1998 Ford Explorer Sport Trac Recalls
No NHTSA recalls on record for the 1998 Ford Explorer Sport Trac. That means NHTSA has no open safety campaign for this vehicle — it does not guarantee the absence of problems. Owners have filed 8 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the electrical system. 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.
“Takata recall.. The lights inside will cut on for no reason. The radio and other components will cut on and off when they want..the brake paddle works when it want .”
“Takata recall.. The lights inside will cut on for no reason. The radio and other components will cut on and off when they want..the brake paddle works when it want .”
“Takata recall.. The lights inside will cut on for no reason. The radio and other components will cut on and off when they want..the brake paddle works when it want .”
“The brake line on both of my 1996 and 1998 ford explorer rusted out last year and this year on both suvs, causing the brake system to totally fail on the 1996 and lost one set of brakes on the 1998. We were very lucky. The problem was noticed when parked. *jb”
“On january 26th, 2006 at 3am our 1998 ford explorer exploded in 33 degree weather after sitting in the driveway for 15 hours. The fire caused my vehicle, a 1994 buick century to catch fire as well. Both vehicles were totaled. The fire investigator ruled the fire as and "unknown cause" and ruled…”
“The driver's side door will not open from the inside or outside. The consumer was aware of the ford technical service bulletin regarding lock components. *ak the door could not be opened with the key or from the inside handle. The door could not be unlocked without excessive effort. *sc *jb”
“I own a ford explorer 1988 bought new in 1999. I have only 36.000 miles on it and last month I was just driving for about 2 miles when I sensed a powerful smell of gas. Pulled over imediately, opened the hood a I saw gasolin pouring on the engine and the batteries from the two fuel lines going…”
“I own a ford explorer 1988 bought new in 1999. I have only 36.000 miles on it and last month I was just driving for about 2 miles when I sensed a powerful smell of gas. Pulled over imediately, opened the hood a I saw gasolin pouring on the engine and the batteries from the two fuel lines going…”
Defect investigations
SPARK PLUG EJECTION FROM CYLINDER HEAD
ON SEPTEMBER 6, 2005, ODI RECEIVED A PETITION REQUESTING THAT THE AGENCY INVESTIGATE ALLEGATIONS OF ENGINE SPARK PLUG EJECTION IN CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 1997 THROUGH 2004 FORD VEHICLES WITH TRITON V-8 AND V-10 ENGINES.ODI RECEIVED A TOTAL OF 474 NON-DUPLICATIVE COMPLAINTS ON THE SUBJECT VEHICLES WHERE THE COMPLAINANT, OR…
SPARK PLUG EJECTION FROM CYLINDER HEAD
ON SEPTEMBER 6, 2005, ODI RECEIVED A PETITION REQUESTING THAT THE AGENCY INVESTIGATE ALLEGATIONS OF ENGINE SPARK PLUG EJECTION IN CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 1997 THROUGH 2004 FORD VEHICLES WITH TRITON V-8 AND V-10 ENGINES.ODI RECEIVED A TOTAL OF 474 NON-DUPLICATIVE COMPLAINTS ON THE SUBJECT VEHICLES WHERE THE COMPLAINANT, OR…
SPARK PLUG EJECTION FROM CYLINDER HEAD
ON SEPTEMBER 6, 2005, ODI RECEIVED A PETITION REQUESTING THAT THE AGENCY INVESTIGATE ALLEGATIONS OF ENGINE SPARK PLUG EJECTION IN CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 1997 THROUGH 2004 FORD VEHICLES WITH TRITON V-8 AND V-10 ENGINES.ODI RECEIVED A TOTAL OF 474 NON-DUPLICATIVE COMPLAINTS ON THE SUBJECT VEHICLES WHERE THE COMPLAINANT, OR…
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 1998 Ford Explorer Sport Trac as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.