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We found the following complaints for FORD RANGER (1998)

Read complaints for FORD RANGER (1998)


I hit a deer while comming home from work at 45 mph and bent bumper, dented left quarter panel,broke left turn signal lens and cracked plastic grile. Airbags did not apply or engage. I also have taken my truck to the local dealership 4 times to get my door alarm chip replaced @ 50 dollars each time. On last attempt my extended waranty had expired and they refused to honer the problem and promise to replace.even though it was an exsisting problem. This was prior to hitting the deer.

I was involved in a 20-25mph rear end colision. I had ran into the back of an old gmc pickup causing $4000.00 worth of damage to the front end of my truck. Both the driver and the passenger airbag never deployed. While the truck was in the shop for repairs the shop had found out the airbag sensor was bad. They tried to replace the sensor but was informed by ford that the sensor on that make and model has been changed and the location of the sensor(s) are in now located in a different spot other then on the radiator mounts. Because of this change by ford the bodyshop had to order the new part as well as the proper location of htis new sensor.

Air bag light stays on. - no accidents/bumps/hits .truck only has 56,000 miles.what's the problem on this.why should i have to pay for a company defect.i have read the complaints involving the airbags, don't you think there is a problem.one day someone is going to die because of this problem..............

Any any??you tell me remember?

Youre supposed to tell me of any past incidents , accidents , failures, & recalls. Remember? that is supposed to be the point of this website. Is it not?

While traveling about 40mph onhighway in inclement weather vehicle hit a patch of water that was in a puddle,andvehicle hydroplaned, and flipped five times. Upon impact,dual airbags didn't deploy.

While traveling on a steep incline at 20 mphpassenger's air bag fell into the lap ofpassenger; dealer notified, and reinstalledair bag. Please feel free to provide any further details.

The vehicle was involved in a frontal collision, and none of the air bags deployed.the consumer suffered minor injuries.

Driving at approximatley 25 mph ,consumer was involved in head- on collsion. Driver's and passenger's side airbags did not deploy, causing at a least 2500 worth of damage to front end ,and bruises on knees as a result of hittingdash panel.

Vehicle was involved in a frontal collision, and the airbags did not deploy, resulting ininjury.manufacturer has been notified.

Vehicle hit bridge guardrail at 60 mph, neither airbag deployed.damage to vehicle was $ 5000.00. Consumer had a second accident, rearended a vehicle at 30 mph, and $1300.00 damage, neither airbag deployed.

Daughter was driving truck lost control on snow covered road, approx. Speed:40-55 mph.wrecked, went off road into deep ditch, hit hill, truck went up in air, almost flipping, came back down flattened tires on drivers side, flipped back out in road, spun around and back in same ditch on passengers side headed up the road. Airbags on niether side deployed. Injuries to: head, neck shoulder, hip, upper& lower back. Contacted ford motor, sent truck to dealer to chek data on module. Statment was signed to give copy of report to me & not to earase any data. Sso far all i recieved was a letter from ford motor saying nothing was wrong with airbags.

Started vehicle up. Had door opened at times driver's leg not inside vehicle. Vehicle suddenly accelerated forward, without warning. Hit a truck & then a wall. Upon impact, neither air bags deployed.

The consumers vehicle suddenly accelerated and resulted in a frontal collision through the garage.neither the driver or passenger air bags deployed.*nlm

Another vehicle pulled in front quickly. Ranger hit brakes sharply & brakes locked up on right side and skidded. Did not hit other vehicle. Skid mark 92ft. Air bag deployed. Laceration on face & forehead abrasion. Emergency room treatment. Has highway police report.

Crash involved my vehicle striking another vehicle which had turned into my path to make a left turn at a lighted intersection. Police determined that other driver was at fault. Other vehicle (a vw jetta) was struck in the side, yet both airbags deployed. My vehicle was struck in the front with sufficient force to break front axle, yet neither airbag deployed. I contacted dealer who referred me to their 1-800 customer hotline, who then referred me back to dealer to pursue technical problems such as this. Therefore, i'm now contacting you.

Consumer's son was killed when airbagsfailed to deploy. Vehicle was going 45 mph and hit a tree on the passenger's side.also, fire broke out, andvehicle was totaled.

The consumer experienced problems withanti- lock brakes andairbag. During an accidentanti-lock brakes failed to work.when the consumer applied their brakes, the pedal went to the floorboard.in addition,driver's and passenger's side airbags failed to deploy.the manufacturer has been contacted.

Driver missed a turn and hit light pole on front drivers side. Upon impact, airbags did not deploy.

Dual airbags did not deploy even after a frontal collision at 23-27 mph impact with truck, resulting in $3600 worth of damage to front end alone.both driver and passenger hit windshield.

Strong odor comingriver's air bag , caused asthma attacks and hayfever symptoms to the poin tof bleeding and light headiness. The odor and symptoms are generally alleviated by wrappinga trash bag around steering wheel and column.

Consume r was traveling about 40mph on highway onicy roads and another vehicle veered into him.forcing him into a meridian baracade enbankment.causing him to roll three times, there were some minor injuries. Upon impact, air bags failed to deploy.

Vehicle was involved in a frontaland a roll over collisions of 30-40 mph, and neither air bag deployed. Dealer andmanufacturer were not notified at this time.

While driving at approximately 36 mph ,rearended another vehicle. Upon impact,driver's side and passenger's side airbags didnot deploy, causing injuries. Please provide further information.

Consumer was parked whenanother vehicle tailgated the consumer's vehicle,causing the consumer to be pushed into another vehicle, and the air bags on both sides of the consumer's vehicle didn't deploy.

When vehicle crashed into the back of another, while traveling 15-20 mph, there was no deployment of the driver's side air bag. The whole front end was damaged, damages totalled $3,500.00.truck was being reparied.

While driving vehicle between 40 and 45 mph and vehicle struck a road sign, ithit one pole in the center of the bumper and the other in passenger's side, but neither air bags deployed.

Due to a chain reaction another vehicle hit consumer's vehicle. Upon impact, driver's side airbag didn't deploy.also, driver's shoulder seat belt didn't lock up.

Driver's side airbag stopped working for no reason.flashing warning light came on indicating a problem.went to ford dealer (suburban in sandy, or) and they said the 'resistance' level had increased causing the airbag to no longer function.called ford, they gave me a "senior discount", although not a senior.said that airbags fall under 5 year/50000 mile warranty.the ranger has 56,000.ford said that they cannot guarantee the function of an airbag for more than 5 years or 50,000 miles.they were not able to ascertain if the airbag stopped functioning all at once or if my safety was in jeopardy over an extended period of time as the airbag slowly stopped working.airbags are a mandatory safety device and should be covered from defect for the life of the vehicle.i am extremely dissatisfied with ford's attitude about my safety.i have the airbag module and can provide it to nhtsa to study and determine if this is a major safety issue.because of the mechanics of an airbag, i would ask for specific instructions on how to send it to you.

I was involved in a 20-25mph rear end colision. I had ran into the back of an old gmc pickup causing $4000.00 worth of damage to the front end of my truck. Both the driver and the passenger airbag never deployed. While the truck was in the shop for repairs the shop had found out the airbag sensor was bad. They tried to replace the sensor but was informed by ford that the sensor on that make and model has been changed and the location of the sensor(s) are in now located in a different spot other then on the radiator mounts. Because of this change by ford the bodyshop had to order the new part as well as the proper location of htis new sensor.

Truck came with factory installed on and off switch for passenger's side airbag which was turned off when it deployed during an accident.

Xlt, passenger air bag switch was in the off position, light was on showing it was off. Consumer hit a deer at 55 mph, passenger air bag deployed. 9 month old child was in safety seat on passenger side. Safety seat broke in half at impact, child's injuries unknown at this time. Damage to vehicle unknown as well. Ts

Started vehicle up. Had door opened at times driver's leg not inside vehicle. Vehicle suddenly accelerated forward, without warning. Hit a truck & then a wall. Upon impact, neither air bags deployed.

While driving around town a vehicle in the opposite direction ran a red light,and rearended consumer's vehicle. Upon impact,driver's side airbag didn't deploy until three hours later while parked at home.contacted dealer, and he was not able to help.

While driving at 25 mph back endhit some gravel in the road, causing the vehicle to spin around androllover. Consumer's child was sitting in the child seat in the rear, and the child safety seat buckle popped open,causing the child to be hanging out of seat.fire department had to cut the strip from around the child.

While driving with headlights on at night the headlights go out intermittently.the consumer must turn the headlight switch several times to get the headlights to operate again.when theconsumer placed the high beams on, they would fail to go back to dim.the switch on the dash sometimes failed to bring the lights on, would take several minutes before going off.the switches in the doors were faulty and casued the lights to fail to turn off. *sc

Door ajar switch malfunctions; causes dome light to stay illuminated; had to replace switch inside door assembly.

When trying to start the vehicle anti theft device would activate, causing the vehicle not to start. Driver contacteddealership. A technician disabled the relay.*nlm

Parked out on the street in front of my house, caught on fire around 9 pm. Fire trucks came and put it out and knocked on the door around 9:25 pm.

The power the cord that that goes to the cigarette lighter caught fire and melted some of the wires located behind speedometer.cause is unknown.please provide any further information. Ts

Truck was parked at the veterinarian and i had gone inside with my two dogs. After about 15 or 20 minutes someone outside was blowing there car horn. The receptionist looked out and then told me my truck was on fire. I ran outside and smoke and flames were coming out from under the hood. We used fire extinguishers but that did very little. The fire truck got there and got the fire put out. They cut the hood open to make sure the fire was out.

While consumer is driving the vehicle suddenly looses power, consumer has taken the vehicle to dealer many times but the are unable to diagnose the problem and the computer says there is nothing wrong with the vehicle.nlm

Turn signalsfailure at times, does not happen all the time.

My fuse #27 for backup lights and the o/d keeps blowing out and now the o/d light flashes sometimes i pulled the cover off of the steering column but the o/d cord wasn't pinched or damaged also no appearance of any wire touching anything

4wd stopped working some time ago, servo/actuator seemed to be free, recently started making grinding noises in the front right, sounds like hub is somewhere between locked and unlocked. Sort of pops out when coming to a stop hvac does not work, fan speed only interior courtesy stopped working

Upon activating turn signal on a dark morning, the headlights completely failed. Activating the dim/bright lever provided intermittent activation. Upon release of the dim/bright function the headlights would not remain on in either dim or bright mode.other users of vehicle report complete headlight failure. They too have been able to restore headlight function intermittently after several frantic seconds operating the light switch or the dimming lever while traveling in the dark.

Consumer states vehicle is experiencing several electrical problems, the inside light will not go off when the door is shut, the door ajar light never goes off, when the keys are left inside the ignition with the door closed, the chimer will keep dinging until the key is removed, the dealer claimed the problem was the jewel modular, however the bulbs inside the dash keep blowing, when the blinkers are turned on there is a crackling noise that sounds like a wire shorting out, the windshield wipers act erractically when in delay mode, the hazard lights work intermittently, consumer has concerns with the airbag light, when he turns the switch to the off position, the light goes off and when consumer turns the switch to the on position, the light indicates that the airbag is off.

While driving with headlights on at night, the headlights suddenly went out. The consumerhad to turn the headlight switch several times to get the headlights to operate again.the lights went out again and the consumer had to move the switch on the steering column back and forth to get the lights back on.the consumer was aware of other owners who haveexperienced this same problem. *sc

Electrical failure causing door adjar and interior light malfunction.mjs

Batteries fail intermittently causing the consumer to have to get his vehicle jump started or towed on several occasions.nlm

Batteries fail intermittently causing the consumer to have to get his vehicle jump started or towed on several occasions.nlm

Batteries fails intermittently causing the consumer to have to get his vehicle jump started or towed on several occasions.nlm

While driving the vehicle will stall unexpectedly (all power will go out) which almost could result inan accident. Cause unknown.dealer replaced battery, fuses etc.dealer cannot determine problem.please further details and vin #. 8ak

Alternater failed.yh

Electrical alternator caught fire.

4- wheel drive has quit working,it has only been used 3-4 times. Also horn has failed, cause unknown. Please provide further information.

Coil pack keeps failing due to faulty sensors, causing vehicle to quit running. Consumer has replaced pack at least twice.

The vehicle stalls at random intervals.this problem has been brought to fords attention.the vehicle has been the shop many times and ford has duplicated the malfunction.however they have not been able to isolate the problem or come up with any fix.the truck has been in the shop for over 4 month during the last year.

Vehicle continually experiencing sudden acceleration, repaired throttle valve assembly, reprogrammed computer and replaced idle air control valve. Mjs

Computer system is possibly defective. Vehicle does not idle down from speed upon release of pressure on gas pedal. Dealer contacted, and cannot remedy the problem. Problem still exists.

My 1998 ford ranger caught fire on july 31, 2006.the truck had been parked in front of our house and the engine had been turned off.minutes later, the vehicle unexpectedly caught fire under the hood and a watchful neighbor called the fire department.now, the vehicle's engine is completely charred, property on the house is damaged, and the vehicle is a total loss.i have contacted my insurance company and i will have a fire inspector determine the cause of the fire.further investigation on the internet has led me to believe the fire may have been caused by a faulty speed control switchpresent on many ford vehicles. The nhtsa is currently conducting an investigation on this matter, as it has already received over 550 complaints from similar incidents. Please make a report of this complaint and contact me for further information.thank you.

Consumer was traveling noticed smoke coming from the engine compartment when the vehicle caught on fire under the hood vehicle burned quickly, and was totaled.cause of the fire was undetermined.please provide any further details.

Vehicle was sitting still idling and smoke started comiing from beneath the hood. There was no warning beforevehicle caught onfire. Dealer and manufacturer were not notified.vehicle was totaled.

Vehicle was sitting/idling and smoke started coming from beneath the hood. There was no warning before vehicle caught on fire, dealer and manufacturer were not notified.vehicle was totaled.

While driving the vehicle will stall unexpectedly (all power will go out) which almost could result inan accident. Cause unknown.dealer replaced battery, fuses etc.dealer cannot determine problem.please further details and vin #. 8ak

The 1998 ford ranger was part of an august 2007 recall because of a cruise control wiring harness issue.we have been told since then, that no parts were available, don't park vehicle near a structure, bring the vehicle in to have cruise control disconnected, and parts should be available in january.well, it's nearly ground hog's day, and guess what?nothing has been done to supply parts.ford no doubtis still building new vehicles and putting wiring harnesses in them, but they don't take the recall seriously.no wonder they're not a viable automobile entity any more.bring on the europeans!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The dash smells like it is burning, door ajar alarm all ways stay on and dome light never goes out for hours at a time dash gets hot, last time took it into be fix check engine light stays on all the time and will not go out at all any more was told to drive it until engine blous up, speed doarmere light and fuel light on dash has went out will not come back on at all.the dash is all ways hot and smells like it is burning.i have reported it to ford and the dealer and no one will do any thing about it and when i havethey all ways say to many miles and when there was not to many miles on it they will not evern fix it and i have took it back so many times igot sick of it.my truck has never been fix from the day i have bought it from aj motors or ford.when i called for they word hang up on me or give me a run around even to this day. "" ( no help at all from ford and still my truckis not fixed) ""

While in bed at 2:00 am truck caught fire.

The contact owns a 1998 ford ranger. The contact stated that the vehicle vibrated and the water reservoir was abnormally low. The vehicle was inspected by a private mechanic, who stated that the number four spark plug was burned. The hatch had cracked and leaked water to the number four spark plug. The failure recurred frequently and had to replace the spark plug every 3,000 miles. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 139,000. The current mileage was 146,329.

I was driving on the freeway and the truck started smoking and caught on fire, i pulled off the freeway and the whole front of the truck burst into flames.

Temprature gauge failed.yh

Pulled my 1998 ford ranger into a store parking lot.i was getting ready to park when i could smell something burning.stopped the truck.smoke was coming from under the hood.i popped the hood and saw an electrical plug burning with flames.i was able to blow the flames out before much else was damaged.i was able to drive it to a ford dealership.they told me that the cruise control plug is what caught fire.it also damaged my reservoir for the brake fluid.they are replacing the master cylinder and the cruise control plug.of course, this is at my own expense, not fords.

Every 4 months i have to change my spark plugs because the ceramic part keeps breaking.

I started the truck, all gauges read ok, backed it out onto the road and proceeded t drive to my destination. I shifted into 3rd and it felt sluggish, (like brake drag) i looked down at the instrument panel for information, and found no response from the oil pressure gauge. I proceeded to push in the clutch and shut off the motor, but by the time i pushed in the clutch the engine shut down and wouldn't proceed to run. I checked the oil dip stick to find the oil level is acceptable, but the motor refuses to turn over. Problem still occurs to this day.

The contact owns a 1998 ford ranger.while driving approximately 40 mph, the vehicle began to shutter rapidly and the check engine light illuminated on the instrument panel.he drove approximately eight minutes to a local dealer and they stated that the cam shaft sensor became loose.the dealer tightened the clapping screw on the shaft sensor as a temporary repair.they also stated that the intake manifold needed to be replaced.the vehicle has not yet been completely repaired.the contact was informed that there was a service bulletin for his vehicle (item number 10000592).he filed a complaint with the manufacturer.the current and failure mileages were 60,300. Updated 04-09-08the consumer stated there was a loose cam shaft sensor

Dt*: the contact stated an antifreeze leak was noticed under the vehicle.it was driven to the dealer, who determined the antifreeze ate through the soft plugs of the engine block.the dealer replaced the soft plugs and hoses of the water passage.

Clutch slave cylinder bolts came out knocking hole through transmition case.transmission cross member had to be cut out after speed nuts broke loose.heater failed three times.thermostat replaced twice didn't help.bolts holding cooling fan on came out.switch for dome light failed, and brake rotors warped.

On two occasions the cooling system hoses were loose, causing failure and leakage.

Clutch slave cylinder bolts came out knocking hole through transmition case.transmission cross member had to be cut out after speed nuts broke loose.heater failed three times.thermostat replaced twice didn't help.bolts holding cooling fan on came out.switch for dome light failed, and brake rotors warped.

The oil was leaking due to a cracked oil pan.

Design of the oil filter location causeselectrical sparks whenever the filter comes into contact with starter hot terminal. A protected cover should be designed so this condition would not occur. Dealer notified.

The design of the filter is located under the hot manifold and below that filter is the hot solenoid and starter wires, consumer was injured/burned when changing filter, filter caught on fire when consumer dropped filter from being burned.mjs

Dt:the consumer stated that the 1998 ford ranger engine was making noise and the spark plug had blew out of the cylinder.this happened while driving 20 mph.the vehicle had considerably less power after the loss of the spark plug.the consumer replaced the spark plug earlier today.when the consumer found that the spark plugfailed it was hanging by its wires. The consumer had not contacted ford at this time. The dealer had not been contacted at this point.(11/15/05)*sc

Time belt failed.yh

Due to design flaw, oil filter is located under manifold. While removing oil filter, the owner had his hand burnt by hot manifold. Yh

The contact owns a 1998 ford ranger.while driving 5 mph, the contact heard a snapping sound coming from the engine and then the vehicle shut off without warning.as of september 24, 2007, the dealer had not inspected the vehicle.she stated that the crankshaft pulley snapped, which she believed was the cause of failure.the current and failure mileages were 64,000.

