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1998 Ford Econoline problems

The most common problem on the 1998 Ford Econoline is acceleration and speed control. It has 15.3 times the complaints of a typical Econoline model year.

Typical year15.3x the typical complaints
Owner complaints
46
Recalls
2
Service bulletins
179
Worst area
Acceleration

The worst 1998 Ford Econoline problems

Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.

  • Acceleration
    7
  • Brakes
    7
  • Engine
    6
  • Fuel system
    6
  • Tires
    5

Problems by type

Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.

  • Acceleration
    7
  • Brakes
    7
  • Engine
    6
  • Fuel system
    6
  • Tires
    5
  • Suspension
    4
  • Body
    3
  • Electrical
    3
  • Visibility
    3
  • Airbags
    2
  • Lights
    2
  • Wheels
    2
  • Seats
    1
  • Steering
    1

Recalls 2

Vehicle speed control: cruise controlReported February 4, 2008 · 225,000 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Ford is recalling 225,000 my 1992-2003 econoline, my 1993-1995 taurus sho, my 1992-1998 crown victoria, my 1993 bronco, f-series, my 1995-1997 f-series super duty stripped chassis, my 1992-1998 mercury grand marquis, and my 1992-1995 lincoln town car vehicles. The affected vehicles were previously repaired using a wiring harness that is not compatible with the vehicle circuit polarity.
Risk
As a result, the fuse is located in the output circuit rather than in the intended input power feed circuit, and may not offer the intended protection in the event of an electrical short to ground.
Remedy
Dealers will install a new wiring harness, or replace the mating electrical component. The recall began on february 18, 2008. Owners may contact ford at 1‑800‑392‑3673.

Recall number 08V051000 · Recall details

Equipment: other: labelsReported September 21, 2000 · 4,500 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Vehicle description: bi-fuel cng pickup trucks and bi-fuel cng vans, modified by cfi control systems, inc., fail to conform to the requirements of fmvss no. 303, "fuel system integrity of compressed natural gas vehicles." the label affixed to the fuel filler door by the vehicle modifier contains the inspection date and expiration date of the cng tank. However, it does not contain the statement "see instructions on the fuel container for inspection and service life."
Risk
These vehicles do not comply with the requirements.
Remedy
Owners will be provided a label with the required statement, along with instructions for affixing the label at the fuel filler door. Owner notification began november 2, 2000. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact ford at 1‑800‑392‑3673.

Recall number 00V284000 · Recall details

See all 2 recalls for the 1998 Ford Econoline

Defect investigations

Spark plug ejection from cylinder headOpened September 22, 2005, closed January 4, 2006

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 the dealer repairing the vehicle, reported that a spark plug detached from the cylinder and/or ejected from the engine.as of december 8, 2005, odi is not aware of any allegations where the alleged defect resulted in a loss of vehicle control, a crash, an injury, or a fatality in any of the 10,319,810 subject vehicles.in addition, odi is aware of only two incidents where the vehicle stalled without restart.information contained in the odi consumer complaints and obtained from 72 telephone interviews with complainants showed the following:(1) 99% of the complaints were on my 1997 to 2002 subject vehicles.(2) most the complainants reported hearing a loud pop while driving or upon starting up the vehicle followed by a loud, repetitive clicking or popping sound.(3) many of the complainants reported that the popping sound was accompanied by some loss of vehicle power; however, in 99% of the incidents reported, the vehicle did not stall.in the very few incidents where the vehicle did stall, most vehicles could be restarted.(4) only a small percentage of the complainants cited that they smelled gas or a slight burning smell when the incident occurred.(5) in all but a very few incidents, vehicle damage was limited to the engine.in one incident, the complaint reported that the fuel rail was damaged and replaced after one of the spark plugs ejected from the engine; however, the complainant reported that the damage did not result in any type of fuel leak or fire.in another incident, the only incident where a fire was alleged, the complainant reported that no fluid leak was observed, but that a fire resulted after the spark plug had ejected from the engine and he had restarted the vehicle and driven to another location.none of the complainants reported any damage to the vehicle hood.(6) only two complainants reported that they observed what appeared to be some drops of fuel coming from the cylinder where the spark plug had failed or on the spark plug itself; however, each of these complainants reported that there was no smoke or flames as a result of his incident.as the petitioner noted, and odi?s analysis showed, it is possible for a spark plug to detach from the engine cylinder threads in the subject vehicles.however, odi?s analysis of 474 complaints describing such incidents found only a very few alleged any safety-related consequences.none of these showed any evidence of a serious safety consequence.given the large population and relatively long exposure time of the subject vehicles, the complaint analysis indicates that the risk to motor vehicle safety from the alleged defect is very low.in view of the foregoing, it is unlikely that the federal safety agency would issue an order for the notification and remedy of the alleged defect at the conclusion of the investigation requested in the petition.therefore, in view of the need to allocate and prioritize the federal safety agency?s limited resources to best accomplish the agency?s safety mission, the petition is denied.

