RoadVitals

1998 Ford Explorer Sport Trac Owner Complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers, shown in full

Data refreshed

Complaints on fileComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
5
Latest Mar 3, 2019
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
1
Filed in the last 12 monthsReports filed with NHTSA in the trailing 365 days. Recent volume reflects attention and vehicle age as much as anything else.
0
Reports on file since Feb 10, 2005

What this page shows

Our database holds 5 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1998 Ford Explorer Sport Trac. Each one is a report filed by an owner or driver and published by NHTSA without most of them being verified. A complaint is not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. Narratives are shown exactly as filed.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Complaints, most recent first

Showing 1–5 of 5

BrakesDriver assistanceElectrical
Filed Mar 3, 2019

TAKATA RECALL.. THE LIGHTS INSIDE WILL CUT ON FOR NO REASON. THE RADIO AND OTHER COMPONENTS WILL CUT ON AND OFF WHEN THEY WANT..THE BRAKE PADDLE WORKS WHEN IT WANT .

NHTSA ID
11183727
Incident
Mar 2, 2019
Mileage
179,766 mi
Brakes
Filed Aug 27, 2006

THE BRAKE LINE ON BOTH OF MY 1996 AND 1998 FORD EXPLORER RUSTED OUT LAST YEAR AND THIS YEAR ON BOTH SUVS, CAUSING THE BRAKE SYSTEM TO TOTALLY FAIL ON THE 1996 AND LOST ONE SET OF BRAKES ON THE 1998. WE WERE VERY LUCKY. THE PROBLEM WAS NOTICED WHEN PARKED. *JB

NHTSA ID
10166683
Incident
Aug 1, 2006
Mileage
45,700 mi
Driver assistance
Filed Feb 2, 2006
Fire reported

ON JANUARY 26TH, 2006 AT 3AM OUR 1998 FORD EXPLORER EXPLODED IN 33 DEGREE WEATHER AFTER SITTING IN THE DRIVEWAY FOR 15 HOURS. THE FIRE CAUSED MY VEHICLE, A 1994 BUICK CENTURY TO CATCH FIRE AS WELL. BOTH VEHICLES WERE TOTALED. THE FIRE INVESTIGATOR RULED THE FIRE AS AND "UNKNOWN CAUSE" AND RULED OUT ARSON OR FOUL PLAY. WE BELIEVE THIS SPONTANEOUS FIRE WAS CAUSED BY THE DEFECTIVE CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH ON THE FORD EXPLORER DUE TO THE QUICKNESS AND FIERCENESS OF THIS BLAZE. DUE TO QUICK THINKING WE SAVED AND PREVENTED THE FIRE FROM SPREADING TO OUR HOME. *NM

NHTSA ID
10149271
Incident
Jan 26, 2006
Mileage
88,000 mi
Interior & seats
Filed Apr 18, 2005

THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR WILL NOT OPEN FROM THE INSIDE OR OUTSIDE. THE CONSUMER WAS AWARE OF THE FORD TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN REGARDING LOCK COMPONENTS. *AK THE DOOR COULD NOT BE OPENED WITH THE KEY OR FROM THE INSIDE HANDLE. THE DOOR COULD NOT BE UNLOCKED WITHOUT EXCESSIVE EFFORT. *SC *JB

NHTSA ID
10115703
Incident
Mar 2, 2005
Mileage
51,700 mi
ElectricalFuel system
Filed Feb 10, 2005

I OWN A FORD EXPLORER 1988 BOUGHT NEW IN 1999. I HAVE ONLY 36.000 MILES ON IT AND LAST MONTH I WAS JUST DRIVING FOR ABOUT 2 MILES WHEN I SENSED A POWERFUL SMELL OF GAS. PULLED OVER IMEDIATELY, OPENED THE HOOD A I SAW GASOLIN POURING ON THE ENGINE AND THE BATTERIES FROM THE TWO FUEL LINES GOING INTO THE FEUEL INJECTION SYSTEM IN TOP OF THE ENGINE. I HAVE CALLED FORD AND THEY TOLD ME THERE IS NO RECALL ON THIS. IT SHOULD BE BECAUSE THE FORD DEALER WHERE I HAVE FIXED THE PROBLEM(700$ !!!!). OLD ME THEY ENCOUNTERED THIS PROBLEM OTHER TIMES. PLEASE DO AN INVESTIGATION BEFORE PEOPLE WILL DIE BURNT ALIVE. I DROVE NEW, OLD AND VERY OLD CARS AND I HAVE NEVER HAD OR HEARD OF THIS KIND OF PROBLEM. *AK IT IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE! PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU WILL DO SOMETHING THANKS SORIN

NHTSA ID
10110295
Incident
Jan 12, 2005
Mileage
36,000 mi

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .