There are 32 owner-reported lighting complaints for the 1998 Ford Explorerin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HIGH BEAMS WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED CONTINUOUSLY EVEN AFTER THE ENGINE WAS SHUT OFF. THE FAILURE RECURRED WHENEVER THE ENGINE WAS STARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE HEADLIGHT MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNAVAILABLE.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE LIGHT WOULD NOT ILLUMINATE WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AT A REPAIR SHOP, BUT THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE REPAIR SHOP AND HAD IT REPAIRED AGAIN FOR FREE. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 167,994 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 150,000.
DT: 1998 FORD EXPLORER. THE BRAKES LIGHTS FAILED ON THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER HAD THE BRAKE LIGHT FUSES CHANGED. THEY USED THE FUSES THAT CAME WITH THE VEHICLE. AS SOON AS THE SECOND FUSE WAS PUT IN THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. ANOTHER PERSON PUT THE FIRE OUT BY BEATING IT WITH A TOWEL. THEN, CONSUMER CONTACTED A DEALERSHIP BY PHONE, THEY TOLD HER THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE MASTER CYLINDER BUT, HE WAS UNSURE OF THE MODEL YEARS INCLUDED. WHEN THE CONSUMER CONTACTED FORD, THEY TOLD CONSUMER WOULD GET BACK TO HER. THERE WERE NO FIRE OR POLICE REPORTS AVAILABLE. THE INCIDENT OCCURRED ON 7-262005 BEFORE THE HOOD LATCH HAD ACTED UP. ALSO, CRUISE CONTROL MALFUNCTIONED. . IT MELTED THE WIRES FOR THE ABS AND THE SPOT FOR PUTTING IN THE BRAKE FLUID. *AK
DT: DRIVER'S SIDE BACK SEAT BELT LATCH BROKE. ON JUNE 1, 2005. CALLER SAID THE OTHER TWO SEAT BELT LATCHES BROKE ABOUT A YEAR AGO AND CALLER HAD THEM FIXED. ALSO, SHE LOW BEAM IWASNOT WORKING . SHE HAD IT CHECKED AT A REPAIR SHOP AND WAS TOLD THEY COULD NOT FIND WHAT WAS WRONG WITH IT. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER HAVE NOT BEEN CONTACTED YET.*AK
PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT ON 3/29/05 WHILE DRIVING MY 1998 FORD EXPEDITION XLT THE DOOR AJAR LIGHT CAME ON AND THE INTERIOR LIGHTS CAME ON AND THE RUNNING BOARD LIGHTS CAME ON. I PULLED OVER AND PARKED THE VEHICLE AND CHECKED ALL DOORS, ALL DOOR WERE CLOSED PROPERLY. THE LIGHTS REMAINED ON. I TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF AND REMOVED THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION AND SHUT THE DOOR AND INTERIOR LIGHTS AND RUNNING BOARD LIGHTS REMAINED ON. I HAD TO REMOVE THE FUSE TO MAKE LIGHTS GO OUT, BUT WHEN I AM DRIVING I HAVE NO INTERIOR LIGHTS AND I CANNOT PUT DOWN WINDOWS
HEADLIGHTS SUDDENLY STOPPED WORKING. SIDE MARKERS AND TURN SIGNALS STILL WORK, AS DO HI-BEAMS WHEN IN FLASH/PASSING MODE. I HAVE REPLACED THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH, BUT THEY STILL DON'T WORK.*AK
HEADLIGHTS GO OFF UNEXPECTEDLY WHILE DRIVING. ACTION TO BE TAKEN IS TO HAVE THE DEALER INSPECT AND REPAIR.*AK
THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WOULD STICK CAUSING SUDDEN ACCELERATION. THIS WILL EVENTUALLY GET SOMEONE KILLED. FORD SHOULD RECALL VEHICLE. *AK THE VEHICLE WOULD SURGE WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED. THE PROBLEM REMAINED THE SAME. *SCC THE REVERSE LIGHTS WERE INOPERATIVE, THE HEATER CONTROL VALVE WAS REPLACED, THE LEFT REAR BRAKE LIGHT WAS REPLACED. *JB. SURGES INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC WITH BRAKES ON. THE CONSUMER RECEIVED A RESPONSE FROM NHTSA THAT INDICATED THAT REVIEW OF THE EVIDENCE DURING THE INVESTIGATION CONCLUDED THAT THERE WAS INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE TO INCLUDE THE 1998 FORD EXPLORER 5.0 LITER ENGINE IN THE SCOPE OF RECALL 00V-422. *AK
MULIFUNCTION SWITCH ON 1998 FORD EXPLORER EDDIE BOWER 2WD SMOKING AND REQUIRED REPLACEMENT. MFS BEGAN SMOKING AFTER STARTING THE VEHICLE, POTENTIALLY CAUSING A FIRE HAZARD. NO FIRES REPORTED AFTER NUMEROUS VEHICLE STARTS, HOWEVER, SMOKE BECOMING MORE PREVELANT AFTER EACH VEHICLE START. VEHICLE WAS DRIVEABLE. MFS WAS REPLACED. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT AT 70 MPH HEADLIGHTS FAIL DUE TO DEFECTIVE SWITCH IN STEERING COLUMN.*AKM
WHEN ACTIVATING TURN SIGNALS THERE IS A CRANKING SOUND, SIGNALS WILL ONLY WORK INTERMITTENTLY.*AK. THE DEALER REPLACED THE MULTI FUNCTION SWITCH.*JB
CONSUMER WAS DRIVING IN DARK AND HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT, BRIGHT AND DIM. CONSUMER HAD TO HOLD TURN SIGNAL TOWARDS HIM TO KEEP LIGHTS ON. *AK
WHILE VISITING THE NHTSA WEB SITE I FOUND A RECALL ON FORD EXP. NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 97V215000 MY EXPLORER DOES NOT FIT THE RECALL BUT THE SAME THING HAPPENS, NO CHIME AND ALSO NO INTERIOR LIGHT. I ALWAYS THOUGHT I WAS DOING SOMETHING WRONG. COULD THE PROBLEM BE MORE WIDE SPREAD THAN NHTSA OR FORD THINK. THANKS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO REPORT.
WHEN USING THE LIGHT SIGNAL AT TIMES IT WON'T WORK. TECHNICIAN EXPLAINED THAT IN SOME PLACES SIGNAL WILL NOT WORK. *AK
TURN SIGNALS AND HIGH BEAM INDICATOR LAMP FAILED SUDDENLY. FUSES ARE GOOD. REAR WIPER HAS NEVER WORK RIGHT. HAS NOT WORK AT ALL FOR SOME TIME. ALWAYS HAD LOW RUMBLE WHEN MOVING. APPEARS TO COME FROM FRONT.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 70R15 100S )
WHILEDRIVING DOWN THE ROAD HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT. CONSUMER HAD TO PLAY WITH THE SWITCH BEFORE HE COULD GET THEM BACK ON. *AK
HEAD LIGHTS WOULD NOT COME ON DUE TO SWITCH ASSEMBLY FAILURE. YH
TURN SIGNALS DO NOT WORK AT ALL. DEALER IS NOT AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN CORRECTED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
4- WHEEL DRIVE/HIGH/LOW LIGHT FLASHES INTERMMITTENTLY EVERY 0.5 MILE. *AK
NO SUMMARY
Showing 1–20 of 32 complaints
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026