One problem related to brakes failed has been reported for the 2004 Ford Ranger. The most recently reported issues are listed below. Please also check out the statistics and reliability analysis of the 2004 Ford Ranger based on all problems reported for the 2004 Ranger.
My vehicle is a 2004 Ford Ranger XLT pickup truck with 4 wheel drive. The vehicle is in excellent mechanical condition. The brake system malfunctioned, allowing the brake pedal to hit the floor. This incident occurred while I was pulling into a parking spot on a snow covered parking lot. The air temperature was very cold (0 deg. F) at the time, and the 4x4 system on the vehicle was engaged. When I applied the brakes as I was pulling into the parking spot, the brake pedal hit the floor so the vehicle did not slow down and there was no pulsing sensation from abs. As a result, my vehicle collided with a parked vehicle immediately in front of my vehicle. My vehicle and the other vehicle were both damaged as a result of this brake system failure. I have tried to reproduce the problem many times and have been unable to do so. The Ford dealer in my town was unable to reproduce the failure and did not find any mechanical problem with the braking system. Also the dealer stated that the abs controller on my vehicle cannot be upgraded with new firmware. The dealer invoice for the brake inspection is attached. I have found other reports on Ford auto enthusiast forums of this same problem occurring to other Ford Ranger and explorer vehicles when the driver was making a tight turn at very slow speeds. So it seems there is a design defect with this particular Ford braking system.