While traveling about 35-40mphand /after crossing a bridgefront body mounts broke off.driver had to jump fromvehicle to avoid injury.vehicle has not been repaired, and has been in storage for six months.

Had oil changed at clean lube-no oil leakage before visit with them-they told me my oil pan was cracked and when i left it was pouring out oil. They kept my oil pan and said they had to send it to a lab to see if they cracked it....i have not heard from them since. The cost of the new oil pan was 404.00 and they said it was a stress crack and it should hace been a recall. They see this in these little trucks.....please help me......they need to pay for my oil pan per mechanic.thank you trish hull.

The harmonic balancer separated, whichmade contact with the transmission and front u-joint. The rear end of vehicle tore apart when the front portion of the drive shaft made contact with the road.dealer was contacted and stated that there was no recalls so there was nothing they coulddo about it. Ph

The engine failed.*dt

While changingoil filter,exhaust pipe burned consumer's hand. Thiscaused the oil filter too touch the bar wire of the starter,causing a spark to ignite the oil,resulting ina fire. Consumer was able to put out the fire. Dealer notified the manufacturer.

Due to the defective barometric pressure sensor, while driving down hill, the vehicle will stall unexpectedly which almost caused an accident.dealer refused to repair the barometric pressure sensor.please provide further information.

Engine knocking, diagnosed as carbon build up, carbon remover added, engine seized, dealer replaced engine, 9000 miles on second engine. Same knocking noise is present. Ford service bulletin recommends same treatment as previously done. The bulletin also suggested revving engine to 3000 rpm on daily basis. I am concerned about long term affect carbon build up will have on the engine. Ford does not have a solution for this problem.

As i was turninga corner the vehicle suddenly appeared to lose power. I thought initially the engine had stalled and i coasted to the side of the road. The engine was still running however it would not accelerate out of idle and would stall when the accelerator was pressed. The vehicle would ilde along and i was forced to run on the shoulder of the road in idle the rest of the way home. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and two air sensors were replaced at my expense.

Vehicle would lose power. Engine felt like it had died. An intermittent problem. When in lower gear only, would die out. Have been to dealer's twice.

Vehicle failed to start numerous times,check engine light is coming on.yh

Flapping noise in the engine.

On starting engine hesitated ,almost stalled then raced with high rpm,while huge amounts of white thick smoke and heavy gasoline smell present.truck stalled.restarted same problem with the addition of a large black cloud of smoke from tail pipe on pushing accelerator.throttle sticks causing surging.dealer replaced throttle valve.probelm persists. Brakes make grinding noise when applied,dealer could not replicate after 4 visits they finally ackowledge problem and had to do a complete brake job.brakes are hard now and it appears that the anti locks do not engage.rear slider leaks water into extra cab when it rains. Vibration heard from ex haust area,had to have the heat shield tightened. Noise has returned./

I sent a letter with more details on this incedent and others!this is my main concern the vehicle stalls out and am afraid of an accident and or a death of me or another driver of another vehicle!

At maintenance oil and filter change, attempted to remove filter by conventional method out through bottom of engine compartment.filter contacted starter and chassis frame which created a electrical short circuit resulting in fire involving plastic wheel well and parking brake cable housing.also destroyed two ground straps and main battery ground wire before battery could be disconnected and fire extinguished with dry chemical extinguisher.ford of hyannis told us that no other similar incident had been reported.no caution or information was included in the owner's manual or in the dealer orientation which would have alerted the owner to the necessity of removing the filter through the top of the engine compartment.had it not been for the immediate availability of large dry chemical extinguisher, the vehicle would have been destroyed and garage attached to home severely damaged.

Engine light came on, possible engine failure.

Problem: engine continues to rev to 2000-3500 rpms when clutch is engaged or put into neutral. Per technical service bulletin it's a slow return to idle #617400. Calibration strategy change, message 11966.

While consumer is driving the vehicle suddenly looses power, consumer has taken the vehicle to dealer many times but the are unable to diagnose the problem and the computer says there is nothing wrong with the vehicle.nlm

Makes chirping noise about half the time when started; two authorized ford dealers have not found the cause

Engine continually stalling, hesitation and surging, unable to rectify since purchase. Mjs

While driving the vehicle will stall unexpectedly (all power will go out) which almost could result inan accident. Cause unknown.dealer replaced battery, fuses etc.dealer cannot determine problem.please further details and vin #. 8ak

The check gauges light comes on and the engine continues to knock after repair was done by the dealer.

Rattling noise from engine.engine replaced still rattles. Clunk when shifting from 1st gear.

While driving on interstateat approx 65mphall of a sudden the vehicle losespower.no prior warning. Contacted dealer several times.

Bought this truckwith 16,000 miles on it from earnheart dodge. Dec . 11,1999.on jan 24,2000 took it to berge ford service dept. For noise coming from engine (like marbles runnning around in it) truck stayed there to have engine looked at for 5 days. In the meantime i had to pay for rental.got tired waitng for truck to be looked at and called earnheart ford service to come pick up and take to theirs. Service rep said could be just carbon in it. So they decarboned it.the noise still was there. After 20,000miles on the truck total ,they put in ford factory rebuilt engine in it. Okay for about 1,000 miles , noise came back.took back to fordsaid it was probablycarbon again.how come same problem with new rebuilt engine ?they decarboned it.when truck picked up there was still noise. Service said decarbon stuff still had to work more. Noise got louder. Got in touch to see what now they were going to do.service manager said would be in touch.no calls. Tried callingand leave messages number of times no answer. Finally able to get ahold of service manger and he said they could not do anything more for me even though still under warrenty.said his mechanic called the ford hotline and they told him that they were aware of some of the rangers having these problems with the engine ,but it would not hurt the engine . It had to do with the alignment of the valves in some of the engines. I said wait a minute not only i feel my truck is unsafe to drive making this racket as i drive the freewayu to work 4-5 times a week 40 miles 1 way,but why should i be stuck with a noisy ,unsafe vehicleafter paying all the money i have for it and to be unhappy with it? question.. If this only a noiseproblem why was the consumers not warned about it when they bought it.and why did they change the first engine?i think these engines should all be recalled to find out the true problem before it becomes another "firestone" disaster. Please respond.

Engine floods/fails to start, after waiting approximately 30 minutes, engine will sometimes start. (qcaw)

Engine head failed twice. Yh

Intermittently vehicle will stall out and shut down without warning. Dealer has changed various parts, and the problem still exists.

While consumer is driving the vehicle suddenly looses power, consumer has taken the vehicle to dealer many times but the are unable to diagnose the problem and the computer says there is nothing wrong with the vehicle.nlm

Consumer states the fan belt was replaced due to excessive noise.

At 30000, the first serpentine belt was replaced.the dealer said there was nothing they could do because the belt was not covered under the warranty.the belt has been replaced twice more since then, and the vehicle only has 52000 miles.around 40000 miles, the front suspension started clunking every time you hit a bump.the mechanic who inspected the front end stated that the front suspension bushings are what is causing the clunk.

Several replacements of the serpentine belt which make noise when failure occurs, however belts need replacement continually due to excessive wear. Mjs

When driving at any speed the vehicle is cutting off, and there is a loss of power when applying the gas pedal due to the mass air flow sensor going out.vehicle has been in the shop for repairs five times.

Map sensor failed.

Mass airflow sensor.

Mass airflow sensor has failed without warning at 9,000 and 31,000 miles. When it fails, the engine stalls, and is very difficult to restart and keep running. Without engine power, there is limited brake and power steering functioning. This is a safety hazard if it occurs in a moving traffic situation. Ford is unable (unwilling?) to provide any information as to whether this is an acceptable failure rate.

Engine oxygen regulator completely failed.

Vehicle idles very roughly.thenidle will go away for awhile.vehicle turned off without prior notice.dealership is aware of problem.consumer states that after rough idle goes away, vehicle will hesitate or stall, mass air flow sensor was replaced, however problems still exists.gas pedal gets stuck.passenger side front windshield wiper arm was loose.pwer steering pump was replaced due to when turning wheel it would make anoise.

Replace heater pluntum because heat exchange door broken. It is a bad part because it was replace with a newer improved part.

Air condition condensor and compressor failed, causing hesitation of the engine.

Upon having a flat tire i discovered that the jack was not the proper size for the vehicle.the vehicle is a 4wd and the jack would not raise the vehicle high enough to change the tire.this could cause someone to use unsafe methods to change the tire.

The jack which comes as standard equipment with this vehicle, when fully extended to its maximum height, is incapable of elevating the chassis to a height sufficient to install a spare tire.i had my first flat tire last night and found this out.the spare i was trying to mount was the original spare which came with the truck, and it was inflated properly.the jack was mounted properly per the written instructions attached to it, and at full elevation the chassis of the truck was still about 3 inches too low for the wheel studs to line up with the wheel.the truck was parked on a level concrete pavement, and i had a clerk from an auto parts store assisting me with changing the tire/wheel.if i had gotten this flat on some sparsely travelled rural road in the desert 25 miles from here, i could have been stranded and died of heat exhaustion or dehydration.doesn't the manufacturer have an obligation to supply a jack which is mechanically capable of lifting the chassis of the vehicle to a sufficient height to allow for the mounting of a spare tire/wheel?nlm

The cable that supports the spare tire broke at approximately 40 mph.the fromt of the spare droped down contacting the road which resulted in the rear of the truck being lifted in the air.luckly this happened on a secluded section of the road and there was no other traffic.i can't emagine what would have happened if this had occured on a buisy expressway during rush hour traffic.i called the dealer since i was returning home after having all four tires replaced under the recall program.the dealer informed me i should call ford customer service.customer service thanked me for the call but said there was no program that would cover the cost of replacing the faulty cable.

The cable that supports the spare tire broke at approximately 40 mph.the fromt of the spare droped down contacting the road which resulted in the rear of the truck being lifted in the air.luckly this happened on a secluded section of the road and there was no other traffic.i can't emagine what would have happened if this had occured on a buisy expressway during rush hour traffic.i called the dealer since i was returning home after having all four tires replaced under the recall program.the dealer informed me i should call ford customer service.customer service thanked me for the call but said there was no program that would cover the cost of replacing the faulty cable.

Recall for safety compliance certification label is not being granted by dealership.

Cargo bed was not installed correctly. Dealer said that they agreed. After not being able to repair vehicle, dealer indicated there was nothing to be done.

Upon activating turn signal on a dark morning, the headlights completely failed. Activating the dim/bright lever provided intermittent activation. Upon release of the dim/bright function the headlights would not remain on in either dim or bright mode.other users of vehicle report complete headlight failure. They too have been able to restore headlight function intermittently after several frantic seconds operating the light switch or the dimming lever while traveling in the dark.

98' ford ranger: has a cracked frame on the rear right side.truck makes loud noises when driving and i am afraid it may become worse over time or completely break down in unsafe speeds.i can not sell it, as i was trying to use the money for a new vehicle due to a new baby in our family.no one will buy such a defective vehicle.also seat belts will not stay latched?also the inside dome light melts right through the covering, where temperatures make the plastic cover bubble and melt.

1998 ford ranger. Consumer writes in regards to vehicle steering wheelissues.the consumer stated the steering wheel melted. Also, the head lamp switch and connector was replaced.

The plastic headlight lens are severely cloudy, a lot worse as time time goes on....years ago, when i bought the truck they were clear, now they are very - very opac, cloudy, so bad that you can't even see the headlight bulb !there are many vehicles that have the same problem! so many, in fact that the part store aftermarket industries have come out with a restoration kit . I am sure that the cloudy, opaclens do severely lessen the amount of light emitted through the lens. My opinion on this is that the type of plastic selected by ford seemed fine back in 1998 but over a period of years the plastic deteriorates. My recommendations is to have the manufactures replace them. By, i did buy the kit from a parts store and it is called headlight restorer / defogger kit. Myheadlight.com .my brother and i hand buffed his 2001 jeep headlights and it took us almost 2 hours ! it did help the amount of lighting!p.s. Sorry, haven't got spell-check....

Consumer complained about aturn signal problem.consumer was driving and noticed a puff of smoke,and a crackling sound behind the dashboard. Consumer took the vehicle to the dealer, and dealer determined thatmulti-function module had an electrical short.

Turn signalsfailure at times, does not happen all the time.

I hit a deer while comming home from work at 45 mph and bent bumper, dented left quarter panel,broke left turn signal lens and cracked plastic grile. Airbags did not apply or engage. I also have taken my truck to the local dealership 4 times to get my door alarm chip replaced @ 50 dollars each time. On last attempt my extended waranty had expired and they refused to honer the problem and promise to replace.even though it was an exsisting problem. This was prior to hitting the deer.

Fuse for the abs light failed causing the abs light and emergency brake light to illuminate even though the emergency brake was not engaged.nlm

While driving with headlights on at night the headlights go out intermittently.the consumer must turn the headlight switch several times to get the headlights to operate again.when theconsumer placed the high beams on, they would fail to go back to dim.the switch on the dash sometimes failed to bring the lights on, would take several minutes before going off.the switches in the doors were faulty and casued the lights to fail to turn off. *sc

Inside head light inoperable.yh

Headlamp switch failed causing visibility problems when only the tail lights and front parking lights were working. Mjs

This is a 98 ford ranger xlt with 73,000 miles, my problem is the turning signals from my 98 ford ranger, everytime that i turned my truck on it makes a squeaking sound around my steering wheel, then right away my left turning signal light turns on by itself, right away when the left turning signal light turns on by itselfthe squeaking sound goes away, so now to quit my left turning signal light from keeping lighting on by itself i have to push down the emergency button on top of my steering wheel which turn both turning signal lights on, then right away i have to push it down again to turn them off, at that time there is no squeaking sound, but after 5 or 10 more minutes the annoying sound comes back on and i have to do the whole process again to turn off the squeaking sound, it just started to happened 3 months ago.

Signal lever is 15-20 degrees to right or left of center, it does not stay engaged when turning have to hold the lever and turning with the other hand. Two dealers indicated problem was due to adesign flaw. Dealer cannot duplicate the problem.

The contact owns a 1998 ford ranger.while driving approximately 45 mph, the contact noticed smoke coming from the hazard switch.the vehicle was taken to the garage and the turn signal switch was replaced.the manufacturer informed the contact that there were no recalls.the current and failure mileages were unknown.

Steering wheel movement disablesleft directional.

Part within the multi-function switch which controlsturn signal /headlights/ low beams and high beams burned or melted, causing the headlights to become inoperable. Please give any further details.

While traveling consumer passed out and vehicle ran off road. Also,noticed fumes inside cab.driver believes that carbon monoxide fumes were coming into the vehicle, causing him to pass out. *ml

Gas tank straps rusted through and gas tank fell out.i fixed it by installing my own straps bought at a hardware store.this is a very dangerous problem.

While drivingconsumer heard clicking noise coming formengine compartmentand then suddenly vehicle lost all power . Consumer immediately pulled over to the side, and wiithin seconds cab began to fill with smoke. Consumer got out,and within 15 seconds flames went through the hood, and melted all engine com partment fire department came out, and statedand cause was possibly due to fuel pump or fuel lines.

Dispite proper maintence, i observed body rust and decay on the underside of my truck frame.also the brake lines have been replaced due to corrusion and rust into the frame.spare tire brackets have rusted into and the tire fell off.also evap canaster bracket rusted into and the evap canaster fell off.

This is the third time the same problem has occurred in a period of approximately 5 months.the first instance occurred on the freeway at 60 mph, with a sudden and complete failure of the engine as the fuel pump relay failed (according to the service dept. Of the ford dealer).the second failure also occurred on the freeway, again at highway speeds.the same service dept. Replaced the entire fuel pump.the third incident occurred tonight, again on the road with no warning.this is a very significant safety issue -- twice i have been abruptly left powerless in a freeway with no way to move the truck.

Vehicle stalling due to failure of the fuel pump/sender and sensor, sensor replaced a second time due to failure. Mjs

While driving at low speeds the vehicle will stall which almost caused an accident.dealer cannot determine problem.cause unknown.please provide details.

Accumulator failed prematurely because of a manufacturing flaw. The accumulator was fabricated with an insulation attached to it which in turn trapped moisture between the accumulator and the insulation causing the accumulator to corrode prematurely and causing the system to leak and become disabled.

Purchased truck used in may 1999 with 15,000 miles on it. Problem started after having 25,000 odometer miles on truck. Vehicle would accelerate upon stopping or slowing. Had idle adjusted next scheduled maintenance (30k). As of this date, august 19, 2005, vehicle still accelerates on very rare occasions.after a few months from the 45k maintenance check the vehicle then started to stall at random when stopping or slowing. At regular maintenance checks i would tell tech about stalling problems. Most often tech could not duplicate problem on road test. Vehicle would be serviced, stalling problem would stop for a very short time, and then problem would come back.july 12, 2005- i went on road with tech on road test and found tech was down-shifting at stops. Told him not to and then vehicle did stall when coming to stop. Dealer: inspected and verified complaint, checked and found idle air control faulty, removed and replaced iac motor and concern. Tech notes: still acting up. Found idle speed adjusted too high. Readjusted idle screw, road tested and rechecked ok.problem was solved for a brief three weeks and resurfaced. As of august 19, 2005- the stalling problem stills exists.is a very real safety issue, as i have had several close accident calls.examples:1) turning off a very busy street (45mph) into parking lot, having vehicle stall and losing all power steering into turn, having to avoid hitting trees, buildings, people, and others cars in process.2) coming to a red stoplight, my vehicle stalls, stoplights changing to green as approaching, cars behind me having to avoid hitting my truck as i restart.3) vehicle stalling at yield sign. No cross traffic and cars behind me expecting me to pass through.

Fuel injection system malfunctioned, causing vehicle to surge/hesitate during cruise.

Gas gauge failed three times.

Consumerwas drivingand a piece of stone gravel hitgas tank and went straight though the tank. Gas tank started leaking gasoline.

Complaint#1: gas tank leaked after vehicle was only one week old. Dealer replaced it with a new tank.complaint#2: power windows are 'jerky' and they chatter when going down. Dealer has not repaired it yet. Complaint#3: passenger seat vibrates any time truck drives over any bumps, large or small. Dealer has not repaired it at this time.

The holding cap that keeps the gas in the gas tank had been borken for a long time. I used to smell gas for a long time almost from the day i bought the car. One daywhen i pushed on the brake lots of gas rushed out of my car and a friend near by noticed this. Talking to my tennant, she told me that she had the same problem with her fors tauras.

