1998 Ford Explorer Tires Problems

NHTSA component category: TIRES · data through 07/12/2026

340Tires complaints

17.4%Of all 1,959 complaints

#2Most-reported category

Source: U.S. NHTSA complaint data. Complaints are unverified reports from vehicle owners — a complaint is not a confirmed defect.

How tires ranks on this vehicle

TIRES:TREAD/BELT381 · 19.4%

TIRES340 · 17.4%

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL154 · 7.9%

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE100 · 5.1%

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL87 · 4.4%

Share of the 1,959 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 1998 Ford Explorer overview page.

What owners report

“TIRES BLEW OUT CAUSING VEHICLE TO STRIKE A GUARD RAIL AND ALMOST TURN OVER. (FIRESTONE/OWL 16").”NHTSA complaint 542361 — filed 10/30/1998

Excerpts are shortened and scrubbed of personal details; they are individual, unverified reports.

Tires complaints by year filed

Frequently asked questions

Does the 1998 Ford Explorer have tires problems?

Tires is the #2 most-reported problem area on the 1998 Ford Explorer: 340 of 1,959 complaints on file (17.4%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.

How many complaints does the 1998 Ford Explorer have in total?

1,959 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/12/2026. Across all categories, 181 involved a crash, 102 involved a fire, 215 reported injuries, and 16 reported deaths.

What does NHTSA's tires category include?

NHTSA assigns each complaint to standard component categories; this page reports the TIRES category exactly as NHTSA defines and records it.

About this data — Complaint figures on this page are consumer reports submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a U.S. government agency. NHTSA does not verify individual complaints; a complaint is not proof that a defect exists, and counts reflect what owners chose to report, not confirmed failure rates. Recall information comes from official NHTSA safety recall campaigns; recall repairs are free at authorized dealers. Always check your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. CarModelProblems.com is an independent site and is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. Data through 07/12/2026.