Print this page

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
6 / 13
Injuries / Deaths:
3 / 0
Average Mileage:
58,576 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

1998 Ford Expedition engine problems

engine problem

Find something helpful? Spread the word.
Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 1998 Ford Expedition:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

1998 Ford Expedition Owner Comments (Page 1 of 3)

problem #43

May 232019

Expedition

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 1998 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that the vehicle accelerated and surged at a high rate of speed without warning. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

- Fairway, KS, USA

problem #42

Sep 192016

Expedition

  • 100,000 miles
He brake pedal is loated too close to the accelerator and when depressed goes down below the accelerator so when the extreme right side of the brake is depressed by a bruad shoe the accelerator is also depressed causing the car to accelerate rather than braking. This can and did result in an accident in which I rear ended the car stopped in front of me. This occurred on a city street when I was moving in traffic below the posted 30mph limit.

- Seattle, WA, USA

problem #41

Apr 102015

Expedition

  • 130,000 miles
My husband was parked in our driveway. He switched the truck from park to reverse as he does to slowly back up, without accelerating, the truck accelerated at full force in reverse and he went clear through our garage door which bent, crushed and de-hinged, the garage door was then pushed back into his motorcycles and into the framing of the house causing mass destruction. The car would not stop, the gear would not switch into park and the breaks would not work. The vehicle could not be stopped from accelerating at top speed in reverse into my home. There is burn out marks in my garage from where the wheels were spinning full speed, there is a tailpipe burn mark where the truck was launched into the garage door. The vehicle clearly failed mechanically and in the process of that there is mass destruction to my home, our vehicle, our bikes and a ton of stuff in the garage. Thank god my husbands injuries did not result in death and thank god my children were not in the garage as they usually are when we are outside. There is no way my little 3 year old would have survived this. I feel very unsafe and will never drive this car again.

- Belmont, CA, USA

problem #40

Oct 012014

Expedition

  • 225,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

While I was diving around 35 mph to 45 mph a horrible violent shake starts to occur. And is very difficult to accelerate especially once you hit the freeway very unsafe to drive at such speeds. It starts with a violent shake with loud noises coming from the exhaust. It has blown 2 coils already.

- Brownsville, TX, USA

problem #39

Apr 122012

Expedition

  • 202,000 miles
The contact owns a 1998 Ford Expedition. While parked, the vehicle became engulfed in flames. The fire department was called and a report was filed. The fire department stated that the fire was caused by a short in the cruise control switch. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 202,000.

- Los Angeles, CA, USA

problem #38

Apr 082011

Expedition

  • 185,467 miles
The contact owns a 1998 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that the vehicle caught on fire while parked in the driveway overnight. The contact was awakened by a loud explosion when she discovered the vehicle in flames. The fire department arrived to assist and advised that the fire originated from the engine. The vehicle was destroyed and a fire report was filed. The contact referenced NHTSA campaign id number: 05V388000 (vehicle speed control) and stated that she was advised by the manufacturer that the vehicle was included with the recall but had not received recall repairs. The failure and current mileage was 185,467.

- Southaven, MS, USA

problem #37

Jun 112010

Expedition

  • 163,200 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 1998 Ford Expedition. While the vehicle was parked, a fire ignited from under the drivers side wheel. There was also an unknown loud noise coming from the vehicle. The entire front end of the vehicle was destroyed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure and current mileages were 163,200.

- Summerville, GA, USA

problem #36

Mar 032010

Expedition 8-cyl

  • 114,100 miles
Truck caught on fire. It had been idle for approximately 3 hours before incident occurred. Truck was a total lost.

- Hialeah, FL, USA

problem #35

Mar 022010

Expedition

  • 100,000 miles
Car caught fire for problem with speed control device, I was never informed about problem with this and the recall the dealership refused to provide a carfax and or vehicle history when requested. Below I will paste the info about the recall. Make: Ford model: Expedition model year: 1998 manufacturer: Ford Motor Company mfr's report date: Sep 07, 2005 NHTSA campaign id number: 05V388000 EA05005 NHTSA action number: EA05005 component: Vehicle speed control potential number of units affected: 4500000 summary: On certain pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles equipped with speed control, the speed control deactivation switch may overheat, smoke, or burn. Consequence: A fire at the switch could occur. Remedy: By letter dated September 12, 2005, owners were instructed to return their vehicles to their dealers to have the speed control deactivation switch disconnected. Owners who have had their speed control deactivated are being notified that parts will be available and advised to make an appointment to reconnect the speed control beginning in February 2006. Owners who did not have their speed control deactivated are being notified to have their system remedied beginning in February 2006. Owners are urged to avail themselves of the free disconnect service as soon as possible because of the significant risk of fire. Owners may contact Ford at 1-800-392-3673. (note: Also see recalls 05V017 and 06V286) notes: Ford recall no. 05S28. Customers may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

- Bend , OR, USA

problem #34

Mar 192009

Expedition 8-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 181,000 miles
The contact owns a 1998 Ford Expedition. The contact noticed a large amount of smoke while the vehicle was parked in a carport. Suddenly, the vehicle erupted uncontrollably in flames and exploded. The fire department was called to the scene and a fire report was filed. There were no warnings prior to the failure. The two pet dogs that were outside when the massive fire erupted sustained severe burns. There were no personal injuries. The property damage consisted of the carport and portions of the house, such as the roof, siding, and a couple of rooms inside. The vehicle was completely destroyed and currently remains at the scene for investigation purposes. The contact is in the process of notifying the manufacturer. The insurance company was notified, but the cause of the failure has not yet been determined. The failure and current mileages were 181,000. Updated 05/08/09 updated 05/12/09. Updated 06/09/09.