Hazard of fire or explosion from inferior parts. Hoses and pipes from filler neck to gas tank are being replaced by beneficial automotive maintenance in moore oklahoma. Tank has to be flushed and filter replaced again due to gas fumes and leaking fuel from the decomposing filler neck hoses. I just had to have this done for the same reason on my '98 ford e250. Ford dealer parts salesperson says this is a chronic problem(even he stated he anticipates this with his ford truck) and the replacement parts have been re-engineered to correct the rubber decomposition which also clogged the filters and fuel injection system causing chronic stalling and rough running on both vehicles. Had to have filters replaced and injection system system cleaned numerous times. Ford has refused to even supply the replacement parts or acknowledge this problem. Leaking gas and fumes could lead to injury or death if this is not handled. The recent repair to the e250 was in excess of $200 (parts were $100+ from dealer. The reengineered parts for the ford ranger are $250+ and labor will more than double that as they have to remove the truck bed and tank to replace the parts and flush the tank. Additionally my driveway is damaged from the leaking fuel. Referred to you by consumer reports magazine. Looking forward to your response.sincerely,vince dennis.

Plastic locking straps for fuel tank kept breaking.this occurred on two occasions,on 04-07-00 & 05-17-00,and caused fuel spillages.dealer was notified and informedconsumer that vehicle not covered under manfacturer's. Recalls, and it was out ofwarranty.

Faulty gas gauge.yh

Consumer states the gas gauge fluctuates between one half and three fourths full, consumer never knows how much gas the vehicle has.

Vehicle stalling due to failure of the fuel pump/sender and sensor, sensor replaced a second time due to failure. Mjs

Vehicle stalling due to failure of the fuel pump/sender and sensor, sensor replaced a second time due to failure. Mjs

The dome light has failed within a year of the original repair, shop claimed it was a common defect.have an e-mail from ford's customer service urging me to have the problem fixed for my own safety among other reasons.

Dome light stays while consumer is driving.then, it may go off after an hour. Dealer can't find cause.

Door was ajar and light came on intermittently. It was repaired once, but has recurred.

The information i have provided is in regard to the interior dome light of my vehicle. I drive mostly at night and in the early morning hours. The dome light will not turn off in a reasonable time frame. I have driven home from work on a few occassions with the dome light on the whole way. The light gets very hot and it makes seeing out of the rearview mirror difficult at best. I am concerned that this could lead to a vehicle accident or worse, a vehicle fire while i am driving down the freeway. This does not happen all the time, but often enough to cause concern. Thank you.

I had to replace all four door jam switches due to switches getting gummed up and failing. Also latches on the bottom of the rear doors where the switch is mounted had alot of corosion on them.

Dome light stays on all time.a couple of times smoke came fromdome.truck has been seen by dealership about 4 or 5 times.light stays off for a day or two, and comes right back on.please list any other information.

Consumer's second vehicle is experiencing the same problem with door ajar light andcourtesty light stayingon,

While driving at night, the driver was unable to see the ashtray because vehicle did not have a light near the ashtray.owner has contacted the dealership. The dealership had no option to add a light to the ashtray. The consumer purchased led lights and installed them himself. Consumer feels any vehicle equipped with an ashtray should have lighting to make it visible.*ph

The fuses for the interior lights fail constantly. Yh

We have had nothing but problems with the door ajar light and dome light staying on, plus the wipers are irradic and the windows will sometimes go down on their own.it was fixed once and now it's has started doing the same thing again.it seems to me there are an awful lot of similar complaints out there on this very same item and i feel ford should have to recall this vehicle to correct the situation.i called them and asked if this would be something they would fix seeing as it's one of their mechanical defects and they replied with a 'no'.i am to the point that i just want to get rid of this vehicle.i also noted they have a mention of how this vehicles leans.that is also true.my ranger leans.i think this truck is a true lemon.

Interior dome light fails to turn off when door shut/"door ajar" light stays on while door is shut.

Door ajar light stays on which causes the interior lights to stay on andup to 40 minutes.contacted dealer.they have cleaned the switch and replaced interior lights. But, vehiclestill has theidentical problem.

Doorwill not register as being closed whilevehicle is in operation. Dash sensor states that"door is ajar" when door is closed.also, dome light will come on and off while going around turns.the door is ajar stays on sometime and goes off in a while at other time.

Clutch slave cylinder bolts came out knocking hole through transmition case.transmission cross member had to be cut out after speed nuts broke loose.heater failed three times.thermostat replaced twice didn't help.bolts holding cooling fan on came out.switch for dome light failed, and brake rotors warped.

Door ajar and light staying on for 45 minutes or more before shuting off. Dealer/manufacturer notified.feel free to provide any further details on this matter. A seal in the transmission keeps leaking and has been replaced twice, place where car was purchased is going to replace vehicle because in order to fix the problem, the transmission, computer chip, and driveshaft would have to be replaced.

The dome light and door ajar light stay on when the door is closed.happens intermittently.dealer would not address issue until it was constant.

Door ajar - false reading.dome light stays on with door closed.

Interior light will stay on even w/all doors closed, door ajar light shows on dash, did hear popping noise from under dash, when lights did go off after 10 minutes of driving, parked vehicle in p-lot at work with light still on, went to check an hour later the light was off, seems to happen randomly.

The contact stated while driving his 1998 ford ranger the interior doom light came on and off frequently.the vehicle was repaired on several occasions, but the problem recurred.

1998 ford ranger has security issue which allows any individual to unlock the door and no one would even know it until you find your stuff missing. All it takes is a screw drive under the door handle to unlock the door and gain entry. This is common to most all rangers and it is hard to report any loss without proof that there was illegal entry because there is no damage to the door or the door handle.this must not be taken lightly and ford needs to come up with something to prevent this.

1998 ford ranger has security issue which allows any individual to use a to unlock the door and no one would even know it until you find your stuff missing. All it takes is a screw drive under the door handle to unlock the door and gain entry. This is common to most all rangers and it is hard to report any loss without proof that there was illegal entry because there is no damage to the door or the door handle.this must not be taken lightly and ford needs to come up with something to prevent this.

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.

I had to replace all four door jam switches due to switches getting gummed up and failing. Also latches on the bottom of the rear doors where the switch is mounted had alot of corosion on them.

Interior light will stay on even w/all doors closed, door ajar light shows on dash, did hear popping noise from under dash, when lights did go off after 10 minutes of driving, parked vehicle in p-lot at work with light still on, went to check an hour later the light was off, seems to happen randomly.

1998 ford rangerhad 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.

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

While applying the parking brake the level will go down .but the brake level will not come up at all.

There is a manufacturer'd design defect inemergency brakesystem. Consumer needs to explain further.

After a snow or a rainparking brake will freeze.ford service message said that it was a common problem with these trucks. Dealer told consumer that parking brake couldnot be used when snowing or raining. Consumer feels this is a safety hazard. *ml

After taking vehicle for inspection found out that rear brakes were stuck together. Never were repaired before.emergency brake cable was broken, like it was rubbing to a part of vehicle, andbrake pads and shoes wore out.

Emergency brake cables are designed incorrectly-rub on each other and leaf spring cutting through jackets.cannot use brake without it locking rear brakes.noted a lot of rangers have same problem.people cannot use parking brake making the possibility of a run away vehicle.replacing the system as designed is not an option as it is designed to fail again.result is trucks out there without useful parking brakes.ford is ignoring the problem.we have extended warranty and ford will not cover saying it is rust when in reality it caused by the faulty design.

Transmission gears failed. Mjs

Vehicle rolled backward while parked hitting another vehicle. Mjs

Transmission failed twice.yh

On 2-14-02 odometer read 54250--------on 3-15-02 odometer read 4,862.

While in bed at 2:00 am truck caught fire.

Transmission failed twice.yh

4wd stopped working some time ago, servo/actuator seemed to be free, recently started making grinding noises in the front right, sounds like hub is somewhere between locked and unlocked. Sort of pops out when coming to a stop hvac does not work, fan speed only interior courtesy stopped working

The transmision torque converter seems to whine from aprox. 2,500 rpm until gear shift when accelerating. When overdrive is disengaged above 50mph the transmision slams. The wheel lug nuts were not torqued correctly upon delivery of vehicle resulting in 1 elongated rim. Air conditioning has been returned to dealer 3 times. Told nothing was wrong with the system that it was within "ford" specs, yet miraculously it is cold again for approx 1-2 months.

Rear end (?) whines at various speeds,transmission slips. Dealer rebuilt differential, problem persists, dealer now has vehicle installing a new transmission trying to fix problem. Brake pedal pulses (not abs)and steerings wheel shudders (left/right) when brakes are applied at all speeds. (not reported to dealer, have since found out that this is a common problem with this vehicle). Oil filter- to remove filter it must be wedged past the solenoid/starter. It come in contact with the exposed wires/lugs? on the starter. There is nothing protecting this exposed area. My dealer has been extremely courteous and understanding in dealing with the transmission/differential problem. I have not received any information from ford regarding these problems.through research on the internet i have come to believe that the problems described here are not limited to my experiences. Thank you.

Complaints of vibrations in front end began 9-98. This tranamission was serviced at16321. Complaints of the same vibration continued and was never eliminated. At about 50300 the vibration be came more violent and caused the transmission seals to leak.the the results was a complete break down at highway speeds.

Vehicle would lose power. Engine felt like it had died. An intermittent problem. When in lower gear only, would die out. Have been to dealer's twice.

While traveling on the highway and without prior warning.the gear shift fell out of the case.

Intermittently transmission locks up when coming out to a stop or from reverse to drive. Dealer has inspectedvehicle, and could not duplicate or correct the problem.

While shifting from 2nd to 3rd gear there is a grinding noise.

I was driving my 98 ford ranger at hiway speed when the transmission case and transfer case exploded. It appeared as though the transmission had locked up for no reason at all. When it locked up it sounded just like a tire had blown out. I called the local dealer and explained the problem. I told them that i was out of time on my warranty but, i wasn't over on the allowed milage. They told me that they were quite sure if my truck didn't have obvious abuse that ford would still cover it under warranty. After they disassembled my transmission they told me that it looked like i had put it in park while going down the hiway, which is totally ridiculous. The truck has been well taken care of. Ford decided not to help with the repair bill because of what the dealer had told them. I guess the bottom line is, if the transmission had completely locked up at that speed, instead of blowing apart, they could have been several injuries because i was driving in heavy traffic on a six lane hiway. There is no doubt in my mind that this was due to some kind of part failure. I was just driving on my way to work when it went.

Our 1998 ford ranger xlt with the 4.0l v-6 and the 5-speed automatic transmission experienced intermittent problems with shifting.on occasion the vehicle would hesitate when being shifted into park and would on occasion attempt to surge forward when the vehicle was stopped while in drive.the problems recently became worse after only 44k miles and began to impact the driving performance of the vehicle.the shifting of the automatic transmission while in drive would sometimes hesitate and had become unpredictable.the vehicle was taken to an aamco dealer and upon inspection of the transmission found that the center support had stripped and that the broken teeth were being circulated throughout the transmission.when the broken pieces came in contact with the other gears it would cause them to hang and create a pressure loss.the service repair technician stated that this failure was most likely due to the part being improperly cast during manufacturing.the failure of this part and the collateral damage caused by the circulation of the broken teeth in the transmission required a partial rebuild of the transmission. Transmission type: 5r55eproduction date: 02-98.

Problem 1: transmission clunks when starting out from stop, or when slowing down. While this is a problem that does not develop overnight,rather manifests itself over a peroid of time, when i reported it to the dealer, the mileage was past warranty but the time( 3 years ) was not. My complaint is that this involved a part that ford knows to be defective in design. Ford has since redesigned the part, but will not replace the original because it was out of warranty. However, the poorly designed parts, known to be problem plagued, was installed as original equipment, well under the warranty-i.e. 0 miles, 0 months.problem 2&3 involve the electrical system-lane changer had bad contacts ( i could hear noise when engaging ) from almost day one, but finally failed completly after warranty. In addition the door ajar indicator has come on in wet conditions since less than 6 months old. The dealer has tried to fix many times, often failing to duplicate, until i drove directly to dealer with door ajar on. Even then they have failed to fix. I have an appointment to fix this under warranty, but the other problems they refuse to correct without charge or compromise.

My truck was just 3 months now out of warranty.i went to start it to go to work and it wouldnot stay running:just would not.i called gordie boucher service and got an appointment to have it checked out.i was afraid to drive it out there,so i had my husband do that and his father followed in his vehicle. My husband said he had a heck of a time.truck kept killing and wouldn't stay running.i told him to go in the morning so as not to get caught in heavy traffic and stall out and cause an accident!bottom line:needed mass air flow sensor:cost:$360.00.i believe this to be a manufacturer defect regardless of being only 3 months out of warranty.i believe this part should last longer than 3 years,3 months and i want to be reimbursed by ford for the $360.00 i had to pay. I could have had an accident had that happened on my going to work or getting offwork or my husband on his way to take it to be repaired!

Trani 3rd/4th gears failed. Required rebuilt (warranty just expired).

Transmission isexperiencing a clunking noisewhenever acceleratorpedal is applied from a stop position.dealer was notified, and informedconsumer that vehicle was out of its warranty, and not covered under a recall.the driveshaft has been redesigned and dealer stated consumer should have his replaced with the new design, recall 99v204.

4- wheel drive has quit working,it has only been used 3-4 times. Also horn has failed, cause unknown. Please provide further information.

While traveling approximately 65 to 70 mphvehicle jumped into 4-wheel drive unexpectedly.no determination has been made as to the cause of this problem.please provide any additional information / attachments.

The transmision torque converter seems to whine from aprox. 2,500 rpm until gear shift when accelerating. When overdrive is disengaged above 50mph the transmision slams. The wheel lug nuts were not torqued correctly upon delivery of vehicle resulting in 1 elongated rim. Air conditioning has been returned to dealer 3 times. Told nothing was wrong with the system that it was within "ford" specs, yet miraculously it is cold again for approx 1-2 months.

Consumer'svehicle was in park outside of store . Parking emergency brake wasn't on, andvehicle was in first gear.vehicle rooled out of the parking lot into the street. Then rolled back to the same street and then ran into a 12foot drainage ditch.no injuries reported.

Vehicle had been off for 5 hours and suddenly started up by itself. Then took off and hit a garage. Owner had to jump in vehicle and and take car out of first gear.

Consumer states the transmission keeps going from overdrive to a higher gear as if it does not know what gear it is supposed to be in, also the rear axle seal was replaced at 60,000 miles due to it leaking.

Only 55,000 miles of highway usage no hauling/off road axle and bearings must be replaced.dt

When applying the brakes the pedal went to the floor ,the driver tried to pump the brakes, but vehicle kept going. Owner had to use emergency brakes to stop the vehicle. Dealer said the axle bent,causing the brakes to go out.

Rear axel broke.

Consumer said that his truck is all messed up due to transaxle failure.

Wheel bearings failed.

While applying the brakes, a loud noise was heard coming from rear.consumer drove the vehicle to arepair shop for inspection, andmechanicdetermined that both front axles needed to be replaced due toa broken seal.also,machine did not calibrate the front axlesproperly.

Front wheel drive intermittent even when 4x4 light is on and 4x4 switch is engaged.most notable when below outside temperatures are 30 degrees fahrenheit and below. Multiple ford dealers have tried but cannot duplicate condition. This condition is increasing in frequency and has created some dangerous driving situations due to lack of traction when driver thought 4wd system was engaged.

Load sqeal heard when starting out from a stop and i think i can hear it in second and third gear, but not certain as the engine noise covers the sound. In searching the internet i did find another customer complain similar to mine. Also i found a service bulliten #2521 that states that the parts catalogbook references an incorrect clutch part number for some vehicles with the 3.0l engines. Is it possible that my truck had the wrong part in it originally or they put the wrong part in ( througout bearing replaced july 1999) when they fixed it.this is the second time that i am having this problem and i will be contactinganother dealer with this problem, as i was not completely satisfied with the service that i got from the dealer that i bought the truck from.please advise.thanks, jay grover

The hydraulic clutch had tp be lubricated every time. Yh

Clutch slave cylinder bolts came out knocking hole through transmition case.transmission cross member had to be cut out after speed nuts broke loose.heater failed three times.thermostat replaced twice didn't help.bolts holding cooling fan on came out.switch for dome light failed, and brake rotors warped.

Clutch would not fully disengage while driving, and transmission would slip. Dealer representative stated clutch assembly failed, due to way i drive, which is a wear item and not covered by warranty, and $623.00 to repair. Truck has only 32,000 miles on it. Previous two trucks i owned had manual transmissions and over 140,000 miles on them when i sold them and both had original clutches. I have not changed way i drive, and i drive in same area. Brought to aamco for second opinion and was told pressure plate and clutch failure. Was told by aamco it was probably design defect due to only 32,000 miles and pressure plate failure. Also, aamco rep. Stated new ford ranger and f-150 manual transmission uses automatic transmission fluid, and has 3 rubber plugs in transmission housing. Auto trans. Fluid eats away rubber plugs, which allows dirt in and fluid out, another design defect.

Clutch slave unit failed resulting in engine racing and throttle sticking. Mjs

While backing my 98 ford ranger 4.0 supercab with tow package (which has the beefier brakes) the aluminum bracket that holds the bar that the brake and clutch hinge on, broke away from the truck. This left me heading in reverse with no brake or clutch. I was in shock, imagine the steering wheel coming off in your hands while driving; that's how i felt. I didn't think to hit the emergency brake, but i was already halfway into the garage and had very little time to react properly before i crashed into the back wall (cinderblock) punching a hole in the wall which killed the engine. This happened at the fire station where i work! the police did a report. He saw and reported the brakes were broke although he didn't look very closely. Many of my superiors at the job saw that the brakes had broke away and were now dangling, useless. The vehicle had to be towed to a ford dealership where the brake assembly was replaced. The dealership acknowledged on the bill the state of the brakes and clutch assembly. I requested the broken parts and they are now in my possession. I contacted ford customer service, they stated the obvious, that the vehicle was no longer under warranty. They also stated their were no recalls on my vehicle which was not true; i knew about the cruise control and has had the firestones replaced. I guess they meant on the brakes. I said yes, but certain things should never happen on a vehicle. This is a safety issue on a vehicle only eight years old you would not accept that the steering wheel may fall off. Just like you would not accept that the brake pedal assembly may brake away under your feet. Today i received a letter from ford saying they could not help me because the vehicle was not under warranty. I wonder if there has been other incidents like mine and they are in the form of "service bulletins" secret recalls that keep ford and other companies from having to fix many of their problems.the consuner had to have 2 bad lug nuts replaced on the right front wheel. Updated 01/10/07.

Clutch pedal about 1 1/2" free play. Warrantywork performed @ airport marina ford on 05/16/00, 05/22/00,08/16/00, 08/24/00.clutch pedal now feels spongy. According to paperwork, slave cylinder, master cylinder, bleed, slave cylinder replacement.

Load 'squeal' heard when releasing clutch pedal between 1st-2nd, 2nd-3rd, 2wd & 4x4 high.will be serviced for the 3rd time march 1999.first two inspections resulted in replacement of pressure plate(2) and flywheel (1).rear drum brakes failed to release after emergency lever pulled.owner had to apply unacceptable gas pedal pressure to move vehilce, resulting in a loud 'clunk' when drum brakes finally released.

Clutch pedal about 1 1/2" free play. Warrantywork performed @ airport marina ford on 05/16/00, 05/22/00,08/16/00, 08/24/00.clutch pedal now feels spongy. According to paperwork, slave cylinder, master cylinder, bleed, slave cylinder replacement.

