Ford / Explorer Sport / 1998
1998 Ford Explorer Sport problems
Owners have filed 145 complaints about the 1998 Ford Explorer Sport with NHTSA. Latches/locks/linkages account for 22.8% of them — the clear leader, ahead of electrical system at 12.4%.
Complaints145
Crashes5
Fires17
Injuries13
Deaths0
What owners report breaking
Latches/locks/linkages 22.8% · 33
Electrical system 12.4% · 18
Seats 9.7% · 14
Engine and engine cooling 8.3% · 12
Vehicle speed control 8.3% · 12
Tires 7.6% · 11
Equipment 6.2% · 9
Visibility 4.8% · 7
Severity
Of those complaints, 5 describe a crash, 17 describe a fire and 13 report an injury.
Reading the numbers
Across the 5 model years of the Ford Explorer Sport in this data, 1998 ranks 3rd by complaint volume — 2001 draws the most.
Filings have fallen off, 4 in the last three years against 15 in the three before. That is normal as a generation leaves the road.
The median odometer reading at the time of complaint was 100,000 miles.
In owners' own words
Driver side power door lock does not unlock either with the key or lock button. It takes many attempts to get the door unlocked leaving me no choice but to exit out of the passenger side. Pulling the door handle does not help either. I have a friend that has the same problem and I found hundreds of people all over the internet message boards complaining of the same issue. This should be a recall!!! Latches/locks/linkages
Dt: the drivers side door was completely locked, the remote key pad or keys did not work. Had used the remote to unlock doors the same as always. Contacted manufacturer, who said to contact the dealer. But dealer said never heard of it. Consumer did not want to pay the dealer to fix it. Found a forum online where other people had the same problem. This happened july 29, 2005. Latches/locks/linkages · reported at 90,000 miles
My vehicle is currently experiencing the same problem as the previous complaint. The door locks will not unlock with a key or the unlock button when locked(electrical). This could be quite dangerous in an accident where the driver will not be able to exit as the driver door is unable to unlock. Latches/locks/linkages
Verbatim from NHTSA filings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.
Safety recalls
Checking NHTSA for open recalls…