1998 Ford Mustang Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Mustang years
- About as many complaints as other years 16th of 32 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 4 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 236 complaints with NHTSA about the 1998 Ford Mustang. That ranks 16th out of 32 Mustang model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is engine and engine cooling (40 complaints, 17%), typically at around 98,500 miles. Complaints mention 44 crashes, 12 fires, 31 injuries. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 2 defect investigations involving it.
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- 236owner complaints
- 4safety recalls
- 2NHTSA investigations
- 44complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1998 Ford Mustang problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 40 | 17% | 98,500 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 29 | 12% | 92,890 | — | — |
| Steering | 22 | 9% | 54,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 21 | 9% | — | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 18 | 8% | 83,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 18 | 8% | 83,420 | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 17 | 7% | — | — | — |
| Suspension | 16 | 7% | 91,976 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 15 | 6% | 111,500 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 13 | 6% | — | — | — |
| Electrical System | 12 | 5% | 131,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 9 | 4% | 124,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 9 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Structure | 8 | 3% | 85,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 6 | 3% | 76,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 5 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 5 | 2% | 88,000 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 4 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 3 | 1% | 113,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 2 | 1% | 78,840 | — | — |
| Wheels | 2 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Child Seat | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Engine | 1 | 0% | 112,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 0% | 274,067 | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1998 Ford Mustang recalls (4)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Parking brake:conventional
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with manual transmissions. If a vehicle is parked with the parking brake not fully applied and not in first gear, as directed in the owner guide, and the self adjustment pawl subsequently skips one or two teeth, the vehicle could move on some grades.
Risk: This could result in unintended vehicle movement and a vehicle crash without prior warning.
Fix: Dealers will modify the parking brake control and install a plate or over-bracket to the control to lock the self adjust mechanism in position following adjustment.
Vehicle speed control
Problem: Vehicle description: certain 1997-1999 rhd explorer equipped with 4.0l ohv/sohc engines and cruise control built from may 29, 1996 through march 4, 1999; 1998-1999 explorer/mountaineers equipped with 4.0l ohv/sohc or 5.0l engines or 1998-1999 rangers equipped with 2.5l, 3.0l ffv/efi or 4.0l engines and cruise control built from january 5, 1998 through march 4, 1999; 1998-1999 mustangs equipped with 3.8l, 4.6l 2-valve or 4-valve engines and cruise control built from march 2, 1998 through march 4, 1999; 1999 f250/f350/f450/f550 (over 8,500 lbs.) trucks equipped with 5.4l or 6.8l engines and cruise control built from march 2, 1998 through march 4, 1999; and 1999 f-53 stripped chassis equipped with 5.4l or 6.8l engines and cruise control built from march 2, 1998 through march 4, 1999. A cruise control cable can interfere with the speed control servo pulley and not allow the throttle to return to idle when disengaging the cruise control.
Risk: If the cruise control is used and this condition is present, a stuck throttle could result, which could potentially result in a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the cruise control cables. At the present time, the replacement cables are not available. Customers are being advised not to use the cruise control system until a replacement can be made.
Fuel system, gasoline:fuel injection system
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with 4.6l engines. Some of these vehicles has missing or inadequate braze joints between the fuel rail body and the fuel rail mounting bracket(s).
Risk: If the bracket separates from the rail, the rail can lift one or more of the injectors, and fuel leakage will result. In the presence of an ignition source, a fire could occur.
Fix: Dealers will replace the fuel rail on these vehicles.
Steering:gear box:shaft sector
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles and mini-vans. The rack and pinion steering gears may have damaged input shaft bearings.
Risk: This condition can increase steering efforts, affecting steering control.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the date code on the rack and pinion steering gear, and, if necessary, replace those rack and pinion assemblies that fall within the suspect date code range. The date codes for windstar model vehicles are 97jb09 or 97jc08; the date codes for mustang model vehicles are 97j09b or 97j08b.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Spark plug ejection from cylinder head (DP05005) — opened Sep 22, 2005, closed Jan 4, 2006.
- Fires in the center console (PE99029) — opened May 3, 1999, closed Jul 27, 1999.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Rear right parking brake does not engage and when trying to come to an emergency stop brake is ineffective
Stirring-wheel airbags did not deploy on getting hit head-but on the passenger side did deploy but due to the defect stirring wheel airbag not deploying the driver to hit the windshield
Passenger side seatbelt will not. Work , cannot pull out to use it... The repair shop is having a hard time finding. A retractor. Mechanism....my family cannot sit in the front passenger seat. Right now
Vehicle was involved in an accident, neither front airbags deployed
On may 5, 2016, i was driving on hwy 395 (nevada). Driving at approximately 40 mph due to rain/hail. I felt my car begin to hydroplane, and then began to spin out of control across the hwy. At least 5 complete circles until i slammed into a concrete wall where the car came to a stop. My airbags did…
Other Ford Mustang years
← 1997 Mustang · 1999 Mustang →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Mustang | 8 | 5 |
| 2025 Mustang | 18 | 6 |
| 2024 Mustang | 84 | 12 |
| 2023 Mustang | 15 | 6 |
| 2022 Mustang | 50 | 9 |
| 2021 Mustang | 55 | 6 |
| 2020 Mustang | 120 | 8 |
| 2019 Mustang | 150 | 6 |
| 2018 Mustang | 195 | 3 |
| 2017 Mustang | 267 | 6 |
| 2016 Mustang | 378 | 5 |
| 2015 Mustang | 438 | 11 |
| 2014 Mustang | 359 | 3 |
| 2013 Mustang | 271 | 5 |
| 2012 Mustang | 469 | 6 |
| 2011 Mustang | 466 | 4 |
| 2010 Mustang | 261 | 5 |
| 2009 Mustang | 181 | 5 |
| 2008 Mustang | 347 | 5 |
| 2007 Mustang | 615 | 5 |
| 2006 Mustang | 424 | 5 |
| 2005 Mustang | 705 | 5 |
| 2004 Mustang | 116 | 1 |
| 2003 Mustang | 145 | 1 |
| 2002 Mustang | 118 | 0 |
| 2001 Mustang | 173 | 1 |
| 2000 Mustang | 311 | 2 |
| 1999 Mustang | 213 | 3 |
| 1998 | 236 | 4 |
| 1997 Mustang | 176 | 2 |
| 1996 Mustang | 246 | 3 |
| 1995 Mustang | 602 | 5 |
See all Ford Mustang problems by year, every Ford model, or the Ford VIN decoder.
Similar Ford models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1998 Ford Mustang?
Owners most often report engine and engine cooling, fuel system, gasoline, steering problems. The top one, engine and engine cooling, accounts for 40 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1998 Ford Mustang?
Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1998 Ford Mustang a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Mustang model years, the 1998 has about as many complaints as a typical year. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.