Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (door latches, locks, hood and tailgate latches).
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* the contact owns a 1998 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that when the vehicle was parked, the front passenger side door did not open from the inside or outside. The contact stated that the passenger had to climb over and go out of the front driver's side door. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 220,000. Updated 7/1/15
Took vehicle to have recall (03s04) performed for broken drivers seat bolts. (drivers seat is broken and leans way back ) . I also asked them to fix the defective drivers door lock. The electric lock stays down I can not open the door I have to crawl out passengers side or out the drivers window. As I have been overcharged for repairs in the past I said I wanted to know how much it would cost to fix the door. They estimated that it would cost me $68.00 just to have them tell me how much it would cost to fix the defective door lock. I hit the roof, as they have cheated me in the past. (this dealership previously tried to sell me a new clutch for f150 pickup, it turned out that Ford had already created a $20 kit that fixed the clutch. ) service manager said they were not going to do the recall and told me to leave. …
Driver's side door lock and latch no longer work and prevent door from opening. This creates a very hazardous situation for driver who now cannot exit vehicle reliably in the event of an accident or fire. Driver's side door is effectively permanently locked and driver must enter/exit via passenger side door. Door lock no longer resounds to remote keyless entry, outside key, nor inside door handle. Only after repeated attempts to pull on tapered door knob while repeatedly pressing internal electric door unlock button will driver's door sometimes become unlocked and then the door can be opened. None of the other doors to the vehicle (4 door plus rear hatch) have similar problem. This problem has been reported previously to through NHTSA by numerous other Ford Explorer owners, yet apparently no recall has yet been issued for this problem. …
I drive a 1998 Ford Explorer sport. Over the past two years, the locks on both the driver and passenger door have jammed, preventing the occupant from opening the door. The repairs have been very costly (around $800 total), and the faulty/jammed locks have posed significant safety concerns, since the driver or passenger had to climb over the arm rest to get in and out of the vehicle. I would strongly suggest that you address this safety issue with Ford motor co. Asap. It May be too late for me. However, it will be a help to others who might have an accident and not be able to escape a fire or worse. If this had happened with my mother in the car, it would have been extremely difficult. The friend who had to climb in and out of the vehicle over the arm rest ended up with a sore back. We were out of town when the second incident occurred.
All locking door mechanism's have failed and I have spent money to repair them. The rear hatch lock is no longer operating unless the key is in the lock and then, only sporadically. The driver's side handle, has broken off twice and been replaced twice. I was unable to open the door with the engine was off, thereby effectively "trapping" me in the vehicle. In an emergency, I would not have been able to exit the car and remove myself from any potential danger. In order to exit the car, I had two options, either climb out over the center console or put the key back in the ignition, turn on the vehicle, lower the power window and open the car from the outside, I opted for the second solution until I was able to order a second new door handle and replace it.
I own a 1998 Ford Explorer xlt with electric door locks. Both the front driver and passenger door locks do not operate using any of the three available methods for unlocking. The remote key fob operation, the exterior driver door entry pad or the interior locking mechanism do not unlock the doors. This vehicle has the doors set to automatically lock when put in to any other gear than 'park' and the doors can only be opened using the interior handle which is only accessible from the rear door of my 4-door vehicle. This vehicle was purchased today to replace a similar vehicle (1999 Ford Explorer xlt) that had the exact same issue. Thankfully when I totaled the vehicle in an unfortunate accident the door did not stick close with the lock being the culprit.
1998 Ford Explorer driver side door lock won't open. It won't open if you use the key, remote, or manually try to pull up on it while inside. However, the other doors and tailgate unlock OK. I am forced to enter the car on the passenger side and climb over a console in the middle to get into driver seat. I believe this is a serious safety issue as there is no way to get in or out of the car on the driver side. I am 76 years old and this is extremely difficult to get in over the console on passenger side. There are numerous complaints on internet for this exact problem.
One day when I attempted to enter my 1998 Ford Explorer, parked in my garage, the drivers side door would not unlock. Whenever the automatic feature locks the doors when I am driving or I lock the door using my key fob, it will not open from the exterior. I have to reach in from the rear door (or if I am in the drivers seat) and open the door with a very strong pull on the door handle. I have not taken the vehicle in for repair as yet. I have been aware of this situation for about 2 weeks as of today. Tedwards
Normal operation; a the drivers door latch failed in the locked position. As a result, the door could not be unlocked or opened by normal means. The door was finally opened after the door panel was removed allowing the latch to be unlocked by reaching a hand inside the door. The failure is a broken spring. The failure resulted in an internal lever interfering with the lock portion of the latch during the unlock attempts. I have not repaired the failure as of this date. I have the failed item (a spring).
Dt*: the contact stated the locking mechanisms on three doors and the rear hatchback failed to operate properly. The door locks felt loose, while the door is manually unlocked, prior to each failure. The rear left door will not unlock from the inside or outside of the door. The rear right door failed to unlock from the outside, and the rear hatch failed to unlock on an intermittent basis. The service dealer and manufacturer have not been contacted. Updated 01/19/07.
Related recalls
Latches/locks/linkages › Hood › Latch
Vehicle description: sport utility vehicles. The secondary hood latch May corrode at the latch pivot and stick in the open position.
Remedy: Dealers will install a secondary hood latch with components that are coated prior to assembly for improved latch pivot corrosion protection.
Door Lock & Latch complaints in other Explorer years
Frequently asked questions
How common are door lock & latch problems on the 1998 Ford Explorer?
NHTSA has 65 complaints about the locks & latches of the 1998 Ford Explorer, 3% of the model year's 1,959 complaints. The component named most often is doors › latch (34 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1998 Ford Explorer door lock & latch problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 99V-164 (latch, Jun 29, 1999). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 1998 Ford Explorer door lock & latch 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 0 crashes, 0 fires and 2 injuries to locks & latches 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.