1998 Ford F-150 Structure Problems
Owners have filed 138 complaints with NHTSA about structure problems on the 1998 Ford F-150, 10% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 85,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “side door” (21% of reports).
- 138structure complaints
- 85,000median miles at failure
- 2mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 18%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.
- Side door: mentioned in 29 of 138 complaints (21%)
- Sheet metal: mentioned in 17 of 138 complaints (12%)
- Bottom window: mentioned in 9 of 138 complaints (7%)
- Doors cracking: mentioned in 7 of 138 complaints (5%)
At what mileage do structure problems happen?
Based on 33 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 138 complaints, 2 mention a crash, 1 a fire.
Ford F-150 structure complaints by model year
| Model year | Structure complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 F-150 | 1 | 8% | — |
| 2025 F-150 | 3 | 3% | — |
| 2024 F-150 | 3 | 2% | 3,700 |
| 2023 F-150 | 22 | 5% | 7,000 |
| 2022 F-150 | 14 | 2% | 32,500 |
| 2021 F-150 | 36 | 4% | 46,000 |
| 2020 F-150 | 22 | 3% | 7,800 |
| 2019 F-150 | 32 | 2% | 9,000 |
| 2018 F-150 | 193 | 8% | 10,000 |
| 2017 F-150 | 111 | 8% | 22,250 |
| 2016 F-150 | 199 | 10% | 20,000 |
| 2015 F-150 | 147 | 9% | 27,500 |
| 2014 F-150 | 31 | 2% | 71,000 |
| 2013 F-150 | 48 | 2% | 50,000 |
| 2012 F-150 | 24 | 1% | 78,000 |
| 2011 F-150 | 33 | 2% | 59,500 |
| 2010 F-150 | 92 | 11% | 52,000 |
| 2009 F-150 | 34 | 10% | 36,834 |
| 2008 F-150 | 23 | 6% | 54,000 |
| 2007 F-150 | 31 | 6% | 93,300 |
| 2006 F-150 | 44 | 8% | 84,000 |
| 2005 F-150 | 77 | 7% | 71,000 |
| 2004 F-150 | 104 | 5% | 72,500 |
| 2003 F-150 | 32 | 8% | 74,640 |
| 2002 F-150 | 45 | 5% | 85,000 |
| 2001 F-150 | 65 | 5% | 119,000 |
| 2000 F-150 | 66 | 6% | 67,500 |
| 1999 F-150 | 95 | 9% | 85,245 |
| 1998 F-150 | 138 | 10% | 85,000 |
| 1997 F-150 | 226 | 8% | 130,000 |
| 1996 F-150 | 7 | 2% | 181,000 |
| 1995 F-150 | 18 | 3% | 77,775 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists structure 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.
1998 Ford F150 S/N [redacted] Mechanic said the frame is rusting badly. Suggested I not pull a heavy trailer or haul heavy loads in the bed.
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…
Was parking truck and before i even knew it the whole truck was on fire ! No not know what cause it.
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1998 Ford F-150s have structure problems?
No. NHTSA has 138 owner complaints about structure for the 1998 Ford F-150 (10% 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 structure?
No recall currently lists structure for this vehicle.
At what mileage do structure problems start?
The median reported mileage is 85,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about structure problems on the 1998 Ford F-150?
The most frequent phrase is “side door”, in 29 of 138 complaints, followed by “sheet metal” (17).
Other 1998 Ford F-150 problems
See all 1998 Ford F-150 problems or structure problems across all F-150 years.