Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1998 Ford Expedition owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Bought replacement brake pads from RockAuto 07/08/2023 9:06PM order 244457897 that are supposed to be Bosch BSH BC702 ceramic. What arrived is unbranded, unnumbered tag torn off the box with no identifiers at all. All brake pads used should have numbers to identify street legal for use but these have NOTHING on them, the box, anything. Unsafe if cannot identify use. RockAuto wants me to pay for return for their mistake, but bigger problem is that unknown pads are being sent out by RockAuto. I still have unopened set if interested.
He brake pedal is loated too close to the accelerator and when depressed goes down below the accelerator so when the extreme right side of the brake is depressed by a bruad shoe the accelerator is also depressed causing the car to accelerate rather than braking. This can and did result in an accident in which I rear ended the car stopped in front of me. This occurred on a city street when I was moving in traffic below the posted 30mph limit.
While driving down the road at approx 35 MPH, the vehicle in front of me stopped hard. I immediately stepped hard on my brakes. The brakes initially applied and then failed. I swerved into a parking lot and applied my brakes again with no success. My brake pedal went to the floor. I then put the gear selector in park while moving at a fairly high rate of speed in order to stop. The vehicle ground to a halt. The vehicle was towed to a repair facility and I was notified that the brake line was rusted and due to the pressure of attempting to stop hard, the line ruptured and the entire braking system failed.
This complaint involves the complete failure of all brake lines due to rust on my 1998 Ford Expedition. All lines have completely rusted through from the outside in only 12 years. The first line (from the master cylinder to the ABS control) failed about a week ago, resulting in total loss of brakes. Fortunately I was on a country road about 2 blocks from home and was able to get it back home. After replacing that line ($70 for the part) I took it out for a test drive. The second time I hit the brakes they again failed! This time the line going to the rear failed. The truck is presently at a Ford dealer. They say all lines are rusted through and need to be replaced. Cost: $3000! I feel that brake lines should not rust out in only 12 years on a vehicle that has been garaged all it's life. I believe that Ford motor company has some liability in this issue. …
Tl contact owns a 1998 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that the brake light illuminated. He turned the vehicle around to return home and the brake pedal extended to the floor when it was depressed. The vehicle continued to roll forward, and the emergency brake had to be applied. The contact inspected the brake components and noticed several failures with the front and rear brake line. He called the dealer and asked if Ford would cover the cost of the repairs, but was informed that the vehicle was out of warranty. The failure and current mileages were 57,295. Updated 07/29/08 the consumer stated the brake line failed due to corrosion. The consumer stated the material that was used was defective. The brake line should have been made of stainless steel or other corrosion reistant material. Updated 08/07/08.
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that when attempting to stop the vehicle the brake pedal went to the floor. The contact mentioned that he had to engage the emergency brake in order to stop the vehicle. Also, the contact stated that the hydraulic brake fluid leaked from the vehicle because the brake lines had rusted. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and was told that all of the brake lines had to be replaced. The failure and current mileage was 117,831...updated 01/30/13 updated 2/4/2013
Tl contact owns a 1998 Ford Expedition. While driving 35 MPH, the contact noticed that the brake pedal was not receiving enough pressure to stop the vehicle. He replaced the brake pressure switch in July of 2008 and again in January of 2009. The manufacturer stated that there might be a recall available. The contact will call the manufacturer again. The failure mileage was 126,000 and current mileage was 130,000.
While driving down the road at approximately 40mph another came out in front. Consumer swerved to avoid hitting the other vehicle head-on, but hit the rear bumper. In the process, applied brakes to stop, but hit the other vehicle. Vehicle was on top of hood and spun around, winding up in a ditch.consumer was throwen into the steering wheel. Upon impact, airbags didn't deploy.contacted the dealer.
Dt: the contact stated when applying the brakes at low speeds the pedal will go to the floor, and vehicle will vibrate. When this happens the vehicle will not stop. There are no warning lights indicating a problem with the brakes. This happens intermittently, with no specific pattern or conditions. The dealer said this was normal performance for this vehicle.
Interrior light fails to go off, even with vehicle running. On one instance, it began flashing. This was very distracting and dangerous as it was at night. I was only able to turn the interior light off by pulling the relay. This is a known issue with 1999-2000 expeditions, but apparently it affects 1998 vehicles as well.
Brake complaints in other Expedition years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 1998 Ford Expedition?
NHTSA has 57 complaints about the brakes of the 1998 Ford Expedition, 7% of the model year's 836 complaints. The component named most often is antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (29 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1998 Ford Expedition brake problems?
No. NHTSA lists no brakes recall for the 1998 Ford Expedition, though it has 5 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 1998 Ford Expedition brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 100,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 6 crashes, 0 fires and 1 injury to brakes problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.