Most common 1998 Ford F-150 problems
Share of the 1,381 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Ford F-150 complaints by model year
Best F-150 years: 1996, 2009, 2008. Years to avoid: 2018, 2013, 2016, 2012, 2021. Compare all years →
1998 Ford F-150 recalls (8)
Fuel system, gasoline › Storage › Tank assembly › Mounting
Ford is recalling certain 1997 through 2003 model year Ford f-150, 2004 model year Ford f-150 heritage, 1997 through 1999 model year f-250 less than 8,500 lbs. Gross vehicle weight rating (gvwr), and 2002 and 2003 Lincoln blackwood vehicles manufactured from June 20, 1995, through August 4, 2004, originally sold, or currently…
Remedy: Ford will notify owners and instruct them to take their vehicles to a Ford or Lincoln dealer to have the fuel tank straps replaced with straps that have increased corrosion protection.
Vehicle speed control
On certain pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles equipped with speed control, the speed control deactivation switch May overheat, smoke, or burn.
Remedy: By letter dated September 12, 2005, owners were instructed to return their vehicles to their dealers to have the speed control deactivation switch disconnected.
Equipment › Other › Labels
Vehicle description: bi-fuel cng pickup trucks and bi-fuel cng vans, modified by cfi control systems, inc., fail to conform to the requirements of FMVSS no. 303, "fuel system integrity of compressed natural gas vehicles." the label affixed to the fuel filler door by the vehicle modifier contains the inspection date and…
Remedy: Owners will be provided a label with the required statement, along with instructions for affixing the label at the fuel filler door. Owner notification began November 2, 2000.
Exterior lighting
Vehicle description: Mini vans, light pickup trucks, and sport utility vehicles. Off lease canadian vehicles equipped with daytime running lights which meet canadian requirements and not the photometric requirements of FMVSS 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment." according to Ford, the vehicles were…
Remedy: Dealers will be advised to deactivate the running light function and to complete any outstanding safety recalls on these vehicles.
Fuel system, gasoline › Storage › Tank assembly
Vehicle description: light duty 4-wheel drive pickup trucks. If the vehicle is overloaded, the rear leaf springs can be overstressed. A fatigue fracture of the spring can occur. The center leaf of the spring can fracture at the forward edge of the spring seat and, in some cases, contact the fuel tank.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the rear springs and install an additional clip on the forward end of the rear springs to prevent fuel tank contact in the event of a leaf fracture. Any fractured springs will be replaced.
Wheels › Lugs/nuts/bolts/studs
Vehicle description: multi-purpose vehicles and light duty pickup trucks. The lug nuts on these vehicles May not create sufficient clamp load allowing wheel movement in relation to the hub/rotor mounting surface.
Remedy: Owners of these vehicles will be receiving two notifications. The first notification, which began in May 1998, will provide an interim repair procedure until parts become available.
Show 2 more recalls
Vehicle speed control › Accelerator pedal
Vehicle description: light duty pickup trucks equipped with a 4.2l engine and originally sold or currently registered in one of the following states: alaska, montana, north dakota, minnesota, wisconsin, new york, vermont, new hampshire, maine, michigan, idaho, wyoming, south dakota, colorado, nebraska, kansas, iowa, missouri,…
Remedy: Dealers will install a revised pcv system on these vehicles.
Power train › Automatic transmission › Gear position indication (PRNDL)
Vehicle description: light duty pickup trucks and multi-purpose passenger vehicles. If the automatic transmission shift cable assembly was not fully attached to the steering column bracket, the shift cable assembly can come out of the bracket.
Remedy: Dealers will make the proper attachment of the transmission shift control cable to the steering column bracket and add a tie strap to that connection.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 11 possible defects involving the 1998 Ford F-150:
Rear suspension spring breakage
In July 1998, Ford submitted a part 573 notification to NHTSA concerning broken rear springs on certain 1997-98 Ford f150 trucks, with four-wheel drive.Ford stated that fatigue fracture of the rear springs May occur if the spring are over stresses(sic) by vehicle overloading.the broken piece of the spring leaf May splay inward, damaging the fuel tank and causing fuel leakage.Ford also stated that a broken spring…
Blow back during refueling
There is no summary currently available
Spare tire wear
Tie rod end failures
There is no summary currently available
Fuel Tank Strap Corrosion/Rust
One or both of the steel straps holding up the fuel tank and attaching it to the truck frame can corrode and break.If one strap breaks, the tank may tilt and drop and possibly contact the road surface.If both straps break, the entire tank may drop to the road.If either failure occurs while the vehicle is being driven, contact with the road can abrade the tank and create a hole from which gasoline can spill.When the…
Steering column
Alleged loss of throttle control
The details of information and data evaluated during this investigation are stated in the engineering analysis closing report, dated September 30, 1999.a safety-related defect trend resulting from interference by the floor mat with proper operation of the throttle in the subject vehicles was not identified during the course of the ea, and the invrestigation has been closed.the closing of this investigation does not…
Fuel Tank Strap Failure Due to Corrosion
One or both of the steel straps holding up the fuel tank and attaching it to the truck frame can corrode and fail (break or separate).If one strap fails, the tank may tilt and drop and possibly contact the road surface.If both straps break, the entire tank may drop to the road.If either failure occurs while the vehicle is being driven, contact with the road can abrade the tank and create a hole from which gasoline…
Engine compartment fires
