Door Latch problems of the 1998 Ford Ranger

1998 Ford Ranger had the door ajar switch replaced 3 or 4 times in as many years. The door ajar is linked to the dome light. If the door ajar switches become corrupted or malfunction, the dome light goes on and stays on. The poses a safety hazard if it happens at night because there is no way to turn the dome light off while driving even though the doors are firmly closed and locked. The glare from the dome lights make driving nearly impossible, and could cause a serious accident if it occurs while driving at night with no repair facility close by.

My door ajar light and dome light stay on after you get in and out of the passenger side door. From postings, this is a very common Ford problem that they ignore. Driving forward (reverse won't do it) will reset the light most of the time and make them go out. Sometimes you have to pull the fuse. Wd-40 seems to be a short term fix but the real problem is the door switch jams.

Door ajar light remains on and the vehicle thinks the door is open even though it is latched securely.