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1998 Ford Xl

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Limited comparison data

There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

All reported categories

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 3 of 6 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Suspension. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 2 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

1 crash reports0 fire reports1 injury reports

What owners actually said

6 reports
100,387 miles · Jul 26, 2014
SteeringSuspension

THE TRUCK SQUEAKS SO LOUD AT 0 MPH, JUST SHAKE TRUCK SIDE TO SIDE AND IT SOUNDS TERRIBLE. ITS THE FRONT AND REAR END BUSHINGS DUE WITH SOME STEERING PROBLEMS. THIS IS A MANUFACTURE DEFEAT AND NOT WEAR AND TEAR ON THIS VEHICLE. NOT SURE ABOUT THE SUSPENSION BUT IT PLAYS A ROLE IN THIS WHOLE PROBLEM.. AS I RESEARCHED RECALLS O…

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THE TRUCK SQUEAKS SO LOUD AT 0 MPH, JUST SHAKE TRUCK SIDE TO SIDE AND IT SOUNDS TERRIBLE. ITS THE FRONT AND REAR END BUSHINGS DUE WITH SOME STEERING PROBLEMS. THIS IS A MANUFACTURE DEFEAT AND NOT WEAR AND TEAR ON THIS VEHICLE. NOT SURE ABOUT THE SUSPENSION BUT IT PLAYS A ROLE IN THIS WHOLE PROBLEM.. AS I RESEARCHED RECALLS ON THIS TRUCK ABOUT THESE PROBLEMS IT WAS INFACT A RECALL. I HOPE YOU HONOR YOUR RECALL AND FIX THIS PROBLEM EVEN THOUGH ITS A 1998 MODEL. EVERY FORD FROM THAT YEAR I COME ACROSS HAS THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. I KNOW I'M NOT THE ORIGINAL OWNER, BUT MY DAUGHTER-IN-LAW SOLD ME THIS TRUCK WHO WAS THE LAST OWNER AND EXPLAINED TO ME THAT IT WAS A RECALL ON THIS PROBLEM. PLEASE DO THE HONORABLE THING AND FIX THE MANUFACTURE DEFECT. I ASK FOR NO MORE THAN WHAT YALL ACKNOWLEDGE AS A RECALL ON THIS MAKE MODEL AND YEAR. THANK YOU AND HOPE TO HEAR FROM THE MANUFACTURE TO FIX THIS LONG TIME PROBLEM. I'VE INFORMED (PURSUANT TO 49 U.S.C. 30118 (D) OR 30120 (H). ...I'VE SPOKE WITH RECALL MANAGEMENT DIVISION (NVS-215). THIS NOTICE IS SENT TO YOU IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE NATIONAL TRAFFIC AND MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY ACT. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10616451

Mileage unknown · Sep 29, 2007
Suspension

AIR COMPRESSOR THAT KEEPS THE AUTOMATIC SELF LEVELING KEEPS GOING ON ,AND SOUNDING VERY LOUD . MY TRUCK IS GOING DOWN IN THE REAR END, NOW IT DOES NOT WANT TO WORK, I CHECKED THE FUSES AND THEY WERE OK . NOW I HAVE NO POWER GOING TO THE AIR COMPRESSOR OR ANY POWER TO THE AIR BAG SOLENOIDS ,SO NOW I'M RIDING ON THE REAR END AND …

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AIR COMPRESSOR THAT KEEPS THE AUTOMATIC SELF LEVELING KEEPS GOING ON ,AND SOUNDING VERY LOUD . MY TRUCK IS GOING DOWN IN THE REAR END, NOW IT DOES NOT WANT TO WORK, I CHECKED THE FUSES AND THEY WERE OK . NOW I HAVE NO POWER GOING TO THE AIR COMPRESSOR OR ANY POWER TO THE AIR BAG SOLENOIDS ,SO NOW I'M RIDING ON THE REAR END AND ITS NOT SAFE!! *TR

NHTSA ODI #10204455

5,200 miles · Sep 3, 2005
Power TrainService Brakes, HydraulicSuspension

ON 5/25/2003 I PURCHASED A 1998 FORD XLT [XXX] AT THE TIME I COULD NOT AFFORD A EXTENDED WARRANTY BUT THE DEALER STATED THAT IT HAD A WARRANTY LEFT OF EITHER 1 MONTH OR 1000 MILES LEFT ON IT. THIS SUV TURNED OUT TO BE A NIGHTMARE BY JULY 2ND 2003 I HAD TO PUT NEW BRAKES ON IT WHICH IN TURN SET ME BACK $600.00 ALSO MY SUSPENSION …

