Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1998 Ford Explorer owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Tl contact owns a 1998 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while traveling approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle erupted into flames coming from the engine compartment into the interior of the vehicle. The contact was able to merged over and exit the vehicle as the flames were extensive and the vehicle was destroyed. The fire department was able to extinguish the flames. The vehicle was towed to a yard. The contact was not included in NHTSA campaign id number: 98V060000 (fuel system, gasoline). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 170,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the vehicle hesitated to start and smoked appeared on numerous occasions. In addition, the overhead lights in the vehicle did not work and the battery had a shortage. The contact stated that the service engine light remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The VIN was unknown. The failure mileage was 200,000.
Tl contact owns a 1998 Ford Explorer. The contact heard a huge explosion coming from her driveway and noticed that the vehicle was engulfed in flames. The vehicle was destroyed. There were no warning signs prior to the failure. The contact called the fire department and they extinguished the fire. The cause of the failure was undetermined. A police report was filed. She called her insurance company and is in the process of notifying the manufacturer. The failure mileage was 143,000. Updated 03/17/09. Updated 03/17/09.
Tl contact owns a 1998 Ford Explorer. The contact heard a huge explosion coming from her driveway and noticed that the vehicle was engulfed in flames. The vehicle was destroyed. There were no warning signs prior to the failure. The contact called the fire department and they extinguished the fire. The cause of the failure was undetermined. A police report was filed. She called her insurance company and is in the process of notifying the manufacturer. The failure mileage was 143,000.
Tl* the contact owned a 1998 Ford Explorer. The contact noticed smoke rising from the engine compartment, which entered the cabin of the vehicle through the air conditioning vents. Shortly afterwards, flames engulfed the entire vehicle and shattered all of the windows. The vehicle had recently been repaired according to NHTSA campaign number: 09V399000 (vehicle speed control). The fire department extinguished the fire. The vehicle was destroyed. The failure mileage was 200,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 Ford Explorer. While the engine was on she exited the vehicle for a brief moment. When she returned the vehicle was engulfed with smoke. She removed her children and exited the vehicle. After waiting for five minutes the vehicle caught on fire. The fire department was able to extinguish the flames. However, because of the fire damage the cause of the failure was not determined. The current and failure mileages were 110,000.
Tl* the contact owned a 1998 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while parked, the vehicle engulfed into flames with the sound of a large explosion. The fire department extinguished the fire, which originated underneath the hood area. The vehicle was declared as destroyed and remained at the residence for further investigation. The manufacturer was not notified of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000.
Tl contact owns a 1998 Ford Explorer. While leaving his home, the contact noticed that the hood of the vehicle was on fire. The fire department was called to extinguish the fire and a police report was filed. The contact did not notice any differences beforehand. The vehicle has not been diagnosed for the failure. The current and failure mileages were 110,000.
Tl contact owns a 1998 Ford Explorer. After the contact parked the vehicle in his driveway, he noticed firefighters outside of his house. He then noticed that his vehicle was on fire. The engine was determined to be the cause of the failure. A fire report was filed. The vehicle has not yet been towed. The failure and current mileages were 110,000.
My car was parked in the driveway and was off. We heard a noise from inside the house and my 1998 Ford Explorer was in flames from the engine area. We had to call the fire department and the car was quickly engulfed.
NHTSA investigations
Spark plug ejection from cylinder head
On September 6, 2005, odi received a petition requesting that the agency investigate allegations of engine spark plug ejection in certain model year 1997 through 2004 Ford vehicles with triton v-8 and v-10 engines.odi received a total of 474 non-duplicative complaints on the subject vehicles where the complainant, or the dealer repairing the vehicle, reported that a spark plug detached from the cylinder and/or…
Engine complaints in other Explorer years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 1998 Ford Explorer?
NHTSA has 195 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 1998 Ford Explorer, 10% of the model year's 1,959 complaints. The component named most often is engine › gasoline (100 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1998 Ford Explorer engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 1998 Ford Explorer, though it has 9 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 Explorer engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 106,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 17 fires and 2 injuries to engine & cooling 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.