Ford Ranger owners have reported 49 unknown or other related problems since 1996. Table 1 shows the 1 most common unknown or other problems. The number one most common problem is related to the vehicle's unknown or other (49 problems). For details of each of the problem category, use the links in the table.
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| Unknown Or Other problems |
Severely rusted out rear frame rails that would not pass PA. Inspection codes. In the past 3 years I have replaced all the rear spring hangers and mounts. I understand that this is a major problem with the Ford Ranger line and is why im sending this letter and form.
The frame keeps cracking at the passengers side shock mount and working its way to the front of the truck. I have welded it several times in the past 2 months and cracking in different spots. Alot of people are having the same problems. My frame is about to snap in half. The truck only has 124,000 miles on it. Its pretty much the same as Toyota's frame recall.
Was told that the truck can no longer pass pennsylvania inspection due to rusting of the frame brackets which hold transmission support sub frame.
I have a 1999 Ford Ranger 4 dr. Super cab. If you look at this truck on the exterior/interior you would think it was 3-4 years old!! absolutely gorgeous, you know this truck is cared for extremely well!! however put it up on a lift and you would swear it was sitting in a salt field for 20 years!! absolutely rediculous! all cross members are completely DE-tatched from frame, tank straps are gone, the only thing holding up my gas tank is the skid plate! the spare tire hnager and c-member is rotted completely, and the rear c-member is almost rotted. Was told by my independant mechanic , the only thing holding frame togethere is the bumper!! rocker panels are in great cond. , body is wonderful!!. This is crazy, how can Ford do this and get away with this?? Toyota stood up as a company and took care of there responsibilities!! guess that just shows who cares about standing behind there consumers. This is incredibly frustrating to know you have a beautiful vehicle that runs top-notch, that you absolutely adore and you have been told you probably can't drive it on the road because of premature rotted out frame!! yeah thats right pre-mature!!! I have seen 25-30 year old vehicles that were not this bad. I owned a 1984 Ford Ranger that was in better shape than this underneath!! what did Ford used to do in the past with there frames?? well ,, figure it out and do it again!! that's not all you can't order the c-members from Ford! are you kidding me! don't build it right, then screw you on replacement parts! I believe Ford should step and fix these frames the way a company should fuldill there responsibilities! if Toyota can do it so can we on this side of the ocean!! I would love to drive my Ranger for awhile longer, and with the breakdown and reputation of these frames on this particular truck Ford should assume responsibility!.
After 1 year f owning the truck from new I noticed medium sized amounts of suface rust onm the frame. It kinda me worry because whats gonna happen when the truck is 5 years old or older.
My 1997 4x4 Ranger, 61500 miles, has major frame rust and has in fact rusted through in one area. The frame rails also at the rear leaf spring shackles heavily rusted. I have owned this since oct. Of 2000. The body is clean and straight of any damage or rust. I expect a Ford frame to last and not be the reason of the vehicles total failure in both saftey and of the vehicle life after 12-13 years with only 61,500 miles. The car in my opinion is unsafe to drive. Ford should stand behind their product and do what Toyota has done with similar frame issues. I look foward to your reply.
I was driven and going about 20mph. And come to a stop light I tried to press the brakes they worked a little then I couldn't press down anymore almost rear ended another car. I called Ford dealership to have it checked out and the tech. Said the abs module needs to be replace he told me this item should never went bad. I asked a couple of friends about this they told me parts like this should never go bad? I was woundering if this is on the recall list because this is a safty hazard!.
The frame near my back wheels is completely rusted out and there is now a big crack on both sides of the frame. The rust amounts are excessive, and in my opinion seem to be a failure in design of the frame. The truck has only 105,000 miles on it and the frame in that section of the car has serious rust while the rest of the car looks good. All of the connections in the back have a lot of rust, more than can be attributed to poor maintenance. If I hadn't seen this crack developing in the frame a serious accident could have resulted. I feel Ford should be held accountable for a faulty product.