Clutch pedal is spongy. Travels half its normal distance when dwpressed before engaging transmission.

Driving on i90 west with no problems nor warning the rear end suddenly locked up completely, severing the driveshaft and rotating the differential so that it embeded itself in the spare tire (mounted under the vehicle).result was an immediate loss of control, vehicle swerved to the left and ran off the freeway into the median.rear wheels were completely locked up and un-movable.investigated by wsp (report # 0570977).clearly an extremely unsafe vehicle defect.ford dealership (evergreen in issaquah, wa) mechanics all concurred they had never seen anything like it.

Rear end (?) whines at various speeds,transmission slips. Dealer rebuilt differential, problem persists, dealer now has vehicle installing a new transmission trying to fix problem. Brake pedal pulses (not abs)and steerings wheel shudders (left/right) when brakes are applied at all speeds. (not reported to dealer, have since found out that this is a common problem with this vehicle). Oil filter- to remove filter it must be wedged past the solenoid/starter. It come in contact with the exposed wires/lugs? on the starter. There is nothing protecting this exposed area. My dealer has been extremely courteous and understanding in dealing with the transmission/differential problem. I have not received any information from ford regarding these problems.through research on the internet i have come to believe that the problems described here are not limited to my experiences. Thank you.

Rear differential locked up at 50mph, causing vehicle to skid and throw it off road down into an embankment.one occupantwasinjured.vehicle was totalled. Dealer cannot duplicate the problem.

Strong odor of gear oil was found coating some of the exhaust system and much of the underside of the truck floor and other components in the area of the differential.pontential of fire or an accident resulting from seizure of the differential (from lack of oil ) is feared.

Vehicle experienced a thump in the driveshaft, the dealer fixed the problem according with pdf 99-13-4 and the vehicle was under warranty, the problem has since started again and the dealer will not repair the problem because the vehicle is no longer under warranty.

While driving a loud knocking noise was heard from the rear.consumer applied the brakes and vehicle jerked uncontrollably.consumer was able to maintain control of the vehicle, and drove it home. Then, took it to dealer for inspection, and mechanicdetermined that rear driveshaft needed to be replaced. A recall was notissued on this vehicle.

Driveshaft failure.

This failure happened immediately after i purchased the vehicle.i took it back immediately and it was checked by ford, and koons mechanics. They stated everything was good. All koons did for me was replaced 4 tires that were worn on different parts of all tires.i have continued notifing koons about the same proble since the day i bought the vehicle, and they have not done anything.i finally found out from a back yard mechanic that the proble was the drive shaft. I told koons' mechanics that ,and i ordered thru an extended plan the shaft two months ago 2/10/00 .i have not heard from koons yet.i feel that the jumping and swaying will cost me to have a serious accident. Thank you.

Vehicle's drive shaft broke resulting in lost of control. *mr *sc

1998 ford ranger, drive shaft broke on vehicle.after the drive shaft broke, it went through the gas tank can caused the vehicle to catch on fire. Ohio traffic crash report #10-0294-89 updated 05/03/10 updated 05/24/10 the rear axle pinion froze, the drive shaft twisted and broke in two.updated 05/28/10

Purchased truck used with18,000 miles.i immediately started feeling a bumping from the drivetrain upon acceleration.dealer replaced driveshaft under warranty. By the time the truck reached 40,000 milesi started to feel it again. I have been driving it that way since and it now has 55,000 miles on it. The dealers will not fix it again as it is out of warranty and it is a costly repair. I have talked with others that have the same problem and can not understand why there is no recall for this problem. Mr

In this vehicledriveshaftdoes not fit on the transmissionfar enough which causes it to fibrate out of balance and knocks the oil seal out of the transmission. Is this a common problem with ford?

Rear driveshaft exhibits a clunking noise/feeling upon acceleration from stop.begins at around 10,000 miles on new vehicle.

Drive shaft failure.

Vehicle experienced a thump in the driveshaft, the dealer fixed the problem according with pdf 99-13-4 and the vehicle was under warranty, the problem has since started again and the dealer will not repair the problem because the vehicle is no longer under warranty.

On take off and stopping there is a jurking in the vechicle upon taking it to a ford dealer near me ( jeffers ford in new lexington ohio) first time it was in they told me they fixed it . On the second time the head maintance man told me he called ford and they was aware of a problem with the drive shafts beingbad (to long ) is what i think he said from 1997-2000 ford rangers .so then he wanted to charge me to install a new one at my cost.at which he did say my warrenty was over miles so it was expired but it wasnt at the first time i had it in to them which they said they fixed. I just hope not to many more people have this experance and have to pay for it out of there pockets ..isnt this something that needs to be recalled they are aware of the problem?oh i did ask the maintance if it was safe to drive he responded they (ford motor co.) didnt say.that made me feel real good and safe out on the road ..thank you . Edwin w halsey

Door ajar and light staying on for 45 minutes or more before shuting off. Dealer/manufacturer notified.feel free to provide any further details on this matter. A seal in the transmission keeps leaking and has been replaced twice, place where car was purchased is going to replace vehicle because in order to fix the problem, the transmission, computer chip, and driveshaft would have to be replaced.

On going/intermittent problem in hot weather condition when applyingtransmission to stop or decline from a hill.it causesrmps to increase to 1500.vehicle been in/out of dealer shop on two occasions, and problem still reoccurring. Please provide further details.

The consumer stated that while driving the vehicle, first gear is at least 30% to fast, and 80% to fast on reverse gear and it is impossible to go back.

The consumer stated that while driving the vehicle, first gear is at least 30% to fast, and 80% to fast on reverse gear and it is impossible to go back.

Grinding noise when shifting between 2, 3. And 4.rebuilt transmission.vehicle lost 1st & 2nd gear. Towed.dealer said nothing wrong with transmission.happened again.dealer replaced transmission.failure happened again.dealer said it was the driver not the transmission.failure part is the main blocker ring.breaks and causes damage in transmission. Ford say's it's only my vehicle that is having this problem.that is a lie.please check out www.fordranger.com.website for ranger owners.go to main tech boaard.see how many people are having the same problem i'm having.it took me 8 months just to get a new transmission.the did not have a transmission for my truck in the us from sept 98 until may 99.that is ridiculus.please address this problem.the same problem is evident in 99 rangers also.thank you.

The transmission is beginning to fail although it has been properly maintained.nlm

Consumer states the transmission keeps going from overdrive to a higher gear as if it does not know what gear it is supposed to be in, also the rear axle seal was replaced at 60,000 miles due to it leaking.

Standard transmission model is parked on a slight grade the vehicle will roll, neither the transmission nor the engine will hold the vehicle

Front wheel drive intermittent even when 4x4 light is on and 4x4 switch is engaged.most notable when below outside temperatures are 30 degrees fahrenheit and below. Multiple ford dealers have tried but cannot duplicate condition. This condition is increasing in frequency and has created some dangerous driving situations due to lack of traction when driver thought 4wd system was engaged.

98' ford ranger: has a cracked frame on the rear right side.truck makes loud noises when driving and i am afraid it may become worse over time or completely break down in unsafe speeds.i can not sell it, as i was trying to use the money for a new vehicle due to a new baby in our family.no one will buy such a defective vehicle.also seat belts will not stay latched?also the inside dome light melts right through the covering, where temperatures make the plastic cover bubble and melt.

The front middle seatbelt malfunctions when the occupant moves to the right and seatbelt adjuster slides down, which will not protect the occupant in accident.also the torsion bar rubs against the brake line, causing a hole in the brake line, resulting inbrake loss.

Driver side seatbelt tongue will not latch or lock in because the locking device is in the locked position.this causes a loss of protection.

The contact owned a 1998 ford ranger.while driving 35 mph, the driver lost control of the vehicle and crashed into two other vehicles.the driver was ejected out of the rear window and was fatally injured.the vehicle was inspected by a police officer, who determined that the failure was caused by the safety belt being separated.the cause of the separation was caused by the seat hinge failing, which cut the safety belt.the contact is in the process of notifying the manufacturer.the failure mileage was 197,500.updated 02/24/09.*ljupdated 02/25/09.

The ford ranger lost traction and slid on the ice.the seat belt did not lock on impact and theair bags did not deploy.my child hit the steering wheel with her head.this is the second accident in our 1998 ford ranger that the seat belt did not lock.

Seat belt failed to lock during sudden braking.

Left front wheel became unattached from the vehicle while it was traveling on expressway resulting in loss of control and an accident.seat belt also became disconnected at the time of impact.nlm

Due to a chain reaction another vehicle hit consumer's vehicle. Upon impact, driver's side airbag didn't deploy.also, driver's shoulder seat belt didn't lock up.

Seat belt does not restrain. Dealer says it is not designed to restrain so occupants can reach for coffee, etc.

Passengers seatbelts go inside ofretractor, but seatbelts doesn't attach or secure properly.

Seat belt does not retract completely,resulting in belt becoming entangled in the door.

Passenger's side restraint will not retract out.passenger is unrestrained.

Vehicle has jump seats and only lap belts, no shoulder harness.dealership assured us this was safe for a small child at the time lease was signed.i have since found out that my 40 lb. Child is unsafe without a shoulder harness.please confirm this as the manufacturer, ford motor company is giving us difficulty about doing anything about our concern.

Passenger seat recliner bar broke off.

Consumer started hearing loud rattling noise. Noticed that passenger's bucket seat was loose. Bolts that attach to seat were not tightened enough , causing the seat to be lifted at least 1/2 inch off of floor.

Front seat is distorted and sinking/collapsed, repaired several times and continues to collapse. Mjs

Complaint#1: gas tank leaked after vehicle was only one week old. Dealer replaced it with a new tank.complaint#2: power windows are 'jerky' and they chatter when going down. Dealer has not repaired it yet. Complaint#3: passenger seat vibrates any time truck drives over any bumps, large or small. Dealer has not repaired it at this time.

No summary included for above vehicle.

Front seat is distorted and sinking/collapsed, repaired several times and continues to collapse. Mjsthe consumer was writing a complement to the dealership.

Driver seat support is defective.at least two wire supports (diameter of a clothes hanger) in the driver chair (back rest) have snapped and are piercing through the back of the chair.possible defective metal.if more wires supports break this may cause the driver to fall throught the seat causing an accident.i weigh 155 pounds and the first break may have happened approximately 2 years ago with a popping noise (which unknowingly was inside the chair).one support wire has completely broke and fell out of the back of the chair, the other is piecing the back of the chair.ford was contacted today and their response was no further action or replacement of the part.

The contact owns a 1998 ford ranger. While driving at approximately 30 mph, the brakes failed while depressing the pedal multiple times. The vehicle finally came to a stop. The failure recurred and the vehicle crashed into another vehicle. A police report was filed and there were no injuries. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 214,299.

Brakes have been examined twice for squeakiness. Dealer has stated that they cannot duplicate problem. Noises have worsened since last exam on 12/15/98. There are several areas of rust on the underside of my truck and on the outtake manifold in the enginge. Dealer has stated "that's normal" to repeated inquiries about this rust. I have already had throttle assembly piece, the "butterfly valve"replaced in nov of 1998. I now have sqeaky noises coming from the rear axle as well, which i will schedule for exam this week, 1/11/99.

Fuse for the abs light failed causing the abs light and emergency brake light to illuminate even though the emergency brake was not engaged.nlm

My 1998 ford ranger xlt so far had 2 complete brake failures due to corroded brake lines. This is a systemic problem caused by the spiral protection of the brake lines which keeps thehumidity trapped and thus corrodes the lines. When this happens, brake fluid is leaking out when the pedal is pushed down yet no brake function is experienced.as this problem has a clear technical reason in the form of the brake lines, it is systemic in all such vehicles. This has been confirmed by my car mechanic shop which is frequently repairing ford vehicles with this problem.the problem has no early warning indication and is not detected by the yearly inspection.

Rear brakes lockup every time it rains. This causes sliding on wet pavements. As of now i have not been in an accident because of this problem.

Parked out on the street in front of my house, caught on fire around 9 pm. Fire trucks came and put it out and knocked on the door around 9:25 pm.

While driving and applying the brakes ,the rear end of the vehicleshakes and skips across the road. Dealer was contacted and changed the drums but once driving through a puddle of water the problem comes back. Please provide any futher information.

Everytime i press my brake pedal, there is a grinding/pulsating and the vehicle slowly "skids" to a stop, usually only 10-15 feet after i intended on stopping.less than one (1) year ago, the brakes went out on my 1998 ford ranger.the mechanic told me that the abs on the vehicle is where the problem was occurring, yet he didn't know how to fix it.he said the unnecessary pressure being applied by the abs system caused my master cylinder's seals to crack.i paid over $400 for all brake repairs.ten (10) months later, i'm driving on a freeway at 60 m.p.h. And my exit is approaching. When attempting to stop, i was again left with no brakes.i narrowly avoided a major accident. Thankfully i had the sense of mind to push my emergency brake (which is awkwardly located on a pick-up truck) and avoid a numerous car pile-up on a busy los angeles freeway.i took the vehicle to a new mechanic as well as a pep boys auto center, and was told that the master cylinder's seals were again cracked, and charged over $400 for the same repairs as before.i've searched numerous online forums, and spoken to numerous mechanics and ford ranger owners and every single one of them is very familiar with the problem and has faced near-death situations due to this manufacturing error.i would really appreciate a recall as it's the only one to assure the problem is fixed and the safety of others on the road (as the brakes will no longer work without any warning).

When attempting to stop brake pedal gets hard and truck stopping distance is increased. My son experenced problem at about 25 mph, and ran off road into a home owners yard. Owner has also experenced same problem. Dealer has attempted to fix 3 times.adjusted all components/turned/faced drums/rotors; replaced master cyl; replaced all pads/shoes. Now problem always happens for first few stops after sitting over night or about 1 hr. Service tech. Has experienced problem, but did not fix. Owner will now claim lemon law rights.

Another vehicle pulled in front quickly. Ranger hit brakes sharply & brakes locked up on right side and skidded. Did not hit other vehicle. Skid mark 92ft. Air bag deployed. Laceration on face & forehead abrasion. Emergency room treatment. Has highway police report.

No summary listed for above vehicle.

When attempting to stop brake pedal gets hard and truck stopping distance is increased. Have had two very close calls with other vehicles nearly being hit.problem started about 6 weeks after i purchased truck.have had vehicle in 7 times to three different dealers.they stated there was no problem but i knew better.have seen similar problems on this websiteand would like to contact those people.you have permission to publish my e-mail address.

The anti-lock brake system locks up on wet pavement when the pedal is applied. The pedal is hard when applied it only goes half way down, vehicle will slide before coming to a stop. Dealer has been contacted and repaired vehicle, however vehicle still locks up occasionally.

The consumer experienced problems withanti- lock brakes andairbag. During an accidentanti-lock brakes failed to work.when the consumer applied their brakes, the pedal went to the floorboard.in addition,driver's and passenger's side airbags failed to deploy.the manufacturer has been contacted.

After taking vehicle for inspection found out that rear brakes were stuck together. Never were repaired before.emergency brake cable was broken, like it was rubbing to a part of vehicle, andbrake pads and shoes wore out.

Rear end (?) whines at various speeds,transmission slips. Dealer rebuilt differential, problem persists, dealer now has vehicle installing a new transmission trying to fix problem. Brake pedal pulses (not abs)and steerings wheel shudders (left/right) when brakes are applied at all speeds. (not reported to dealer, have since found out that this is a common problem with this vehicle). Oil filter- to remove filter it must be wedged past the solenoid/starter. It come in contact with the exposed wires/lugs? on the starter. There is nothing protecting this exposed area. My dealer has been extremely courteous and understanding in dealing with the transmission/differential problem. I have not received any information from ford regarding these problems.through research on the internet i have come to believe that the problems described here are not limited to my experiences. Thank you.

Anti lock brakes lock up in rear, light stays on continually. (lawyer for consumer)

Anti lock brakes continually locking up.

A vibration has developed under all braking conditions (15,000 miles on). The steering wheel will shudder and twitch from side to side. Entire vehicle will vibrate. Worst under low braking pedal pressure. As the vehicle slows, the sensation is as if the brakes are making varying braking contact with the rotors/drums, consistant with the wheel revolution speed. At low speed and light brake pedal pressure, the steering wheel will suddenly spin 90-180 degrees to the left, causing the vehicle to change driving lanes, unless firmly held back. Dealership inspected and drove the vehicle. Experienced vibration/shudder and wheel pull. States braking and steering systems components are in normal condition, brakes are unadjustable, complaint is common, and usually gets worse. Can offer no solution.

When the brakes are applied in a panic stop brakepedal goes to the floor, resulting in extended stopping distance. Dealer and manufacturer have been notified.

Abs light stays on while driving. Dealer notified.

Rear wheels would lock up intermittently when brakes are applied on wet road. Dealer notified. Feel free to provide any further information.

Problem with rear drum brakes grabbing when trying to apply slight brake pressure, aggravated in damp weather. The first time i took it into cole whitney ford for repair was 2/19 /98 mileage 12282. The dealer said it was caused by a build up of brake dust that when wet would cause lock up. They blame it on the non asbestos content of the shoes. All they did was clean out the drums and sand the shoes. They said there is no known repair other than this.i have now moved to bangor so i have my truck serviced at darlings ford 403 hogan road bangor maine 04401 phone 1-800-540-1339. Since the first incident in feb. 98 i've had the truck in to darling's twice with the same problem . They treated the problem in the same way, still no permanent fix. I asked if ford would continue to take care of this problem at no charge after the warranty expired. They told me to call ford customer assistance. They said they would not and i should talk to the dealer as they may do it as a sign of good faith. This is an important safety issue on this vehicle as i travel 60 miles to work in all weather and it's dangerous to have the rear brakes grab when driving on ice . I've had several incidents of nearly losing control when applying very slight pressure on the brakes and the rear brakes locked. I've also had problems in the summer during damp weather on nearly dry roads when the rear brakes locked up causing the anti lock system to come in and greatly increasing the stopping distance.the last ford truck i owned was a 1987 model it had the same problem which was finally cured by installing brake shoes containing asbestos by me. I 'm told by darlings these type of brake shoes are no longer available.i should think that after 11 years ford could come up with a fix for this problem.i think this is an accident just waiting to happen and something needs to be done. The brakes acted up again last weekend and i'm taking it in to darlings again monday 03/15 99 , probably another temporary fix.

While applying the brakes pedal would go to the floor. Failed to bounce back like abs brakes were suppose too. Took to dealership & master cylinder/front brakes were replaced. Brake problem was not solved. Dealership informed owner brakes work with pedal to floor. Due tolack of braking power, vehiclewas involved in a wreck.

When traveling at 5-10 mphand upon depressing brake pedal to make a normal stop,brake pedal went to the floorboard, causing extended stopping distance. Consumer has contacted the dealer. Please provide any further details.

When applyingabs brakes,pedal traveled to the floor , causing extended stopping distance. Also,pressure applied to the brakes bent the brake pedal.*ml

While drivingbraking system malfunctioned, causingrear brakes to lock up, resulting in a crash.dealer has not inspected the vehicle.please provide further information.

