AI Damage1998 Ford F Super Duty: common problems
Owners of the 1998 Ford F Super Duty filed 14 complaints with NHTSA, most often about tires and fuel system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 14
What fails most often
- 1 Tires 57% of all complaints
- 2 Fuel system 14% of all complaints
- 3 Steering 14% of all complaints
- 4 Engine and cooling 7% of all complaints
- 5 Exterior lighting 7% of all complaints
- 6 Powertrain 7% of all complaints
- 7 Service brakes 7% of all complaints
- 8 Visibility 7% of all complaints
- Tires: 8 complaints (57% of all).
- Fuel system: 2 complaints (14% of all).
- Steering: 2 complaints (14% of all).
- Engine and cooling: 1 complaints (7% of all).
- Exterior lighting: 1 complaints (7% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 14 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tires | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 1 | 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.
2 back tire blew out at differant times, no accident, damage to vehical $300.00. (dot number: vdtmixd198 tiresize: lt22575r16)
First tire developed a mysterious flat spot @ 20,000 miles in may 2000; second tire blew out at 26,700miles in feb. 2001; third tire blew out at 27,200 miles march 20, 2001. Firestone denies there is a problem; they are wrong! (tiresize: lt22575r16)( dot number: tire size: lt22575r16 )
On 30 aug 2000 while traveling our motor home ran over a bump in road and stopped running,a wrecker was called motor home was towed to a repair shop where it was determined the fuel pump had shorted out , neither the manafacturer-+ or ford want to reimburse me for the repairs saying it is the otters fault
While driving interstate rt.80 in nabraska this july ; at about 70 mph I, I experianced a near fatal blowout of my left rear inner tire. It also damaged the outter tire as well. I was able to get the motor home under control, and get to an exit. We had to wait 5 hrs. To get it repaired. We got home ok.
Steering wheel needs to be spoked, no room for thumbs when driving long distances.
The steering on this motorhome is vague and while going over bumps there is extreme steering wheel movement. There is a feeling of a momentary loss of control when hitting bumps. I've never felt anything like it in any other car or motorhome.
Windshield wipers fail to work properly, do not stop and continued to go past the windshield onto the fiberglass, causing poor visibility. Mjs
However, vehicle surges going up hill so the fuel line / fuel filter / map sensor was replaced to elimate failure which still occurs.
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 9,552 of 36,659 model years in the NHTSA data (top 26% most complained about).
On average one model year of the F Super Duty has 20 complaints (21 years in the data). This year has 14, below average.
What to check before buying
- Tires. Tire age by DOT code, bulges, wear pattern.
- Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Other years of this model
- F Super Duty 19928 sources
- F Super Duty 19933 sources
- F Super Duty 199420 sources
- F Super Duty 199512 sources
- F Super Duty 19968 sources
- F Super Duty 199724 sources
- F Super Duty 199993 sources
- F Super Duty 200063 sources
- F Super Duty 200132 sources
- F Super Duty 200234 sources
- F Super Duty 200327 sources
- F Super Duty 200414 sources
- F Super Duty 200527 sources
- F Super Duty 200831 sources
- F Super Duty 99994 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1998 Ford F Super Duty?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: tires, fuel system, steering. Total complaints: 14. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: tires: bulges, blowouts (21%), brake failure (7%), fuel system, fuel smell (7%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1998 Ford F Super Duty?
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 F Super Duty 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.