Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (struts, shocks, control arms, ball joints, springs).
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).
When we bought the vehicle it had 22 inch chrome wheels and tires. It also wandered all over the road. We bought new stock sized rims and new stock sized tires. It still wanders all over the road. We had it aligned. It still wanders all over the road. Google shows many, many complaints regarding these vehicles' suspension, blaming rusting rear lower trailing arms and in one case a left stabilizer link broke. I have not crawled under the car as it is my sister's and she lives a ways away, but she wants to sell it and is worried if it is something major someone May get hurt. We can be driving straight down the road from 25mph to 60mph and the vehicle just sort of feels like the back end is not in line with the front or something and it just tries to change lanes on its own.
The consumer parked the vehicle for approximately 10 minutes, and upon her return, smoke was coming from under the hood. The consumer checked the vehicle, and the fire smoldered itself out. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, and the wire harness was burned. The problem was caused by the cruise control sensor/switch. Ford stated that there was nothing they could do. The air suspension control module malfunctioned also the indicator for the gear shift had broken and were replaced.
I had a catastrophic failure of the rear suspension arms on my 1998 Ford Expedition. I was traveling at a slow speed when the arm snapped without warning. Had this suspension arm broken at highway speed, the result would have been a life threatening wreck. The rear end rolled up causing the vehicle to be immovable , requiring a tow for repairs. An inspection revealed, the upper support arm for rear the suspension rusted completely through, causing the arm to break. The other upper arm is rusted through badly, and both lower arms are rusted through badly. All the arms were ready to break. I am sure this failure is the fault of (1) poor engineering and design by Ford (2) poor selection of grade of steel used in making these arms (3) poor quality checks, if these arms did not meet specification. There is no way a part as robust as this needs be, should ever be able to rust through! …
It has come to my attention that the trailing arms on the rear axle are failing on the early model Ford expeditions. Upon inspection of my vehicle, I see where the failure is going to occur. The trailing arms are rotting out and will allow for the rear axle to twist out of place causing the drive shaft to become dislodged and become a large run away component. These components on my vehicle will have to be replaced prior to this vehicle being placed back in service as this is a large safety concern. I am writing due to this defect being a safety issue and is one which is virtually unknown by the consumer as it is not an inspectable item on any annual inspection. My internet research has shown there are many of these vehicles where the issue is coming to light. …
While sitting at the red traffic light ,when the light turned green to go upon taking off at normal speed the drive shaft fell completely out and broke at the drive shaft universal ears of the shaft and the right lower rear controlling/trailing arm broke at coupler because it was very badly corroded with rust from weak material and drivers side rear looks the same way . Also my Expedition is not a rust bucket, it is driven very little in the winter. The drive shaft ears that hold the universal joint is made of cast steel,which is very unsafe, if Ford would send the pair of trailing/controlling arms we will have them put on at my cost. With the dry shaft made out the of that kind of material the vehicle can flip out of control and cause damage, harm or death. …
Years ago when purchased the Expedition I noticed the shift gear out of alignment. I try to contact the dealer as I heard that this was a recall; I was told that the recall is not for my vehicle. It has know been a few years since I bought the truck and I'm now experiencing what I've noticed many others with an Expedition which is truck is not engaging into parking position and rolls. This is a concern to me as my drive way is on a slight up hill. This is an endangering to the public, the issue happens unexpectedly. I would not like to see someone hurt because of a roll back or forward due to what is supposed to be a manufacture defect from the many cases I've read up on so far. Ford dealer needs to address this issue as well as the coil and spark plug which blows out of engine and air suspension problems. …
My 1998 Ford Expedition's right torsion bar just snapped in half on March 21, 2003. While sitting in my garage. I had just gotten home, right before it happened thank goodness. The car had to be towed. I was told this should not have happened. I was given the torsion bar as proof to offer Ford that it is indeed a defect. However, Ford really does not want to hear that. This is my problem and they will do nothing. ( I was told to hold on to my receipt, just in case there is a recall) I have found over 31 complaints about this problem and nothing is being done about it. What is it going to take to have this problem addressed? No one was hurt this time, but, what about the next. I can't stand the thought of putting my children and myself back in this car knowing the left one could break just as easy as the right one did and I could be on the highway this time.
The right torsion bar of my 1998 Ford Expedition cracked in March 2001. No injuries were reported. The garage that repaired my vehicle said that there was a distinct defect in the torsion bar and gave me the bar to offer proof to Ford that this was indeed and manufacturer defect. The Ford motor company was contacted and notified of this problem. The company dragged correspondance out with us over the next several months. No recall was enacted. On January 4, 2003 the left torsion bar went on my 1998 Ford Expedition as I was exiting the highway. The truck dropped about 12 inches on the left hand side and I slammed my head on the driver window. No serious injury resulted, but I could have lost control of the vehicle and caused serious injury to the others in the car as well as myself.
As I was examining the rear brake pads on my truck, I noticed that there was a hole in the right rear lower control arm. Further examination showed that the protective coating on the control arm had not only failed but was holding moisture and salt against the metal of the control arm. Therefore this lower control arm is also quite thin in one specific area and appears to be in danger of imminent failure. Likewise I found a hole and thin sound metal on the left rear lower control arm. If driven, this vehicle could easily have a major loss of control and a catastrophic accident with loss of lives. I consider this to be a manufacturing defect because the coating that was designed to protect this vulnerable part has actually hastened its failure.
I noticed that my truck was leaning to the right side. I took it in to the dealership and they replace a connector in the lift system on April 30,2008. The lift system failed while driving. 05/06/08. Since I purchased my 98,Ford Expedition back in 2000,the lift system has been a problem. It has been repaired several times since I 've had this truck. The truck was flatbed to the dealership. The suspension system on the truck never coded until the 8th of May at the shop. When the lift/suspension failed no indicator light never came on. The rear started to drop as I was driving it home. Now I have to pay to get it convert to a coil system.
NHTSA investigations
Front stabilizer link
Suspension complaints in other Expedition years
Frequently asked questions
How common are suspension problems on the 1998 Ford Expedition?
NHTSA has 144 complaints about the suspension of the 1998 Ford Expedition, 17% of the model year's 836 complaints. The component named most often is front › springs › torsion bar (39 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1998 Ford Expedition suspension problems?
No. NHTSA lists no suspension 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 suspension problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 98,000 miles, and 4% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 1 fire and 2 injuries to suspension 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.