1998 Explorer Van Ford Explorer

Routine

Owners filed 6 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the power train › driveline › differential unit. No safety recall has been issued.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Unknown or Other1
000
Structure › Body › Hood › Hinge and Attachments1
001
Seats › Front Assembly › Recliner1
000
Seats1
000
Power Train › Driveline › Differential Unit1
000
Exterior Lighting › Headlights › Switch1
000

What owners reported

Newest filings
Unknown or Other
Filed Mar 20, 200482,344 milesCA

I HAD TO REPLACE THE CENTER ARMREST ON 9-9-99 UNDER WARANTY AND A SECOND TIME AT MY EXPENSE. THE TRANSMISSION MOUNT BOLT WAS MISSING. RAZZARI FORD IN MERCED, CA, CANNOT FIX UNDER WARRANTY. *JB FORD MOTOR COMPANY CLAIMS MISSING BOLT AND DEFECTIVE ARMREST IS NOT UNDER WARRANTY. I REMINDED THEM I WILL NOT BUY NEW FORDS AGAIN.

Seats › Front Assembly › Recliner
Filed Feb 26, 200493,500 milesGA

BROKEN DRIVER'S SEAT FRAME. *AK

Structure › Body › Hood › Hinge and Attachments1 injured
Filed Dec 30, 200359,000 milesFL

WHILE THE HOOD WAS OPEN, THE HYDRAULIC HOOD "STRUTS" GAVE WAY, & THE HOOD CAME CRASHING DOWN & HIT ME ON THE BACK OF MY HEAD. LUCKILY, IT WAS A GLANCING BLOW, & I DIDN'T SUSTAIN A MAJOR INJURY.

Exterior Lighting › Headlights › Switch
Filed Nov 4, 2003124,900 milesCA

EDDIE BAUER FORD EXPLORER BRIGHT LIGHT SWITCH ON STEERING COLUMN FAILED WHEN RETURNING FROM BRIGHT HEADLIGHTS TO REGULAR LIGHTING. THE HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT DUE TO THE SWITCH, HAD TO WIGGLE SWITCH TO GET LIGHTS BACK ON. I DISCOVERED BY HOLDING THE SWITCH TOWARDS MY DIRECTION (THE FLASH BRIGHTS MODE), I COULD GET HOME. THIS OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING IN PITCH DARK . LIGHTS UNEXPECTEDLY WENT OUT DURING THIS ACTION. IT WAS RATHER SHOCKING TO HAVE THE HEADLIGHTS TO TURN OFF UNEXPECTEDLY. *AK

Seats
Filed Oct 30, 2003FL

I RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE ON BOLT REPLACEMENT DATED AUGUST 2003. FOR ABOUT ONE YEAR THE FRONT SEATS IN MY VEHICLE HAS BEEN BROKEN RECLINING TO THE BACK SEAT, I HAVE BLANKETS AND PILLOWS PILED IN THE SEATS THAT ENABLES ME TO SIT UP ENOUGH TO DRIVE AND BUCKLE MY SEAT BELT. ON 9/10/03 I CALLED YOUR CUSTOMER SERVICE AND SPOKE TO A REPRESENTING BY THE NAME OF NICOLE TO COMPLAIN. I FOLLOWED INSTRUCTIONS AND MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH ERNIE HAIR AT FORD, WHO LOOKED AT THE SEATS AND MADE A DETERMINATION THAT TOOK 5 MINUTES, THAT IT WAS THE RECLINER NOT THE BOLT I THEN TOOK THE SERVICE REP TO THE VEHICLE TO SHOW HIM THE RECLINER WORKS HE THEN SAID OH THE REP MUST HAVE NOT LOOKED AT IT PROPERLY AND THAT THE BOTTOM OF THE SEAT IS SEPARATING FROM THE TOP AND THAT IT HAS CAUSE THE SEAT TO RECLINE. PLEASE HELP ME GET THIS REPAIRED HE SAID THAT THE COST OF REPAIRING THE SEAT WILL BE "300.00 $ PER SEAT " THIS IS TRULY A SAFETY HAZARD AND NEED TO BE ATTENDED TO I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME PLEASE CONTACT ME AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. THE REASON FOR THE LAPSE IN TIME IS I HAD TO CALL A SECOND TIME TO RECEIVE A COMPLAINT PACKAGE. THANK YOU:AISHA PATTERSON JAMES. *AK

Power Train › Driveline › Differential Unit
Filed May 24, 200378,000 milesCA

THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL RING AND PINION GEARS FAILED WITH JUST 78,000 MILES AND MAINLY HIGHWAY ONLY MILES. *NLM

6 of 6 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 1997
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
1998 — this page6000Routine
19979000Routine

Compare every Ford Explorer year →

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Most recent recall on file: none. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.