Total Complaints
6 filings
FORD MOUNTAINEER · model year
1998 FORD MOUNTAINEER
6 NHTSA complaints. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1998FORDMOUNTAINEER carries 6 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.
The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 1998 MOUNTAINEER is tires:tread/belt with 2 filings, followed by suspension:front (1) and electrical system:starter assembly (1). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.
NHTSA currently has 179 investigation files overlapping the 1998 MOUNTAINEER, and 6 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.
6
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 |
|---|---|
| TIRES:TREAD/BELT | 2 |
| SUSPENSION:FRONT | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:STARTER ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20131115ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
THE PASSENGER FRONT DOOR DOES NOT RELEASE: NOW THE CAR WOULD NOT START. WE'VE BOOSTED IT AND IT WOULD RUN BUT ONCE TURNED OFF IT WOULD NOT TURN ON AGAIN. *TR
20131115STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR
THE PASSENGER FRONT DOOR DOES NOT RELEASE: NOW THE CAR WOULD NOT START. WE'VE BOOSTED IT AND IT WOULD RUN BUT ONCE TURNED OFF IT WOULD NOT TURN ON AGAIN. *TR
20060310FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:STARTER ASSEMBLY
MY 1998 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER WAS HAVING A SLOW START FOR THE PAST MONTH. A FEW TIMES THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START, SOUNDING AS IF THE BATTERY WAS DEAD. IT WAS HAPPENING DURING THE COLD WEATHER SO WE ATTRIBUTED THESE SYMPTOMS TO THE COLD. WE HAD BATTERY CHECKED AND IT WAS FINE. ON MARCH 9,2006 WHILE MY VEHICLE WAS SITTING IN MY DRIVEWAY IT CAUGHT FIRE. THANKS TO SOME FAST RESPONDING NEIGHBORS THERE WAS NO FIRE DAMAGE TO MY HOUSE. THE FIRE WAS MAINLY NEAR THE SOLENOID OR THE STARTER AND EVERYTHING IS COMPLETELY FIRE DAMAGED. I READ THAT THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THIS MAKE/MODEL DUE TO THE CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH WHICH WE WERE ALSO EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS. WHAT CAN WE DO? *NM
20001101TIRES:TREAD/BELT
CONSUMER REPLACED FIRESTONE TIRES BECAUSE THEY WERE INCLUDED IN RECALL 00T-005, CONSUMER REQUESTS REIMBURSEMENT. *SLC
20000914TIRES:TREAD/BELT
#P23575R15,WHILE CHECK TIRES NOTICED SOME SEPARATION ON ALL FOUR TIRES. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK FIRESTONE DEALER CONFIRMED THAT ALL FOUR TIRES WERE DEFECTIVE, BUT INDICATED THE TIRES WERE NOT ON RECALL. *YH
20000619SUSPENSION:FRONT
WHEN STEERING WHEEL IS TURNED LEFT IT MAKES A LOUD NOISE. NOISE SOUNDS LIKE METAL WAS RUBBING TOGETHER. DEALERSHIP AND MANUFACTUER ARE UNAWARE OF A REMEDY FOR DEFECT. DEALERSHIP HAS ADVISED CONSUMER THAT DEFECT CAN CAUSE THE POWER STEERING TO GO OUT WITHOUT WARNING. *AK
Compare 1998FORDMOUNTAINEER to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 6 Open
EA26004Engineering AnalysisOpen
Timing Belt Failure
DP26004Defect PetitionOpen
Anti-lock brake system (ABS) Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) illuminated
EA26001Engineering AnalysisOpen
Unintended Transmission Downshift and Rear Wheel Lock-up
PE25020Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Timing Belt Failure
DP25001Defect PetitionClosed
Underbody shields detachment
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1998 FORD MOUNTAINEER have?▼
The 1998 FORD MOUNTAINEER has 6 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 1 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1998 FORD MOUNTAINEER?▼
The most-complained component for the 1998 FORD MOUNTAINEER is TIRES:TREAD/BELT with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SUSPENSION:FRONT and ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:STARTER ASSEMBLY.
Is the 1998 FORD MOUNTAINEER 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 vintage: August 2026. 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.
Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 1998 FORD MOUNTAINEER; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.