Total Complaints
8 filings
FORD EXPLORER SPORT TRAC · model year
1998 FORD EXPLORER SPORT TRAC
8 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1998FORDEXPLORER SPORT TRAC carries 8 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 1 fire, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1998 EXPLORER SPORT TRAC is fuel system, gasoline:delivery:hoses, lines/piping, and fittings with 1 filings, followed by electrical system:12v/24v/48v battery (1) and latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 177 investigation files overlapping the 1998 EXPLORER SPORT TRAC, and 8 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
8
Complaints
0
Crashes
1
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY | 1 |
| LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH | 1 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CRUISE CONTROL | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 1 |
| ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20190303SERVICE BRAKES
TAKATA RECALL.. THE LIGHTS INSIDE WILL CUT ON FOR NO REASON. THE RADIO AND OTHER COMPONENTS WILL CUT ON AND OFF WHEN THEY WANT..THE BRAKE PADDLE WORKS WHEN IT WANT .
Mileage: 179,766
20190303ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)
TAKATA RECALL.. THE LIGHTS INSIDE WILL CUT ON FOR NO REASON. THE RADIO AND OTHER COMPONENTS WILL CUT ON AND OFF WHEN THEY WANT..THE BRAKE PADDLE WORKS WHEN IT WANT .
Mileage: 179,766
20190303ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
TAKATA RECALL.. THE LIGHTS INSIDE WILL CUT ON FOR NO REASON. THE RADIO AND OTHER COMPONENTS WILL CUT ON AND OFF WHEN THEY WANT..THE BRAKE PADDLE WORKS WHEN IT WANT .
Mileage: 179,766
20060827SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS
THE BRAKE LINE ON BOTH OF MY 1996 AND 1998 FORD EXPLORER RUSTED OUT LAST YEAR AND THIS YEAR ON BOTH SUVS, CAUSING THE BRAKE SYSTEM TO TOTALLY FAIL ON THE 1996 AND LOST ONE SET OF BRAKES ON THE 1998. WE WERE VERY LUCKY. THE PROBLEM WAS NOTICED WHEN PARKED. *JB
Mileage: 45,700
20060202FireVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CRUISE CONTROL
ON JANUARY 26TH, 2006 AT 3AM OUR 1998 FORD EXPLORER EXPLODED IN 33 DEGREE WEATHER AFTER SITTING IN THE DRIVEWAY FOR 15 HOURS. THE FIRE CAUSED MY VEHICLE, A 1994 BUICK CENTURY TO CATCH FIRE AS WELL. BOTH VEHICLES WERE TOTALED. THE FIRE INVESTIGATOR RULED THE FIRE AS AND "UNKNOWN CAUSE" AND RULED OUT ARSON OR FOUL PLAY. WE BELIEVE THIS SPONTANEOUS FIRE WAS CAUSED BY THE DEFECTIVE CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH ON THE FORD EXPLORER DUE TO THE QUICKNESS AND FIERCENESS OF THIS BLAZE. DUE TO QUICK THINKING WE SAVED AND PREVENTED THE FIRE FROM SPREADING TO OUR HOME. *NM
Mileage: 88,000
20050323LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR WILL NOT OPEN FROM THE INSIDE OR OUTSIDE. THE CONSUMER WAS AWARE OF THE FORD TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN REGARDING LOCK COMPONENTS. *AK THE DOOR COULD NOT BE OPENED WITH THE KEY OR FROM THE INSIDE HANDLE. THE DOOR COULD NOT BE UNLOCKED WITHOUT EXCESSIVE EFFORT. *SC *JB
Mileage: 51,700
20050210FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS
I OWN A FORD EXPLORER 1988 BOUGHT NEW IN 1999. I HAVE ONLY 36.000 MILES ON IT AND LAST MONTH I WAS JUST DRIVING FOR ABOUT 2 MILES WHEN I SENSED A POWERFUL SMELL OF GAS. PULLED OVER IMEDIATELY, OPENED THE HOOD A I SAW GASOLIN POURING ON THE ENGINE AND THE BATTERIES FROM THE TWO FUEL LINES GOING INTO THE FEUEL INJECTION SYSTEM IN TOP OF THE ENGINE. I HAVE CALLED FORD AND THEY TOLD ME THERE IS NO RECALL ON THIS. IT SHOULD BE BECAUSE THE FORD DEALER WHERE I HAVE FIXED THE PROBLEM(700$ !!!!). OLD ME THEY ENCOUNTERED THIS PROBLEM OTHER TIMES. PLEASE DO AN INVESTIGATION BEFORE PEOPLE WILL DIE BURNT ALIVE. I DROVE NEW, OLD AND VERY OLD CARS AND I HAVE NEVER HAD OR HEARD OF THIS KIND OF PROBLEM. *AK IT IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE! PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU WILL DO SOMETHING THANKS SORIN
Mileage: 36,000
20050210ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY
I OWN A FORD EXPLORER 1988 BOUGHT NEW IN 1999. I HAVE ONLY 36.000 MILES ON IT AND LAST MONTH I WAS JUST DRIVING FOR ABOUT 2 MILES WHEN I SENSED A POWERFUL SMELL OF GAS. PULLED OVER IMEDIATELY, OPENED THE HOOD A I SAW GASOLIN POURING ON THE ENGINE AND THE BATTERIES FROM THE TWO FUEL LINES GOING INTO THE FEUEL INJECTION SYSTEM IN TOP OF THE ENGINE. I HAVE CALLED FORD AND THEY TOLD ME THERE IS NO RECALL ON THIS. IT SHOULD BE BECAUSE THE FORD DEALER WHERE I HAVE FIXED THE PROBLEM(700$ !!!!). OLD ME THEY ENCOUNTERED THIS PROBLEM OTHER TIMES. PLEASE DO AN INVESTIGATION BEFORE PEOPLE WILL DIE BURNT ALIVE. I DROVE NEW, OLD AND VERY OLD CARS AND I HAVE NEVER HAD OR HEARD OF THIS KIND OF PROBLEM. *AK IT IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE! PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU WILL DO SOMETHING THANKS SORIN
Mileage: 36,000
Compare 1998FORDEXPLORER SPORT TRAC to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 8 Open
EA26001Engineering AnalysisOpen
Unintended Transmission Downshift and Rear Wheel Lock-up
PE25020Preliminary EvaluationOpen
Timing Belt Failure
DP25001Defect PetitionOpen
Underbody shields detachment
PE25007Preliminary EvaluationOpen
B-Pillar Trim Detachment
PE25002Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Unintended Transmission Downshift and Rear Wheel Lock-up
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1998 FORD EXPLORER SPORT TRAC have?▼
The 1998 FORD EXPLORER SPORT TRAC has 8 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 1 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1998 FORD EXPLORER SPORT TRAC?▼
The most-complained component for the 1998 FORD EXPLORER SPORT TRAC is FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY and LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH.
Is the 1998 FORD EXPLORER SPORT TRAC safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.