Cruise Control Problems of Ford Ranger - part 1

On Wednesday oct. 14, 2020 on a trip from gainesville, GA to pensacola, FL I experienced a problem with this vehicle that I would classify as potentially catastrophic. While driving on the interstate (I-85), I used the cruise control several times at speeds between 60 -70 mph. In montgomery, al, I exited off the interstate and stopped at a stop light. All of a sudden the acceleration increased where I had to put maximum pressure on the brakes to prevent the truck from crashing into passing traffic. I then moved the select shift from drive to neutral and then to park, which stopped the acceleration. The acceleration was so severe that the rear wheels were spinning. Again we experienced the same problem twice more on our way to pensacola at various stop lights. That day I had not yet determined that there may be an issue with the operation of cruise control. The next morning Thursday, oct. 15, I brought the truck into world Ford in pensacola, FL. For a diagnosis. The service technician took the truck out on the highway but was not able to duplicate the problem. When he used the diagnosis machine he detected a glitch in test a4 which indicated an intermittent inoperative brake lamp switch. He was not 100% sure the brake lamp switch was the cause of the problem but he changed the switch. He was very concerned of the potential seriousness of the situation. We never had another issue while in pensacola or on the way home, but I never turned the cruise control on, as my confidence level was still very low.

See all problems of the 2019 Ford Ranger 🔎.

When trying to set the cruise control speed the vehicle will continue accelerating constantly. The truck will not set at the desired speed and will keep going faster and faster. The only way stop the increasing acceleration process is stepping on the brake, maybe turning the cruise control off. This happened every time I tried to set the cruise control speed with the bottom on the right side of the wheel. I replicated the issue twice in the parkway just to make sure this was not my fault. The first time this happened was totally unexpected, the car was new.

The truck will display a warning on the dash as well as make audible warnings saying that a camera in the grille is blocked or malfunctioning. Another warning that also happens a lot is something saying that a crash has been detected, it has loud chimes that go off as well as a flashing red display on dash. The pre collision warning also frequently alerts with visual and audible warnings. All of these will happen at any random time, and of all the couple dozen times these warnings have happened there hasn't been a single time that there was any traffic nearby, nor was there anything blocking any camera or sensor. The vehicle is barely more than a month old and has been back to the dealership a few times to fix body alignment issues and programming issues with the ecu, pcm and tcu. The service department told me that the pre collision system only works if you also have adaptive cruise control, which my truck does not. They said there is no way to fix the system to get it to stop giving false warnings unless they add the adaptive cruise control module and other components. However, the dealership is refusing to add the additional parts and also refusing to replace the vehicle with one that does. They told me Ford is aware of this issue, and admits that a false warning may activate the braking system on its own, which can cause an accident, but they stated that Ford will not pay correct the issue. This is a serious safety issue and Ford needs to issue a recall for their faulty, and dangerous, collision warning system. They need to install adaptive cruise control in vehicles without if that's all it would take to fix the issue and make vehicles safe to drive.

On 20 January 2015, approx 11:30pm while the vehicle was parked in the garage since the previous evening, the vehicle alarm went on on it's own. I went and turned it of f and while trying to figure out why, I smelled something burning immediately there was smoke coming from under the hood. I went into action and got the hood open, I saw flames coming from the switch at the end of the master cylinder. I've noticed the switch before, I did not know what it did, I just thought it was part of the braking system. I managed to put out the fire at that point. The switch was completely burned out, the brake fluid reservoir was badly charred but did not burn through (that would have been disastrous). The following day I was searching for a replacement switch (f3ta-9f924-CA) and found out it was called: speed control deactivation switch and has to do with the cruise control system. Please note that my vehicle does not have cruise control. I further found out that the switch in question had been the cause or reported to be the cause of numerous vehicle fires while parked and no key in the ignition. I contacted a local Ford dealer and was told there were no campaign messages in the oasis reporting (whatever that is). All I know is that the switch caught fired while the vehicle was parked and the web indicates that the switch appears to be the cause of numerous vehicle fires. I was lucky in that I decided to find out why the vehicle alarm went on, had I just turned it off, and gone somewhere else, it would have been disastrous. Please look into the switch situation, it appears to be a dangerous situation. Your assistance appreciated.