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ON 5/25/2003 I PURCHASED A 1998 FORD XLT [XXX] AT THE TIME I COULD NOT AFFORD A EXTENDED WARRANTY BUT THE DEALER STATED THAT IT HAD A WARRANTY LEFT OF EITHER 1 MONTH OR 1000 MILES LEFT ON IT. THIS SUV TURNED OUT TO BE A NIGHTMARE BY JULY 2ND 2003 I HAD TO PUT NEW BRAKES ON IT WHICH IN TURN SET ME BACK $600.00 ALSO MY SUSPENSION LIGHT KEPT GOING ON I ALSO WAS STARTING TO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH TRANSMISSION ON 8-15-03 I TOOK MY SUV TO AAMCO AND PAID $2712.85 FOR A NEW TRANSMISSION I CALLED STEVENS CREEK NISSAN TO SEE IF THEY COULD HELP ME AT LEAST PAY HALF BUT TO NO AVAIL THEY SAID NO TOO BAD. FURTHER MORE BY PAYING ALL THIS MONEY OUT I GOT BEHIND ON MY CAR PAYMENTS AND TO NO AVAIL IN NOVEMBER 2004 MY SUV GOT REPO . PLEASE HELP I FEEL THAT STEVENS CREEK NISSAN SHOULD HAVE AT LEAST PAID HALF. I HAD ONLY HAD THE VEHICLE FOR 8 WEEKS BEFORE I STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS WITH IT. NOW MY CREDIT IS EVEN BLEMISHED MORE THAT WHAT IT SHOULD BE. DISAPPOINTED IN SAN JOSE. *JB UPDATED 07/19/2012 INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI #10135247

20 miles · Aug 8, 2005
Service Brakes, HydraulicCrashInjury

MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING OUR 1998 WINDSTAR IN EARLY JUNE 2005.. SHE STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, STARTED UP AND DROVE 1/4 MILE OR SO AND THEN STARTED TO BRAKE AGAIN TO AVOID HITTING STOPPED CARS IN FRONT OF HER. THE ENGINE LIGHT FLASHED FOR A MOMENT, AND THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. SHE EXPERIENCED TOTAL SYSTEM FAILURE. …

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MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING OUR 1998 WINDSTAR IN EARLY JUNE 2005.. SHE STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, STARTED UP AND DROVE 1/4 MILE OR SO AND THEN STARTED TO BRAKE AGAIN TO AVOID HITTING STOPPED CARS IN FRONT OF HER. THE ENGINE LIGHT FLASHED FOR A MOMENT, AND THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. SHE EXPERIENCED TOTAL SYSTEM FAILURE. SHE COULD NOT AVOID HITTING THE CAR IN FRONT OF HER. THAT CAR HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF IT. THE CAR WAS TOTALED! THIS IS THE SECOND TIME TOTAL FAILURE OCCURRED. THE BRAKES HAD BEEN REPAIRED IN JANUARY 2005. IN APRIL 2004, THE ABS SYSTEM FAILED AND I NARROWLY AVOIDED AN ACCIDENT AT A STOP SIGN. BOTH THE MASTER CYLINDER AND THE MODULE WERE REPLACED. THIS COST A SMALL FORTUNE. BRAKE PADS HAD TO BE REPLACED ONCE A YEAR OR MORE DURING THE ENTIRE TIME WE OWNED THIS VEHICLE. THERE IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM WHEN BRAKES ARE NOT NEGLECTED AND STILL FAIL COMPLETELY. THIS ACCIDENT LEFT MY DAUGHTER, WHO WAS EXPECTING A BABY, BRUISED AND BATTERED. SHE ALSO EXPERIENCED AIR BAG BURNS THAT HAVE LEFT HER ARMS SCARRED. *JB

NHTSA ODI #10131953

Mileage unknown · Jun 4, 2004
Vehicle Speed Control

WHILE DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL IT DESCENDED TO THE FLOORBOARD. THIS CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO SLOW DOWN. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE ,AND PULLED OVER. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK

NHTSA ODI #10075719

Mileage unknown · Oct 4, 2002
Electrical System

HORN OPERATES INTERMITTENTLY. DEALER NOTIFIED. *MR

NHTSA ODI #8020202

Official recalls

0

No recalls in this snapshot.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.