1998 Ford Ford Truck problems & reliability
25 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1998 Ford Ford Truck. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Tires → | 11 | 44% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 4 | 16% |
| Structure | 3 | 12% |
| Electrical System | 2 | 8% |
| Unknown OR Other | 2 | 8% |
| Power Train | 1 | 4% |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 4% |
| Seats | 1 | 4% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1 | 4% |
| Visibility | 1 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Frame rust rear. Spring mount broke off. Rear of truck loose. Repair done. Do not feel safe driving this truck. Large rust holes in frame. Only 90000. Miles. *tr”
Structure · filed Dec 2, 2016
“While riding back home from walmart, I heard an extremely loud boom then immediately followed by a consistent roaring loud noise. Frightened I immediately pulled over to the side of the road and got the girl out and away from the truck before it caught fire , because of the smoke. Caught a ride home and had a friend…”
Engine and Engine Cooling · filed Apr 9, 2010
“Truck over heated the engine coolant reservoir is leaking water that is thick and oily. Oil is passing into radiator a head gasket repair was done and the radiator was flushed. A loud crank noise is heard from the rear bottom axles when I stop. Constantly needing jump start engine would turn off unexpectatly while…”
Electrical System · filed Jan 25, 2008
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
4 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1998 Ford Ford Truck.
Providing quicker service fix information. *yc
984548 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 1, 1998
The 1998 sbts car version 12.0 cd and the 1998 sbts truck version 10.0 cd both have the wrong month printed on the label. *yc
982527 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 1, 1998
This bulletin mentions how some hub o-rings may be cut during the installation of the wheels. *tt
983302 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 4, 1998
For availability of major assemblies, please refer to the exchange program guide. *tt
982035 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 1, 1998
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1998 Ford Ford Truck in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1998 Ford Ford Truck?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.