See all problems of the 1999 Ford Ranger 🔎.

The contact owns a 2000 Ford Ranger. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the cruise control failed to operate without warning. In addition, the contact stated that the brake lights and the turn signals failed to illuminate when engaged as the brake warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 130,000.

See all problems of the 2000 Ford Ranger 🔎.

Tl- the contact owns a 2002 Ford Ranger. The contact stated that there was a progressing failure in which the cruise control switch failed to work and the light on the function button failed to illuminate. The vehicle was to be taken to a dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was not notified of the manufacturers recall number 101309 to address the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000. Dyd.

See all problems of the 2002 Ford Ranger 🔎.

The contact owns a 1999 Ford Ranger. The contact stated that while driving an unknown speed with the cruise control activated, the buttons on the steering wheel become abnormally hot. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not repaired or inspected. The manufacture was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 144,000 and the current mileage was 150,784.

The contact owns a 2000 Ford Ranger. The contact stated that while parked, the vehicle caught on fire. No injuries were reported. The contact called the fire department, who inspected the vehicle and stated that the fire was caused by the cruise control function. The manufacturer was contacted about the failure. The failure mileage was 110,000.

The contact owns a 2002 Ford Ranger. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to dealer for repairs under NHTSA campaign id number: 07v336000 (vehicle speed control) but the dealer failed to disconnect the system. The contact mentioned that while driving 55 mph the cruise control caught on fire. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated that the sun cause the vehicle to over heat and the cruise control to get holes on it. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance. The VIN was not available. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 49,013.

The contact owns a 1997 Ford Ranger. The contact attempted to engage the cruise control at 55 mph, but to no avail. Prior to the failure, the contact received repairs under NHTSA recall campaign id number: 09v399000 (vehicle speed control). The contact stated the failure surface immediately after recall repairs. The failure mileage was 95,000 and the current mileage was 96,000.

See all problems of the 1997 Ford Ranger 🔎.

I have owned my 2003 Ford Ranger XLT since it was new, and have had all scheduled maintenance. I have had 4 incidents since March 2010 where the vehicle has accelerated when I was braking to stop, with 3 of those incidents within the past week. The first incident caused my truck to push thru a gate, damaging the gate and the front of the vehicle. In this case, the engine did finally drop to an idle. I thought the behavior must be a fluke, so didn't report the incident. The 2nd thru 4th incidents have occurred on a limited access road in omaha (Dodge street) at stop signs and at a gas station outside omaha, and as I was nearing a stop the engine started accelerating and pulling the vehicle forward. Maximum pressure on the brakes allowed me to stay stationary so no vehicles or pedestrians were hit, but caused my rear wheels to burn rubber. I turned off the engine to stop the acceleration. The most dangerous incident was when this occurred at a gas station, when I was pulling slowly to a gas pump behind another vehicle and the strong acceleration began. While the truck has cruise control, it was not engaged in any of these 4 incidents. I had the vehicle in for repairs to correct this issue last week, and the last two incidents occurred after the dealer charged me about $880 to fix the issue (replaced throttle valve assy, gasket, potentiometer engine throttle, procharger fuel injection service). The dealer insists that there are no sudden acceleration issues with Ford vehicles, but there are reports of issues on the internet.

See all problems of the 2003 Ford Ranger 🔎.

