Most common 1998 Ford Ranger problems
Share of the 576 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Ford Ranger complaints by model year
Best Ranger years: 2023, 2022, 2020. Years to avoid: 2019, 1999, 2000, 1998, 1996. Compare all years →
1998 Ford Ranger recalls (5)
Vehicle speed control
On certain pickup trucks, passenger vehicles, sport utility vehicles, and motor homes chassis, the speed control deactivation switch May, under certain conditions, leak internally and then overheat, smoke, or burn.
Remedy: Dealers will install a fused wiring harness. Owners of the passenger cars included in this campaign will be instructed to return their vehicles to their dealers to have the speed control deactivation switch disconnected…
Power train › Automatic transmission
Vehicle description: electric vehicles. The transaxle May have been manufactured with the park detent spring misaligned. If the spring is misaligned, the park mechanism May not engage when the shift lever is placed in the park position.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the transaxle and any with misaligned park detent springs will be replaced.
Vehicle speed control
Vehicle description: certain 1997-1999 rhd explorer equipped with 4.0l ohv/sohc engines and cruise control built from May 29, 1996 through March 4, 1999; 1998-1999 explorer/mountaineers equipped with 4.0l ohv/sohc or 5.0l engines or 1998-1999 rangers equipped with 2.5l, 3.0l ffv/efi or 4.0l engines and cruise control built from…
Remedy: Dealers will replace the cruise control cables. At the present time, the replacement cables are not available. Customers are being advised not to use the cruise control system until a replacement can be made.
Equipment › Other › Labels
Vehicle description: light duty four-wheel drive pickup trucks equipped with off-road option. The tire and rim identification information is incorrect on these vehicles. This does not comply with the requirements of FMVSS no. 120, "tire selection and rims for motor vehicles other than passenger cars."
Remedy: Owners will be sent a safety certificaiton label partial overlay which will contain the correct rim size, and instructions for affixing this label to the vehicle.
Fuel system, gasoline › Delivery › Hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Vehicle description: light duty pickup trucks equipped with 4.0l engines. The flexible section of the chassis mounted fuel line that connects to the engine was routed too close to the exhaust manifold. The line could contact the manifold.
Remedy: Dealers will install an additional clip to hold the fuel line in the intended design position.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 1998 Ford Ranger:
Steering knuckle separations
There is no summary currently available
What 1998 Ford Ranger owners say
Wheels & tires all 146 →
The spindle on the right front wheel of the vehicle split in half causing the wheel to separate from the vehicle. My son lost control and damaged the right front bumper and fender. But for the grace of god he could have been killed or seriously injured. He had just left the freeway.
While backing my 98 Ford Ranger 4.0 supercab with tow package (which has the beefier brakes) the aluminum bracket that holds the bar that the brake and clutch hinge on, broke away from the truck. This left me heading in reverse with no brake or clutch. I was in shock, imagine the steering wheel coming off in your hands while driving; that's how I felt. I didn't think to hit the emergency brake, but I was already halfway into the garage and had very little time to react properly before I crashed into the back wall (cinderblock) punching a hole in the wall which killed the engine. This happened at the fire station where I work! The police did a report. He saw and reported the brakes were broke although he didn't look very closely. Many of my superiors at the job saw that the brakes had broke away and were now dangling, useless. …
Speed control & acceleration all 71 →
My 1998 Ford Ranger caught fire on July 31, 2006. The truck had been parked in front of our house and the engine had been turned off. Minutes later, the vehicle unexpectedly caught fire under the hood and a watchful neighbor called the fire department. Now, the vehicle's engine is completely charred, property on the house is damaged, and the vehicle is a total loss. I have contacted my insurance company and I will have a fire inspector determine the cause of the fire. Further investigation on the internet has LED me to believe the fire May have been caused by a faulty speed control switch present on many Ford vehicles. The NHTSA is currently conducting an investigation on this matter, as it has already received over 550 complaints from similar incidents. Please make a report of this complaint and contact me for further information. Thank you.
Tl contact owns a 1998 Ford Ranger. After the vehicle had been parked for 13 hours, it caught fire. The contact filed a report with the police department. A recall notice for NHTSA campaign id number 07V336000 (vehicle speed control) was received prior to the failure and the vehicle was taken to the dealer on October 10, 2008 for the recall repair. The vehicle was repaired at that time; therefore, the contact does not understand how his vehicle still caught fire. The vehicle was destroyed. The contact called the manufacturer and was informed that he would receive a call back within 14 business days by their legal department. The failure mileage was 136,000.
Transmission & drivetrain all 60 →
1998 Ford Ranger, drive shaft broke on vehicle. After the drive shaft broke, it went through the gas tank can caused the vehicle to catch on fire. Ohio traffic crash report #10-0294-89 updated 05/03/10 updated 05/24/10 the rear axle pinion froze, the drive shaft twisted and broke in two. Updated 05/28/10
4wd stopped working some time ago, servo/actuator seemed to be free, recently started making grinding noises in the front right, sounds like hub is somewhere between locked and unlocked. Sort of pops out when coming to a stop HVAC does not work, fan speed only interior courtesy stopped working
1998 Ford Ranger engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | RWD | 19 / 24 / 21 |
| 2.5L 4-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 18 / 23 / 20 |
| 3.0L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 15 / 21 / 17 |
| 3.0L 6-cyl | 5-speed manual | RWD | 15 / 21 / 17 |
| 4.0L 6-cyl | 5-speed automatic | RWD | 15 / 20 / 17 |
| 4.0L 6-cyl | 5-speed manual | RWD | 15 / 20 / 17 |
| 3.0L 6-cyl | 5-speed manual | 4WD/AWD | 15 / 20 / 17 |
| 3.0L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 14 / 19 / 16 |
| 4.0L 6-cyl | 5-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 14 / 18 / 16 |
| 4.0L 6-cyl | 5-speed manual | 4WD/AWD | 14 / 19 / 16 |
EPA ratings. Class: Full-size pickup.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 1998 Ford Ranger a good car?
Based on 576 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 1998 Ranger rates avoid: 2.6× as many complaints as a typical year of the Ranger at the same age. It is one of the Ranger years we suggest avoiding. 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 Ranger?
The wheels & tires — 146 complaints, 25% of all complaints for this model year, most often about tread/belt. Next are the speed control & acceleration (71) and transmission & drivetrain (60).
How many recalls does the 1998 Ford Ranger have?
There are 5 recalls for the 1998 Ford Ranger, the most recent from August 3, 2007 (vehicle speed control). 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 Ranger?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2023, 2022 and 2020. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2019, 1999, 2000, 1998 and 1996. See the full Ford Ranger years comparison.
At what mileage do 1998 Ford Ranger problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 100,000 miles; 22% 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.