Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
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.
Truck was parked at the veterinarian and I had gone inside with my two dogs. After about 15 or 20 minutes someone outside was blowing there car horn. The receptionist looked out and then told me my truck was on fire. I ran outside and smoke and flames were coming out from under the hood. We used fire extinguishers but that did very little. The fire truck got there and got the fire put out. They cut the hood open to make sure the fire was out.
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
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
Upon activating turn signal on a dark morning, the headlights completely failed. Activating the dim/bright lever provided intermittent activation. Upon release of the dim/bright function the headlights would not remain on in either dim or bright mode. Other users of vehicle report complete headlight failure. They too have been able to restore headlight function intermittently after several frantic seconds operating the light switch or the dimming lever while traveling in the dark.
While driving with headlights on at night the headlights go out intermittently. The consumer must turn the headlight switch several times to get the headlights to operate again. When the consumer placed the high beams on, they would fail to go back to dim. The switch on the dash sometimes failed to bring the lights on, would take several minutes before going off. The switches in the doors were faulty and casued the lights to fail to turn off.
While driving with headlights on at night, the headlights suddenly went out. The consumer had to turn the headlight switch several times to get the headlights to operate again. The lights went out again and the consumer had to move the switch on the steering column back and forth to get the lights back on. The consumer was aware of other owners who have experienced this same problem.
I have had 3 door switches replaced on my Ranger due to the "door ajar" light coming on. I have also talked to other people w/fords and they have had the same problem. My dome light will stay on, as does the door ajar light and sometimes the horn starts blowing.
Consumer was traveling noticed smoke coming from the engine compartment when the vehicle caught on fire under the hood vehicle burned quickly, and was totaled. Cause of the fire was undetermined. Please provide any further details.
Vehicle was sitting still idling and smoke started comiing from beneath the hood. There was no warning before vehicle caught on fire. Dealer and manufacturer were not notified. Vehicle was totaled.
Electrical complaints in other Ranger years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 1998 Ford Ranger?
NHTSA has 29 complaints about the electrical system of the 1998 Ford Ranger, 5% of the model year's 576 complaints. The component named most often is wiring › front underhood (4 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1998 Ford Ranger electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 1998 Ford Ranger, though it has 5 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 Ranger electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 50,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 7 fires and 0 injuries to electrical system 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.