10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
0 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.

Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 1998 Ford Explorer:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

problem #4

Jan 012001

Explorer

  • miles
Vehicle is blowing fuel inside of gas tank, it has been on more than one occasion. Dealers will be notified.

- Collins, MS, USA

problem #3

Nov 242000

Explorer 4WD

  • miles
This component has failed four times starting Jun 24 2000, then again Aug 15th 2000, Oct 7th 2000 and then Nov 24th. No sadfety defect mentioned in summary.

- Ilwaco, WA, USA

problem #2

Sep 201999

(reported on)

Explorer 4WD

  • miles
The gas tank will not fill completely. I have had the vehicle back to dealer at least 4 times regarding this problem, they took the tank off at least twice. When filling the gas tank it shuts off & I am able to continue to fill the tank at least putting in 5 to 6 gallons more. I am never sure if the tank is full or not. This has been an ongoing problem since I took this vehicle home from day 1.

- Bethlehem, PA, USA

problem #1

Oct 071998

Explorer

  • miles
I was driving Explorer on the freeway at about 65mph with a full tank of 21 gallons fuli saw at the last moment a type of hand tool in my lane. It looked like a wrench or something. Because of the size I couldn't see it until the last moment. I did not swerve to miss it because I did not have time to check for a clear lane to swerve into, and did not want to just move over quickly and cause an accident with a car next to me. Also I did not think that running over this small tool would have such a serious out come. I only heard a small thump as the tool went under my tire. Then less than a mile later when I got off at my exit and stopped at a red light, a man that was at the light next to me ran over to my window and began pounding on it and yelling a T me to get out of my car because it was dumping gasoline all over. I got out and even with the fast response of the fire department and the highway patrol my car had dumped gas all over the road. It is a wonder that even with the car (from driving on the highway) the gasoline did not catch fire. If it had caught fire not only myself, but all those stopped at the red light could have been seriously injured or killed. When Ford was making the repairs they informed me that my Explorer does not come with skid plates that would have prevented this type of accident, they stated that they are standard on the 4X4 (which mine is not) and an option on my 2wd. They then stated that this kind of problem can happen very easily and the best protection is to pay the extra and have them install the skid plates which you bet your life I did because I already risked my own more than I ever care too. Now tell me how it is that they can know that there is a serious chance that a person could have a small rock or object fly up and rupture a gas tank and cause a fire and that the owner never knew that the car had no protection from this problem. If they knew this was a problem why dont they need to put the skid plates on all of the cars.

- Newbury Park, CA, USA