Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
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).
I arrived at home and parked vehicle in garage ~5:15 pm. My wife walked on the treadmill (which is in the garage) from 7:15 ? 7:45 pm and did not smell or notice anything unusual. At 10:00 pm I looked through garage door to make sure lights were out and garage doors shut. I noticed a small red light below the truck. After further investigation, I found it was a flame. I came back in the house told my wife to notify the fire dept. I used a hose and fire extinguishers to exhaust flame as the fire dept. Arrived. The heat was so intense it melted the garage light lens above the vehicle. The vehicle would not go into neutral due to damage, so I used my neighbor?s truck to pull the vehicle out of the garage. It appears to have been the defective cruise switch according to a fire investigator. The damage to the vehicle is obvious I can email photos (except I did not photo damaged windshield). …
I have a 1998 Ford Expedition, and the cruise control stopped working, the anti-lock brakes stopped working, the brake lights stopped working, and I could not put the car in gear. I looked at the fuse box and found a fuse blown. When I replaced the fuse, the engine compartment in the car started smoking profusely. I pulled the fuse out right away, and had someone watch as I put it back in. The smoking started again, and it was coming from some type of brake switch on the front of the master cylinder. I took the car to airport Ford in florence, ky, and they said it was the same problem that the 2000 fords were being recalled for. I asked them if it was covered under the re-call, and they said it was not the right year or VIN. They said they didn't know why because it was the exact same switch causing the exact same fire that others are experiencing. …
My 98 Expedition was parked in my garage when my son came home and opened the garage a saw smoke coming out. I had been home about 80 mins. The smoke was coming from under the hood of my exp. I quickly started the vehicle to get it out of the garage area, but it would not go into reverse - the brake pressure fuse had blown due to the wire fire, so the car was stuck in park. Luckily the fire went out on it's own. Problem was the cruise control deactivation switch sparked (somehow) and started a small wire fire under the hood - near the brake fluid reservior. This could have burned my car and my house down !! North central Ford (richardson tx) would not fix the problem at no charge, because "only the 2000 models had a recall" !! They did acknowledge that the 1997 to 2001 models are currently being "investigated" by Ford engineers and the NHTSA for the same fire problem that I had. …
Went to store, came out battery dead, car wouldn't start. Had not left lights or any accessories on. Got a jump, drove to auto parts store. They checked alternator and battery and said battery dead, needed an overnight charge. Let them charge battery, put back in car, horn started blowing and would not stop despite my using both the key and key fob. Horn blew for 5 hours before I found out how to disconnect from google. Got horn to stop, and car wouldn't start. Ford dealer said anti-theft system had to be reprogrammed at cost of $250 plus tow to dealer. I never armed the system and it should not have shut my truck down and prevented me from driving it. I don't have $250 and then I found out the repair is only $100 at most. …
My 1998 Ford Expedition xlt caught fire when parked in the parking lot of georgio's restaurant after driving for about 20 minutes. Fire started in the engine compartment and remained localized there. Entire engine compartment flamed up, burned a hole through the hood, and damaged everything forward of the vehicles firewall. Flame was contained and extinguished using industrial fire extinguishers available at the restaurant georgio's where my wife, daughter, and I were meeting my parents for dinner. The vehicle has a good service record and has been service at the local Ford dealer a few times, so this was a huge surprise. I am fairly confident the vehicle will be declared "totaled" by my insurance carrier geico. My wife and I depend on having a second vehicle because I drive our other vehicle 60 minutes away every day for work. …
I have a 1998 Ford Expedition eb model. I just had to take it into the dealer because the windshield is not sealed properly and the gem module has been getting wet and needs to be replaced along with the fuse box. Apparently this is quite common with this year and modle.I have to spend 885 to have it fixed and now have to have the windshield replaced as well. The car would not start and the lights flickers on and off while I was driving the power locks would lock and unlock while I was driving. The windows would go up and down while I was driving. This is not safe! It died in the middle of an intersection once then the engine revved up and it wouldn't stop. The only way to stop it is to disconnect the battery. The dash started smoking and a beeping noise came from under the dash somewhere. I was lucky enough to get the battery disconnected before there was any real fire damage. …
Tl contact owns a 1998 Ford Expedition. The contact noticed a large amount of smoke while the vehicle was parked in a carport. Suddenly, the vehicle erupted uncontrollably in flames and exploded. The fire department was called to the scene and a fire report was filed. There were no warnings prior to the failure. The two pet dogs that were outside when the massive fire erupted sustained severe burns. There were no personal injuries. The property damage consisted of the carport and portions of the house, such as the roof, siding, and a couple of rooms inside. The vehicle was completely destroyed and currently remains at the scene for investigation purposes. The contact is in the process of notifying the manufacturer. The insurance company was notified, but the cause of the failure has not yet been determined. The failure and current mileages were 181,000. …
Tl contact owns a 1998 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that her vehicle caught fire in her driveway. The fire department extinguished the fire and a report was filed. The insurance company was unable to determine the cause of the failure; however, they would not replace the vehicle because the insurance coverage was cancelled. The failure occurred without warning. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer wanted possession of the vehicle in order to perform an inspection; however, it was no longer available because the insurance company disposed of the vehicle. The manufacturer would not assist with any reimbursement and stated that they were not liable for the repairs. They further stated that the customer's claim will be closed. The failure mileage was 60,000.
On April 25th, 2005 my 1998 Ford Expedition exploded and was totally destroyed by fire. I contacted Ford and was told my VIN number was not a part of the recall. From all information I have been able to fine the description of other car fires match how my car burned. Ford has advised me that my insurance company will have to subrogate. My insurance company will cover the balance owed on my car, however I am without a vehicle. My insurance company is advising me that a law suit against Ford will take years. I want to file a complaint against Ford, this is unfair treatment. I have lost my car, contents within and now I have no transportation.
On June 21, 2003, I traveled to a grocery store just outside my subdivision. I was in the store about ten minutes when the store manager started to page the owner of a blue Expedition. At the time I thought I had left my lights on. Unfortunately, I was notified that the vehicle was on fire in the store's parking lot. When I arrived outside, the entire front end of the Expedition was in flames. The fire was so intense it burned through the hood of the vehicle. By the time I made it outside, firefighters were already battling the blaze. My vehicle was a total loss.
NHTSA investigations
Engine compartment fires
Ea05-005 is closed with Ford?s actions in recalls 05v-017, 05v-388, and 06v-286, recalling approximately 6.7 million vehicles equipped with texas instruments speed control deactivation switches (scds).the brake systems in these recalled vehicles generate a vacuum that can potentially cause the scds to fail and, in certain switch installation orientations, catch fire.Ford is also including the entire population of…
Electrical complaints in other Expedition years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 1998 Ford Expedition?
NHTSA has 115 complaints about the electrical system of the 1998 Ford Expedition, 14% of the model year's 836 complaints. The component named most often is ignition (17 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1998 Ford Expedition electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system 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 electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 100,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 31 fires and 3 injuries to electrical system 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.