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1998 Ford ExpeditionProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 836 owner complaints about the 1998 Ford Expedition, most often about the suspension. It is covered by 5 safety recalls.

25
CarFlaw IndexYear to avoid2.9× the Expedition median · #4 of 28 years by complaints
Safety recalls5Free fix at dealersOwner complaints836148 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage97kSuspension, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through July 21, 2023. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 1998 Ford Expedition has problems

836 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Suspension1444
Engine and engine cooling1277
Electrical system11534
Vehicle speed control7840
Power train705
Visibility591
Steering524
Service brakes, hydraulic485
Tires381
19 other systems23339

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

5 recalls

1998 Ford Expedition recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

–no report yet

Wheels: lugs/nuts/bolts/studs

Recall 98V-095 · May 13, 1998 · 1,520,000 vehicles

Risk. THIS CAN RESULT IN THE LOOSENING OF LUG NUTS, STUD FATIGUE FAILURE, AND THE POTENTIAL FOR A WHEEL SEPARATION FROM THE VEHICLE, INCREASING THE RISK OF A VEHICLE…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Show 1 more recall
–no report yet

Automatic transmission: gear position indication (prndl)

Recall 97V-171 · Oct 7, 1997 · 866,000 vehicles

Risk. THE CONDITION WOULD NOT ALLOW A DISENGAGEMENT OF THE TRANSMISSION FROM THE PARK POSITION OR AFFECT PROPER NEUTRAL START SWITCH OPERATION.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Ford.

Mileage at failure

When do suspension problems start?

97kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 28 suspension complaints. 54% were reported before 100,000 miles.

Only 37% of complaints for this model year include a mileage.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
1under 30k miles15under 100k miles13100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs

What owners say repairs cost

Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.

Engine and engine cooling

23 owners mentioned a cost

$2,100median

Middle half: $1,850 – $3,900

Electrical system

10 owners mentioned a cost

$795median

Middle half: $282 – $1,750

If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.

Best & worst years

1998 vs. every other Expedition year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Expedition median. How we score

'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25'26'27
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
NHTSA crash tests

1998 Ford Expedition safety ratings

1998 Ford Expedition 4-DR. 4x4 in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

1998 Ford Expedition frontal crash test, NHTSA
Frontal crashNot rated
  • Stability control: No
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
5 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 1998 Ford Expedition, and the recalls they led to.

  1. SPARK PLUG EJECTION FROM CYLINDER HEADDP05005 · closed Jan 4, 2006
    No recall
  2. ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRESEA05005 · closed Aug 2, 2006
    Led to recall 05V-388
  3. FRONT STABILIZER LINKPE01022 · closed Nov 9, 2001
    No recall
  4. TIE ROD END FAILURESPE98024 · closed Jul 21, 1998
    No recall
  5. FACTORY INSTALLED TOWING HITCH SEPARATIOPE99060 · closed Mar 8, 2000
    Led to recall 00V-073
In owners' words

What Expedition owners report

Recent suspension complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

WHEN WE BOUGHT THE VEHICLE IT HAD 22 INCH CHROME WHEELS AND TIRES. IT ALSO WANDERED ALL OVER THE ROAD. WE BOUGHT NEW STOCK SIZED RIMS AND NEW STOCK SIZED TIRES. IT STILL WANDERS ALL OVER THE ROAD. WE HAD IT ALIGNED. IT STILL WANDERS ALL OVER THE ROAD. GOOGLE SHOWS MANY, MANY COMPLAINTS REGARDING…
Complaint 11023952 · Sep 18, 2017 · 165,000 miles
I GOT IN MY 1997 EXPEDITION AND THE BRAKE WENT TO THE FLOOR WHEN HAVING THE BACK BRAKES INSTALLED THE MECHANICS NOTICED THE LOWER ON TROLL ARM WAS RUSTED OUT. HE THE LOOKED AT MY 1998 AND IT IS THE SAME WAY. HE SAID I CANNOT DRIVE THEM LIKE THIS. I DRIVE ON THE INTERSTATE DAILY.
Complaint 10925686 · Nov 13, 2016
THE REAR LOWER AND UPPER CONTROL ARMS HAVE RUST HOLES AND OR COMPLETELY RUSTED THROUGH. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A VERY BIG PROBLEM WITH ALL EXPEDITIONS AROUND THE SAME YEARS. COMPLAINTS FROM HUNDREDS IF NOT THOUSANDS OF OWNERS ON FORUMS HAVE THE SAME ISSUE. THIS WILL CAUSE A CRASH AND OR FATALITIES IF…
Complaint 10511944 · May 14, 2013 · 105,423 miles

Own a 1998 Expedition?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.