81 complaints reported

1998 Ford Explorer Power Train

Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.

Reports
81
Crashes
6
Fires
1
Injuries
3

Complaint Timeline

Chronological view of owner reports

Sep 1998

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILS TO ENGAGE PROPERLY IN EITHER FORWARD OR REVERSE GEAR.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1998 FORD EXPLORER, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Apr 1998
Jul 1998

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE ON HIGHWAY AT 60 TO 65 MPH VEHICLE SWITCHES TO 4- WHEEL DRIVE WITHOUT WARNING. PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN CORRECTED. *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1998 FORD EXPLORER, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
May 1998

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE ONE OF THE FITTINGS FOR THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION COOLING LINES CAME LOOSE AND CAUSED THE FLUID TO LEAK, ALMOST CREATING A FIRE. THE FLUID LEAKED ON THE BRAKE PADS WHICH INCREASED THE STOPPING DISTANCE. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED ABOUT THE PROBLEM IMMEDIATELY. THE PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION FITTING LINE WAS CORRECTED, BUT CONSUMER STILL EXPERIENCES A PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKES. *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1998 FORD EXPLORER, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Mar 1998
Apr 1998

TRANSMISSION FAILURE; TRANSMISSION IS SLOW TO ENGAGE AND THEN WILL JERK ONCE IT DOES.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1998 FORD EXPLORER, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Apr 1998
Feb 1998

DRIVE TRAIN VIBRATION THROUGHOUT THE VEHICLE.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1998 FORD EXPLORER, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Aug 1998
Jan 1998

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION INTERMITTENTLY FAILS WHILE IN REVERSE.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1998 FORD EXPLORER, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Apr 1998

Trend Over Time

Complaints by year

Quick Summary

The 1998 Ford Explorer has 81 Power Train complaints on file. 6 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.