1998 Explorer Van Ford Explorer Recalls
No NHTSA recalls on record for the 1998 Explorer Van Ford Explorer. That means NHTSA has no open safety campaign for this vehicle — it does not guarantee the absence of problems. Owners have filed 7 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the exterior lighting. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Complaints by component
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.
“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…”
“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…”
“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.”
“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…”
“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…”
“The rear differential ring and pinion gears failed with just 78,000 miles and mainly highway only miles. *nlm”
“Broken driver's seat frame. *ak”
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 1998 Explorer Van Ford Explorer as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.