1998 Ford F-150 Electrical System Problems
Owners have filed 87 complaints with NHTSA about electrical system problems on the 1998 Ford F-150, 6% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 120,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “caught fire” (25% of reports).
- 87electrical system complaints
- 120,000median miles at failure
- 3mention a crash
- 4mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 33%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.
- Caught fire: mentioned in 22 of 87 complaints (25%)
- Wiring harness: mentioned in 6 of 87 complaints (7%)
- Engine compartment: mentioned in 6 of 87 complaints (7%)
- Spark plug: mentioned in 5 of 87 complaints (6%)
At what mileage do electrical system problems happen?
Based on 55 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 87 complaints, 3 mention a crash, 39 a fire, 4 an injury.
Ford F-150 electrical system complaints by model year
| Model year | Electrical System complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 F-150 | 2 | 17% | — |
| 2025 F-150 | 23 | 21% | 24,000 |
| 2024 F-150 | 40 | 21% | 25,000 |
| 2023 F-150 | 83 | 20% | 9,000 |
| 2022 F-150 | 125 | 21% | 20,000 |
| 2021 F-150 | 130 | 13% | 27,500 |
| 2020 F-150 | 88 | 12% | 3,500 |
| 2019 F-150 | 100 | 7% | 44,500 |
| 2018 F-150 | 172 | 7% | 26,000 |
| 2017 F-150 | 134 | 9% | 44,500 |
| 2016 F-150 | 187 | 9% | 40,000 |
| 2015 F-150 | 176 | 10% | 52,000 |
| 2014 F-150 | 162 | 11% | 65,000 |
| 2013 F-150 | 324 | 11% | 67,000 |
| 2012 F-150 | 173 | 10% | 66,500 |
| 2011 F-150 | 235 | 11% | 68,000 |
| 2010 F-150 | 166 | 20% | 59,571 |
| 2009 F-150 | 46 | 14% | 66,350 |
| 2008 F-150 | 29 | 8% | 82,350 |
| 2007 F-150 | 42 | 9% | 74,100 |
| 2006 F-150 | 60 | 10% | 62,000 |
| 2005 F-150 | 73 | 7% | 69,750 |
| 2004 F-150 | 99 | 5% | 55,000 |
| 2003 F-150 | 47 | 11% | 60,000 |
| 2002 F-150 | 106 | 13% | 88,000 |
| 2001 F-150 | 137 | 11% | 88,000 |
| 2000 F-150 | 191 | 18% | 81,143 |
| 1999 F-150 | 85 | 8% | 86,000 |
| 1998 F-150 | 87 | 6% | 120,000 |
| 1997 F-150 | 198 | 7% | 112,000 |
| 1996 F-150 | 56 | 17% | 100,500 |
| 1995 F-150 | 65 | 10% | 110,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists electrical system for the 1998 Ford F-150. 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 have multiple issues that hit all around same time. Body rusted and water leaks getting the bcm wet which causes the truck to go haywire, lights flashing, doors locking and unlocking, radio stays on, caused multiple things to stop working, fuel tank leaks when filling it up where the fuel tank…
Since purchase 6/24/1998 riverside ford sumner wa non tire size not calibrated 22570r16 caused accelerated odometer miles by 100,144 miles unaware tacomaspeedometer i paid $55.14 on april 13, 2013 june 11, 2013 at titus will dealership receipt 203,997 was involved in mva may 13, 2019 other person…
Tl* the contact owned a 1998 ford f-150. The contact was not notified by the manufacturer that nhtsa campaign number: 05v017000 (vehicle speed control) was issued on january 27, 2005. The speed control function failed to properly shut off pertaining to the speed control deactivation switch and the…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1998 Ford F-150s have electrical system problems?
No. NHTSA has 87 owner complaints about electrical system for the 1998 Ford F-150 (6% of the 1,381 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 F-150 electrical system?
No recall currently lists electrical system for this vehicle.
At what mileage do electrical system problems start?
The median reported mileage is 120,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about electrical system problems on the 1998 Ford F-150?
The most frequent phrase is “caught fire”, in 22 of 87 complaints, followed by “wiring harness” (6).
Other 1998 Ford F-150 problems
See all 1998 Ford F-150 problems or electrical system problems across all F-150 years.