Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1998 Ford Ranger owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
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.
Pulled my 1998 Ford Ranger into a store parking lot. I was getting ready to park when I could smell something burning. Stopped the truck. Smoke was coming from under the hood. I popped the hood and saw an electrical plug burning with flames. I was able to blow the flames out before much else was damaged. I was able to drive it to a Ford dealership. They told me that the cruise control plug is what caught fire. It also damaged my reservoir for the brake fluid. They are replacing the master cylinder and the cruise control plug. Of course, this is at my own expense, not fords.
I own a 1998 Ford Ranger. To begin the cruise control quit working. Then I noticed smoke from the engine compartment area. The brake pressure switch on the master brake cylinder caught fire. My husband was able to disconnect it and extinguish the fire prior to any significant damage occurring. I contacted Ford and they advised the vehicle was not on the recall list of vehicles for this problem. I spoke to the dealer and they advised the truck had a similar or the same switch as those on the recalled vehicles that have caused fires in the past.
Pulled into a sloping down parking spot. Stopped, foot on the brake. Before I could shift out of drive, the engine abruptly revved up to max RPM. I had both feet on the brakes, the back wheels started spinning creating a cloud of blue smoke. I jammed the gears into park and they engine only quit after I turned off the key. I have several witnesses to the event. My regular mechanic disconnected the cruise control cable and it hasn't happened again. Ford contacted but refused to fix the problem.
Replaced fuse that had blown on cruise control on 1998 Ford Ranger. Stepped on brake to put in gear and noticed excessive smoke from under hood. Opened hood and found mechanism in front of master cylinder reservoir on fire. Small fire torched front of reservoir I put out the fire with a towel breaking the mechanism, cruise control brake disconnect.
I had driven my 98 Ford Ranger for a distance of about 10 miles prior to the incident. 2 hours after I got home my truck burst into flames. The truck is totaled now. I did nothing to remedy the situation because I was unaware of the problem. Thank you for your time.
My fuse #27 for backup lights and the o/d keeps blowing out and now the o/d light flashes sometimes I pulled the cover off of the steering column but the o/d cord wasn't pinched or damaged also no appearance of any wire touching anything
Sitting in friends driveway, not running, no keys. Had been there for 2 hours. Neighbor was the one who noticed the fire and notified us. We could have lost the truck sitting next to it along with the house. My husband put out the fire before the fire department arrived. The firefighters told us there had been a recall on the vehicle and that it was definitely cause by the cruise control switch. The vehicle is a total loss which puts us without a vehicle which I had just purchased four months prior to the fire. I called Ford motor company and still have heard nothing back from them. They said it would be 7-10 days before I hear from them. In the mean time I am stranded and no way to get back and forth to work or school. This has definitely put major stress on my whole family.
Engine surges when foot is off accelerator. Engine goes to high RPM and must be turned off with ignition key to keep it from exceeding RPM limits. This is an intermittent problem with no firm parameters for occurrence. This has happened even though there are no mats in the drivers side of the truck and drivers feet are flat on the floor not in contact with the accelerator, brake, or clutch. Dealer has replaced throttle body twice but that does not solve the problem. The dealer has no idea what is causing the problem. Problem has been in existence for at least 18 months.
Related recalls
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…
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.
Acceleration complaints in other Ranger years
Frequently asked questions
How common are acceleration problems on the 1998 Ford Ranger?
NHTSA has 71 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 1998 Ford Ranger, 12% of the model year's 576 complaints. The component named most often is cruise control (12 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1998 Ford Ranger acceleration problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 07V-336 (vehicle speed control, Aug 3, 2007); NHTSA recall 99V062001 (vehicle speed control, Mar 30, 1999). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 1998 Ford Ranger acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 85,000 miles, and 8% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 8 crashes, 10 fires and 4 injuries and 3 deaths to speed control & acceleration 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.