The abs locks up and skids every morning when the vehicle is first started and every time it is driven in the rain.the dealer and mechanics have both verified that the brakes work fine.the problem is difficult to demonstrate.when the brakes warm up they operate fine.*jg

Consumer was involvedin a 5 car pile up accident,consumer's carwas the last carhit.when pressing onbrakesbody went forward anddriver's side seat belt broke. Consumer feels this should not have happened, and is very unsafe.

Brake pedal binds when vehicle is hot.brakes ineffective when cold.

Abs system malfunction causing light to illuminate and abs problems.mjs

Front brakes fail because theylock up uponstopping,and vehicle has only rear brakesto stop with.

Fuse for the abs light failed causing the abs light and emergency brake light to illuminate even though the emergency brake was not engaged.nlm

When applying the brakes the pedal went to the floor ,the driver tried to pump the brakes, but vehicle kept going. Owner had to use emergency brakes to stop the vehicle. Dealer said the axle bent,causing the brakes to go out.

While driving at 45 mph throttle sticks open and vehicle unexpectedly accelerated and took off. Driver firmly held brake pedal to the floor and shift vehicle into netural to gain control.feel free to provide any further infromation.

When attempting a stop the brake pedal gets hard and the vehicle does not stop.

Self adjusting brake kite is not installed causing the rear brakes to worn out. Yh

Brakes failed resulting in locking up and pulsation. Mjs

No summary listed for above vehicle.

While applying the brakes pedal would go to the floor. Failed to bounce back like abs brakes were suppose too. Took to dealership & master cylinder/front brakes were replaced. Brake problem was not solved. Dealership informed owner brakes work with pedal to floor. Due tolack of braking power, vehiclewas involved in a wreck.

No summary listed for above vehicle.

Caliper sticking causing damage to discs. Mjs

Brake shoe spring failed. Mjs

After taking vehicle for inspection found out that rear brakes were stuck together. Never were repaired before.emergency brake cable was broken, like it was rubbing to a part of vehicle, andbrake pads and shoes wore out.

When attempting to stop brake pedal gets hard and truck stopping distance is increased. My son experenced problem at about 25 mph, and ran off road into a home owners yard. Owner has also experenced same problem. Dealer has attempted to fix 3 times.adjusted all components/turned/faced drums/rotors; replaced master cyl; replaced all pads/shoes. Now problem always happens for first few stops after sitting over night or about 1 hr. Service tech. Has experienced problem, but did not fix. Owner will now claim lemon law rights.

While making a slow stopsteering wheel would shake.brake rotors have been turned and replaced two times. Dealer will not replace them again. *ml

Brake rotors are wearingout prematurely and need to be replaced.

Clutch slave cylinder bolts came out knocking hole through transmition case.transmission cross member had to be cut out after speed nuts broke loose.heater failed three times.thermostat replaced twice didn't help.bolts holding cooling fan on came out.switch for dome light failed, and brake rotors warped.

Rotors severly rusted and worn required premature replacment. *mjs

After taking vehicle for inspection found out that rear brakes were stuck together. Never were repaired before.emergency brake cable was broken, like it was rubbing to a part of vehicle, andbrake pads and shoes wore out.

Load 'squeal' heard when releasing clutch pedal between 1st-2nd, 2nd-3rd, 2wd & 4x4 high.will be serviced for the 3rd time march 1999.first two inspections resulted in replacement of pressure plate(2) and flywheel (1).rear drum brakes failed to release after emergency lever pulled.owner had to apply unacceptable gas pedal pressure to move vehilce, resulting in a loud 'clunk' when drum brakes finally released.

On starting engine hesitated ,almost stalled then raced with high rpm,while huge amounts of white thick smoke and heavy gasoline smell present.truck stalled.restarted same problem with the addition of a large black cloud of smoke from tail pipe on pushing accelerator.throttle sticks causing surging.dealer replaced throttle valve.probelm persists. Brakes make grinding noise when applied,dealer could not replicate after 4 visits they finally ackowledge problem and had to do a complete brake job.brakes are hard now and it appears that the anti locks do not engage.rear slider leaks water into extra cab when it rains. Vibration heard from ex haust area,had to have the heat shield tightened. Noise has returned./

Right rear brake line is pressed against rear shock causing a groove to form in the flexable part of the brake line.problem was caught by owner before failure occurred.

My pickup had undiagnosed braking difficulties since a mileage of 150.the brake pedal will not depress, then breaks free, greatly increasing my reaction time.this occurs up to 25 times per day in varying degrees.freeway ford mercury has attempted to diagnose the problem with the help of the manufacturer representative.they have replaced the power brake booster twice, the proportioning valve, linkage, and other suspected faulty parts to no avail.on the third visit it was found that my right rear brake cylinder has never worked.this was replaced, but had no affect on the sticking brake pedal.following this visit, the ford hotline advised that i drive the truck 1,000 additional miles in hopes that it would

Need to replace brake line every 40,000. Rubs against rear shock causing a hole that leaks brake fluid.

Rear brake line was rubbing onrear shock absorber which caused damage toshockabsorber. Also, would causebrake line to chafe.dealer notified, andwould perform repairs under consumer's extended warranty.feel free to provide any further details on this matter .

Brake line needs to be replaced every 40 thousand miles due to shocks rubbing on line. Due to lost of break fluid.please provide further information.

When attempting to stop brake pedal gets hard and truck stopping distance is increased. Have had two very close calls with other vehicles nearly being hit.problem started about 6 weeks after i purchased truck.have had vehicle in 7 times to three different dealers.they stated there was no problem but i knew better.have seen similar problems on this websiteand would like to contact those people.you have permission to publish my e-mail address.

While applying the brakes pedal would go to the floor. Failed to bounce back like abs brakes were suppose too. Took to dealership & master cylinder/front brakes were replaced. Brake problem was not solved. Dealership informed owner brakes work with pedal to floor. Due tolack of braking power, vehiclewas involved in a wreck.

While driving on a curved mountain road at 15-20 mph, the brakes started smoking.the dealer was contacted, and stated that they would have to order a new master cylinder.would not replace the master cylinder because they only had a present stock of original master cylinders, and they were faulty parts.

My pickup had undiagnosed braking difficulties since a mileage of 150.the brake pedal will not depress, then breaks free, greatly increasing my reaction time.this occurs up to 25 times per day in varying degrees.freeway ford mercury has attempted to diagnose the problem with the help of the manufacturer representative.they have replaced the power brake booster twice, the proportioning valve, linkage, and other suspected faulty parts to no avail.on the third visit it was found that my right rear brake cylinder has never worked.this was replaced, but had no affect on the sticking brake pedal.following this visit, the ford hotline advised that i drive the truck 1,000 additional miles in hopes that it would

While backing my 98 ford ranger 4.0 supercab with tow package (which has the beefier brakes) the aluminum bracket that holds the bar that the brake and clutch hinge on, broke away from the truck. This left me heading in reverse with no brake or clutch. I was in shock, imagine the steering wheel coming off in your hands while driving; that's how i felt. I didn't think to hit the emergency brake, but i was already halfway into the garage and had very little time to react properly before i crashed into the back wall (cinderblock) punching a hole in the wall which killed the engine. This happened at the fire station where i work! the police did a report. He saw and reported the brakes were broke although he didn't look very closely. Many of my superiors at the job saw that the brakes had broke away and were now dangling, useless. The vehicle had to be towed to a ford dealership where the brake assembly was replaced. The dealership acknowledged on the bill the state of the brakes and clutch assembly. I requested the broken parts and they are now in my possession. I contacted ford customer service, they stated the obvious, that the vehicle was no longer under warranty. They also stated their were no recalls on my vehicle which was not true; i knew about the cruise control and has had the firestones replaced. I guess they meant on the brakes. I said yes, but certain things should never happen on a vehicle. This is a safety issue on a vehicle only eight years old you would not accept that the steering wheel may fall off. Just like you would not accept that the brake pedal assembly may brake away under your feet. Today i received a letter from ford saying they could not help me because the vehicle was not under warranty. I wonder if there has been other incidents like mine and they are in the form of "service bulletins" secret recalls that keep ford and other companies from having to fix many of their problems.the consuner had to have 2 bad lug nuts replaced on the right front wheel. Updated 01/10/07.

Brake pedal fell off while pulling out of the parking lot. There were no injuries to report.consumer was able to stop the vehicle.by applying the emergency brake.

Pedals are to close, causing acceleration.

My pickup had undiagnosed braking difficulties since a mileage of 150.the brake pedal will not depress, then breaks free, greatly increasing my reaction time.this occurs up to 25 times per day in varying degrees.freeway ford mercury has attempted to diagnose the problem with the help of the manufacturer representative.they have replaced the power brake booster twice, the proportioning valve, linkage, and other suspected faulty parts to no avail.on the third visit it was found that my right rear brake cylinder has never worked.this was replaced, but had no affect on the sticking brake pedal.following this visit, the ford hotline advised that i drive the truck 1,000 additional miles in hopes that it would

1998 ford ranger. Consumer writes in regards to vehicle steering wheelissues.the consumer stated the steering wheel melted. Also, the head lamp switch and connector was replaced.

Single vehicle accident.frontal impact - my son was driving.

A vibration has developed under all braking conditions (15,000 miles on). The steering wheel will shudder and twitch from side to side. Entire vehicle will vibrate. Worst under low braking pedal pressure. As the vehicle slows, the sensation is as if the brakes are making varying braking contact with the rotors/drums, consistant with the wheel revolution speed. At low speed and light brake pedal pressure, the steering wheel will suddenly spin 90-180 degrees to the left, causing the vehicle to change driving lanes, unless firmly held back. Dealership inspected and drove the vehicle. Experienced vibration/shudder and wheel pull. States braking and steering systems components are in normal condition, brakes are unadjustable, complaint is common, and usually gets worse. Can offer no solution.

The wheels lock and freeze. Yh

Vehicle was making a left hand turn when the steering column came apart. Driver then slammed on the brakes until vehicle came to a stop.

Steering gear assembly failed.

Consumer was turning right at approximately 10 mph when the steering failed which almost caused an accident. Dealerdid not detect the problemthe first time , but then it happened again, andcurrentlydealer is replacing the steering gear box. *ml

While backing out slowly, steering wheel disconnected from steering mechanism, resulting in loss of steering, dealer said that intermediate shaft bolt was stripped, there was no accident.

Crash involved my vehicle striking another vehicle which had turned into my path to make a left turn at a lighted intersection. Police determined that other driver was at fault. Other vehicle (a vw jetta) was struck in the side, yet both airbags deployed. My vehicle was struck in the front with sufficient force to break front axle, yet neither airbag deployed. I contacted dealer who referred me to their 1-800 customer hotline, who then referred me back to dealer to pursue technical problems such as this. Therefore, i'm now contacting you.

While traveling consumer passed out and vehicle ran off road. Also,noticed fumes inside cab.driver believes that carbon monoxide fumes were coming into the vehicle, causing him to pass out. *ml

Power steering failed.

The power steering pump malfunctioned, causing the power steering fluid to crystallize, resulting in loss of power steering. Dealer replaced power steering pump 4 times, and has replaced starter and repaired the coolant system once. *ml

Front shocks and front spindle connecting drag assembly replaced. Mjs

Upper ball joint separated from the vehicle causing loss of control and minor collision, rust found outside both the sides of the knuckle and a missing bolt.

Brakes have been examined twice for squeakiness. Dealer has stated that they cannot duplicate problem. Noises have worsened since last exam on 12/15/98. There are several areas of rust on the underside of my truck and on the outtake manifold in the enginge. Dealer has stated "that's normal" to repeated inquiries about this rust. I have already had throttle assembly piece, the "butterfly valve"replaced in nov of 1998. I now have sqeaky noises coming from the rear axle as well, which i will schedule for exam this week, 1/11/99.

Left wheel broke off and there was a noise due to a spindle breaking,which could have caused loss of vehicle control.currently the noise has returned.please provide further information.

Dt*:the contact stated while driving at any speed a squeaking noise came from the front of the vehicle.the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the upper and lower control arms, tie rods and bearings were replaced.

Rack and pinion failed.mjs

Rack and pinionhas failed at only 38,000 miles and within2 years without warning. Causeunknown.

The day after purchasing the vehicle, (1998 ford ranger) the consumer had to get the rack and pinion steering changed.(see odi number 10052130 for consumer complaint regarding 2002 ford escape).*mr

The cab of my 1998 ford ranger truck leaks when it rains.at first, i thought it was the seal over the passenger door, but the water is running in the cab above the rear window and the seal is tight on the window.as far as i can tell, the water is getting in along the seam of the cab roof just behind the door on both sides of the cab.the water has found its way up into the felt and roof insulation and left water marks but (thankfully) no separation of the roof felt from the cab body yet.i did use ge silicone caulk to fill in the seams on the outside of the cab, and it did reduce the amount of water getting in, but yesterday it rained and i noticed that the water is still getting in on the passenger side of the cab roof.i really don't know how to fix this problem.i have inspected the door seals and they seem pliable and firmly affixed to the body of the truck.the truck has 61,000 miles on it and i am the only driver.if there is a recall for this, i would really appreciate knowing because the water has resulted in two shorts in the truck's interior lighting causing me to pull the fuse for the interior lights.when the cab gets wet inside, the "door ajar" light stays on and the interior lights will not shut off when l turn the truck off.the removal of the fuse, although giving a remedy to the dome light problem, has made it difficult to drive the truck at night with no interior lights on the floor or dome.quite frankly, i am concerned about a fire with all this dampness in the cab.

Consumer states his father in law had an accident with his 1998 ford ranger and had it to roll over4 times, breaking his neck. Consumer also states his father in law lived but he thinks it is the structure of the truck that caused thewas the fact that ford manufacturer took b pillar out of the 2001 model. Ts

Rear section of frame that hold spare tire fell off while driving, tire and frame section just missed a vehicle behind me, at this same time the frame broke off just in front of the rear spring hanger on the driver side.

Went to get estimate on replacing muffler system and was told not to do it because frame was rusted and ready to break. I have owned this vehicle since jan. 16 2001. Also had to replace rear shackles in 2009. Does ford have any recall on this as i have read many many others that have the same complaint.

I bought this truck new, i have had transmission problems but now my frame is in bad, bad, bad rusting condition and my mechanic said it will not pass inspection.this truck only has 82,000 miles on it!!! toyota stood behind their frames why isn't ford?

Rear frame excessive rusting. Spare tire carrier fell off while driving. One side of bumper fell off. Noticed when i stepped on it

Took my 1998 ford ranger in for an inspection on 01/13/2015 only to find out that the back of the frame is almost completely rotted away. I bought the vehicle only two days earlier from a dealership in va(01/11/2015) that's run by a mechanic. I contacted the dealership as soon as i saw my mistake, and they told me they didn't see the rust, and that the vehicle passed inspection in va only two months prior to my purchase. The frame is about to split in half its so badly rusted and now i cant register it, not to mention drive it, out of fear of it snapping and me losing my life. Oh and did i mention i paid $3650 for this pos?

I hit a deer while comming home from work at 45 mph and bent bumper, dented left quarter panel,broke left turn signal lens and cracked plastic grile. Airbags did not apply or engage. I also have taken my truck to the local dealership 4 times to get my door alarm chip replaced @ 50 dollars each time. On last attempt my extended waranty had expired and they refused to honer the problem and promise to replace.even though it was an exsisting problem. This was prior to hitting the deer.

The frame has rusted so severely that the rear suspension is detaching from frame and frame is almost rusted completely through and will separate soon. The spare tire and carrier have fallen off where is was attached to the frame due to the excessive rust and the bed mounts have rusted away and no longer attach to the frame leaving the bed with no solid mount. Spare tire and carrier fell off on interstate while driving.

While in bed at 2:00 am truck caught fire.

Extremely rusted car frame

The rear frame of the truck has rotted away. The rear suspension and bumper are about to fall off. The body itself is in excellent condition. I didn't find out until i stepped on the rear bumper and it began sagging down and then realized that a large majority of the frames cross members were already gone!

Vehicle back bumper fell off due to excessive rust (while in motion). Ball joints, tie rods, upper and lower control arm brackets rusted out as well as holes in the frame (all identified while stationary).

Frame is rusting out even though the rest of the truck looks great . The truck has not been driven in winter because i have a work car with front wheel drive that i use for this and the frame on that vehicle is in better condition than my ranger. We have owned the truck since 2002 and it's a 1998 model.

The rear frame completely rusted off between the rear spring shackles and rear bumper, the spare tire mount if almost completely rusted away, and the gas tank cross member is also nearly rusted away,1/2 is missing on the passenger side.the rear springs detached when the shackled rusted away.the vehicle was stationary

I was driving on the freeway and the truck started smoking and caught on fire, i pulled off the freeway and the whole front of the truck burst into flames.

Frame/ chassisis rusting. I heard toyota was fixing this problem with their trucks.why doesn't ford and or have you checked these trucks out.you are welcome to come and see mine.thanks,

Doorwill not register as being closed whilevehicle is in operation. Dash sensor states that"door is ajar" when door is closed.also, dome light will come on and off while going around turns.the door is ajar stays on sometime and goes off in a while at other time.

Passenger door--gets stuck.

Door switch defective causing dome lights to illuminate. Mjs

Driver side door inoperable.yh

Passenger door failed on several occasions.

Door ajar and light staying on for 45 minutes or more before shuting off. Dealer/manufacturer notified.feel free to provide any further details on this matter. A seal in the transmission keeps leaking and has been replaced twice, place where car was purchased is going to replace vehicle because in order to fix the problem, the transmission, computer chip, and driveshaft would have to be replaced.

Driver's side upper door hinge bolt came off.

Clutch slave cylinder bolts came out knocking hole through transmition case.transmission cross member had to be cut out after speed nuts broke loose.heater failed three times.thermostat replaced twice didn't help.bolts holding cooling fan on came out.switch for dome light failed, and brake rotors warped.

1998 ford rangerwithframe rust.rearshackleshave rusted and fallen off.

The frame on my 1998 ford ranger is basically rusted through.my brother's 1999 ford ranger had to have the frame replaced due to excessive rust.

The contact owns a 1998 ford ranger. While driving various speeds, a knocking type noise was present coming from the bed of the vehicle when the brakes were applied. The contact indicated that the vehicle failed inspection due to rusting and corrosion of the subframe and cross members. The cause of the failures was not diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The vin was not available. The manufacturer was not notified of the failures. The failure mileage was 169,000.

The contact owns a 1998 ford ranger.the contact stated that the frame was completely rusted.the dealer was notified of the failure but did not return the contacts call.the manufacturer was not contacted.the vehicle was repaired.the failure mileage was 98,000 and the current mileage was 125,348.

My 1998 ranger will not pass state inspection again due to frame rust. Not just in the rear but all over. The rest of the truck is in good shape.

