1998 Ford Mustang problems & reliability
236 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1998 Ford Mustang, alongside 1 safety recall campaign. 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.
22 complaints report injuries (31 injured, 1 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1998 Ford Mustang vehicles were involved in 41 fatal crashes with 36 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 40 | 17% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 29 | 12% |
| Steering | 22 | 9% |
| Power Train | 21 | 9% |
| Seat Belts | 18 | 8% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 18 | 8% |
| Parking Brake | 17 | 7% |
| Suspension | 16 | 7% |
| Air Bags | 15 | 6% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 13 | 6% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 88,900 miles (middle 50% between 73,976 and 112,500 miles), based on 31 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Rear right parking brake does not engage and when trying to come to an emergency stop brake is ineffective”
Service Brakes · filed May 22, 2021
“Stirring-wheel airbags did not deploy on getting hit head-but on the passenger side did deploy but due to the defect stirring wheel airbag not deploying the driver to hit the windshield”
Air Bags · filed Feb 6, 2020
“Passenger side seatbelt will not. Work , cannot pull out to use it... The repair shop is having a hard time finding. A retractor. Mechanism....my family cannot sit in the front passenger seat. Right now”
Seat Belts · filed Oct 3, 2019
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
- FIRES IN THE CENTER CONSOLE
Preliminary Evaluation PE99029 · opened May 3, 1999 · closed Jul 27, 1999
Technical service bulletins
173 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1998 Ford Mustang. The 10 most recent:
Some 1997-2008 vehicles equipped with a 4.6l 2v, 5.4l 2v, or 6.8l 2v engine--spark plug thread repair procedure--not covered under new vehicle limited warranty. *nj this includes f-53 motorhome chassis. Updated 2/23/10…
07212 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 1, 2007
Extended coverage program 05n04 - extended coverage for composite intake manifold. This program is being provided as a settlement to a class action lawsuit. The terms of the settlement extend the coverage of the…
05N04 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 14, 2005
Wds cop kit diagnostic tip - coil on plug (cop) ignition systems - engine misfire or rough running. *tt
041601 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 14, 2005
General (pcm) power train control module programming procedures. *tt
042107 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 13, 2004
Engine misfire or running - coil on plug (cop) ignition systems - wds cop kit diagnostic tips. To include various 2005 models. * ar this article 04161 supersedes tsb 03-14-04.
031404 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 23, 2004
Intermittent loss of power or crank no start - possible pats lamp flashing and diagnostic trouble codes (dtcs) u1147 and/or u1262. *tt
17868 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 1, 2004
Gear whine in 1st, 3rd and reverse gears. *tt
17577 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 1, 2004
Remote keyless entry (rke) - service tips. *tt
03181 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 15, 2003
Engine misfire or rough running condition with coil on plug (cop) ignition systems may be more accurately diagnosed using the optional worldwide diagnostic system (wds) coil on plug (cop) kit. 2003 super duty f series…
03144 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 21, 2003
Malfunction indicator lamp (mil) illumination with diagnostic trouble codes p0442, p0455, p0456, p0457, p1442 or check fuel cap lamp illuminated with diagnostic trouble code p0457. *tt
0398 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 12, 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 Mustang has 1 NHTSA recall campaign — 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 Mustang?
- · 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.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 88,900 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.