1998 Ford F-150 Suspension Problems
Owners have filed 132 complaints with NHTSA about suspension problems on the 1998 Ford F-150, 10% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 122,160 miles. The words owners use most often: “torsion bar” (45% of reports).
- 132suspension complaints
- 122,160median miles at failure
- 3mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- 27%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.
- Torsion bar: mentioned in 60 of 132 complaints (45%)
- Rear leaf: mentioned in 11 of 132 complaints (8%)
- Causing front: mentioned in 8 of 132 complaints (6%)
- Tie rod: mentioned in 8 of 132 complaints (6%)
At what mileage do suspension problems happen?
Based on 30 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 132 complaints, 3 mention a crash, 2 a fire, 1 an injury.
Ford F-150 suspension complaints by model year
| Model year | Suspension complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 F-150 | 1 | 1% | — |
| 2024 F-150 | 3 | 2% | 845 |
| 2023 F-150 | 8 | 2% | 178 |
| 2022 F-150 | 14 | 2% | 35,301 |
| 2021 F-150 | 13 | 1% | 59,500 |
| 2020 F-150 | 9 | 1% | 21,300 |
| 2019 F-150 | 11 | 1% | 35,050 |
| 2018 F-150 | 23 | 1% | 24,000 |
| 2017 F-150 | 12 | 1% | 23,900 |
| 2016 F-150 | 17 | 1% | 32,500 |
| 2015 F-150 | 11 | 1% | 33,985 |
| 2014 F-150 | 10 | 1% | 50,000 |
| 2013 F-150 | 20 | 1% | 16,000 |
| 2012 F-150 | 19 | 1% | 79,500 |
| 2011 F-150 | 14 | 1% | 70,531 |
| 2010 F-150 | 16 | 2% | 23,500 |
| 2009 F-150 | 4 | 1% | 17,525 |
| 2008 F-150 | 11 | 3% | 61,000 |
| 2007 F-150 | 16 | 3% | 55,800 |
| 2006 F-150 | 25 | 4% | 52,000 |
| 2005 F-150 | 49 | 4% | 57,000 |
| 2004 F-150 | 118 | 6% | 14,531 |
| 2003 F-150 | 14 | 3% | 29,500 |
| 2002 F-150 | 20 | 2% | 64,125 |
| 2001 F-150 | 35 | 3% | 66,000 |
| 2000 F-150 | 41 | 4% | 65,000 |
| 1999 F-150 | 43 | 4% | 89,000 |
| 1998 F-150 | 132 | 10% | 122,160 |
| 1997 F-150 | 204 | 7% | 86,335 |
| 1996 F-150 | 21 | 6% | 91,800 |
| 1995 F-150 | 44 | 7% | 117,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Fuel system, gasoline:storage:tank assembly; suspension:rear:springs:leaf spring assembly
Problem: Vehicle description: light duty 4-wheel drive pickup trucks. If the vehicle is overloaded, the rear leaf springs can be overstressed. A fatigue fracture of the spring can occur. The center leaf of the spring can fracture at the forward edge of the spring seat and, in some cases, contact the fuel tank.
Risk: Fuel tank contact can damage the tank and result in fuel leakage. Fuel leakage in the presence of an ignition source can result in a fire.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the rear springs and install an additional clip on the forward end of the rear springs to prevent fuel tank contact in the event of a leaf fracture. Any fractured springs will be replaced.
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…
Report receipt date: jul 15, 1998 nhtsa campaign number: 98v161000 component(s): fuel system, gasoline , suspension my rear suspension is bad - has this been taken care of on my vehicle? Gem module is having trouble. I have been reading this part has caused a lot of trouble for this ford model.
Shock upper mount simply fell off causing driver side rear shock to drag ground. After further inspection also noticed at the location of the rusted out mount location that the rear wiring for the tail light were severed causing truck to now be stuck in park. Also while inspecting noticed rear…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1998 Ford F-150s have suspension problems?
No. NHTSA has 132 owner complaints about suspension 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 suspension?
Yes: 1 safety recall list suspension. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do suspension problems start?
The median reported mileage is 122,160 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about suspension problems on the 1998 Ford F-150?
The most frequent phrase is “torsion bar”, in 60 of 132 complaints, followed by “rear leaf” (11).
Other 1998 Ford F-150 problems
See all 1998 Ford F-150 problems or suspension problems across all F-150 years.