Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (seat frames, recliners, heated seats and seat tracks).
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).
I was involved in an accident while driving a 1998 Ford Explorer. Due to black ice there was a loss of vehicle control. This resulted in a rear end collision with the concrete barrier at the side of the road. The drivers seat back collapsed, and the seat for aft adjusting mechanism failed. The seat back reclining mechanism had been fixed for the recent recall.
August 18th 2010 1:30 pm pearland tx . A Ford Explorer 4 doors get hit it in the back by other vehicle will is in stop position; about 40/50 miles p/h. The front panel get broke, the stereo flu to the front hitting the driver. And the air bag "do not open" driver could be injured on the face and at the arms. Also the driver seat is broke in the back
Speed control gets hot to touch. All top facing has melted off from heat. I was on highway and my steering wheel became extremely hot. My seat was repaired after recall years ago. It continues to drop low to floor.
About 3 years ago I started to notice the drivers side seat reclining and I couldn't reset it to the upright position. Through the years the recline got worst and I contacted Ford and advised them that this May be related to their recall # 03V281000. Ford responded by telling me that I already got serviced for this recall and that my vehicle has no outstanding recalls. I purchased another seat and recently had it installed. Upon inspection of the original seat my mechanic and I noticed a stress crack on the reclining bracket of the seat. My argument is that fords recall remedy didn't solve the problem because it is a defective reclining bracket that is causing this problem not the upper bolt they replaced. I have worked as an aircraft mechanic and know a stress crack when I see it. This is definitely a factory defect and should be investigated immediately. …
The bolt of my drivers seat broke on my way form vacation in navada, almost causing an accident. I fell into the back seat trying to maintain my balance I grabbed the arm rest which broke, and the bottom frame broke also. I took my car to southbay Ford in torrance ca. To make the" recall ' repairs but they refused to fix or repair my seat. Stating, the broken seat was not part of the recall. I onformed the service rep., that the damage was due to the seat dropping backward. I called the number provided on the recall notice and made a complaint but was told the dealership had made a final decision. All I could do was to buy another seat and wait to see if another "recall" comes out and to try to get reinbursted . I had my family in my SUV with me when this bolt broke and we all could have been killed if traffic would have been heavier. …
Tl contact owns a 1998 Ford Explorer. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer to have it repaired according to NHTSA campaign id number 03V281000 (seats:front assembly:recliner), although no failures were occurring at the moment. The dealer refused to repair the issue after consulting with the manufacturer because the bolt failed. After being denied of the recall repair, the failures began to occur a week later. The driver's seat would recline backwards on its own. The issue occurred over ten times, but the dealer still refused to repair the vehicle. The contact spoke with the manufacturer and was informed that because she did not take the vehicle to the dealer in a timely fashion, the bolt sheared; therefore, they could not assist. The current mileage was approximately 170,000 and failure mileage was 157,565.
On December 17,2003 the drivers side seat release on my 1998 Ford Explorer broke while I was trying to adjust the seat back. The steel that attaches the positioning lever to the mechanical part of the seat shirred off in a clean break and came off in my hand. My seat became stuck in a forward position while I was in the seat forcing me into a forward position. I had to drive in this position to the dealer where they used a large vice grip type wrench to release the seat back into a position so I could drive the car. At this time the seat is jammed in a static position while the remaining part of the steel is still in the reclining gear.
Tl contact owns a 1998 Ford Explorer. While driving 40 MPH, the driver's seat reclined towards the rear seat. The dealer stated that the VIN was included in NHTSA campaign id number 03V281000 (seats:front assembly:recliner). The dealer refuses to make the repair until the contact pays $400 to have another mechanism of the seat recliner repaired. The Ford manufacturer stated that they knew nothing about technical issues and that the dealer would make the final decision. The seat has not been repaired. The vehicle does not have cruise control. The failure mileage was 150,000 and current mileage was 176,000.
Upon getting into my car the seat suddenly fell backwards , thank goodness I was not driving down the street I could have been injured or killed. The post that holds the drivers seat in the upright position broke. After checking on line for recalls I found that there is a problem with this and a recall had been issued but my VIN is not in the dealers data base so they will not make the repairs. I did not receive a recall letter and do not know what to do next.
Tl contact owns a 1998 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the front driver's seat reclines all the way back until it touches an object behind the seat. She could potentially lose control of the steering wheel or foot pedals due to this issue. His vehicle model year was not included in NHTSA campaign id number 03V281000 (seats:front assembly:recliner). The vehicle has not been properly repaired. The failure and current mileages were 100,000.
Related recalls
Seats › Front assembly › Recliner
On certain sport utility vehicles equipped with high back seats, the upper bolt on the driver's side high back seat, that attaches the seat recliner mechanism to the seat back frame, could fracture.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the driver seat upper bolt with a metal spacer and bolt. In addition, seats with tubular back frames will have the fully threaded lower recliner bolt replaced with a partially threaded bolt.
NHTSA investigations
Front seat back recliner attachment
By letter dated August 4, 2003, Ford notified the agency that it is conducting a voluntary safety recall (NHTSA recall no. 03V281) involving certain model year (my) 1998-2001 Ford explorer / Mercury mountaineer 4-door, my 1998-2000 Ford explorer 2-door and my 2001-2002 Ford explorer sport and sport trac vehicles equipped with high back seats.complaints allege that the driver's seat back reclined without warning.a…
Seat complaints in other Explorer years
Frequently asked questions
How common are seat problems on the 1998 Ford Explorer?
NHTSA has 70 complaints about the seats of the 1998 Ford Explorer, 4% of the model year's 1,959 complaints. The component named most often is front assembly › recliner (44 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1998 Ford Explorer seat problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 03V-281 (recliner, Aug 5, 2003). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 1998 Ford Explorer seat problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 85,000 miles, and 5% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 7 crashes, 0 fires and 10 injuries to seats 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.