1998 Ford Econoline problems & reliability
46 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1998 Ford Econoline, alongside 2 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 7 | 15% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 7 | 15% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 6 | 13% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 5 | 11% |
| Tires | 5 | 11% |
| Suspension | 4 | 9% |
| Electrical System | 3 | 7% |
| Structure | 3 | 7% |
| Visibility | 3 | 7% |
| Air Bags | 2 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“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…”
Fuel/propulsion System · filed Aug 10, 2020
“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…”
Wheels · filed Jun 8, 2015
“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…”
Fuel System, Gasoline · filed Jul 14, 2011
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- SPARK PLUG EJECTION FROM CYLINDER HEAD
Defect Petition DP05005 · opened Sep 22, 2005 · closed Jan 4, 2006
Technical service bulletins
179 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1998 Ford Econoline. The 10 most recent:
This SKU is a front upper ball joint. The Customer communication requested return of unsold inventory to inspect for ball studs with excessive rotational friction in the ball joint assembly. Excessive friction in the…
DOR-X8B9R-11 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 6, 2018
Engine or fuel system concerns when using fuel with greater than 5% biodiesel concentration. *tt
17467 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 2005
Emission recall 04e10: compressed natural gas (cng) vehicles - fitting connector replacement. *mj
04E10 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 1, 2004
Air bag lamp illuminated. *tt
17385 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 1, 2003
Diagnostic trouble code (dtc) p0340, possible false code. Various models including 1994-1996 ford excursion. *tt
16480 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 30, 2003
Vehicles equipped with a 7.3l engine (after serial number 0661894) - under valve cover (uvc) harness retainer clip released for service. Includes 2003 econoline, super duty, f650/750 and excursion. *tt
16258 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 30, 2003
Improvements to malfunction indicator lamp (mil) diagnostics. *tt
13621 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 30, 2003
Correct fuel pressure test adapter. Ford special service message. *tt
11456 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 30, 2003
For 7.3l dit engines, rotunda tool has issued an injector performance analyzer that may now be purchased as an effective aid in helping to resolve rough idle concerns. *tt
032137 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 30, 2003
The malfunction indicator lamp (mil) may illuminate with a false diagnostic trouble code (dtc) p1298 (injector drive module (idm) failure). *tt
032134 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 30, 2003
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 1998 Ford Econoline has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1998 Ford Econoline?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.