 |
| 2022 Explorer | 10 | 4% | 35,500 |
| 2021 Explorer | 19 | 4% | 44,000 |
| 2020 Explorer | 13 | 1% | 45,980 |
| 2019 Explorer | 4 | 1% | 43,000 |
| 2018 Explorer | 11 | 2% | 73,500 |
| 2017 Explorer | 32 | 2% | 69,000 |
| 2016 Explorer | 36 | 1% | 83,913 |
| 2015 Explorer | 20 | 1% | 80,000 |
| 2014 Explorer | 27 | 2% | 84,000 |
| 2013 Explorer | 30 | 1% | 83,500 |
| 2012 Explorer | 16 | 2% | 38,500 |
| 2011 Explorer | 14 | 1% | 47,800 |
| 2010 Explorer | 3 | 3% | 48,000 |
| 2009 Explorer | 2 | 6% | 50,750 |
| 2008 Explorer | 4 | 3% | 77,000 |
| 2007 Explorer | 6 | 3% | 64,000 |
| 2006 Explorer | 15 | 2% | 40,051 |
| 2005 Explorer | 23 | 5% | 53,168 |
| 2004 Explorer | 100 | 8% | 68,328 |
| 2003 Explorer | 57 | 5% | 67,000 |
| 2002 Explorer | 129 | 4% | 70,500 |
| 2001 Explorer | 15 | 4% | 65,651 |
| 2000 Explorer | 45 | 5% | 60,800 |
| 1999 Explorer | 216 | 16% | 80,300 |
| 1998 Explorer | 108 | 6% | 79,500 |
| 1997 Explorer | 90 | 5% | 75,000 |
| 1996 Explorer | 47 | 3% | 78,000 |
| 1995 Explorer | 19 | 2% | 100,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists visibility 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.
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 ford explorer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30-70 mph, the vehicle would loose power but the engine would continue to run. The vehicle would eventually stall but was able to be restarted after several minutes. In addition, the wiper blades would…
Wipers works when they want too. Power windows work when they want too. The interior lights works when they want too. *tr
Blend door motor failed permitting only hot air to enter vehicle. *tr
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1998 Ford Explorers have visibility problems?
No. NHTSA has 108 owner complaints about visibility for the 1998 Ford Explorer (6% 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 visibility?
No recall currently lists visibility for this vehicle.
At what mileage do visibility problems start?
The median reported mileage is 79,500 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix visibility problems on the 1998 Ford Explorer?
Owners report a typical cost of $1,800 (half paid between $860 and $1,850), from 6 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about visibility problems on the 1998 Ford Explorer?
The most frequent phrase is “rear windshield wiper”, in 13 of 108 complaints, followed by “motor failed” (10).
Other 1998 Ford Explorer problems
See all 1998 Ford Explorer problems or visibility problems across all Explorer years.