DP05005

Technical service bulletins for the 1998 Ford Econoline 179

Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.

See all 179 bulletins for the 1998 Ford Econoline

What 1998 Ford Econoline owners say

Most recent owner complaints, unedited.

Filed Aug 10, 2020 · Body, Fuel system · VA

Van is leaking fuel from a crack where it contacts the frame member. This van was subject to a recall beginning april 19, 2001. I did not own the vehicle at that time, but apparently vehicle was not leaking so it was not fixed. I do not have the recall number. I obtained this information from a VIN look up at https://driving-tests.org/VIN-decoder/ vehicle only leaks fuel when filling up at the gas station. Once I stop filling up, the leaking will drip, drip, drip until it stops and I can drive off. Next time I will take a picture of leaking.

Filed Jun 8, 2015 · Wheels · 31,000 miles · PA

Was traveling on rt 80 near exit 123 in pennsylvania on straight road, at 65 MPH, temperature of 75 degrees, dry, sunny day. We heard a loud boom. The inside rear tire (driver side) had blown. It appeared that the sidewall (facing out) had failed. The sidewall separated along a straight line from the wheel to the tread. Also, in that area about 10 inches of tread was starting to separate on that side of the tire - the tread separation was 'centered' on that sidewall failure. Fortunately we experienced no other damage.

Filed Jul 14, 2011 · Fuel system · 79,000 miles · MI

Tl* the contact owns a 1998 ford econoline e-150. The contact stated that the fuel tank fractured and was leaking fuel. The dealer had not been notified. The manufacturer was aware of the failure. No repairs were performed. The approximate failure mileage was 79,000 and the current mileage was 85,000. The VIN was unavailable. Updated 08/31/11 *bf updated 2/9/2012

Filed Feb 17, 2011 · Electrical · 240,000 miles · LA · fire

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 ford econoline. The contact was replacing the air conditioning blower motor when he noticed the speed selector switch was melted. The failure mileage was 240,000 and the current mileage was 302,302.

Filed May 22, 2008 · Acceleration · CA

1998 ford econoline recall on speed control. Consumer states that dealer did not have the parts and did not want him to make an appointment to have this resolved. He states that no one answered the 800 number on the recall notice.

Filed Apr 25, 2008 · Acceleration · TX

Ford e150 with cruise control recall. Consumer states that the dealer stated in september when the vehicle was repaired that the parts would be available in january. Consumer states that the parts are still not available.

Filed Mar 26, 2008 · Acceleration · AR

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 ford econoline. The contact received a recall letter for the federal safety agency campaign id number 08v051000 (vehicle speed control:cruise control) in february of 2008. The parts are still unavailable. There had been no failure to date. The current mileage is 43,000. Updated 4/11/08

Filed Mar 6, 2008 · Acceleration · AL

1998 ford econoline recall on speed control. Consumer stated that the dealer told them the parts were not available. He was informed the parts would not be available until the second quarter of the year.

Filed Feb 5, 2008 · Acceleration · AZ

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 ford econoline. The contact received a safety recall notice for the vehicle speed control in august of 2007. The speed control switch was disconnected at that time. Since receiving the notice, she has spoken with the dealer twice and the part is still unavailable. Complaint number 1400372637 was filed with the manufacturer. There had been no failure to date. The current mileage was 102,000. Updated 03/11/08.

Filed Nov 21, 2007 · Acceleration · MA

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 ford econoline. The contact received a recall notice for the federal safety agency campaign id number 07v336000 (vehicle speed control). The contact scheduled a recall repair appointment to have the speed control disconnected. He is dissatisfied with the amount of time it will take to receive the parts and have the cruise control replaced. There had been no failure to date. The purchase date was unknown. The current mileage was 110,000.

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Questions about the 1998 Ford Econoline

Is the 1998 Ford Econoline reliable?

Owners have filed 46 complaints about the 1998 Ford Econoline, 15.3 times a typical Econoline model year.

What is the most common problem with the 1998 Ford Econoline?

Acceleration and speed control, with 7 complaints. Next is brakes (7).

How many recalls does the 1998 Ford Econoline have?

2 recalls, covering vehicle speed control and equipment.

Was there a recall on the 1998 Ford Econoline acceleration?

Yes, 1 recall: 08V051000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.

What year does the Ford Econoline have the most acceleration problems?

The Ford Econoline model years with the most acceleration complaints are 1992 (18 complaints), 1994 (13 complaints) and 1996 (12 complaints).

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