First failure was where leaf springs attach to frame (rear shackles) failed due to rust and put hole in truck bed. Replaced parts. Second failure is when filling tank with fuel; gas has started to run out on the ground at the gas station. Just received filler neck today to replace current rusted one. While under vehicle noticed tank strap is hanging loose not attached due to connection point rusted off (similar failure to NHTSA recall campaign #11v385000 fuel tank strap failure). Also noticed severe rust like little or no rust inhibitor was applied to frame and components. Shield above muffler is almost non-existent, frame cross member is flaking away due to rust. I am not qualified to provide full details of problems or cause but rust is becoming a safety issue with this vehicle. Contacted Ford and they say vehicle is not part of recall.
While driving down the road I went over some bumps in the road and truck lurched sideways suddenly, after that the handling of the truck was extremely poor. Upon inspection of the truck I saw that the rear frame of the truck from the rear leaf spring mount back was severely rotted (the frame has rot holes in it) and the drivers side rear leaf spring mount had rotted off the frame. The truck has no body rot whatsoever and has been well cared for and the frame should not rot out before there is ever a spec of rust on the body.
Left side of frame rail rusted through to the point frame is almost broke in half on left rear portion just ahead of rear axle. Sway arm was also connected to this part of frame. Large portion of frame rail is missing, (approximately 6x6") which has rendered truck useless & unsafe to drive. Last year both rear spring shackles had to be replaced or rear axle was going to fall out. Until now this vehicle was in excellent condition.
About 6 years ago the frame began to rust. The vehicle is now a borderline junker. The frame has rotted through and the cross members have become detached from the frame. Looking at the vehicle you would never expect it to be ready to split in half. Is Ford liable in any manner for the fatigued and rotted frame and connecting components?.
I purchased a 2001 Ford Ranger edge, 4 door, 4 wheel drive pickup truck from the nykar store off of ebay motors in January. The ad falsely claimed that the vehicle was in great shape with no mechanical damage disclosed, but soon I discovered that the frame has severe rust damage that was covered up with filler and undercoating. The frame, where the control arms connect are so visible rusted around the mounting bolts that the holes are large enough to put my fingers through, at least once all of the flaking rust, filler and undercoating were removed. The truck is totaled. It will require a complete frame replacement which will cost more than the truck is worth. I purchased a truck that is totaled from a dishonest dealer, but the frame should not be rusted this bad. If I had hit a pot hole, one or both of the front tires could have sheered off and caused a serious accident or personal injury. Please advise me on the best course of action to take in this situation.
The frame just in front of the rear tires on both sides is getting thin with small holes in it. Also the crossmember behind the transfer case that holds the front gas tank support is rotted out pretty bad and should be replaced. The rear leaf spring shackles are getting pretty thin and will need to be replaced soon.
Extensive rust damage to rear section of frame. Spare tire holder completely rusted out.
My grandfather bought this truck new and replaced the rear spring hangers in10/2009. I have the truck now. After pressure washing the frame I noticed the frame cross member has a hole in it at the muffler. Front spring hangers are extremely rusty as is the shock mounts. The frame from the cab to rear is extremely rusty and thin looking. The spare tire holding area has a hole in it. This truck has never been off road or in the mud. Very little time on the road in the winter. The body is in excellent shape as is the frame from cab to front. Truck has only 98,000 miles on it now. Could this be a frame issue as it was with Toyota? same manufacture maybe? just a thought because they are plenty of the same complaints in the same area.
Excessive under carriage/frame rust. Spare tire mount rusted completely through and fell off at 30,000 miles. Ladder frame cross members completely rusted through and fell off after 35000, front part of ladder frame where engine mounts is rusted 80% through by 41,000 miles. Most of frame is heavily damaged by excessive rust. Upper body looks fine, no rust on main body, only under carriage and frame. Vehicle is about to collapse.
