Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (headlights, tail lights, turn signals, interior lights).
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).
Interior and exterior lighting and locking system; lights stay on inside vehicle while driving - distracting at night. Sometimes can take up to 30 minutes to "decide" to turn off - other times within a few minutes of driving... No real pattern has been established. "door ajar" light never goes off even though numerous checks of all doors have been done and none are open. Running boards and interior lights stay on after car has been turned off (whether locked or unlocked). These lights do not shut off for over 1 hour after vehicle has been exited last. Door locks will spontaneously lock and unlock while driving. "beeping" sound will alarm while driving alerting that doors are unlocked or possibly ajar - then doors will lock and unlock - sometimes once, other times four or five times in a row. Lighting issue occurs every time car is exited. …
We have our Expedition for a while and we know the people who owned it before us. While it is raining and days after the power to the truck does not turn off. The radio will turn on, the blower for heat or air will keep blowing, the lights will turn on, the four wheel drive will stop, ABS will stop, and the wiper blades will not work. So because the electrical items will turn on at random, they drain the battery and the truck will not start the next day. We found out that due to manufacturing error, the windshield leaks water into the general electric module. The other problem is the part not only expensive, but if you buy one and it does not work, it is not returnable. And that was told to us by multiple dealerships. So basically Ford knows of the problem and it is a safety issue and has done nothing about it.
Tl contact owns a 1998 Ford Expedition. When the key was turned in the ignition, the vehicle would not start. The gear indicator was not in park and the contact was unable to shift into park. He noticed a screw on the floor. The contact, a mechanic, took the dashboard apart and noticed that the screw fell from the steering column. The screw was replaced, but it continued to fall out. The manufacturer stated that the VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign id number 97V171000 (power train:automatic transmission:gear position indication (PRNDL). The passenger side headlight would fail every three months and was replaced. The failure mileage was 115,000 and current mileage was 126,000.
I own a 1998 Ford Expedition, when it rains all the interior lights stay on,the panel is saying door ajar(when in fact there is no door ajar).therfore all interior lights stay on as if there were a door ajar. I find this very dangerous to drive with all the interior lights on expecially at night.Ford told me it was a faulty switch.I ve spoken with other people with the same issue.also 128 Ford sold me this vehicle with a recall that was never checked. They never did a safety check as they stated. When I picked up the vehicle it was never moved from the spot where I left it, and they never put a inspection sticker on the vehicle and never looked it over.
Tl contact owns a 1998 Ford Expedition. Everytime the contact enters the vehicle, the interior lighting remains illuminated even after the door is closed. She must manually turn off the light. As a consequence, the battery eventually fails and has to be recharged in order to drive the vehicle. The contact is in the process of notifying the dealer to determine the cause of the failure. The failure mileage was 120,000 and current mileage was 143,000. Updated 07/15/08 updated 07/15/08
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 MPH, the headlights and instrument panel lighting flickered. The reading on the instrument panel gauges began to fluctuate randomly and the vehicle stalled. The failure occurred intermittently. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The technician was unable to diagnose the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 220,000.
All interior lights will not go out after all doors are closed and vehicle is started. As you begin driving, there is no way to turn them off. They eventually went off. Sometimes the lights will go on by themselves. In all cases the 'door open' light shows on the dashboard, but after opening and closing all doors, tailgate and tailgate window the lights "door open" light remains on, and interior lights will not go out.
The fuse for the passenger side head light keeps melting. It appears where the fuse goes is melting as well if not causing it. From time to time the passenger side head light blinks and then goes out. If you wiggle the fuse it lights back up.
Turn signal control malfunctions. Right signal not working unless stalk is pulled slightly back and lane change feature is used. Emergency flashers fail to operate. Problem was intermittent and is now constant.
First, the interior lights and running lights would not power off while all doors were closed, door ajar indicator was on. Took to dealer problem resolved for a month or so. Now need to spray wd40 on latches religiously. Dealer also replaced cruise control harness at this time. Then came the radio and heater running with the key out of the ignition. Beeps and clicks and bad smells coming from under dash. Again to the dealer, no codes found for the issues I was having. Battery draining occurring frequently now and no resolution. I now have to disconnect the battery everynight. Now when I drive down the road I get the many failure lights flashing on the dash, the windows won't work, speedometer fails, truck loses power and the transmisson shifts strangely. I was hours from home and doing 70mph on the highway when evidencing decided to not work at the same time. …
Related recalls
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…
Remedy: Dealers will be advised to deactivate the running light function and to complete any outstanding safety recalls on these vehicles.
Headlight complaints in other Expedition years
Frequently asked questions
How common are headlight problems on the 1998 Ford Expedition?
NHTSA has 26 complaints about the lights of the 1998 Ford Expedition, 3% of the model year's 836 complaints. The component named most often is headlights (5 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1998 Ford Expedition headlight problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 00V-168 (exterior lighting, Jun 19, 2000). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 1998 Ford Expedition headlight problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 100,000 miles.
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.