Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power steering, steering column, rack and pinion).
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. While driving 30 MPH, the contact lost steering ability and defective parts punctured the front passenger side tire. The failure caused him to crash into another vehicle. The vehicle was towed to a local body shop. The contact felt that the cause of failure was due to a failed steering knuckle. The body shop repaired the steering knuckle and all related parts. No other failures have occurred since the repair. The failure mileage was 121,916 and current mileage was 123,000.
The Explorer brake peddle went to the floor to stop the vehicle . There was smoke coming from under the hood . In a few seconds , the truck was in flames. Police and firemen were called to the location . They put the fire out in a few minutes .
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 Ford Explorer. While driving 5 MPH, the steering rod fell off and caused the steering to fail. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was 160,000.
Tl*- the contact stated that while driving the 1998 Ford Explorer at approximately 15 MPH she heard a rubbing noise coming from the left front of the vehicle. She did not receive any warning lights, and the road conditions were clear. Suddenly, it became very hard to turn the steering wheel and she had no control of the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle was towed to the dealership. The dealership informed the contact that the power steering pump failed, and it released debris into the rack and pinion, which caused that to fail. The vehicle was being repaired by the dealership. The vehicle currently has 65042 miles. Updated 04/12/07.
Dt: the consumer states that 1998 Ford Explorer had a steering problem. The steering wheel was turning to the left, she heard a clung, and the steering wheel was turning, but she was not moving. The consumer took the vehicle to the dealership, and was told that a steering shaft broke. The shaft was replaced, and the vehicle was driving fine now. The consumer stated she called the manufacturer, and they said that the vehicle was not under warranty, and the consumer was looking for someone to pay the bill.
On 6/18/04 my family was in a rollover accident while on vacation in ny. My son was driving and swerved to avoid a car coming at high speeds. The steering became very loose and we rolled over. Before rolling over, he tried to regain control and totttled left then tottled right and then flipped and landed on the hood. The three with minor injuries included cuts on hands from cladd, sprain neck and bruises.
On 11-7, vehicle was making s-like movements, consumer had difficulty keeping vehicle in the lane, after about 10 seconds, the problems ceased, however the following day the same problems occurred and consumer was unable to control vehicle, the vehicle would not respond to the steering wheel being turned, consumer collided twice with the guardrail.
Vehicle was approximately going 60mph when a loss of steering caused vehicle to jerk side to side and roll over. Metal fatigue caused the hydrualic rack and pinion to burst and leak fluid. This manufacturer was notified, and vehicle was totaled.
The steering wheel makes a grinding noise when making a left of right turn. Dealership replaced the power steering hose with an updated one, as stated in the technical servic ebulletin 9821-01 which corrected the problem.
While making a left hand turn at approx. 5-10mph vehicle lost all power in steering and braking systems and vehicle became uncontrollable and kept turning left into tree. Driver sustained minor injuries.
NHTSA investigations
Steering knuckle separations
There is no summary currently available
Steering complaints in other Explorer years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 1998 Ford Explorer?
NHTSA has 70 complaints about the steering of the 1998 Ford Explorer, 4% of the model year's 1,959 complaints. The component named most often is rack and pinion (13 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1998 Ford Explorer steering problems?
No. NHTSA lists no steering 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 steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 122,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 11 crashes, 1 fire and 9 injuries and 1 death to steering 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.