Your vehicle report
1998 Ford Expedition
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 836
- Received Jan 1998 to Jul 2023
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Spark plugs blow out of cylinder head98 complaints · 12% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Vehicle catches fire from wiring70 complaints · 8.4% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Tires blow out or tread separates28 complaints · 3.4% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #05V388000On certain pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles equipped with speed control, the speed control deactivation switch may overheat, smoke, or burn.
- Recall #00V168000Vehicle description: mini vans, light pickup trucks, and sport utility vehicles. Off lease canadian vehicles equipped with daytime running lights which meet canadian requirements and not the photometric requirements of FMVSS 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment." according to ford, the vehicles were imported into the U.S. Erroneously.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 43 crashes, 73 fires, 37 people injured, 1 death.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 20 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 1998 | 58 |
| 1999 | 135 |
| 2000 | 74 |
| 2001 | 90 |
| 2002 | 64 |
| 2003 | 79 |
| 2004 | 61 |
| 2005 | 90 |
| 2006 | 22 |
| 2007 | 21 |
| 2008 | 29 |
| 2009 | 20 |
| 2010 | 21 |
| 2011 | 16 |
| 2012 | 15 |
| 2013 | 6 |
| 2014 | 16 |
| 2015 | 2 |
| 2016 | 7 |
| 2017 | 3 |
| 2018 | 3 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 836 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spark plugs blow out of cylinder head | 98 | 12% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 70 | 8.4% | – | NHTSA recall #05V388000 |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 28 | 3.4% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 27 | 3.2% | – | |
| Windshield wipers work intermittently or fail | 25 | 3.0% | – | |
| Steering wanders or pulls at highway speed | 24 | 2.9% | – | |
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 22 | 2.6% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 19 | 2.3% | – | |
| Suspension struts and shocks wear out early | 19 | 2.3% | – | |
| Tie rod ends break or come loose | 16 | 1.9% | – | |
| Axle breaks while driving, wheel detaches | 16 | 1.9% | – | NHTSA recall #98V095000 |
| Frame rusts and corrodes through | 15 | 1.8% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 15 | 1.8% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 15 | 1.8% | – | |
| Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up | 14 | 1.7% | – | |
| Steering wheel shakes violently at highway speed | 13 | 1.6% | – | |
| Suspension clunking or rattling noise over bumps | 12 | 1.4% | – | |
| Transmission fails or loses power while driving | 12 | 1.4% | – | |
| Side mirrors give poor rear visibility | 11 | 1.3% | – | |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 11 | 1.3% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #05V388000September 7, 20054,500,000 vehicles affected
vehicle speed control
On certain pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles equipped with speed control, the speed control deactivation switch may overheat, smoke, or burn.
A fire at the switch could occur.
Remedy
By letter dated september 12, 2005, owners were instructed to return their vehicles to their dealers to have the speed control deactivation switch disconnected. Owners who have had their speed control deactivated are being notified that parts will be available and advised to make an appointment to reconnect the speed control beginning in february 2006. Owners who did not have their speed control deactivated are being notified to have their system remedied beginning in february 2006. Owners are urged to avail themselves of the free disconnect service as soon as possible because of the significant risk of fire. Owners may contact Ford at 1-800-392-3673. (note: also see recalls 05V017 and 06V286)
NHTSA recall #00V168000June 19, 200020,637 vehicles affected
exterior lighting
Vehicle description: mini vans, light pickup trucks, and sport utility vehicles. Off lease canadian vehicles equipped with daytime running lights which meet canadian requirements and not the photometric requirements of FMVSS 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment." according to Ford, the vehicles were imported into the U.S. Erroneously.
The light given off from the daytime running lights is brighter than allowed by U.S. Standards.
Remedy
Dealers will be advised to deactivate the running light function and to complete any outstanding safety recalls on these vehicles.
NHTSA recall #00V073000March 7, 2000565,800 vehicles affected
trailer hitches
Vehicle description: multi-purpose vehicles. The trailer hitch assembly to the frame attaching bolts could lose the clamp load.
The trailer hitch could then separate from the vehicle.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the trailer hitch mounting bolts and nut plates.
NHTSA recall #98V095000May 13, 19981,520,000 vehicles affected
wheels: lugs/nuts/bolts/studs
Vehicle description: multi-purpose vehicles and light duty pickup trucks. The lug nuts on these vehicles may not create sufficient clamp load allowing wheel movement in relation to the hub/rotor mounting surface.
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 crash.
Remedy
Owners of these vehicles will be receiving two notifications. The first notification, which began in may 1998, will provide an interim repair procedure until parts become available. This interim procedure Can be completed by owners or their dealers. It specifies that the lug nut torque must be verified to be 100 lbs. Then the lug nuts need to be tightened an additional 1/8 to 1/4 turn more. There will be a second owner notification, which is expected to begin july 20, 1998, under which dealers will inspect the wheel studs and replace the wheel lug nuts.
NHTSA recall #97V171000October 7, 1997866,000 vehicles affected
power train: automatic transmission: gear position indication (prndl)
Vehicle description: light duty pickup trucks and multi-purpose passenger vehicles. If the automatic transmission shift cable assembly was not fully attached to the steering column bracket, the shift cable assembly Can come out of the bracket. The vehicle operator would then not be able to shift the transmission from one of the drive gear positions into the park position even though the gear shift selector would indicate "park."
The condition would not allow a disengagement of the transmission from the park position or affect proper neutral start switch operation. Unintended vehicle movement could occur if the parking brake was not set.
Remedy
Dealers will make the proper attachment of the transmission shift control cable to the steering column bracket and add a tie strap to that connection.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 1998 Ford Expedition.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN