Factory build sheet
1998 Ford Explorer XL
Build 1FMZU32E-W · 4L 6cyl · Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV)
VIN positions 1 through 8 read 1FMZU32E and position 10 reads W. Those nine characters define this build. Position 9 and positions 11 through 17 differ on every car.
Every Explorer whose VIN starts 1FMZU32E and carries W in position 10 left the plant with the same engine, transmission, drivetrain and equipment listed below. We know of 599 of them.
- Decoded Jul 7, 2026
- 599 known VINs
- 1 listed for sale now
This configuration is identical to 1998 Ford Explorer XL 4L 6cyl Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) (1,555 vehicles). That page carries the full record.
Factory specification
As filed by Ford with NHTSA for this build. Fields the filing does not record are left out entirely — a missing row means no recorded value, not a missing feature.
Engine
- Displacement
- 4 L
- Displacement (CI)
- 241
- Cylinders
- 6
- Configuration
- V-Shaped
- Engine manufacturer
- Ford
- Valve train
- Single Overhead Cam (SOHC)
- Horsepower
- 205 hp
- Fuel type
- Gasoline
Drivetrain
- Brake system
- Hydraulic
Body & chassis
- Body class
- Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV)/Multi-Purpose Vehicle (MPV)
- NHTSA body type
- MULTIPURPOSE PASSENGER VEHICLE (MPV)
- Doors
- 4
- Manufacturer
- FORD MOTOR COMPANY
Weight rating
- GVWR class
- Class 1D
- GVWR
- 5,001–6,000 lb
Gross vehicle weight rating is the loaded ceiling set by the manufacturer, not the car's own weight.
The same build, other model years
Ford used the VIN pattern 1FMZU32E for 2 model years. Nothing but the year changes between these pages, so the price gap between them is depreciation on an identical car.
-
1998 You are here code W
- 1999 XL 4L 6cyl Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) · 650 vehicles code X
How this VIN pattern is read
A 17-character VIN carries two kinds of information: what was built, and which one it is. This page is the first kind — the nine highlighted positions.
| Positions | Characters | What they encode |
|---|---|---|
| 1–3 | 1FM | FORD MOTOR COMPANY · World manufacturer identifier |
| 4–8 | ZU32E | Model, body style, engine and restraint system |
| 9 | × | Check digit — computed per vehicle, not part of the build |
| 10 | W | Model year — 1998 |
| 11 | × | Assembly plant |
| 12–17 | ×××××× | Production sequence number, unique to each vehicle |
599 vehicles carry this build
Every VIN we have decoded to 1FMZU32E-W shares the specification above.
- 599 Known VINs
- 1 Listed for sale now
Cars are filed by a fixed rule based on the VIN, so a car never moves between groups.
Neighboring configurations
Other factory configurations of the Explorer, each with its own build sheet. The set is fixed by the VIN patterns themselves, so it does not shuffle as prices or inventory move.
- 1998 XL 5L 8-cyl · Sport utility vehicle suv mult 263 vehicles
- 1998 XL 4L 6-cyl · Sport utility vehicle suv mult 254 vehicles
- 1998 XL 4L 6-cyl · Sport utility vehicle suv mult 1,555 vehicles · $5,555 median
- 1998 XLT 5L 8-cyl · Sport utility vehicle suv mult · AWD 658 vehicles
- 1999 XL 4L 6-cyl · Sport utility vehicle suv mult 30 vehicles
Keep going
Where this data comes from
Specification fields are decoded from the manufacturer's filings in the NHTSA vPIC database, keyed on VIN positions 1–8 and 10. We publish the filed values as they stand and leave out anything the filing does not record.
Vehicle counts come from the 599 VINs of this build we have seen in dealer inventory. They are a sample of the road population, not a production figure.