Most common 1998 Ford F-250 problems
Share of the 56 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Ford F-250 complaints by model year
Best F-250 years: 2010, 2009, 2007. Years to avoid: 1999, 2000, 2012, 2011, 2006. Compare all years →
1998 Ford F-250 recalls (6)
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 trucks equipped with speed control, gasoline or natural gas engines, the speed control deactivation switch May overheat.
Remedy: Dealers will install a fused wiring harness into the speed control system free of charge. The recall began on August 7, 2006. Owners May contact Ford at 1-866-436-7332. (note: also see recalls 05V017 and 05V388)
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.
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.
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 2 possible defects involving the 1998 Ford F-250:
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…
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-250 owners say
Suspension
Broken front torsion bar. Started motor, shifted from park to reverse, and without moving from the spot, heard a loud crack and the torsion bar had snapped. My garage was told by their parts supplier that, until this past month, they never had a request for this part before. This is now the second request in the past month. Kept the broken bar after replacement.
While driving, the rear suspension snapped. The consumer managed to pull over and had the vehicle towed. The dealership tried to repair the problem once before, but the problem was not resolved. Three air suspension bags had blown out since the consumer purchased the vehicle. (right airbag on the rear suspension)
Brakes
Have had 4 failures in the rear suspension system. First time, the traction bars were making a horrible metal-metal creaking/grinding noise; traction bars were replaced. Second time the entire bracket bolted to the frame came loose, sliding and banging around on the frame; tractions bars, traction bar brackets, and traction bar bolts all replaced. Third time air spring (air ride suspension) leaked down and caused the truck to pull to one side (truck was not level; driver's side rear rode very low, passenger side front rode very high); air spring was replaced. Fourth time the traction bar (passenger side) broke; service center not open, plan on taking it in tomorrow. Rear window seal has been 'fixed' twice, yet continues to leak water into the cab, last time shorting out some aftermarket electronics behind the rear seat. …
When brakes are applied, brakes lock and release resulting in failure of vehicle to stop. When brakes are applied quickly, pedal goes to floor and brakes fail. When traveling over a bumpy surface, if brakes are applied, they fail. If driving on extremely wet roads and brakes are applied, they fail to work properly. Brakes pads and/or rotors have been replaced numerous times due to improper wear. Numerous attempts have been made with the dealer and Ford motor company to resolve. However, since warranty has expired, Ford motor company refuses to discuss vehicle replacement. They acknowledge a braking defect however they claim to have no solution at this time. Copies of all repair orders and service notices from Ford are available, as well as correspondence to the dispute reolution board and Ford motor company.
Body & structure
On April 9th 2011 my fuel tank straps broke while driving at 45 MPH. The truck was pulled to the side of the road and the tank was hanging by the fuel lines and tank neck. The truck is a Ford f-250 light with a 24 1/2 gallon fuel tank, that has 102000 miles. I replaced both straps at a cost of $34.00. I painted the new straps to prevent future problems.
Both doors of vehicle exhibit a fatigue crack on the outside of the vehicle near the window area, rear edge, about 3 inches up from the bottom of window frame, crack begins at the rubber weather seal, then progresses rearward horizontally for about ,5 inches. We then checked my buddies 1997 f150 and his had it too. He then check 3 of his friends, and they also had the cracks. Seems that auto body shops know of this problem, check it out seems to be a high percentage from a very small sample.
1998 Ford F-250 engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.6L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 13 / 18 / 15 |
| 4.6L 8-cyl | 5-speed manual | RWD | 13 / 17 / 15 |
| 4.6L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 12 / 16 / 14 |
| 4.6L 8-cyl | 5-speed manual | 4WD/AWD | 13 / 16 / 14 |
| 5.4L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 12 / 16 / 13 |
| 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-250 a good car?
Based on 56 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 1998 F-250 rates better than average: 63% fewer complaints than a typical year of the F-250 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-250?
The suspension — 14 complaints, 25% of all complaints for this model year, most often about front › springs › torsion bar. Next are the brakes (11) and body & structure (9).
How many recalls does the 1998 Ford F-250 have?
There are 6 recalls for the 1998 Ford F-250, 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-250?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2010, 2009 and 2007. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 1999, 2000, 2012, 2011 and 2006. See the full Ford F-250 years comparison.
At what mileage do 1998 Ford F-250 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 116,000 miles; 11% 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.