Ea05-005 is closed with Ford?s actions in recalls 05v-017, 05v-388, and 06v-286, recalling approximately 6.7 million vehicles equipped with texas instruments speed control deactivation switches (scds).the brake systems in these recalled vehicles generate a vacuum that can potentially cause the scds to fail and, in certain switch installation orientations, catch fire.Ford is also including the entire population of…
Spare tire mounting
The national highway traffic safety administration was petitioned to commence a defect investigation of the subject vehicles by a letter signed by william f. Allard and dated 15-feb-98.the petition alleges that the spare tire mounting places the tire sidewall directly in contact with the metal undercarriage causing wear and damage of the sidewall.the petition further alleges that when the damaged tire is used,…
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…
What 1998 Ford F-150 owners say
Fuel & propulsion system all 201 →
I have multiple issues that hit all around same time. Body rusted and water leaks getting the bcm wet which causes the truck to go haywire, lights flashing, doors locking and unlocking, radio stays on, caused multiple things to stop working, fuel tank leaks when filling it up where the fuel tank fill hose rusted into the tank, causing multiple vacuum leaks and horrible running conditions and truck dies if not holding clutch, gas and brake at light. Rear trailer wiring plug when it's connected causes multiple lights to stay on even though vehicle not running and everything off. Also melted all wires on 2 trailers causing shorted out lights, replaced clutch 2 times since purchase on 3rd clutch and mechanics not sure why even after showing them I am properly using the clutch system, not pulling heavy loads, or driving it like a race truck. …
My driver's side seat belt does not work at all for the past 6-8 months its been stuck and locked and it doesn't release the belt at all so I been driving without a seat belt for awhile now it needs to be repaired and as for the other issues unknown like bank-1 & bank-2 not working properly also evap-leaks and sensors not working
Wheels & tires all 195 →
October 13,2018 entire wheel assembly driver front wheel came off while driving on hwy 64 rocky mount north carolina, cause my truck to hit guard rail, the air bag did not deploy which cause me serious injury to my neck, I did not have the protection of the air bag.
My husband and I were on I-95 the rear tire thread separated and lost complete control of truck which cause it to hit the wall in the median twice. As a result we both sustained injuries in which we are currently under doctors care along with therapy. Bottom line we almost lost our lives. The tire had been purchase almost 6 months prior of accident to replace another one we told was defective. It was a p275/70r16 continental tire on our 1998 f-150 truck.
Engine & cooling all 187 →
Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle caught fire and burned. The vehicle was parked for 2 hours prior to the fire. The fire department stated in a written report the fire started in the engine compartment in the driver's side. Extensive property damage was sustained to the contact's house and personal property inside the vehicle. The insurance company investigated and deemed the vehicle a total loss. Additionally, a private fire investigator was hired to investigate the incident and came to the same conclusion as the insurance company. The contact received a recall NHTSA #05V388000 concerning the cruise control switch prior to the fire. Several dealerships were contacted to perform the recall remedy. The dealer's asked the contact not bring the vehicle in for service until the end of February when recall parts would be available. …
On Monday dec 19 2005 while driving with my wife and granddaughter, an explosion occurred under the hood of my 1998 Ford f150 VIN: [redacted]. Smoke came out the hood and through the air vents into the cab. The Ford dealer said the plastic plenum in the intake manifold cracked allowing raw gasoline to enter where it should not have and exploded. They replaced the manifold assembly with the new style aluminum manifold and plenum. This cost almost $1,100.00. I have since found that Ford settled a lawsuit 12/16/2005 in which the plastic plenums cracked. But this only covers a small number of Ford cars and not trucks. The dealer service mgr told me that Ford has developed a new aluminum plenum that replaces the old plastic one and I should have no more trouble. …
1998 Ford F-150 engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.2L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 15 / 19 / 16 |
| 4.2L 6-cyl | 5-speed manual | RWD | 14 / 18 / 15 |
| 4.6L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 14 / 18 / 15 |
| 4.6L 8-cyl | 5-speed manual | RWD | 13 / 17 / 15 |
| 4.2L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 14 / 17 / 15 |
| 4.2L 6-cyl | 5-speed manual | 4WD/AWD | 13 / 17 / 15 |
| 5.4L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 13 / 17 / 14 |
| 4.6L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 12 / 17 / 14 |
| 4.6L 8-cyl | 5-speed manual | 4WD/AWD | 13 / 16 / 14 |
| 5.4L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 11 / 15 / 13 |
EPA ratings. Class: Full-size pickup.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 1998 Ford F-150 a good car?
Based on 1,381 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 1998 F-150 rates average: 1.3× as many complaints as a typical year of the F-150 at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 1998 Ford F-150?
The fuel & propulsion system — 201 complaints, 15% of all complaints for this model year, most often about storage › tank assembly › mounting. Next are the wheels & tires (195) and engine & cooling (187).
How many recalls does the 1998 Ford F-150 have?
There are 8 recalls for the 1998 Ford F-150, the most recent from July 29, 2011 (mounting). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Ford F-150?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 1996, 2009 and 2008. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2018, 2013, 2016, 2012 and 2021. See the full Ford F-150 years comparison.
At what mileage do 1998 Ford F-150 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 113,000 miles; 9% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
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.