Total Complaints
5 filings
FORD MUSTANG COBRA · model year
1998 FORD MUSTANG COBRA
5 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1998FORDMUSTANG COBRA carries 5 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 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 MUSTANG COBRA is electrical system:wiring with 1 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline (1) and engine and engine cooling:engine (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 2 investigation files overlapping the 1998 MUSTANG COBRA. 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.
5
Complaints
1
Crashes
1
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
1 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 |
|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 1 |
| TIRES:BEAD | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20110510FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
FILLER NECK TO TANK GASKET RIPPED AND LEAKING FUEL. CAUSES FUEL TO POUR FROM THE VEHICLE ON LEFT HAND TURNS WITH FULL TANK OF FUEL. HIGH PROBABILITY OF AN AUTO FIRE DUE TO THIS CONDITION. *TR
Mileage: 75,000
20051018CrashTIRES:BEAD
ON AUGUST 07, 2005 I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE 85 IN SOUTH CAROLINA AT 65 MPH. MY CAR SUDDENLY MADE AN ABRUPT TURN TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AT A 45 DEGREE ANGLE. THE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT WAS THAT THE TIRE SUDDENLY DEFLATED LOOSING IT'S BEAD WITH THE WHEEL. THE TIRE WAS A NITTO NT555 P255/35/18. IT WAS MOUNTED ON A 9.5 INCH GENUINE FORD WHEEL.*JB
Mileage: 101,489
20051003ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
APPROXIMATELY THE SECOND WEEK OF MAY WHILE DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY A LOUD HISSING NOISE OCCURRED AND AN IMMEDIATE LOSS OF PRESSURE OCCURRED . WHEN STOPPED AT A LIGHT THE LOUD NOISE WAS EVIDENT. I BROUGHT THE CAR TO MY MECHANIC AND THE DISCOVERY WAS A SPARK PLUG HAD DETENADED IN THE ENGINE . SPARK PLUG WIRES WERE COOKED AND BURNT , THE THREADS IN THE ENGINE HAD BEEN STRIPPED DUE TO THE BLOW OUT OF THE PLUG. THE PLUG WAS NOT STRIPPED. THE ONLY WAY IT COULD BE FIXED WAS TO HAVE IT RECOILED , NOT CHEAP IT COST ME ABOUT $1800,00 IN REPAIRS AND IN MY CASE IT HAD TO BE DONE BY SOMEONE WHO WORKS ON THIS PARTICULAR VEHICLE. I HAVE HEARD THIS PROBLEM OCCURRING IN A NUMBER OF FORD VEHICLES. THIS SHOULD NEVER HAPPEN AND FORD NEEDS TO PAY FOR MY UNNECESSARY REPAIRS. *NM
Mileage: 90,000
20050915ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
MY ENGINE STARTED CLANKING NOISES BEFORE IT EVEN HAD 100,000 KILOMETERS ON IT, NOW THE ENGINE IS TOAST AT ABOUT 105,000 KILOMETERS, I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY FORD THAT I HAVE SPUN THE MAIN BEARING AND WILL NEED A NEW ENGINE,. THIS VEHICLE IS BABIED, REGULAR OIL CHANGES WITH PURE SYNTHETIC OIL, AND PREMIUM GAS. *NM
Mileage: 70,000
20041130FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
CAR WILL NOT START, STARTER SOLENOID CLICKS. REPEATED ATTEMPTS TO START CAUSES SMOKE TO RISE FROM THE CENTER CONSOLE. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALS THE SMOKE IS COMMING FROM THE RUBBER BOOT WHERE THE METAL PARKING BREAK CABLE GOES FROM THE INSIDE TO THE OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE CABLE ACTUALLY GLOWS RED FROM HEAT (APARENT GROUND PATH FOR SOME KIND OF SHORT). THE STARTER CIRCUIT DOES NOT WORK BUT THE VEHICLE WILL ROLL START (MANUAL TRANSMISSION). THIS IS SECOND OCCURANCE OF THIS PROBLEM. FIRST OCCURANCE WAS IN JUNE OF 2000 @ 14,500 MILES. DEALER REPAIR NOTES" WIRING VERIFY COMPL PERFORM NO CRANK DIAG CHECK ALL FUSES OPEN IN CIR 33 TRACE CIR FOUND LOOSE PIN AT CONN 112 REPAIR CHECK OPERATION ROAD TEST REQUEST ACTUAL TIME FOR ELECT REPAIR TECH 551" I NOW HAVE 33,000 MILES ON VEHICLE, NOVEMBER 2004 -- FIRE AND SAFETY HAZARD - DAMAGE TO PARKING BREAK CABLE???*AK
Mileage: 32,801
Compare 1998FORDMUSTANG COBRA to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1998 FORD MUSTANG COBRA have?▼
The 1998 FORD MUSTANG COBRA has 5 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 1 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1998 FORD MUSTANG COBRA?▼
The most-complained component for the 1998 FORD MUSTANG COBRA is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE and ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE.
Is the 1998 FORD MUSTANG COBRA 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.