The rear bumper in my 1998 ford ranger (80k miles) is about to fall off, as the rear of the frame is rusted & broken.i have cables holding it on now.i found this out after the rear leaf spring shackle & bracket rusted off the frame and broke in two.the spare tire also looks like it is about to fall off from rusted brackets.i did an internet search and found that there are probably thousands of ford rangers in which the rear bumper actually did fall off, or the spare fell off while driving.this problem seems to be much worse that the toyota trucks.in fact someone said that the ford frames were bought at the same factory as the toyota's, but i do not know fore sure.everything else on my truck is in beautiful condition, not a speck of rust on the body, and it runs great.i bought it brand new.

Spare tire fell off while driving. Entire frame is rusting. Gas tank about to fall off. Truck only has 115000 miles????

Spare tire carried under truck completely rusted away and spare fell on highway and rear frame completely rusting away. Original rims had to be changed also because they rusted so bad wouldn't hold air.

I have a 1998 ford ranger extended cab, my frame hast rusted through causing my bed to be unattached.

Frame on my 1998 ford ranger rusted into at the rear spring shackles, and bumper. I have never had a truck to do this. The steel crossmember that runs behind the cab over the gas tank from side to side is also completely gone from rusting away. They must have received a bad batch of steel when making this year.the spare tire holder is also rusted away, placed the spare tire in the bed so that it would not fall off when traveling down the highway.i suspect that this was very common for this year.

Frame members and body are defective. The machanic repositioned/welded the frame because of a noise, dealer cannot duplicate the problem.

Truck in over all great shape however the frame is beat i know ford says salt but looking at the rest of truck one can see it was taken very good care of. Like toyota ,with them being responsible for the issues of their frames i can't believe that ford is above the right thing to do... In closing please let me know, if any responsibility for this is fords .thank you in advance for your time in this matter,[xxx]information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).

The frame on the passenger side from about the middle of the door to the front suspension mount is almost completely gone from rust. I showed it to the ford dealership and they advised me not to drive as it is extremely unsafe but they either could or would not do anything about it. The coil spring pocket is cracked and the spring is about to pop out. I cannot afford a new vehicle at this time. The frame is broken and cracked in several areas due to stress from flexing because of the rust. I attempted to get a local fabrication shop weld it but they will not touch it. I can take photographs if need be. Ford motor company told me they have had numerous complaints about this same problem but not enough to issue a recall. I am afraid to drive this vehicle but have no choice. I have already replaced rear spring mounts and shackles because of rust but i cannot replace the frame and no one will touch it.

My 1998 ford ranger frame is completely rusted out. The gas tank is ready to fall off . The shock fell off.the strap for the spare tire is rusted offhow could this happen?

I was driving down the street when the frame broke, behind the cab where the back bed begins on the driver side. Excessive rot all over frame.

My ford ranger frame is almost completely rotted away in the back and the rest of the frame is in good condition. The rear shackles and shackle brackets are completely rusted away. The spare tire has even fallen off from rust.also the gas tank straps are about to fall off from were they are attached to the frame. This should not be happening to a truck that is not that old. I have read things about other peoples frames that are rusted away.

Rear section of frame at rear bumper mount and spare tire holder is completely rusted to the point of holes all the way thru. Have read a lot of others having the same problem. Truck is in very nice shape other than this. Have own many many ford trucks over the years. All different years from 1968-2008. Ford should make this right for its customers.

The frame is having serious and dangerousheavy rust and rot compromising the structural integrity of the truck. In fact a shock mount just broke while driving and the resulting loud bang caused me great stress while driving. After pulling over and looking i could see the shock mount had rotted so bad as to break off the axle house.am also concerned about the structures holding the spare tire,gas tank and entire support system.

I took my truck to have a power steering issue examined.the mechanic determined that the passenger side frame of the truck was severely rusted.i examined the frame and noticed that there were sizable holes in the frame of the truck.the entire body of the truck is in solid condition, however the frame issue is a major safety concern and hazard.

The frame has rusted through in spots all the way down the frame.it looks close to breaking in half in some spots.a 1998 vehicle should not have this much rust no matter where it came from.after researching this vehicle, it appears this is a common problem and i believe ford should be held responsible for this.

My ford ranger frame is almost completely rotted away in the back and the rest of the frame is in good condition. The rear shackles and shackle brackets are completely rusted away. The spare tire has even fallen off from rust.also the gas tank straps are about to fall off from were they are attached to the frame. This should not be happening to a truck that is not that old. I have read things about other peoples frames that are rusted away.

When the brake pedal was depressed the entire vehicle vibrated.a mechanic test drove the vehicle, and indicated that something was wrong, but has to inspect the vehicle to locate the cause of the vibration.

Rear leaf spring mounts rotted and broken , rear bumper mounts rotted and very close to failure , spare tiremount severley rotted.

The frame has rusted through in spots all the way down the frame.it looks close to breaking in half in some spots.a 1998 vehicle should not have this much rust no matter where it came from.after researching this vehicle, it appears this is a common problem and i believe ford should be held responsible for this.

I took my truck to have a power steering issue examined.the mechanic determined that the passenger side frame of the truck was severely rusted.i examined the frame and noticed that there were sizable holes in the frame of the truck.the entire body of the truck is in solid condition, however the frame issue is a major safety concern and hazard.

The frame has rusted so severely that the rear suspension is detaching from frame and frame is almost rusted completely through and will separate soon. The spare tire and carrier have fallen off where is was attached to the frame due to the excessive rust and the bed mounts have rusted away and no longer attach to the frame leaving the bed with no solid mount. Spare tire and carrier fell off on interstate while driving.

The frame on the passenger side from about the middle of the door to the front suspension mount is almost completely gone from rust. I showed it to the ford dealership and they advised me not to drive as it is extremely unsafe but they either could or would not do anything about it. The coil spring pocket is cracked and the spring is about to pop out. I cannot afford a new vehicle at this time. The frame is broken and cracked in several areas due to stress from flexing because of the rust. I attempted to get a local fabrication shop weld it but they will not touch it. I can take photographs if need be. Ford motor company told me they have had numerous complaints about this same problem but not enough to issue a recall. I am afraid to drive this vehicle but have no choice. I have already replaced rear spring mounts and shackles because of rust but i cannot replace the frame and no one will touch it.

Took in for inspection. It failed because of rusted frame, shackles, shocks, brake lines and rear brake drums.it cost me $3,127.34 to replace all the parts. Before this, the spare tire fell off. Toyota replaced the frame of my neighbors pickup at no cost to him. I also have a friend who had a year 2000 mazda pickup that had a rusted frame and wouldn't pass inspection. I'm sure this isn't the first complaint on this subject. I bought fords for years and my father worked for a ford dealer ship for 40 years. Since this truck, i will not buy another ford. Thanks for your consideration.

The rear frame of the truck fell apart rusted away

4wd stopped working some time ago, servo/actuator seemed to be free, recently started making grinding noises in the front right, sounds like hub is somewhere between locked and unlocked. Sort of pops out when coming to a stop hvac does not work, fan speed only interior courtesy stopped working

The back section of the frame is rusted off the spring hangers are rusted off the fuel tank cross member is rusted off and the tire hanger is rusted off the shock mounts are about rusted off and the springs are bent because the brackets rusted off

Rear section of frame that hold spare tire fell off while driving, tire and frame section just missed a vehicle behind me, at this same time the frame broke off just in front of the rear spring hanger on the driver side.

Rear frame hasrotted out by the rightrear springhanger causing spring to go tru bed and the rear axle to be detached the truck at this time in in operabledueto thiswillbe trying toweld and replace it as best ascan bebutthis seems to be a common complaint imreading about onlinesure wish ford wouldstep up like toyota did

The rear of the frame rusted causing the bumper to hang off. It will fall off if not addressed

"frame recall ? " while driving frame broke in half, both sides. Since owning i have replaced leaf spring and shock bracket,and also removed spare tire bracket before it fell off in roadway. This needs to be addressed before someone gets killed!!!

Vehicle back bumper fell off due to excessive rust (while in motion). Ball joints, tie rods, upper and lower control arm brackets rusted out as well as holes in the frame (all identified while stationary).

My 1998 ford ranger frame is completely rusted out. The gas tank is ready to fall off . The shock fell off.the strap for the spare tire is rusted offhow could this happen?

The frame is having serious and dangerousheavy rust and rot compromising the structural integrity of the truck. In fact a shock mount just broke while driving and the resulting loud bang caused me great stress while driving. After pulling over and looking i could see the shock mount had rotted so bad as to break off the axle house.am also concerned about the structures holding the spare tire,gas tank and entire support system.

The vehicle shakes severely on a freeway causing a safety problem to the driver. Yh

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.

Driving on hi way,evap canister rotted off,and also lost my spare tire, i have patched frame 13 times now waiting for a recall to come out and yet still havnt heard of one.truck needs to be fixed as soon as possible. . hopinganyway possible that they will throw a recall out there for us ranger owners.thankyou.

The vehicle shakes severely on a freeway causing a safety problem to the driver. Yh

Defective part found during routine state inspection.dealer declined replacement under warrenty due to > 3 years.service technician diagnosed design defects which should result in recall. No safety defect listed.

While turning, the consumer would hear a loud popping noise/heavy vibration coming from the front end. The dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. The cause was not determined.

Original equipment on 1998, ford, ranger with 23,000 miles, tire size p235/70r16, dot vn0811u. All4 tires had worn out from inside and going towards the outside causing front end to come out of alignment. Tires should have lasted 50,000 miles.

Front end alignment will require installation of additional parts ($250 worth) which are included on most other cars & trucks but omitted on this $23,000 truck, and not included in "warranty coverage".

While driving in a parking lot and making a left without warning front end of the truck malfunctioned.investigator fromford investigatedvehicle, stating thatmalfunction resulted in the manufacturing of the truck and not the driver.

At 40,000 miles and now at 81000 miles i need the ball joints replaced, i have never had to replace ball joints on any car under 150,000 miles my entire life, there is a problem here, this is a '98 ford ranger.

Front tires wear improperly due to possible front end alignment problems.yh

Steering wheel not straight and vehicle bounces front to back due to improper alignment. Mjs

The vehicle shakes severely on a freeway causing a safety problem to the driver. Yh

While driving on a flat, straight surface, heard a click under vehicle. Vehicle swerved to the right losing control, resulting in a clash/injuries. Vehicle was totaled.

Cab shakes side to side. Source seems to be front drive train.

Steering wheel not straight and vehicle bounces front to back due to improper alignment. Mjs

Front end alignment is out, but must purchase additional kits to be put on before alinement can be set correctly. Should have been told about this. Now cost of repair is est $120. Most people can not afford that at one time and will drive on misalined front end which can be a big saftely issue.

Front end keeps wearing out tires ever 2500 miles suspension comes loose severe vibration in front end tire choping againdealer has had for 22 days and 6 times fixing front end suspension still not fixed( dot number: tire size: 205-75-15 )

Left front ball joint fell off due to missing screw during manufacturing. Mjs

Dt*:the contact stated while driving at any speed a squeaking noise came from the front of the vehicle.the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the upper and lower control arms, tie rods and bearings were replaced.

Upper and lower control arms are loud and make alot of noise while going over bumps or slowing downat any speed. The dealer cannot duplicate the problem.

Left lower control arm in the steering mechanism is defective, causing loud noises when making a turn or coming to a stop, a nything to do with the lower front end. Dealer said will call an engineer to inspect vehicle.

Passenger side lower control arm joint grease protector has deteriorated allowing moisture and dirt to enter the joint.

The vehicle made a squeak noise in the front end due to lower ball joints failure.

Consumer's vehicle didn't pass inspection last year on 3-14-2000. All 4 ball joints had to be replaced.vehicle had 29,000 miles then.vehicle didn't pass inspection again this year at 39,570 miles.upper ball joints need replacing. In virginia, vehicles have to be inspected every year.

Front shocks and front spindle connecting drag assembly replaced. Mjs

The dealer fixed the leaf spring to correct what was a 3 inch lower left rear than the right rear.the truck fishtailed badby over any degree of rough road.it is slightly better since the spring has been replaced.but the dealer told me the leaning problem was still there. The said they contacted ford and ford told them the leaning was a problem with all 1998 ford rangers xlt and otherwise.there was a special shim created by ford to correct the height difference in the rear.the dealer ordered the shim and i wait for it's arrival.paint was bad in lower rear of cab also.the agreed to fix that.i need to know if this shim business is a safety problem.i don't want a shimmed new car.in the process of returning.i amnot convinced they didn't know about it when it was sold to me as new & just hoped i wouldn't notice.i am checking with a body shop to see if the truck has been hit or damaged & repainted.it has tape on the body where the paint is bad! my plan is

The front middle seatbelt malfunctions when the occupant moves to the right and seatbelt adjuster slides down, which will not protect the occupant in accident.also the torsion bar rubs against the brake line, causing a hole in the brake line, resulting inbrake loss.

After reading other customer complaints regarding the ford ranger , i feel i must repair the front wheels on my truck. The frontwheels started making loud noises when theyturned left or right.. I was told the wheel bearings needed replacing. This is expensive.this car only has 27,000.00 miles on it and replacing the wheel bearings sound a little to major for a low mileage car. Yet for my safety and others i need to have this done.

At 30000, the first serpentine belt was replaced.the dealer said there was nothing they could do because the belt was not covered under the warranty.the belt has been replaced twice more since then, and the vehicle only has 52000 miles.around 40000 miles, the front suspension started clunking every time you hit a bump.the mechanic who inspected the front end stated that the front suspension bushings are what is causing the clunk.

Dt*:the contact stated while driving at any speed a squeaking noise came from the front of the vehicle.the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the upper and lower control arms, tie rods and bearings were replaced.

The rear axle of the vehicle fell apart while the consumer was traveling, resulting in loss of control.

While driving at 25 mph back endhit some gravel in the road, causing the vehicle to spin around androllover. Consumer's child was sitting in the child seat in the rear, and the child safety seat buckle popped open,causing the child to be hanging out of seat.fire department had to cut the strip from around the child.

Rear end had repair.

Rear end (?) whines at various speeds,transmission slips. Dealer rebuilt differential, problem persists, dealer now has vehicle installing a new transmission trying to fix problem. Brake pedal pulses (not abs)and steerings wheel shudders (left/right) when brakes are applied at all speeds. (not reported to dealer, have since found out that this is a common problem with this vehicle). Oil filter- to remove filter it must be wedged past the solenoid/starter. It come in contact with the exposed wires/lugs? on the starter. There is nothing protecting this exposed area. My dealer has been extremely courteous and understanding in dealing with the transmission/differential problem. I have not received any information from ford regarding these problems.through research on the internet i have come to believe that the problems described here are not limited to my experiences. Thank you.

The rear bumper in my 1998 ford ranger (80k miles) is about to fall off, as the rear of the frame is rusted & broken.i have cables holding it on now.i found this out after the rear leaf spring shackle & bracket rusted off the frame and broke in two.the spare tire also looks like it is about to fall off from rusted brackets.i did an internet search and found that there are probably thousands of ford rangers in which the rear bumper actually did fall off, or the spare fell off while driving.this problem seems to be much worse that the toyota trucks.in fact someone said that the ford frames were bought at the same factory as the toyota's, but i do not know fore sure.everything else on my truck is in beautiful condition, not a speck of rust on the body, and it runs great.i bought it brand new.

Brakes have been examined twice for squeakiness. Dealer has stated that they cannot duplicate problem. Noises have worsened since last exam on 12/15/98. There are several areas of rust on the underside of my truck and on the outtake manifold in the enginge. Dealer has stated "that's normal" to repeated inquiries about this rust. I have already had throttle assembly piece, the "butterfly valve"replaced in nov of 1998. I now have sqeaky noises coming from the rear axle as well, which i will schedule for exam this week, 1/11/99.

At approximately 150,000 vehicle miles, the middle leaf on both rear springs has fractured just in front of the rear axle. Discovered 5/27/2005 when the broken piece fell out of the left spring. Subsequently discovered the identical piece was missing from the right side. Recovered piece shows fatigue failure.

Was at a stop sign & had heard a loud clunk & clang. Then, there was a lot of rattling andit got worse as vehicle moved. Then, something fell. Pulled over. Noticedleaf spring had partially broken. There was some rust on it.mechanic indicated entire rear left leaf spring needed to be replaced, had parts.

Tire exploded for no apparent reason.slight loss of control but was able to recover vehicle to safety.i have also had many flat problems with these tires.

Firestone wilderness at tires were out-of-round and could not be balanced.

When i changed out my snow tires in spring of 1999 i noticed a new vibration which i never noticed previously.i attempted to have the tires balanced several times and had other issues such as front allignment defects all ruled out, finally the tires themselves were checked by ford and found to be defective (2 at the time on the rear). I also had a 3rd tire replaced as it was puntured about the same time.at the time it appeared the 4th tire was fine and the vibration finally disappeared. A few months later i put my now tires (on their own rims) put on the rear only and had the rear normal radials moved forward.i did not notice any further problems until changing from my snow tires back to all normal tires in the spring.i finally took my vehicle in for tire rotation and balance last month (july) but despite several attempts by perry's tire the right rear tire defied al attempts at balancing.i am again driving with a vibration and ford is resisting solving all of my headaches and replacing all of these tires with other than firestone wilderness ht tires and insist they have to rebalance and drive it first but even if the tire is defective they insist they cant replace all of my tires.it was clear that 2 tires were defective a year ago and now i am having the same problem again.( dot number: tire size: p225/70r14 )

Three tires have had failures on the highway.2 replaced w/partial warranty.( dot number: tire size: 265-75r-15 )

Failure of tires has not occurred yet; however, all 4 tires are full of cracks at the bottom of the thread blocks. One tread block on one tire has separated from the tire. I have never seen this on tires that are only 3 years old and at this much mileage. Concerned that tire failure is bound to happen and tires have plenty of usuable tread left. (dot number: unknowntiresize: p225/70r15)

Customer no service at firestone service center, would not replace tire( dot number: tire size: p235/75r15 )

Last july on a hot, 87 degree afternoon, my front left tire began to shake and i pulled over immediately.it was flat by the time i stopped so i changed it.i purchased two new cooper tires to replace the fronts. I have rotated snow tires on the rear and have had no problems with the remaining firestone original tires. (dot number: w2uu ipotiresize: p225/70r15)

Tire blew (3 distinct sections in sidewall), 65 mph, originals when purchased used, were replacement tires (ranger comes with 15")( dot number: vn08ipu??? tire size: p235/70r16 )

While travelling on the i-5 in fresno at approximently 70 mph i heard a loud pop/burst and the vehicle rearend slid to theleft into the concrete center divider i momentarily lost control and the entire left side of my truck scraped on the center divider, after gaining control i moved to the right shoulder.i saw sparks coming from the right rear section of my car while moving to the shoulder.i got out and saw that my right rear tire had "exploded" and all that was left was the beading, melted to the rim, and the treadwrapped around my right rear axel. I changed the tire and proceeded home.no one was injured.( dot number: )

Tire completely fell apart/ tread separation( dot number: tire size: 235/70 r16 )

I have had two firestone 16 inch wilderness at tires fail.there is nothing wrong with my truck.it is an excellent vehicle, but there needs to be a further recall of all /firestone wilderness at tires regardless of vehicle make. (tiresize: p23570r16)( dot number:tire size: p23570r16 )

Nine flat tires since new. No nail,screw, etc. Last flat tire was 8-18 on left front. Luckilyi was not far from home and noticed truck steering badly. Slowed down and stopped. Air shooting out 3" split in tire. Not a cut. Tread is splitting open. I had to get help to change tire, and took it to firestone dealer- plaza tire service in cape girardeau, mo.tire inspected and can not be repaired due to multiple splits, from 1" to about 10"" in length.on tread. Also cracks between tread all over tire. I have kept tires asnd taken photos. Last 3 flats repaired at plaza tire. Flat in june, july and august this summer. I have had unexplained flats since truck was new.two wrecler calls and repairs total over $200.00. I had tires checked when recall was announced, as i was sure these crappy tires were on recall. Shocked to find out they were not.man checked tire on right front, said tread warping and found loose flap of tread near center of tire. Spare is on left front, and is recalled atx radial. I am sure most ranger owners not aware spare is atx.truck is unsafe to drive because of these tires. I have been stranded alone on vacation in michigan 900 miles away, had to change tires myself twice, wrecker called twice, etc.i want these terrible tires recalled. I will not have other wilderness at put on my truck. We have 3 other vehicles here, new mercedes suv, mazda rx-7, and dodge 4x4 and none of them have had a flat tire during this time. Since one tire is now off truck, i have found many longe deep splits on tread, small v shaped cracks between tread, and one pencil thick raised ridge running from side to side across the tire. Tires have a lot of tread. I am sure all tires look like this. I have called firestone, and have made my way slowly to corporate office, and am waiting to hear from them. I appreciate your conceern and help. I have also contacted congresswoman joann emerson, (r) 8th district,missouri, and the ford dealedrship.