Noticed my truck was sitting crooked. Took it to repair shop to have repaired. About 2 hours after I dropped it off the repair shop called my phone and asked me to come to their shop. The mechanic showed me the rusted spring shackles and rusted spring hangers and the rusted frame. This shop would not put my trailer hitch back on because he said my rusty frame would not hold it up. I took my truck back to a Ford dealer for them to look at. They told me that the truck was paid for, warranty was out and as far as they were concerned the problem was mine. I tried to tell the dealer that this didn,t happen overnight. He didn,t care. I have had parts of the frame plated so it wouldn,t break into. Gas tank brackets have rusted off. Main front crossmember has rust holes in it. This truck was only 7 years old and its junk. Tried to trade it off at a dealer first thing they look at is the frame. The dealers know there is a problem with the frames rusting. And mine is not the only one in the area with rusted frame problems. My son has a 2004 Ford thats almost as bad as mine. I have a 1955 Ford truck that has a better frame under it than my 2001. Sad but true. I took excellent care of my truck for those first 7 years but who crawls under their car or truck to check for rust. You expect some but not to this extent.
: the contact stated while driving 15 mph on neighborhood streets, the spare tire fell from underneath the vehicle onto the road. The vehicle was driven to the dealer who determined the cable holding the spare tire fractured and needed to be replaced. Updated 10/30/2006 - the spare tire was a full size spare, not a temporary spare.
: the contact stated the vehicle's front passenger side floor mat slid forward hitting the reset button located on the passenger side floor board, causing the engine to suddenly stall without warning. Updated 09/19/06.
Dash/radio surface bubbling up cosmetic/appearance defect.
Two weeks ago when leaving a parking lot the spare tire affixed under the truck bed of my 1998 Ford Ranger pickup with 79,000 miles fell off. When I retrieved the tire and metal piece that holds the tire I observed that the cable had apparently snapped. Had I been on an interstate or other major highway someone might have been killed. When I contacted Ford they said they had no other reports of this type failure and I was to pay a dealer to replace the device and receive a 1 year warranty. Although the vehicle is out of warranty, I do not feel this is my responsibility as it is a safety issue and the mileage and age of the truck indicate to me that this is a significant safety issue and not just wear and tear. I understand that things happen, but a life or lives could have been lost. I am debating as how best to secure my spare and currently just carry it in my truck bed and bring it into my home at night to prevent theft. The cable is still in the truck mechanism and I have the metal piece that holds the tire in place. The dealership where I bought the truck responded with an "OH well", Ford motor company took an interest, but as no one was injured and they say no other complaints of this type are in their records too bad for me. They referred me to another dealership in town who wants $100 to fix it. I will not pay them out of spite and will try to determine another safe method of carrying my tire. I do not trust them.
Ford 2005 Ranger caught on fire around 3:00 am. It was in a parking lot. The fire started in the area of the rear tire and the truck was totally destroyed.
I purchased a new 05 Ford Ranger on September 12 of this year. After driving the vehicle I experience headaches and some hearing problems. I believe this is caused by this vehicle. When I did not use it for a few days this went away. Now that I am using the vehicle again these have returned. I don't know if this is your area, but it might have some importance.
The contact previously filed a complaint with NHTSA concerning odi 10139675. He felt that vehicles should be equipped with a brake light that stayed on all the time while the vehicle was not in motion because this would decrease rear end collisions at night. Also, with the technology available the manufacturer should put a sensor on the speedometer and on the brake pedal so that when the speedometer read zero mph, and in combination with the brake pedal not being depressed, the brake lights will light up and signal to other motorist that the vehicle stopped. If a motorist had the vehicle in the park or neutral position other motorist could identify that the vehicle stopped. The contact believed that this technology should be used on all vehicles whether they were automatic or manual transmissions. Updated 12/27/05.
Problem occurred on 6/2/05 when the wire that hold the spare tire on the vehicle broke and the tire fell to the ground. Owner was driving down the road going around a corner about 5 mph. No previous problems with vehicle. Regularly maintained. Consumer is not making a complaint but is just reporting a safety hazard in the design of the spare tire holder.
