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#BS-1998-FOREXP-C0A8

1998 Ford ExpeditionProblems, Recalls & Reliability

Based on reports from 1,022 owners and 7 recalls for this exact model.

Data updated ·checked October 21, 2026 · NHTSA complaints through October 19, 2026

Complaints
1,022
Crashes
54
Fires
80
Recalls
7
TSBs
294
🛑

Preliminary Verdict

Red Flag

Based on 1,022 complaints, 54 crashes, 80 fires, and 7 recalls. Complaint rate is 2.4x the class average.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

Top reported problems

1

spark plug blew out the head

20 complaints • Severity 8.9/10

$X,XXX
2

air suspension failure

9 complaints • Severity 6.4/10

$X,XXX
3

interior lights wont go off

7 complaints • Severity 6.9/10

$X,XXX
4

shift indicator is misaligned

6 complaints • Severity 4.7/10

$X,XXX
5

engine shudder

3 complaints • Severity 10/10

$X,XXX

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Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the ElectricalHIGH

60 owners reported electrical issues — failures commonly reported around 110K miles.

!Inspect the Engine And Engine Cooling:engineMED
Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure
+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

Failure Timeline by Mileage

13
0–30K
26
30–60K
80
60–90K
94
90–120K
67
120–150K
86
150K+

Peak failure range: 90–120K miles (94 reports) • Median: 110K miles

Full report: which components fail at each mileageUnlock

30,000-Mile Cost Projection

Best Case

$X,XXX

Most Likely

$X,XXX

Worst Case

$X,XXX

Top cost driver: Electrical (60 reports).

Includes fuel costs, common repairs, and recall riskUnlock

Also in your report

Owner Intelligence

AI-synthesized themes from real complaints

Buyer Lot Checklist

Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers

Negotiation Talking Points

Data-backed dollar deductions

Buy / Skip Verdict

Final recommendation with conditions

10 sections total in the full reportUnlock all

Where the complaints fall

Electrical60 (6%)
Engine And Engine Cooling:engine58 (6%)
Engine44 (4%)
Speed Control43 (4%)
Suspension:front:springs:torsion Bar39 (4%)
Wheels & Tires35 (3%)
Suspension:front:stabilizer Bar32 (3%)
Power Train:automatic Transmission29 (3%)

1998 Ford Expedition: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Electrical Issues

Electrical complaints account for 6% of all reports filed for the 1998 Ford Expedition, with 60 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 110,000 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 110K-mile mark.

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine Issues

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine complaints account for 6% of all reports filed for the 1998 Ford Expedition, with 58 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to engine and engine cooling:engine-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Engine Issues

Engine complaints account for 4% of all reports filed for the 1998 Ford Expedition, with 44 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to engine-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Speed Control Issues

Speed Control complaints account for 4% of all reports filed for the 1998 Ford Expedition, with 43 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to speed control-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.

Complaint trend by year

102
00
111
01
80
02
93
03
68
04
94
05
28
06
22
07
32
08
23
09
28
10
18
11
21
12
7
13
23
14
2
15
9
16
5
17
4
18
3
19
3
20
1
23

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 1998 Ford Expedition. Recent trend: decreasing.

Don't negotiate blind — know what this car costs to own

Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict

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Recall History (7 recalls)

00V073000May 2000

TRAILER HITCHES

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: MULTI-PURPOSE VEHICLES. THE TRAILER HITCH ASSEMBLY TO THE FRAME ATTACHING BOLTS COULD LOSE THE CLAMP LOAD.

00V168000Jul 2000

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: MINI VANS, LIGHT PICKUP TRUCKS, AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES. OFF LEASE CANADIAN VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS WHICH MEET CANADIAN REQUIREMENTS AND NOT THE PHOTOMETRIC REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." ACCORDING TO FORD, THE VEHICLES WERE IMPORTED INTO THE U.S. ERRONEOUSLY.

05V388000Sep 2005

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.

06E060000Aug 2006

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

CERTAIN AAI MOTORSPORTS COMBINATION LAMPS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON THE ABOVE LIST PASSENGER VEHICLES. COMBINATION LAMPS NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT."

06E067000Jul 2006

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS

CERTAIN MAXZONE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLIES, DEPO BRAND, P/NOS. 331-1129L-ASN AND 331-1129R-ASN, SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR THE ABOVE LISTED PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE PHOTOMETRIC REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.

+ 2 more recalls in the full report

Recall severity analysis & seller scripts

The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.

Unlock

NHTSA Defect Investigations (5)

All closed. Investigations are how NHTSA decides whether a defect needs a recall.

DP05005ClosedOpened Sep 2005 · closed Jan 2006

SPARK PLUG EJECTION FROM CYLINDER HEAD

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

EA05005ClosedOpened Mar 2005 · closed Aug 2006

ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

PE01022ClosedOpened Jul 2001 · closed Nov 2001

FRONT STABILIZER LINK

SUSPENSION

PE98024ClosedOpened Apr 1998 · closed Jul 1998

TIE ROD END FAILURES

STEERING

PE99060ClosedOpened Sep 1999 · closed Mar 2000

FACTORY INSTALLED TOWING HITCH SEPARATIO

EQUIPMENT

The worst model year for the Ford Expedition is the 2004 — worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is engine.

1998 Ford Expedition vs. Class Average (Special Purpose Vehicle 2WD)

This vehicle

1,022

Class avg

423

2.4x the class average — significantly more complaints than typical special purpose vehicle 2wd vehicles.

Complaint counts correlate with sales volume — popular vehicles naturally generate more reports. The full report normalizes for this.

About this data

NHTSA Complaints

Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 1,022 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 7 recalls found for this vehicle.

Repair Cost Data

Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.

Last updated (checked October 21, 2026). NHTSA complaints received through October 19, 2026.

Other Ford Expedition Model Years

202720262025202420232022202120202019201820172016201520142013201220112010200920082007200620052004200320022001200019991998199719961994
View all Ford Expedition years →

1998 Ford Expedition: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 1998 Ford Expedition?
The most commonly reported issue with the 1998 Ford Expedition is related to the electrical, with 60 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 1998 Ford Expedition reliable?
The 1998 Ford Expedition has 1,022 complaints, 54 crash reports, and 80 fire reports filed with NHTSA. This is 2.4x the class average — higher than typical for its segment.
How much does it cost to fix 1998 Ford Expedition problems?
Repair costs vary by issue. The full BumperScan report includes detailed repair cost estimates (low/median/high) for every major issue, plus a 30,000-mile total cost of ownership projection.
Does the 1998 Ford Expedition have any recalls?
Yes, the 1998 Ford Expedition has 7 recalls on record. The full report includes recall severity analysis and scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
What mileage do Ford Expedition problems start?
Based on 366 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 110,000 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 90–120K mile range. The full report breaks down exactly which components fail at each mileage bracket.
When was the 1998 Ford Expedition data last updated?
BumperScan last checked this vehicle against NHTSA on October 21, 2026, covering owner complaints received through October 19, 2026 plus the latest recalls, investigations and technical service bulletins. Its numbers last changed on October 4, 2026.
What’s in the full report?
10 sections of AI analysis: severity-ranked issues, component scores (0-100), 30K-mile cost projection, failure timeline by mileage, recall details with seller scripts, owner sentiment analysis, mechanic checklist, buyer lot checklist, negotiation ammo with dollar figures, and a buy/skip verdict.
How is this different from free NHTSA data?
NHTSA gives you raw complaint text. BumperScan cross-references 2.1M+ complaints with community repair cost data, EPA fuel data, and recall records — then uses AI to synthesize it into actionable advice with dollar figures.
How is this different from Carfax?
Carfax is VIN-specific history ($45/report). BumperScan is model-level reliability intelligence — what problems this car is known for, what they cost, and whether you should buy it. Complementary, not competing.
What if the report isn’t useful?
100% money-back guarantee. If the report doesn’t help you make a more informed decision, we’ll refund you — no questions asked.
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10 sections of AI analysis based on 1,022 owner reports. Know before you buy.

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