Tire size p22570r14, original equipment on ford, ranger, 1998 with 38,000 miles. All 4 tires have evidence of cracking on outside where tread meets and runs downcircumference on all 4 channels. There is still tread left.firestone wilderness ht, dot vdhlxbu1700.

While driving straight at approximately 10 mph the right front tire blew. The tire has a 2" verticle break in it's sidewall. Upon search of the location, i didn't find anything that i might have hit at the time and i don't recall hitting anything with that tire in the past. Upon inspection, i noticed the tire has other verticle ripples in the sidewall as well as the other three still on the ground. The tire is supposed to have two plys of polyester in the sidewalls. Unless they are adjacent, i can only identify one in the break. No injuries or other damage occured. (dot number: w2fc ip4tiresize: p22570r14)

On feb 12 2000, something happened to the front (driver side) tire - itbuckled off the rim. The accident happened on a curve at the top of a hill. Because of the curve the travel speed was around 20 to 25 miles an hour.the tire came off the rim, my son could not control the truck,the truck hit an embankment, and the truck rolled over. We contacted our insurance company (nationwide),they took the truck to a recovery /loss center.we asked if some one would investigate why the tire would have come off the rim and they said tires blow out all the time. We were happy no one was hurt and accepted the answer. But every day i hear more about the recall on the firestone tires and i am concerned there are other problems, besides the tread separation. I do not believe the tire had tread separation. But i also believe we were very lucky the accident happened at a slow speed. Some one could have been seriously injured or killed if the tire would have blown out on the highway going 65.( dot number: tire size: p21575rx15 )

Pe00-020; original equipment on ford, ranger ,1998 with 30,000 miles, tire size p235/75r15, dot vnhl307. All 4 tires have developed continuous cracks all around the tires on the inside and outside of tires. It looked like it could be peeling off.

While driving, vehicle would start to shimmy/ vibrate at 35mphand above, vehicle was taken to dealership, and had tires rotated even though it was the right front tire, however problem still exists, consumer contacted firestone, and nothing was being done about the tires.p225/70r15 on a 1998 ford, ranger. Consumer contacted ford and was informed that this is a firestone problem.

Thumping noise noted.checked tires.found steel showing through,took vehicle to dealer.dealer stated truck was not out of alignment, was a tire manufaturer defect.took vehicle to firestone dealer told us the truck was out of alignment, there was nothing they could do.called firestone service representative, told me it was a ford problem. Took the vehicle totwo non firestone dealers, they inspected the vehicle and the tire and said it was atire defect.took my truck to a firestone dealer out of the area, did not show him the defective tire, had him check my truck, said the alignment was fine.then i had him look at the tire, he then proceeded to tell me well maybe your truck is out of alignment, you havent rotated your tires properly, havent kept them inflated to the correct pressure.i do have documentation as to when the tires were rotated.we check the air pressure once a week when we fill the vehicle with fuel.he did say though, to keep the customer happy i will replace the tire on a 50% pro-rate. I accepted this and bought two new tires.i feel firestone is covering up problems.( dot number: tire size: 22570r15 )

The firestone wilderness at tire failed. *mjs

While driving about 40 mph front driver's side tire and front passenger's side tire blew out, causing the consumer to almostlose control ofvehicle. Consumer had to put his foot on the brakes to bringvehicle to a stop.

Appears to be a structural failure of tire between sidewall and tread, partial tread delamination, sidewall torn in several locations.there was no prior damage to the tire, and nothing was hit prior to blowout.alloy wheel damaged, likely will need to be replaced.( dot number: vnfc 1p4 tire size: p225/70r14 )

Driver side front tire just separated as i was traveling down the interstate.i nearlylost control of my vehicle.i feel that if traffic were heavier at the time i would have caused an accident because my vehicle swerved very abruptly when the tire blew. It was my spare tire that couldn't have had more than 3000 miles on it.i am very concerned with the rest of the tires on my truck. (dot number: w2hl1py138tiresize: p235/75r15)

Gentlemen,my 1998 model year, 4x4 xlt, v-6 4.0l engine, ford ranger (vin# [xxx]) and i were involved in a rollover accident on august 31st of 1999, while traveling home from an out-of-state job that i was working in york, pa back to avondale, az. I believed then and i believe now that something was seriously wrong or "defective" with my truck at the time (and after) of the accident. I even have written statement(s) on public record, that state, that i felt something was quite amiss that day, that also pre-date the tire recall from firestone this last august, 2000. At the time of the accident, the vehicle had only 3,692 (approx.) actual miles on it and i hadn't even made the first payment to ford credit yet! nor had i even had the chance to get it properly registered in my home town of avondale, az. The truck never actually made it home to az, as it's still in tulsa, ok area. Not only did i lose alot of time off from work, i also lost a very special vehicle to this particular accident, one that i had dreamed of for years and one that i had waited a very long time to find (just the exact one!) and then finally purchase! also, i must say the time and effort it has taken me and my family, involved in just working through the aftermath, has been unreal! involved in just working through the aftermath, has been unreal! it took me over a year to just get my final payment from my insurance company related to the personal property loss alone! i am still working for another 3 months on the follow-up paperwork, associated with the replacement coverage aspect... I/we can only imagine what some other people have had to go through, as i was very "blessed" that i wasn't seriously injured in the accident itself! fortunately, i saved two (2) of the factory installed tires that were on the truck at the time of the accident, ie; the left rear, which "snapped-off" at the axle just before rolling over and the "spare" tire that was mounted underneath the bed of the truck. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of informati

Consumer stated while driving on a slick road, he shifted into 4 wheel drive and between 45 and 50 mph vehicle rotated to the left, consumer turned off 4 wheel drive and pulling became more severe, vehicle went into a spin and ended up in a hollow pit with back end against fence, consumer got out of vehicle and saw that he had experienced a tire blow out on three of the four firestone (p235/75r15) tires.

Firestone wilderness at tires were out-of-round and could not be balanced.

Firestone p265/75r15 tire blew out.

I have had two blow outs on these tires since i bought this truck.the first was @ 10,000 miles & the second @ 20,000 miles.after seeing the report on khou-tx in houston i think my tires have the same problem.( dot number: )

Pe00-020; tire size p235/75r15, dot w2hl, original equipment on ford, ranger, 1998 with 31,000 miles.right rear tire hascracks right belowtread, and that runs all around tire on both inside and outside of tires.tire was not on recall and the cusomer replaced all 4 of them.

I had to replace all 4 tires on this vehicle. The tires were wilderness ht p225/70r15-100s. These tires were replaced prior to any effective firestone recalls. I still have all of the tires which i believe are defective. I replaced the tires at the local firestone dealer, prior to any recalls by firestone, and would like to know what to do from here.( dot number: )

A 1998 ford ranger orginal firestone wilderness tires were chipping,dealer replaced all 4 tires.also, the new firestonetires were bubbling on the side.*ml

The tire simply "blew up" for no apparent reason.the tire dealer could not explain it.the tire was totally destroyed.this tire was 16"not 15"but it still "blew up".( dot number: tire size: p235/75r16 )

Wearing uneven, my tires have checked by firestone rep. Allied tire center, 1529 macarthur drive , alexandria, la. 71301, alignment and rotated as per manual , air pressure checked, but the tires which are 60,000 mile tires is not holding up , wire can be seen in this tires,whats needed is replacement of these tires because its very unsafe to transport my family with these tires in this condition,whichis real unsafe. (tiresize: p225/70r14)( dot number: tire size: p225/70r14 )

At 18,000 miles tire started getting flat when traveling on gravel road.experience five flats in three trips.

Pe00 020; consumer is concerned thatvehicle is unsafe because ofdifferent tires.shereceivedmanufacturer's recall o1d77 for firestone wilderness at tires. But,firestone mechanic replacedfirestone tires with michelin cross tires. Consumer is concerned that dealer is not aware of problem.

These tires started to fail on a recent trip to lubbock, tx. On 08/23/2000. I had the firestone dealer in liberal, ks look at them.his comment to me was that he could pro-rate them and adjust them. He also said he did'nt have any tires to put on at the time(08/25/2000)the tire failure is the treads were starting to crack and seperate.( dot number: w2hlipy507 tire size: p235-75r15 )

Tire failure caused truck to veer into ditch-replaced all tires with larger size for safety( dot number: unknown tire size: p235/70/16 )

All four tires had cracks in the tire thread. One tire had 14" split, second tire had 4" split, third tire had numerous 1" splits and the fourth tire many 1/2" splits. Local firestone dealer stated road hazard caused splits. Olsen tires (purchased road hazard protection) stated tires were defective, splits in threads were not caused by road hazard and tires were worn out. Replaced firestone tires with four new cooper tires purchasedfromaction gator tire dealer. I have the four old firestone tires in my possession for observation by nhtsa or firestone. (dot number: vn08tiresize: p235-70r16)

All tires have hairline crack along top edge of tire.i was told by both a ford dealer and firestone dealer that was an early indication of early tire seperation.these are not the recalled tires i can not recieve replacements.firestone offered to pro-rate the tread life and use their normal warranty to give a discount on new tires, which they do not have.i do not know how long the cracks have been there, as i just looked because of the recall in the news.i will have to replace them at my own cost with another brand, if i can find them.i suggest that ford, firestone and nhtsa look at all of the wilderness tires and not just the ones made in illinois.( dot number: vnhl tire size: 235/70r15 )

Tire blew (3 distinct sections in sidewall), 65 mph, originals when purchased used, were replacement tires (ranger comes with 15")( dot number: vn08ipu??? tire size: p235/70r16 )

Firestone wilderness at tires failed causing a thumping noise and the steering wheel to pull to the left and right while driving.nlm

The front right tire blew out at 60 mph earlier this year. My local firestone dealer replaced the tire under the road hazard warranty but would not pay for the damage to the ford ranger. Usaa has the damage report and firestone has the tire failure report. The only thing i have are the pictures of the failed wilderness at 16 inch tire. I'm concerned about the remaining tires.( dot number: ? tire size: p235/70r16 )

Firestone wilderness/at tires on this vehicle are splitting up the seam of the tire. Consumer has contacted firestone, and was told that the tires are not out of the recall manufacturer.

My wife and i were driving s/b in the carpool lane on the 605 freeway at 65/70 mph when we heard a funny noise coming from the right rear tire.thinking we had a flat, we started to move over to the right and exit the freeway.at around lane 3 i completely lost control of the vehicle.it fish-tailed twice and then flipped over and slid into the iceplant along the side of the freeway.the truck then righted itself and we ended up facing n/b on the shoulder.we could have easily been killed!!!my wife sustained some bumps and bruises but is otherwise ok.i walked away without a scratch.on inspecting the tire (which we now have in our possesion) we noticed that the sidewall had completely separated from the rest of the tire!!my wife and i are convinced that these firestone wilderness ht tires are unsafe!!!we have photos of the truck and we saved the tire.if you have any questions - please call us anytime.thanks - wallace (dot number: w2uutiresize: p225/70r15)

The vehicle went off the right side of the road to avoid an oncoming vehicle in my lane.i corrected my vehicle to come back onto the roadway and when i turned back to the right, the right fron tire blew and the weight shiften from the weak springs in the rear, rolling my vehicle five times.the vehicle speed control was on at the time of the accident.although the tires were original equipment, they were oversized (16 inch, off-road package) and unsafe for this vehicle.the 16 inch tires are no longer being put onto rangers.(dot number: vdtiresize: p235/70r16)

Pe00020.original tires on a 1998, ford, ranger, 23570r15.left rear and left front tires have flat sides, consumer was driving at 70 mph and had a blowout on the left rear tire. First consumer heard anoise, then tire blew out, and consumer could see part of the tire go right passed him. There was thumping noise. After inspecting the tires, it was found that the left front and left rear tires had a flat side.

While driving, tires began to 'thump' repeatedly.took to a local tire shop (skander's tire service in evans city, pa) and was informed that all four tires were dry rotted and needed to be replaced.( dot number: tire size: 265/75r15 )

Tire exploded after several hours of driving. Air pressure had been checked two days before and was properly inflated. Asked tire dealer about possible defective tire and he said there wasn't enough tire left to determine casue of failure. Tire dealer stated that the tire had "shredded"( dot number: tire size: p235/75r15 )

Tire failed at 20 mph. Called vision ford in alamogordo, nm.spoke to three different people.they essentially told me to stuff it, and go to las cruces (2 1/2 hrs away) if i wanted service.( dot number: vn081pu147 tire size: p23570r16 )

Received recall notice98v02100 in mail & contacted dealership. Was informed that vehicle was not under recall for the tires. Later, contacted manufacturer & was given same information. Has notice in hand.

Noticed hair line cracks where tread meetstire, on a 1998,ford, ranger; original equipment, tire size p235/70r15, dot# w2hl1py138. Tire center notified, and unwilling to help in this matter. Tire available for analysis. Feel free to provide any further details on this matter.

Had a problem on a drive to palm springs, the local dealer just balanced tires, has not solved the problem( dot number: tire size: p235/70r16 )

Struckpiece 2x4 lumber on roadway.tire came apart.called the dealer and they said that was road hazard and that it would not be covered. I ordered a tire from ntb in st. Peters ,mo after 4 weeks they siad they could not get delivery on the tire,i checked the internetfor the tire and they showed this size with significant backorder. I finally called the 800 number for firestone and they finally called me back and said they had located one tire at firestone dealer in st. Charles mo now i see reports on the 15 inch tire failure and my failure of the 16 inch appears similar. The firestone customer relation person said they were having problems with the manufacture of the tires and that was the reason for not being able to find them. I have sent firestone emails but am only getting there standard recall information. Tracking number is wt20000817_0000000126( dot number: vn08 tire size: p235/70r16 )

On 08-13-99 i was hit by another vehicle twice while on rte 24 in randolph, ma - the front driver's tire broke down and the truck went out of control ending up off of the road - this tire needed to be replaced at the dealer and it took several weeks for the dealer to locate an exact match as i was informed that firestone was not production of this tire at the time.although the start of the trouble was in fact the negligence of the other driver - the fact that the tire broke down rendered my ability to regain control of the vehicle impossible.( dot number: 02 7474 tire size: p235/70r16 )

I had to replace all 4 tires on this vehicle. The tires were wilderness ht p225/70r15-100s. These tires were replaced prior to any effective firestone recalls. I still have all of the tires which i believe are defective. I replaced the tires at the local firestone dealer, prior to any recalls by firestone, and would like to know what to do from here.( dot number: )

I also puchased another set of the same size that i had to replace date of replacement 8-16-2000 because of vibrations coming from tires/replaced with michelin tires and vibrations are no longer noticeable /the firestone tires were balanced 3 times but did not have any effect( dot number: tire size: p265x75r15 )

The front right tire blew out at 60 mph earlier this year. My local firestone dealer replaced the tire under the road hazard warranty but would not pay for the damage to the ford ranger. Usaa has the damage report and firestone has the tire failure report. The only thing i have are the pictures of the failed wilderness at 16 inch tire. I'm concerned about the remaining tires. (dot number: ?tiresize: p235/70r16)

Gentlemen,my 1998 model year, 4x4 xlt, v-6 4.0l engine, ford ranger (vin# [xxx]) and i were involved in a rollover accident on august 31st of 1999, while traveling home from an out-of-state job that i was working in york, pa back to avondale, az. I believed then and i believe now that something was seriously wrong or "defective" with my truck at the time (and after) of the accident. I even have written statement(s) on public record, that state, that i felt something was quite amiss that day, that also pre-date the tire recall from firestone this last august, 2000. At the time of the accident, the vehicle had only 3,692 (approx.) actual miles on it and i hadn't even made the first payment to ford credit yet! nor had i even had the chance to get it properly registered in my home town of avondale, az. The truck never actually made it home to az, as it's still in tulsa, ok area. Not only did i lose alot of time off from work, i also lost a very special vehicle to this particular accident, one that i had dreamed of for years and one that i had waited a very long time to find (just the exact one!) and then finally purchase! also, i must say the time and effort it has taken me and my family, involved in just working through the aftermath, has been unreal! involved in just working through the aftermath, has been unreal! it took me over a year to just get my final payment from my insurance company related to the personal property loss alone! i am still working for another 3 months on the follow-up paperwork, associated with the replacement coverage aspect... I/we can only imagine what some other people have had to go through, as i was very "blessed" that i wasn't seriously injured in the accident itself! fortunately, i saved two (2) of the factory installed tires that were on the truck at the time of the accident, ie; the left rear, which "snapped-off" at the axle just before rolling over and the "spare" tire that was mounted underneath the bed of the truck. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of informati

I replaced all my firestone tires with a les schwab brand the day after the failure because the wilderness ats i had weren't covered by the recall. I sent a letter to the firestone corporate and consumer affairs offices about a week after the failure occurred describing what had happened. Keith rahonan of firestone called me shortly thereafter, confirming that they had recieved my letter. He told me they had a file on record with my information and told me to hold on to all of the paperwork and the tire that had failed. I offered to send him pictures (they weren't developed at the time i sent the letter) of the failed tire, but he refused them saying that they wouldn't show him anything except that i had a flat tire. The pictures clearly show a separation between the top of the tire and the sidewall, as well as a bubbling up of the material around the entire inside of the tire wall. I had taken all safely precautions, including proper tire inflation, which i measured according to the recommended inflation rate on the tire itself. I feel that i have been given the runaround by firestone, and i feel they aren't taking this complaint seriously. What concerns me most is that they are using other wilderness tires to replace the ones being recalled--tires i feel should be included in the recall because they aren't safe. Because firestone hasn't demonstrated to me that they care and are taking this seriously, i've filed this complaint with nhtsa now hoping it will be taken seriously. I will gladly send a copy of the letter i sent to firestone (it gives a more complete description of the tire failure than i've provided here) as well as the pictures i have of the tire that failed. Please let me know if there is anything else i can do and if you would like the pictures and the letter. Than you for your concern and efforts in protecting the safety of american consumers. (dot number: w2hlipy138tiresize: p235/75r15)

The truck has only 14,000 miles and the front, left tire split apart while driving under normal freeway conditions.( dot number: ? tire size: p205/75r14 )

Tires will not hold up under normal driving conditions.i am running 8 plugs in these tires.i drive only on paved roads - tires look good, but do not hold air.i have to inflate my tires after it sets overnight.( dot number: tire size: p215/75r15 )

Front 2 tires already had to be replaced (~$190) and back 2 need to be replaced now.( dot number: tire size: 22570r15 )

This is my son's truck.with almost 18,000 miles on the truck, the tire popped and about 18" of tread separated from the right rear tire.he was just coming off a stop sign and was going between 20-25 mph.no damage was done.when i had the tire replaced, the mechanic told us one of the other tires on the truck was also beginning to separate.i did not know this was a trend and didn't think to report it.( dot number: )

Please add my name to the list of people who have experienced trouble with their ford ranger factory installed tires.my bad experience occurred while driving a straightaway on the local highway (h3) at approx. 55-60 mph.it was around 10:30 am and the temp was 80-85 with sunny skies.i had earlier noticed strange wear patterns, but my dealer informed me this was normal.the right rear tire completely came apart leaving only the sidewalls -- the tread detached completely.at the time i assumed it was merely a bad tire and purchased an identical replacement (at a local firestone dealer) to maintain a complete set.the dealer kept the faulty tire so i cannot provide it for inspection.thankfully, no one was seriously injured although it was quite scary when the vehicle lost complete control.there didn't seem to be any danger of rollover, but my pickup bed was empty at the time so i'm unsure of the potential danger with a full load.i'm pretty sure i have no legal recourse against the manufacturor, but my experience is similar to the recent reports i've been hearing.i hope this info assists you in your investigation.the remaining tires on my truck are exhibiting strange wear patterns and an alignment doesn't seem to be the problem.if you need any further info please don't hesitate to contact me.the thought that these tires are responsible for deaths is very disturbing considering i drive on the highway daily and hawaii is typically hot and sunny.thank you, jim delacy( dot number: tire size: p22570r14 )

The firestone wilderness (p225/70r14) tires have been continually out of round, several allignment and rototation completed, however the wheel is still defective.mjs

Poor tires installed on vehicle.

