AI Damage1998 Ford Explorer Sport: common problems
Owners of the 1998 Ford Explorer Sport filed 121 complaints with NHTSA, most often about latches, locks, linkages and electrical system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 121
- involving a crash
- 5
What fails most often
- 1 Latches, locks, linkages 27% of all complaints
- 2 Electrical system 15% of all complaints
- 3 Seats 12% of all complaints
- 4 Engine and cooling 10% of all complaints
- 5 Vehicle speed control 10% of all complaints
- 6 Tires 9% of all complaints
- 7 Equipment 7% of all complaints
- 8 Visibility 6% of all complaints
- Latches, locks, linkages: 33 complaints (27% of all).
- Electrical system: 18 complaints (15% of all).
- Seats: 14 complaints (12% of all).
- Engine and cooling: 12 complaints (10% of all).
- Vehicle speed control: 12 complaints (10% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 121 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Latches, locks, linkages | 33 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 18 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 11 | 1 | 0 |
| Equipment | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| Structure | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 2 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Right front steering knuckle cracked in half, causing loss of steering and a resulting crash.
I was in an automobile accident 12/2003 my seat belt did not restrain me, I was the passenger in my 1998 ford explorer sport. The car ran into a telephone pole. At the time of impact both air bags went off. At impact I flew up from my seat, didn't touch the air bag but I hit the overhead console with my face.
My car hyper-accelerates at random even when the brake is on it has caused 2 accidents resulting in property damage one recent which the injury results are pending. I am fearful that the car will not stop and someone will be seriously injured. I have had it to the dealership wrote to the manufacturer but to no avail.
Somewhere during that our right rear tire blew out. Then we rolled over three times. We were traveling the speed limit at 70 mph. We strongly feel that the dunlop tires were the cause of this accident. My explorer was a total loss.
I can shift perfectly fine to all my gears without any fussing or clunking noises coming from the gear shifts/transmission. But as soon as I try to put it on reverse my vehicle does not move, it seems like it's in neutral instead of reverse.
After changing the front wheel bearing hubs, the vehicle abs light came on. This has been going on for about a year. The vehicle does stop, but the abs function doesn't work. This has not been a problem for me, but, sometimes the abs light stays out for a while and then comes back on.
These tires are still under warranty. When they were first installed, we noticed a strange sound. We did not assume it was from the tires, but thought it was related to the rotors. This is not our only vehicle and we don't drive it all of the time; in fact it is parked much of the time.
Subject: defective seat frame caused by faulty seat recliner bolt comments: I have a 1998 ford explorer sport that was recalled by ford for a faulty drivers seat recliner bolt.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 3,120 of 36,659 model years in the NHTSA data (top 9% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Explorer Sport has 74 complaints (10 years in the data). This year has 121, above average.
What to check before buying
- Latches, locks, linkages. Door, hood and tailgate latches, especially near the impact.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Seats. Occupant sensor, power adjustment, seat mounts.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1998 Ford Explorer Sport?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: latches, locks, linkages, electrical system, seats. Total complaints: 121. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: door locks, latches, handles (18%), smoke, burning smell, fire (13%), windows, sunroof (8%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1998 Ford Explorer Sport?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 1998 Ford Explorer Sport from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 1998 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-06.