Run away engine after using cruise control. The cruise control has not functioned for the last 1. 5 yrs. The on light will come on but it won't set. It went out ,but after it stopped working the engine accelerated briefly without the cruise control activated but we had pushed the on button to see if it worked. This also occurred a second time after turning the cruise control on and of. The first two episodes weren't too bad and the vehicle rpm slowed down after the brakes were applied. Just this last week I tried the cruise control again to see if it would work and it didn't. Aprox two days later while coming to a stop and not using the cruise control the engine raced while approaching a stop light. I had to stand on the brakes to keep from going thru the light. I finally placed the transmission in neutral and the engine was still racing. This ended after a few seconds. I was standing on the brakes the whole time. Let me be clear, this has happened three times with the last time 1. 5 years ago being the worst. It started occurring after the cruise control wouldn't turn on and then one day suddenly did after hitting the button. Each instance occurred a few days after trying to get the cruise control to work. All three episodes occurred without ever touching the cruise control during the day that the engine racing occurred.

See all problems of the 2006 Ford Ranger 🔎.

The contact owns a 2010 Ford Ranger. While driving approximately 20 mph the contact stated the vehicle accelerated on its own. The cruise control was engaged prior to the acceleration but at the time of acceleration there was no warning light illuminated on the instrument panel indicating that the cruise control was activated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the technicians stated there was nothing to be concerned about nor did the vehicle need to be repaired. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 78. Updated 08/01/lj the consumer stated when the cruise control was on, no sensors came on. But, the vehicle was in cruise mode. The consumer stated the sensor illuminated, only when he hit the set mode, not cruise mode. Once he tapped the brake, the sensor went off. Updated 08/04/11.

See all problems of the 2010 Ford Ranger 🔎.

Tl-the contact owns a 2004 Ford Ranger. The contact stated that the vehicle would intermittently surge forward while driving at various speeds. The failure also occurred when the cruise control was engaged. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer on numerous occasions in which they were unable to diagnose the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 77,000 and the current mileage was 80,000. Sm.

See all problems of the 2004 Ford Ranger 🔎.

The contact owns a 1996 Ford Ranger. When he entered his vehicle he found that the cruise control off and on switch melted. The dealer stated they have never seen this occur. Recall 09v399000 repair was performed; however, they did not repair the switch. The failure mileage was 97,000.

See all problems of the 1996 Ford Ranger 🔎.

The contact owns a 2001 Ford Ranger. While driving 50 mph with the cruise control activated, the passenger compartment of the vehicle became engulfed with smoke. The contact passed out and the vehicle ran off the road and into a house. The vehicle was destroyed. The air bag deployment caused cuts and bruises on his body. He was the only occupant in the vehicle and was wearing his seat belt at the time of the crash. A police report was filed. There was a recall notice in 2007 for the cruise control, in which the dealer performed the repairs. The Ford manufacturer has not yet been notified. The VIN and NHTSA campaign id number were unknown. The failure mileage was 91,000.

See all problems of the 2001 Ford Ranger 🔎.

Recall 05s28 cruise control Ford Ranger 1998 received a notice Aug 2007. Have tried to have work performed three times. They tell me the parts are not available,maybe late April. How long does it take to make up a simple line with a fuse or even install a fuse in an existing line. Seems an inordinate time lag to get a repair. Thank you for your time, bob bucci.

See all problems of the 1998 Ford Ranger 🔎.

I have been trying to get my 1999 Ford Ranger truck repaired as it currently under recall for a defective cruise control deactivation switch. The dealer disconnected the cruise control in November 2007, and I have not had an operable cruise control option since then. They were unable to repair the problem as they state Ford motor corp has not had the part available to fix the recall issue. I called the dealer again yesterday and they still do not have the part to fix the problem.

Sitting in friends driveway, not running, no keys. Had been there for 2 hours. Neighbor was the one who noticed the fire and notified us. We could have lost the truck sitting next to it along with the house. My husband put out the fire before the fire department arrived. The firefighters told us there had been a recall on the vehicle and that it was definitely cause by the cruise control switch. The vehicle is a total loss which puts us without a vehicle which I had just purchased four months prior to the fire. I called Ford motor company and still have heard nothing back from them. They said it would be 7-10 days before I hear from them. In the mean time I am stranded and no way to get back and forth to work or school. This has definitely put major stress on my whole family.

I received a letter from Ford in August of this year (2007) concerning a possible fire risk with the cruise control on my 2000 Ford Ranger. However, after many trips to the dealer over the past four months the recall "fix" has not yet been implemented because the dealer contends that Ford is not supplying the required part(s). As of the 11th of December the dealers response was that they thought there might be parts available sometime after the first of the year. How can Ford issue a safety recall and not have parts available for four or more months?.

Ford has an active recall, begun about 3 months ago, but doesn't have the parts available to fix this problem. At the very least this is extremely poor customer service, at the worst it is fraud - depriving me of the vehicle I originally paid for! this is the recall for cruise control, a feature I use frequently and specifically bought with this model. Ford knew they had a problem and they would need the parts to fix it - why don't they have it, or have responsibility for compensating for failing to have it?.

Cruise 'control devices on numerous Ford vehicles have been recalled. Ford is disengaging the devices and does not have adequate parts to repair them, consumers are not advised of this until the device has been disengaged. At which point - in my case with a 2000 Ford Ranger I was advised the parts would not be available till December - I have now been advised that the parts will now "possibly" be available mid-March. Ford is obviously ill prepared to deal with this recall and as word gets out that your cruise control will be disabled - many consumers will choose not to have the recall work done until parts are available. This is not only a dangerous situation it is abusive to the consumer.

The contact owns a 2002 Ford Ranger. The contact stated that Ford motor company is taking too long to repair the vehicle speed control for NHTSA campaign id number 07v336000. He stated that he paid to use the cruise control feature on his vehicle and should not have to wait until next year to have it repaired. There had been no failure to date. The current mileage was 35,000.

Lack of action by local Ford dealerships on recall.

In August I received a recall on my 2001 Ford Ranger. After 8 attempts to set up an appointment to have the fused wiring harness installed, which they never had in stock, I was told that they would disable my cruise control. I believe this in not a repair and is trading one problem, a possible fire. For another. I believe that a cruise control is a device to control speeding and a safety device.

I received a letter dated August 2007 from: frank m ligon Ford motor company. Po box 1904 dearborn, michigan 48121 2001 Ford Ranger the letter said that Ford motor company has decided that a defect which relates to motor vechicle safey exists in certain 1992-2004 vechicles equipped with speed control. I visted my dealer on October 8th 2007. The service advisor was steve doyle and the dealer's addresd is below: day Ford 3696 william penn highway monroeville, PA 15146 phone: (412) 856-0600 or (412) 242-9900 fax: (412) 856 8728 the invoice number was 195792 and description on the invoice was: a perform recall 05s28 - cruise modification cause: recall wip recall 05s28 - disconnect cruise 8207 w94 0. 00 disconnect cruise DE-activation switch as per recall. The dealer did not have the part to fix the cruise control but disconnected the cruise control to prevent engine fire. The part was suppose to be received late November. I called late November and was told the part would be received late December. I called late December and told the part would be received mid-January. I called January 23rd 2008 and told the part would not be available till April 2008. I would like to log a compliant. The original letter for the recall was August 2007 and I visited the dealer on October 8th 2007 and the part is still not availalbe to fix the vechile (that is six months). Any help addressing this matter would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!.

My 2002 Ford Ranger was part of a recall pertaining to the cruise control starting fires. I received my notice and took it to a dealer in early October 2007. All they did was disconnect it. They said that I would receive another notice in a few months when a replacement part arrived. As of January 5, 2007, this has not occured. I contacted Ford and they just gave me some canned response about a back order and parts not being available for several more months. Since they disconnected the unit, my abs light comes on. The disconnection occurred from the brake's master cylinder. All they did was put a piece of electrical tape over the female end of the disconnected point. It was coming off as they put it on. My concern is that a manufacturer can "recall" a product only to disconnect it, and in doing so leave the consumer without a feature they paid for, and more importantly, with a "mickey mouse" manner of doing so that may be causing other problems. I worked for a lighting manufacturer. We have had cpsc recalls. However, I never recalled our recalls just being the unplugging of a fixture with an open promise to correct the consumer problem in the future. How does Ford get away with this?.

The contact owns a 1999 Ford Ranger. The contact had his speed control deactivated in September of 2007. He would like to know why Ford is taking so long to repair the vehicle. Ford stated that they are currently installing the part, but for trucks, vans, and SUV's, they would not start until June of 2008. There had been no failure to date. The current mileage was 78,000 and the failure mileage was unknown . Updated 05/06/08 updated 05/06/08.

The contact owns a 1998 Ford Ranger. The contact received a recall notice for the vehicle speed control: cruise control and took the vehicle to the dealer. The dealer disconnected the cruise control and informed the contact to return in December of 2007. When the contact returned in December, the dealer stated that the replacement part would not be available until the second quarter of 2008. There had been no failure to date. The current mileage was 89,950. Updated 04/03/08.

The contact owns a 2002 Ford Ranger. In September of 2007, the contact's neighbor informed him that his vehicle was on fire. A police report was filed. The contact called Ford to have his vehicle towed to the dealer. He received a recall letter a few days before the fire; however, the recall number was unavailable. The current and failure mileages were 43,000.

Ford motor CO. Issued recall 05s28 in August 2007. I took my 2002 Ranger in on 01 sept and was told parts were not available. Check back in late Nov. This is a recall problem with the cruise control, and the dealer disconnected it, stating that it was a fire hazard. I took the Ranger in on 08 Dec and again was told parts were not available and that the dealer had no information as to when Ford would send the parts out, except that it would be some time after the new year. In the meantime, I am without use of the cruise control, which is of great benefit to me when traveling. In my opinion, 4+ months is far too long to have to wait for Ford to correct a problem of this sort, especially since even the dealer has no idea when parts will be available from Ford. This recall inaction has all the appearances of deliberate neglect.

The contact owns a 1996 Ford Ranger. As the contact attempted to engage the cruise control, he noticed that the switch was burned and the plastic was melted. The dealer informed him that his vehicle was not under a recall. A new cruise control switch will cost $50. The manufacturer could not inform him if the new switch would fail and advised him to file a complaint with NHTSA. The contact will replace the switch himself, but will investigate to see if it will burn again. The speed was unknown. The current mileage was 210,000 and failure mileage was 209,000.

The contact owns a 2002 Ford Ranger. The contact received a Ford recall notice for the vehicle speed control switch and immediately scheduled a repair appointment. The dealer informed her that the parts would be available in October of 2007. When she called back, the dealer stated that the parts would not be available until February of 2008. She has not yet had her speed control switch deactivated. The contact filed a formal complaint with the manufacturer. There had been no failure to date. The recall number, VIN, and engine size were unknown. The current mileage was 50,000.

The contact owns a 2001 Ford Ranger. The contact received a Ford recall notice in August of 2007 for the vehicle speed control: cruise control. He immediately scheduled an appointment to have the vehicle repaired. The dealer informed him that the parts would be available in December of 2007. The contact called the dealer in March of 2008 and they stated that the Ford parts would be unavailable until June of 2008. He filed a complain with the manufacturer. The cruise control has not been disconnected. There had been no failure to date. The recall number was unknown. The current mileage was 58,000. Updated 4/2/08 the consumer stated the cruise control was disconnected on March 13, 2008. Updated 04/02/08.

The contact owns a 2000 Ford Ranger. The contact received a Ford recall notice for the vehicle speed control: cruise control in August of 2007. He immediately called the local dealer to have the vehicle repaired. A representative from the dealer informed him that the parts would be available in January of 2008. In March of 2008, the dealer stated that the parts would be unavailable until may of 2008. The contact refused to have the cruise control switch disconnected. There had been no failure to date. The recall number was 05s28. The current mileage was 86,000. Updated 04/16/08.