1998 Ford F-150 Recalls, Complaints & Specs

8 safety recalls list the 1998 Ford F-150, and owners have filed 1,381 complaints with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.

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8 safety recalls for the 1998 Ford F-150

Most recent first. Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. Click a recall for the full defect, consequence and remedy text.

1. Mounting (fuel system)

   NHTSA 11V385000 Reported July 29, 2011 1,100,000 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

   Ford is recalling certain 1997 through 2003 model year ford f-150, 2004 model year ford f-150 heritage, 1997 through 1999 model year f-250 less than 8,500 lbs. Gross vehicle weight rating (gvwr), and 2002 and 2003 lincoln blackwood vehicles manufactured from june 20, 1995, through august 4, 2004, originally sold, or currently registered…

   Remedy: Ford will notify owners and instruct them to take their vehicles to a ford or lincoln dealer to have the fuel tank straps replaced with straps that have increased corrosion protection. Early in this campaign, if…

2. Vehicle speed control

   NHTSA 05V388000 Reported September 7, 2005 4,500,000 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

   On certain pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles equipped with speed control, the speed control deactivation switch may overheat, smoke, or burn.

   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…

3. Labels (equipment)

   NHTSA 00V284000 Reported September 21, 2000 4,500 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

   Vehicle description: bi-fuel cng pickup trucks and bi-fuel cng vans, modified by cfi control systems, inc., fail to conform to the requirements of FMVSS no. 303, "fuel system integrity of compressed natural gas vehicles." the label affixed to the fuel filler door by the vehicle modifier contains the inspection date and expiration date…

   Remedy: Owners will be provided a label with the required statement, along with instructions for affixing the label at the fuel filler door. Owner notification began november 2, 2000. Owners who take their vehicles to an…

4. Exterior lighting

   NHTSA 00V168000 Reported June 19, 2000 20,637 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

   Vehicle description: MINI vans, light pickup trucks, and sport utility vehicles. Off lease canadian vehicles equipped with daytime running lights which meet canadian requirements and not the photometric requirements of FMVSS 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment." according to ford, the vehicles were imported into…

   Remedy: Dealers will be advised to deactivate the running light function and to complete any outstanding safety recalls on these vehicles.

5. Tank assembly (fuel system) and leaf spring assembly (suspension)

   NHTSA 98V161000 Reported July 15, 1998 202,000 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

   Vehicle description: light duty 4-wheel drive pickup trucks. If the vehicle is overloaded, the rear leaf springs can be overstressed. A fatigue fracture of the spring can occur. The center leaf of the spring can fracture at the forward edge of the spring seat and, in some cases, contact the fuel tank.

   Remedy: Dealers will inspect the rear springs and install an additional clip on the forward end of the rear springs to prevent fuel tank contact in the event of a leaf fracture. Any fractured springs will be replaced.

6. Lugs/nuts/bolts/studs (wheels)

   NHTSA 98V095000 Reported May 13, 1998 1,520,000 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

   Vehicle description: multi-purpose vehicles and light duty pickup trucks. The lug nuts on these vehicles may not create sufficient clamp load allowing wheel movement in relation to the hub/rotor mounting surface.

   Remedy: Owners of these vehicles will be receiving two notifications. The first notification, which began in may 1998, will provide an interim repair procedure until parts become available. This interim procedure can be…

7. Accelerator pedal (vehicle speed control)

   NHTSA 98V007000 Reported January 21, 1998 45,000 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

   Vehicle description: light duty pickup trucks equipped with a 4.2l engine and originally sold or currently registered in one of the following states: alaska, montana, north dakota, minnesota, wisconsin, new york, vermont, new hampshire, maine, michigan, idaho, wyoming, south dakota, colorado, nebraska, kansas, iowa, missouri, illinois,…

   Remedy: Dealers will install a revised pcv system on these vehicles.

8. Gear position indication (prndl) (power train)

   NHTSA 97V171000 Reported October 7, 1997 866,000 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

   Vehicle description: light duty pickup trucks and multi-purpose passenger vehicles. If the automatic transmission shift cable assembly was not fully attached to the steering column bracket, the shift cable assembly can come out of the bracket. The vehicle operator would then not be able to shift the transmission from one of the drive…

   Remedy: Dealers will make the proper attachment of the transmission shift control cable to the steering column bracket and add a tie strap to that connection.

1,381 owner complaints filed with NHTSA

Owners of the 1998 Ford F-150 have filed 1,381 complaints with NHTSA; 83 describe a crash and 91 describe a fire. Reports cite 53 injuries and 1 death. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 116,181 miles. Complaints peaked in 2001 with 189 filed that year.

Most-reported components

• Fuel system, gasoline141
• Structure: door110
• Tires82
• Suspension: torsion bar64
• Engine and engine cooling: engine60
• Steering: tie rod assembly60
• Service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip58
• Tires: tread/belt54

What owners are reporting

“1998 Ford F150 S/N 1FTRX18L7WNB03063 Mechanic said the frame is rusting badly. Suggested I not pull a heavy trailer or haul heavy loads in the bed.”

Owner complaint to NHTSA, December 18, 2023 · Unknown or other

“My driver's side seat belt does not work at all for the past 6-8 months its been stuck and locked and it doesn't release the belt at all so I been driving without a seat belt for awhile now it needs t”

Owner complaint to NHTSA, January 23, 2023 · Seat belts

Fuel economy and specs

EPA ratings for the 1998 Ford F150 (F150 Pickup 2WD, F150 Pickup 4WD). Ranges cover every tested configuration.

Compare Ford F-150 model years

Recall and complaint counts for every Ford F-150 model year in NHTSA's database.

Checking a specific 1998 Ford F-150

Other Ford models

• Explorer34,566 complaints
• Escape27,430 complaints
• Fusion22,405 complaints
• Focus22,096 complaints
• Taurus18,159 complaints
• Windstar14,158 complaints
• Edge14,065 complaints
• Expedition9,359 complaints

Source: NHTSA recall and complaint databases and EPA fuel economy data, October 2026. Complaint counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. Recall counts are safety campaigns that list this model year; whether a particular car was already repaired depends on its VIN. How this data is compiled.