Two problems related to automatic transmission gear indicator have been reported for the 1998 Ford Explorer. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
While driving in July the owner noticed that there was a problem with the shift mechanism. The gear position indicator was not correct. The vehicle had a normal position indicator for about 7 years. Then one day it went out of wack. The reverse was where neutral should be, neutral was where drive should be, and drive was where second gear should be. The owner has not taken it to the dealership or contacted them yet. The owner has not contacted the manufacturer. There was no problem with the transmission's performance, the owner is just concerned because he doesn't know what gear the car was in. The owner added that the gas pedal got stuck yesterday. The owner was backing out of a driveway. The owner was going slowly and and went to push the accelerator and it wouldn't accelerate. The gas pedal was jammed. The owner thinks the pedal was down a little bit and there was no reaction. The owner stopped the vehicle and shouted for husband to come over and look. Then she tried again. This time the accelerator worked. This was the first and last time the vehicle has ever this problem.
Gear shift knob pulls off into your hand as you are shifting, this is a danger especially when you are making turns and having to accelerate fast.