Total Complaints
8 filings
FORD PICKUP · model year
1998 FORD PICKUP
8 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1998FORDPICKUP 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, 0 fires, 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 PICKUP is power train:automatic transmission with 2 filings, followed by suspension:front (1) and service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:disc:rotor (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 5 investigation files overlapping the 1998 PICKUP. 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
0
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 |
|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 2 |
| SUSPENSION:FRONT | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR | 1 |
| TIRES | 1 |
| SUSPENSION:FRONT:SPRINGS:TORSION BAR | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | 1 |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20121217FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
WE WERE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN WE HEARD A LOUD NOISE TO FIND OUT THE GAS TANK WAS DRAGGING ON THE HIGHWAY AND GASOLINE WAS POURING OUT IN WHICH WE HAD FOUND OUT THAT THE FORD CO. HAD A DEFECT & A RECALL IN WHICH WE WERE NOT INFORMED BUT WAS TOLD IN RETURN THAT THEY HAD SENT OUT RECALL NOTICES BUT WAS SENT TO AN OLD ADDRESS THEY IN REPLY TOLD US IT WAS NOT COVERED AND ENDED UP PAYING $700.00 OUT OF POCKET FOR THERE SAFETY MISHAP IS THERE ANY LIABILITY FROM THE FORD MOTOR CO SINCE IT IS A ISSUE OF SAFETY PLEASE LET US KNOW IF THERE IS ANY LEGAL RECOURSE. *TR
Mileage: 95,000
20110909FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
I WAS TRAVELING SOUTH ON HIGHWAY 21S AT AROUND 9AM ON THE MORNING OF 7/30/08 AND HAD JUST FILLED THE GAS TANK UP ABOUT 10 MILES BACK, TRAVELING AT THE SPEED LIMIT OF 55 MPH IN THE RIGHT LANE WHEN THE FRONT STRAP OF THE GAS TANK BROKE AND THE TANK WAS DRAGGED FOR A SHORT DISTANCE UNTIL I PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND SHUT DOWN THE VEHICLE. THE TANK RECEIVED A SPLIT IN THE FRONT AND PROCEEDED TO LEAK GAS. I IMMEDIATELY PHONED 911 TO REPORT THE INCIDENT. FIRE DEPARTMENT RESPONDED ALONG WITH THE PASSAIC COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH. BECAUSE THE FUEL LEAK WAS MORE THAN 5 GALLONS I WAS INFORMED I HAD TO CALL AND WAIT FOR A PRIVATE HAZARDOUS WASTE COMPANY TO ARRIVE AND CLEANUP. AFTER 6 HOURS AND CLEANUP HAD VEHICLE TOWED. *TR
Mileage: 101,000
20011221POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
TRANSMISSION WILL NOT GO INTO GEAR. ALSO, THERE IS A ROARING NOISE UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM. *AK
20000911SUSPENSION:FRONT:SPRINGS:TORSION BAR
THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED FAILURE OF THE TORSION BAR ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS WHILE DRIVING. *MJS
20000822TIRES
TIRE WOULD NOT HOLD AIR THE BOTTOM WAS REAL MUSHY WOULD NOT EVEN HOLD A PATCH. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P23570R16 )
19990830SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR
FRONT ROTORS WORN OUT. YH
19981116POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
WHEN DRIVING ABOUT 40 MPH THE VEHICLE WOULDN'T GO INTO GEAR, AND THE CONSUMER HAD TO KEEP PULLING ON THE STICK TO GET TO GO INTO GEAR. VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP FIVE TIMES, AND THE DEALER CAN'T DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. ALSO, THE VEHICLE VIBRATES AND THERE IS A KNOCKING NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. *AK
19981116SUSPENSION:FRONT
WHEN DRIVING ABOUT 40 MPH THE VEHICLE WOULDN'T GO INTO GEAR, AND THE CONSUMER HAD TO KEEP PULLING ON THE STICK TO GET TO GO INTO GEAR. VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP FIVE TIMES, AND THE DEALER CAN'T DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. ALSO, THE VEHICLE VIBRATES AND THERE IS A KNOCKING NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. *AK
Compare 1998FORDPICKUP to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1998 FORD PICKUP have?▼
The 1998 FORD PICKUP has 8 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1998 FORD PICKUP?▼
The most-complained component for the 1998 FORD PICKUP is POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SUSPENSION:FRONT and SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR.
Is the 1998 FORD PICKUP 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.