1998 Ford Ford Truck reliability: common problems

Owners of the 1998 Ford Ford Truck filed 25 complaints with NHTSA, most often about tires and engine and cooling. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 25
involving a crash: 1

What fails most often

1 Tires 44% of all complaints
2 Engine and cooling 16% of all complaints
3 Structure 12% of all complaints
4 Electrical system 8% of all complaints
5 Powertrain 4% of all complaints
6 Seat belts 4% of all complaints
7 Seats 4% of all complaints
8 Vehicle speed control 4% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Tires: 11 complaints (44% of all).
Engine and cooling: 4 complaints (16% of all).
Structure: 3 complaints (12% of all).
Electrical system: 2 complaints (8% of all).
Powertrain: 1 complaints (4% of all).

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 25 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

smoke, burning smell, fire4 · 16%
tires: bulges, blowouts4 · 16%
vibration3 · 12%
rust, corrosion2 · 8%
A/C or heater1 · 4%
fuel system, fuel smell1 · 4%
oil leak or consumption1 · 4%
seat belts1 · 4%
windows, sunroof1 · 4%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Tires	11	0
Engine and cooling	4	0
Structure	3	0
Electrical system	2	0
Powertrain	1	0
Seat belts	1	0
Seats	1	0
Vehicle speed control	1	0
Visibility	1	0
Other	2	1

What owners report

Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.

Frame rust rear. Spring mount broke off. Rear of truck loose. Repair done. Do not feel safe driving this truck. Large rust holes in frame. Only 90000. Miles.
Structure · 2016-12-02 · NHTSA complaint #10929628
Frightened I immediately pulled over to the side of the road and got the girl out and away from the truck before it caught fire , because of the smoke. Caught a ride home and had a friend drive it to my home. I took my car to a few shops to get an idea of what was wrong .
Engine and cooling · 2010-04-09 · NHTSA complaint #10324621
Truck over heated the engine coolant reservoir is leaking water that is thick and oily. Oil is passing into radiator a head gasket repair was done and the radiator was flushed. A loud crank noise is heard from the rear bottom axles when I stop.
Engine and cooling · 2008-01-25 · NHTSA complaint #10216032
1998 ford expedition caught on fire. Entire engine compartment was consumed by fire. Recall was completed one year prior to the fire.
Vehicle speed control · 2007-11-14 · NHTSA complaint #10208971
Problem was speedometer, cruise control, power windows would work intermittently. Idiot lights on dash would come on and off. Took to ford dealership. They found that the seal around the windshield was leaking and damaged the gem module and fuse box. Dealer could not remove windshield without doing damage to it.
Structure · 2005-08-02 · NHTSA complaint #10131111
On february 25, 2005, I was traveling 55 mph on the highway in traffic when my 1998 ford windstar began to leak oil and slow down. After several near collisions, I was able to get to the shoulder of the road. I instructed everyone to get out of the vehicle because of the smokey smell.
Powertrain · 2005-03-30 · NHTSA complaint #10116074
The consumer stated he felt the vehicle vibrate and managed to pull over, the tires were not found.
Tires · 2004-01-07 · NHTSA complaint #10052183
(under 70 miles) I noticed a sudden vibration coming from the rear of our motor home and within a matter of seconds I heard a loud bang and several other noises as the motor home rocked from side to side.
Tires · 2002-11-05 · NHTSA complaint #768977

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

19993
20006
20015
20023
20031
20041
20052
20071
20081
20101
20161

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 7,130 of 32,257 model years in the NHTSA data (top 22% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Ford Truck has 13 complaints (24 years in the data). This year has 25, above average.

What to check before buying

Tires. Tire age by DOT code, bulges, wear pattern.
Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 1998 Ford Ford Truck?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: tires, engine and cooling, structure. Total complaints: 25. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: smoke, burning smell, fire (16%), tires: bulges, blowouts (16%), vibration (12%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1998 Ford Ford Truck?

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 Ford Truck 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.