1998 Ford F-150 Engine and Engine Cooling Problems
Owners have filed 174 complaints with NHTSA about engine and engine cooling problems on the 1998 Ford F-150, 13% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 94,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “spark plug” (13% of reports).
- 174engine and engine cooling complaints
- 94,000median miles at failure
- 1mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $5,100typical repair cost reported by owners
- 38%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.
- Spark plug: mentioned in 22 of 174 complaints (13%)
- Cylinder head: mentioned in 13 of 174 complaints (7%)
- Intake manifold: mentioned in 12 of 174 complaints (7%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical engine and engine cooling repair on the 1998 Ford F-150 at $5,100, and half of them between $3,350 and $6,200.
Based on 20 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2002–2010), 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 engine and engine cooling problems happen?
Based on 105 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 174 complaints, 1 mention a crash, 12 a fire, 1 an injury.
Ford F-150 engine and engine cooling complaints by model year
| Model year | Engine and Engine Cooling complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 F-150 | 1 | 1% | 1,000 |
| 2024 F-150 | 4 | 2% | 15,135 |
| 2023 F-150 | 1 | 0% | 9,000 |
| 2022 F-150 | 3 | 1% | 30,000 |
| 2021 F-150 | 19 | 2% | 44,000 |
| 2020 F-150 | 11 | 1% | 81,557 |
| 2019 F-150 | 62 | 5% | 75,567 |
| 2018 F-150 | 88 | 4% | 71,662 |
| 2017 F-150 | 70 | 5% | 80,000 |
| 2016 F-150 | 30 | 1% | 80,000 |
| 2015 F-150 | 24 | 1% | 107,000 |
| 2014 F-150 | 10 | 1% | 131,300 |
| 2013 F-150 | 20 | 1% | 92,500 |
| 2012 F-150 | 17 | 1% | 13,000 |
| 2011 F-150 | 33 | 2% | 8,250 |
| 2010 F-150 | 31 | 4% | 17,000 |
| 2009 F-150 | 10 | 3% | 58,000 |
| 2008 F-150 | 22 | 6% | 26,670 |
| 2007 F-150 | 41 | 8% | 56,000 |
| 2006 F-150 | 77 | 13% | 58,507 |
| 2005 F-150 | 111 | 10% | 64,000 |
| 2004 F-150 | 167 | 8% | 76,000 |
| 2003 F-150 | 69 | 16% | 93,000 |
| 2002 F-150 | 196 | 24% | 82,000 |
| 2001 F-150 | 234 | 19% | 92,000 |
| 2000 F-150 | 135 | 13% | 87,000 |
| 1999 F-150 | 219 | 21% | 85,250 |
| 1998 F-150 | 174 | 13% | 94,000 |
| 1997 F-150 | 529 | 19% | 99,250 |
| 1996 F-150 | 23 | 7% | 119,967 |
| 1995 F-150 | 71 | 11% | 138,500 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists engine and engine cooling 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.
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 ford f-150. The contact stated that the vehicle leaked anti freeze into the number two cylinder as a result the engine blew apart. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 77,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 ford f-150. The contact stated that while driving approximately 25 mph, a strong odor of fuel emitted inside of the vehicle. There was also a loud ticking noise coming from the engine. The contact was able to maneuver to the shoulder of the road. The vehicle was then…
Had the 7 cylinder spark plug shoot out of the head and strip the threads. *tr
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1998 Ford F-150s have engine and engine cooling problems?
No. NHTSA has 174 owner complaints about engine and engine cooling for the 1998 Ford F-150 (13% 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 engine and engine cooling?
No recall currently lists engine and engine cooling for this vehicle.
At what mileage do engine and engine cooling problems start?
The median reported mileage is 94,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix engine and engine cooling problems on the 1998 Ford F-150?
Owners report a typical cost of $5,100 (half paid between $3,350 and $6,200), from 20 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about engine and engine cooling problems on the 1998 Ford F-150?
The most frequent phrase is “spark plug”, in 22 of 174 complaints, followed by “cylinder head” (13).
Other 1998 Ford F-150 problems
See all 1998 Ford F-150 problems or engine and engine cooling problems across all F-150 years.