- Monroe, NC, USA

problem #33

Jun 062008

Expedition

  • 102,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 1998 Ford Expedition. When the contact started the vehicle, he smelled smoke. He turned off the vehicle, looked under the hood, and noticed flames coming from the vehicle speed control. The contact pulled the cables from the battery and extinguished the fire. The vehicle is not able to be driven and needs to be towed; however, the manufacturer stated that they will not pay for the towing. The current and failure mileages were 102,000.

- Crestline, OH, USA

problem #32

Jan 012007

Expedition 8-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
- the contact owns a 1998 Ford Expedition. He received a recall for the vehicle speed control (NHTSA campaign id 07V336000) in January of 2007. The dealer stated that the parts were not available. As of April 1, 2008, the dealer had not repaired the vehicle. The contact felt that the wait time for this recall was excessive. The current mileage was 59,000. There had been no failure to date. Updated 4/21/08 updated 04/21/08

- Indianapolis, IN, USA

problem #31

Mar 042008

Expedition 8-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
The contact owns a 1998 Ford Expedition. The contact received a recall notice for NHTSA campaign id number 05V388000 (vehicle speed control). The dealer stated that if the recall was from 2005, they would not repair the vehicle. They further stated that the most they could do was deactivate the cruise control. There had been no failure to date. The purchase date was unknown. The current mileage was 160,000.

- Porter, OK, USA

problem #30

Jan 172008

Expedition 8-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 159,000 miles
The contact owns a 1998 Ford Expedition. The contact's vehicle caught fire underneath the hood. The fire and police departments arrived at the scene and a report was filed. An investigation is currently ongoing. The vehicle was destroyed. The dealer and manufacturer have not yet been notified. The contact discovered NHTSA campaign id number 06E060000 (vehicle speed control). The failure and current mileages were 159,000.

- Henrietta, OK, USA

problem #29

Sep 122007

Expedition 4WD 8-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 136,000 miles
The contact owns a 1998 Ford Expedition. The vehicle caught fire while parked due to the vehicle speed control. Ford refused to provide assistance, even though the fire was due to their vehicle speed control recall. The current and failure mileages were 136,000. Updated 01/0308. Recall #05V388000. Updated 12/12/07

- Denver, CO, USA

problem #28

Aug 162007

Expedition 8-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 150,000 miles
The cruise control deactivation switch in my 1997 Expedition shorted out and failed earlier this year, causing my wife to drive without brake lights and further causing the vehicle to become undrivable due to the inability to place the vehicle in gear. I discovered today that this vehicle was subject to a safety recall 05V-388 on this issue in September 2005. I received no notification from Ford on this recall. I called Ford Motor Company today to check on this recall, and they refused to address the issue or even confirm that my vehicle was involved in the recall. I own two other Ford vehicles that may be subject to the recall, a 1995 F150 and a 1998 Crown Victoria and I am not able to determine if they are subject to the recall.

- Valkaria, FL, USA

problem #27

May 122007

Expedition 4WD 8-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 134,000 miles
The contact owns a 1998 Ford Expedition. The contact's vehicle caught fire while parked. The fire department was notified and extinguished the fire. The entire hood and engine of the vehicle was destroyed. The fire inspector stated that he was aware of recall # 05V388000 (vehicle speed control). The contact notified the manufacturer and found that the contact's VIN was included in the recall, but he is not the original owner. A police report was filed. The current and failure mileages were 134,000. Updated 12/30/08 the consumer stated Ford hired a consultant to investigate the fire, but it could not be determined what caused the fire. The consumer claim was denied by Ford. Updated 01/05/08.

- Winston Salem, NC, USA

problem #26

Feb 042007

Expedition 4WD 8-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 126,030 miles
Approximately 2.5 hrs. Into a 3 hr. Trip with outside temperature in the single digit range, and with constant highway driving (no stopping) my throttle became stuck while traveling approx. 70 mph. While trying to avoid the traffic that had slowed in front of me I reached for the ignition key and turned the truck off while I searched for a place to pull-over to. After the truck was stopped on the side of the highway I restarted the engine only to have it race in RPM's. I was able to drive the truck home the remaining part of the trip after I removed the throttle body cover and just lightly touched the throttle linkage (just left of throttle plate) which returned the throttle to idle position. Truck has been taken to Ford dealer where an upgrade of the PCV system has been performed (tsb 01-21-12). Truck information: 1998 Ford Expedition 5.4 engine 126000 miles.

- Brighton, MI, USA

problem #25

Sep 062006

Expedition 8-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 0 miles
My 1998 Ford Expedition caught on fire when I was in the bank, the fire totaled the vehicle, I was injured trying to put the fire out. The fire dept chief and staff had to disconnect the battery to stop fire from continuing. They indicated the incident was caused by factory recall(speed control recall-defect) my Expedition was totally damaged and was picked up by appel Ford in Sep-06-2006 I am not happy with appel Ford's reaction, and I have not received anything from Ford"??????"

- Cypress, TX, USA

problem #24

Sep 072006

Expedition 4WD 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
: the contact stated the vehicle caught on fire and burned down their house, garage, car and other belongings. There was a recall remedy #05V388000 performed for the vehicle speed control last year. The vehicle speed control switch caused the fire. The vehicle had been in the garage for ten minutes before catching on fire.

- Medford, OR, USA

Read the next 20 complaints »

Not what you are looking for?