One problem related to electric power assist steering system has been reported for the 1998 Ford Explorer. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
On 6/18/04 my family was in a rollover accident while on vacation in NY. My son was driving and swerved to avoid a car coming at high speeds. The steering became very loose and we rolled over. Before rolling over, he tried to regain control and totttled left then tottled right and then flipped and landed on the hood. The three with minor injuries included cuts on hands from cladd, sprain neck and bruises.