1998 Ford F-150 Steering Problems
Owners have filed 96 complaints with NHTSA about steering problems on the 1998 Ford F-150, 7% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 84,926 miles. The words owners use most often: “tie rod” (61% of reports).
- 96steering complaints
- 84,926median miles at failure
- 10mention a crash
- 4mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 14%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.
- Tie rod: mentioned in 59 of 96 complaints (61%)
- Steering shaft: mentioned in 8 of 96 complaints (8%)
- Fell off: mentioned in 7 of 96 complaints (7%)
- Pulling parking: mentioned in 6 of 96 complaints (6%)
At what mileage do steering problems happen?
Based on 37 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 96 complaints, 10 mention a crash, 4 an injury.
Ford F-150 steering complaints by model year
| Model year | Steering complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 F-150 | 1 | 8% | — |
| 2025 F-150 | 3 | 3% | — |
| 2024 F-150 | 4 | 2% | 9,250 |
| 2023 F-150 | 17 | 4% | 108,050 |
| 2022 F-150 | 9 | 2% | 10,100 |
| 2021 F-150 | 42 | 4% | 64,500 |
| 2020 F-150 | 10 | 1% | 54,279 |
| 2019 F-150 | 22 | 2% | 11,800 |
| 2018 F-150 | 83 | 4% | 16,075 |
| 2017 F-150 | 59 | 4% | 30,500 |
| 2016 F-150 | 64 | 3% | 48,500 |
| 2015 F-150 | 84 | 5% | 38,200 |
| 2014 F-150 | 159 | 10% | 70,000 |
| 2013 F-150 | 216 | 7% | 74,500 |
| 2012 F-150 | 204 | 11% | 72,000 |
| 2011 F-150 | 419 | 19% | 76,000 |
| 2010 F-150 | 48 | 6% | 60,500 |
| 2009 F-150 | 29 | 9% | 57,500 |
| 2008 F-150 | 53 | 14% | 63,184 |
| 2007 F-150 | 29 | 6% | 69,250 |
| 2006 F-150 | 55 | 9% | 60,000 |
| 2005 F-150 | 34 | 3% | 80,000 |
| 2004 F-150 | 75 | 4% | 41,000 |
| 2003 F-150 | 15 | 4% | 46,610 |
| 2002 F-150 | 25 | 3% | 82,759 |
| 2001 F-150 | 33 | 3% | 75,000 |
| 2000 F-150 | 68 | 6% | 60,000 |
| 1999 F-150 | 50 | 5% | 61,000 |
| 1998 F-150 | 96 | 7% | 84,926 |
| 1997 F-150 | 202 | 7% | 111,000 |
| 1996 F-150 | 20 | 6% | 122,848 |
| 1995 F-150 | 25 | 4% | 37,385 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists steering 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.
Vehicle experiences a violent shaking in the steering and front suspension called "the death wobble". Occurs as speeds between 40 and 70 mph. Occurs if road is somewhat bumpy. Occurs often and could result in loss of control. It requires that i slow down to about 5 mph before it stops. This…
I was driving my pick up ford 150 1998 32 mile for hour and i lose control of my steering wheel . My steering wheel do not respond .. Steering wheel went loose turning and turning with no control of the truck... *tr
The prn12 shift lever has been slowly loosening over a period of 6 months, and has resulted in not being able to start the vehicle in park. Also, when shifting into park, the shifter will not engage, and will allow the vehicle to roll forward or backward. No accidents have been caused as a result…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1998 Ford F-150s have steering problems?
No. NHTSA has 96 owner complaints about steering for the 1998 Ford F-150 (7% 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 steering?
No recall currently lists steering for this vehicle.
At what mileage do steering problems start?
The median reported mileage is 84,926 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about steering problems on the 1998 Ford F-150?
The most frequent phrase is “tie rod”, in 59 of 96 complaints, followed by “steering shaft” (8).
Other 1998 Ford F-150 problems
See all 1998 Ford F-150 problems or steering problems across all F-150 years.