2001 Ford Ranger cable clamps which holds the spare tire in place has given way. The spare tire fell onto the highway.
2003 Ford Ranger airbags symbol on the dash started coming on. A rivet rubbed against air bag wiring under the carpet which caused the air bag light to illuminate.
The truck is less than a year old and the paint on the roof is peeling. The best analogy is that it looks like there are spots where it is "sunburned" and the paint is peeling away from the structure. This is an "electric blue" color.
The radiator on my 2002 Ford Ranger had to be replaced on March 5, 2004. On March 17, 2004 a 30" x 7" x 6" plastic deflector located behind the radiator dropped and caught a ridge on a snow covered road sending the truck into a snow covered embankment. When I went to whaling city Ford and told them what happened and said they must not have put the deflector back on properly they said the deflector must have come off as a result of striking the embankment. They claim that marks on the deflector show it got damaged at that time. However, other than what happened to the end that dropped to the roadway, the marks on the deflector are from having to twist and turn the deflector to break it off from the driver side of the truck since the truck could not be driven with the deflector hanging half way off and scraping along the road surface. The radiator did not get damaged and the radiator is forward of the deflector. The impact with the embankment was so slight that the air bag failed to deploy and that would not have knocked a properly secured part off the truck. There was no damage to anything other than the bumper from the impact with the embankment. Furthermore, the side of the deflector that dropped had a plastic pin (meant to hold the deflector in place) still in the middle of three holes while the other two holes appear to have had nothing in them. We filed a complaint on Ford's web site on 12 Apr 04 and they have, at this writing, refused to help. They have also refused to answer any questions we submitted by e-mail. We have the failed part and are willing to show it to anyone who is interested.
Consumer stated dealership didn't inform him about the trucks' inefficiency to exceed the speed of 80 mph. If the truck was driven at that speed it experienced a severe vibration and would not go any faster. The speedometer would register 120 mph. . The consumer was told that 4-wheel drive vehicles should not be driven on dry roads.
My client is scheduled to undergo 2 cervical fusions as aresult of a rear end motor vehicle crash. His Ford Ranger has no headrest as such but rather is designed with a glass partion to act as means for stopping head's movement. Amazing that Ford "complied" with federal standards using glass partion. Who ever heard of a glass headrest?.
The paint on the hood is cracking.
R door power window inop fixed prolem noticed paint peeling on hood edge took in for repairs they repainted only around the edges, picked up truck today needs to go back so they can fix tape line on edge of hood and found another chip where they just painted.
Sudden accelaration with warning. Has happened several times in the past two years. Went to dealership to register this problem but the service manager was not concerned.
While driving, the cable snapped which caused the spare to fall to the ground.
While the consumer was driving intense heat comes from the dashboard. Took the vehicle to the dealer and the dealer unable to remedy the problem.
Have tried since the vehicle was new, to get out what appeared to be water spots. Took it to the dealer, they "acid washed" it two times. It looked better, but was still spotted, and now scratched. I have tried waxes and polishes of many brands and they still remain. The truck has only 6000 plus miles, always washed and garaged. The color is dp wdg blue.
Engine light stays on dome light doesnt go off windshield wipers dont go off.
No summary listed for above vehicle.
Rear frame rusted and cracked on both sides and the spare tire holder is rusted and ready to fall off. The truck is unsafe to drive. This should not happen to an 11 year old truck. Just as Toyota did, Ford should stand behind their frames.
While sitting at a red light another vehicle hit consumer's vehicle from rear, causing driver's side and passenger's side seats to break and fall back on the children who were sitting in the rear.
Consumer states that a complaint was made in June of 2002 about a rollover accident in her 1997 Ford Ranger and would like an investigation open.
No summary.
Engine check light keeps coming on. Dealer has given several excuses for the warning light, and still ther eis no solution. Has been in 5 times.
Cargo cover failed.
No summary listed for above vehicle. ( dot number: ).
Wrong wrench supplied with the vehicle, using improper torque wrench to tighten lug nuts could lead to warping of the rotor/pads in the front wheel thus resulting in brake failure.