1998 Ford F-150 Vehicle Speed Control Problems
Owners have filed 116 complaints with NHTSA about vehicle speed control problems on the 1998 Ford F-150, 8% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 108,500 miles. The words owners use most often: “cruise control” (43% of reports).
- 116vehicle speed control complaints
- 108,500median miles at failure
- 11mention a crash
- 5mention an injury
- 2related recalls
- 48%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.
- Cruise control: mentioned in 50 of 116 complaints (43%)
- Prior fire: mentioned in 8 of 116 complaints (7%)
- Deactivation switch: mentioned in 7 of 116 complaints (6%)
- Suddenly accelerated: mentioned in 6 of 116 complaints (5%)
At what mileage do vehicle speed control problems happen?
Based on 48 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 116 complaints, 11 mention a crash, 37 a fire, 5 an injury.
Ford F-150 vehicle speed control complaints by model year
| Model year | Vehicle Speed Control complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 F-150 | 1 | 8% | — |
| 2025 F-150 | 11 | 10% | 6,500 |
| 2024 F-150 | 7 | 4% | 13,290 |
| 2023 F-150 | 18 | 4% | 22,000 |
| 2022 F-150 | 16 | 3% | 18,000 |
| 2021 F-150 | 20 | 2% | — |
| 2020 F-150 | 16 | 2% | 23,000 |
| 2019 F-150 | 44 | 3% | 35,000 |
| 2018 F-150 | 73 | 3% | 15,500 |
| 2017 F-150 | 65 | 4% | 14,000 |
| 2016 F-150 | 100 | 5% | 38,869 |
| 2015 F-150 | 145 | 8% | 44,000 |
| 2014 F-150 | 102 | 7% | 52,000 |
| 2013 F-150 | 302 | 10% | 69,074 |
| 2012 F-150 | 194 | 11% | 30,500 |
| 2011 F-150 | 213 | 10% | 57,000 |
| 2010 F-150 | 39 | 5% | 52,000 |
| 2009 F-150 | 54 | 17% | 36,370 |
| 2008 F-150 | 41 | 11% | 27,225 |
| 2007 F-150 | 54 | 11% | 44,500 |
| 2006 F-150 | 31 | 5% | 50,000 |
| 2005 F-150 | 57 | 5% | 50,251 |
| 2004 F-150 | 70 | 3% | 39,500 |
| 2003 F-150 | 32 | 8% | 85,000 |
| 2002 F-150 | 86 | 10% | 120,000 |
| 2001 F-150 | 180 | 15% | 103,000 |
| 2000 F-150 | 188 | 17% | 100,000 |
| 1999 F-150 | 79 | 8% | 78,500 |
| 1998 F-150 | 116 | 8% | 108,500 |
| 1997 F-150 | 223 | 8% | 120,000 |
| 1996 F-150 | 36 | 11% | 130,000 |
| 1995 F-150 | 76 | 12% | 121,382 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (2)
Vehicle speed control
Problem: On certain pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles equipped with speed control, the speed control deactivation switch may overheat, smoke, or burn.
Risk: A fire at the switch could occur.
Fix: By letter dated september 12, 2005, owners were instructed to return their vehicles to their dealers to have the speed control deactivation switch disconnected. Owners who have had their speed control deactivated are being notified that parts will be available and advised to make an appointment to reconnect the speed control beginning in february 2006. Owners who did not have their speed control deactivated are being notified to have their system remedied beginning in february 2006. Owners are urged to avail themselves of the free disconnect service as soon as possible because of the significant risk of fire. Owners may contact ford at 1-800-392-3673. (note: also see recalls 05v017 and 06v286)
Vehicle speed control:accelerator pedal
Problem: Vehicle description: light duty pickup trucks equipped with a 4.2l engine and originally sold or currently registered in one of the following states: alaska, montana, north dakota, minnesota, wisconsin, new york, vermont, new hampshire, maine, michigan, idaho, wyoming, south dakota, colorado, nebraska, kansas, iowa, missouri, illinois, indiana, ohio, pennsylvania, and massachusetts. The throttle is unable to return to idle due to ice forming in the throttle body when the temperature ranges from -10 to -40 degrees fahrenheit.
Risk: Increased brake pedal efforts or some increase in stopping distance could result.
Fix: Dealers will install a revised pcv system on these vehicles.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Unknown
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 vehicle speed control problems?
No. NHTSA has 116 owner complaints about vehicle speed control for the 1998 Ford F-150 (8% 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 vehicle speed control?
Yes: 2 safety recalls list vehicle speed control. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do vehicle speed control problems start?
The median reported mileage is 108,500 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about vehicle speed control problems on the 1998 Ford F-150?
The most frequent phrase is “cruise control”, in 50 of 116 complaints, followed by “prior fire” (8).
Other 1998 Ford F-150 problems
See all 1998 Ford F-150 problems or vehicle speed control problems across all F-150 years.