Steel belt exposed at right edge half inch with tread separation one inch, safety issue, i paid for two new front tires.but there was still tread life on these original tires. The recall should be expanded to include these tires to protect all consumers.es. Tires.( dot number: vn tire size: p235/70r16 )

Have to add air several times on rear tires since we purchaced( dot number: tire size: p225r7015 )

Continuous cracks on both sides of the tires, about 1" from outside edge,this hashappenedonallfourtires .( dot number: vnhl tire size: p235/75r15 )

The tires on my truck are not the ones that are being recalled but i am having similar problems: the tires look like they are dry rotted; wearing off on the outer edges; tread coming apart from the tires(seperating). I have taked it to the dealership where my service is done and they have told me that they have never seen a set of tires do this away before. The truck has been servericed on a regular basis and the tires front end has been aligned twice at the dealership with no actual repairs being made because i have been told that it is still under the factory specifications. I know that these tires are a safety hazzard, all i want is for someone to listen to me about these tires.( dot number: vnhl tire size: p235/75r15 )

While driving, tires began to 'thump' repeatedly.took to a local tire shop (skander's tire service in evans city, pa) and was informed that all four tires were dry rotted and needed to be replaced.( dot number: tire size: 265/75r15 )

Tire went flat.

This failure happened immediately after i purchased the vehicle.i took it back immediately and it was checked by ford, and koons mechanics. They stated everything was good. All koons did for me was replaced 4 tires that were worn on different parts of all tires.i have continued notifing koons about the same proble since the day i bought the vehicle, and they have not done anything.i finally found out from a back yard mechanic that the proble was the drive shaft. I told koons' mechanics that ,and i ordered thru an extended plan the shaft two months ago 2/10/00 .i have not heard from koons yet.i feel that the jumping and swaying will cost me to have a serious accident. Thank you.

Driver's rear firestone wilderness ht owl tire blewout while traveling 60mph.tires had 8200 miles on them. Consumer was able to gain control of vehicle without accident or injuries.tire size p225/70r15, dot# unknown.

Tire disintegrated at 80 mph on an interstate highway. ( dot number: tire size: p225/70r15 )

While driving at 65 m.p.h. Tire collapsed.i. (dot number: w2fc1p4228tiresize: p225/70r14)

Original equipment on a 1998, ranger p235/75r15 size.tread on all four tires have started to crack all the way around where the tread meets the side wall.

We were in a rainstorm on i-95 traveling 70 mph, we slowed to 55 in the right lane and the tire started to wobble, then it blew.we were able to pull off to the side.if the pavement had been dry.we would have been going 75mph.it could have been terrible.the tire completely blew out the sidewall all the way around.it shouldnot have done that when the tires are rotatedevery 6,000 as ordered.we feel this is a tire defect.especially since we could have been hurt.( dot number: tire size: p235/70r16 )

You should not replace partially worn tires with new tires unless in sets! firestone only replaces the "vd" wilderness tires. My vehicle has 5 tires on it and they get rotated regularly. They had wear on all tires equally. Only 1 tire met the recall criteria (vd). But i had to replace all the tires on my 4-wheel drive ford in order to assure evenly worn tires. When safety is at stake, i should not be liable for the cost of properly replacing my tires on all 5 wheels, when they were all the same type, kind, and manufacturer! firestone should be responsible for all the replacement tires! how did they only put 1 of the defective (proven) tires on my truck at the same time when i bought them all at the same dealer? if a tire line is bad, it's bad throughout! not just at one plant! give the consumer a break! force firestone to recall the entire wilderness at line of tires!!!( dot number: vdhl tire size: p225/r7515 )

On 08-13-99 i was hit by another vehicle twice while on rte 24 in randolph, ma - the front driver's tire broke down and the truck went out of control ending up off of the road - this tire needed to be replaced at the dealer and it took several weeks for the dealer to locate an exact match as i was informed that firestone was not production of this tire at the time.although the start of the trouble was in fact the negligence of the other driver - the fact that the tire broke down rendered my ability to regain control of the vehicle impossible.( dot number: 02 7474 tire size: p235/70r16 )

Firestone wilderness ht tire experienced blowout, consumer requests tires be replaced with quality tires.

Fourth flat tire in one year period; this time, sidewall separated from tread! (tiresize: p215/75 r1)( dot number:tire size: p215/75 r1 )

Sidewall right where the tread is connected to the tire blew out in three different places within 18 inches of each other on the outside wall of the tire, some of the tread was included in the blowout. (tiresize: p22570r14)( dot number: tire size: p22570r14 )

Consumer replaced all the firestone wilderness at 225/70r15 tires, the vehicle was having handling problems and the consumer noticed a bulge in the sidewall. *mjs

Tire failed on freeway when sidewall ripped (about 7 inches) just under the tread line.( dot number: tire size: 235/75 r15 )

Tire failed on freeway when sidewall ripped (about 7 inches) just under the tread line.( dot number: tire size: 235/75 r15 )

Dealer told me these tires was not part of recall, but the sidewalls appear to have a problem. From several feet away i see wavey places in the walls. There are no scuff marks on the walls.it seems the walls are very thin .im fearful driving at highway speeds. (tiresize: 225/70/14)( dot number: tire size: 225/70/14 )

Driving along, luckilly not very fast. Tire shredded. I do not beleive i hit anything. The other three tires sidewalls right around the lettering are also starting to look funny. The black around the letters is coming off.( dot number: d2uu tire size: p225-70-r1 )

Original equipment on a 1998, ranger, p235/70r16 size, dot# vn081bu. Sidewall on right rear tire blewout at 80mph. Manufacturer has been notified.

Tires are cracking at sidewall, indicates tire defect and not vehicle defect - i read recently that firestone is claiming it is a vehicle defect with the ford explorer. These tires prove the problem is with the tires themselves. These wilderness ats have never been on an explorer, yet they are cracking and show the initial stages of tread separation. Although ford is replacing these tires, i was told about a long waiting list that prevented immediate replacement. I went to sears auto center the other day and they can have them in under five days. Since these tires could fail me at any time, i am having to replace them at my own expense and seek reimbursement from ford later. Although ford is offering only $110 per tire, i will still be out $114.78 (the difference) of my earnings to resolve this issue. I can assure you from my experience, firsestone/bridgestone's claims are not to be taken seriously. I have four tires that are proof that these tires are defective regardless of vehicle type. If they ague that the ford explorer has a design defect and is unsafe, they must be willing to argue the same thing about the ranger. These tires were kept at 30 psi and maintained. Please look into this claim for me. Thanks.(dot number: p235/r75tiresize: 15-inch)

Tire was low on air, and the sidewall was peeled back to the rim. (dot number: vn08iputiresize: 235/70r16)

Sidewall blew out of tire at 60mph.from tread around sidewall half the diameter of the tire. (dot number: vn08tiresize: p235/70r16)

All tires are showing cracks on sidewalls, this problem was reported to thomas ford in beverly,ma. And the truck was dropped off for mant. And to check the tires, all ford would say is that the tires were not on the recall list, when i asked if they looked at the cracks they said no,all they would do is check the dot code, i under stand that if they are not on the recall they would not do anything, but i feel theyy should have at least look at the cracking, i had provided them with photos and they said they would not even look at them ( i can email the photo to you if it would be of any help )firestone was contacted by email but all i've gotten is an automated responce ( tracking # wt20000815_0000000266) when i have tried to contact them by phone it's just a long hold, and like you i can't stay on the phone for an hour just waiting to talk to someone my boss will kill me, tahanks for any help with this problem!!!( dot number: vnhl tire size: p235/75r15 )

Spare tire given by ford is p235 75 r15, this is the only size that will fit into the spare tire well, consumer currently has firestone wilderness p265 75 r15 and would not be able to put a spare on if needed due to the differences in size.

Firestone p235/75r15 spare tire locked up when consumer tried to engage 4-wheel drive unit causing loss of control and damaging rear gate of vehicle, due to size (balancing) of the axle.

The spare tire is a 15 inch tire while theregular tire size is 16 inches.this may result in a loss of control/crash.

While driving consumer experienced a blow out on right rear firestone wilderness ht(p225/70r14sl) tire, consumer stated she wrote firestone and manufacturer and she was told by both companies that tire was not at fault.

Insd was traveling on i-95, clmt was on the left side of the insured, clmt got too close to the insd, insd attempted to move over to another lane. The insd's drvier side front tire blew out causing the insd to hit the wall. The roads were wet due to the rain. This vehicle had firestone tires..model 225/70r14 althought these are not the tires in question, have any blow outs been reported. (claim# 59-v210-100) *mw

Tire blew out (disintegrated) on freeway.( dot number: ? tire size: p235/70r15 )

Firestone tires experienced tread separation, on one of the firestone tires the steel belt was showing.

Right front tire experienced a blowout at highway speed of 70 mph , driver & one passenger on a 1998 ford ,ranger , original equipment,p235/70r16, dot unavailable. Firestione notified, and replacedtire at discount price.

Part of the tread separated from the casing. The firestone dealer said at the time it was a " road hazard, that you must have ran over something."and charged me for a new tire to replace it. I know i didn't run over anything, but at the time what was i going to do? now that i'm hearing about the recall, i thought i should let someone know it's not just the 15" tires.( dot number: ? tire size: p2357016 )

Inside/outside edges of firestone wilderness at tires p235/70r16 are showing excessive wear,was having steering control problems & vehicle was vibrating. Took vehicle to firestone retailer. Left tires alone replaced with another brand of tires.dot vn08

Whilewife was driving about 30 hearda sound, and the right rear tires were flat.tread had came loose from the sidewall in three places. Firestone wilderness at p235/75/r15 *mw

Firestone wilderness at tires (p235 75 r15) have a line all the way around the tire which is the start of tread separation, dealer informed consumer that all tires should be replaced, consumer requests help with getting the tires.

Peoo o20;consumer was traveling about 30mph onhighway and felt the tire going flat.he pulled over, andleft front tire tread separated. Firestone, wilderness#at, p23575r15 #dot w2hl. Consumer contacted firestone.

Pe00020, original equipment, tire size p22570r14, dot hykc138.rear passenger's tire had a flat. Occupant checked the tire and tread started to peel off which may have caused a crash.constant problem with the other tires losing air.firestone was not willing to assist him.

Consumerwas traveling about 70mph on the highway and rear left tire ondriver's side started smoking and completly came apart. Other three sounded funny on the highway.he replaced the other three tires.

Firestone wilderness at tires p265/75r15 experienced tread separation, the third tire was a replacement tire.

One tire has split in tread 60% of circumference.others have smaller cracks/splits.( dot number: vn08 tire size: p23570r16 )

Firestone wrangler p265 75 r15 tires experienced early tread wear so consumer had vehicle balanced and aligned many times and problem never corrected, dealer said the problem was the pressure of the tires were too high for large tires on a small truck, another dealer thought the problem to be the rims being to small for such big tires, another dealer replaced tires with radial atx tires that didn't do any better.

Firestone, wilderness attires were original equipment on a 1998, ford, ranger, and tires had 49000 miles on them.consumer had noticedtread separationfromouter sidewall wheretread metsidewall. P265/75r15, dot w2b1pk. 2 firestone dealers and 1 ford dealer stated consumer should replace all tires, 1 other firestone dealer stated tire cracking was ozone cracking and that the tires were okay, consumer replaced tires at his cost.

Firestone tires experienced tread separation, on one of the firestone tires the steel belt was showing.

Firestone wilderness ht radial tire experienced tread separation.

Crack lines around circumference of tire where tread meets sidewall.( dot number: vnhl1py028 tire size: p235/75r15 )

I'm filing this for my dad, who bought this truck new in 98.when he first got the truck, a large piece of tread came off and when he took it back to the dealer, they steered him toward firestone who said he must have hit something in the road to cause this to happen.he knows he didnt hit anything...besides why would it only hit one tire if he ran over something sharp enough to cut the tread, but that didnt stick in the tire? there is also a terrible roaring sound coming from the tires.after this recall started he took the truck over to firestone again and they rotated the tires, and said yes there was a large knot on one of the tires. When he took it in to be replaced, which they said they'd do free of charge, he was informed that the tires had been driven with the improper weights, out of balance and with the wrong inflation. Firestone are the ones who do all his maitenence!! so if they were wrong, firestone did it! please help me help my dad! i know these tires are not safe for him and my mom to be driving on!!( dot number: tire size: 14 )

Pe00 020; consumerwas traveling about 60mph onhighway andheard a flapping noise hitting up againstvehicle. Driver's side front end tire had to be replaced.firestone, wilderness, p2257014, and #dot w2fc.he has contacted firestone.the customer now has tire separation on rear tires also.

Pe00-020; 35,000 miles, p23575r15, dot w2hl1py407, original equipment with ford ranger, 1998.all 4 tires have developed cracks where the tread begins/atcorner of tread ,on outside of sidewall.cracks were all around the tire. Consumer went to 3 tire shops, including firestone.they all recommendedto get tires replaced, except for firestone. Firestone wilderness at pp235/75/r15 *mw

While driving, there was an increased difficulty with the steering/handling, consumer took vehicle in for inspection and the front tires revealed that the rubber was wearing in a very unusual manner, it appeared that there were rubber studs protruding from the front tires where the treads should have been, however not being aware of the tire recall, consumer purchased two new tires of the same make and discarded the old tires, and the difficulty of the steering/handling seemed to have bee resolved, months later consumer then experienced a blow out of one of the new tires that were purchased, while traveling at 65 mph, consumer is now aware of recall even though tires were not apart of the recall, he is now seeking reimbursement.(firestone tires)

In october 1999, a co-worker brought to my attention that steel threads were poking through the tread on the left front tire of my 1998 ford ranger, which only had 12,840 miles on it.i had purchased it brand new fourteen months earlier from capital ford.i brought the truck back to the dealership and asked how it was possible that my tires were wearing out.my front tires were very bad, the left one was so bad that the technicians at the dealership, carrie and joe, insisted that they put my spare tire on until i could return to have two new front tires.i inquired as to why the unusual wear was not brought to my attention two months earlier when i had an annual inpection done at the very same dealership, and was told that it was an oversight.carrie contacted peter duerksen, the service director, who authorized his department to pay for half the cost of replacement tires and an allignment, which was performed november 3, 1999.i found out that there was nothing wrong with the allignment.i maintain that the firestone wilderness ht is a substandard and unsafe tire and should be recalled.i have corresponded to capital ford and firestone with respect to this matter and have had no satisfaction.( dot number: )

Tread separation noticed when inspected by certified technician during routine service.( dot number: w2uu tire size: p22570r15 )

Lost control when the left rear tire lost tread and blew out

All four tires are wearing out excessively around the edges.middle of tires are doing fine.vehicle was checked due to the right tirefailing to maintain air. No leaks were found. Ford dealer will not exchange the tires. Indicated not on recall. Firestone retailer indicated the same. Tires has 50,000 miles on a 1998 ford ranger.p235/75r15. The tires were not on recall, according to the dealer. But these tires were cracking around the tread just like those on recall.

Both front tires have regular periodic raised tread portions, noticed increase in tire noise. Have never seen tire wear like this in 34 years of driving.( dot number: tire size: p225/70r14 )

This tire had a foot long split in the middle of the tread exposing the steel belt. I did not strike nor abuse the tire in any manner to cause this. The tire dealership where i had this tire replaced also witnessed many other tires of the same type with i. ( dot number: w2fc tire size: p22570r14 )

Original equipment on 1998, ford, ranger with 23,000 miles, tire size p235/70r16, dot vn0811u. All4 tires had worn out from inside and going towards the outside causing front end to come out of alignment. Tires should have lasted 50,000 miles.

After market tire, p225/70r14 size.tread ontires have started to separate incenter oftire.firestone wilderness ht tires, dot number vnfc1p4218, consumer states tire on left front is separating and tires have already been replaced, consumer found out her tires were separating when she took one it that was flat.

While driving about 60 mphleft front tire had a tread separation without prior warning.firestone wilderness ht 225/70r15.

Was driving 45- 50mph,had no prior warning, and left rear tire blewout. Vehicle was controllable.pulled over, and noticed tire was shredded; replaced it with spare; took time for replacement tire. Do not have tire. P235/70r16 with 7,000 miles on a 1998 ford ranger.the old tire was not repairable and the cause for blow out of the tire is not known.

While driving, consumer heardthumping noise and went to a tire dealer who noticed tire tread had peeled, dealer also noticed the other 3 tires were showing signs of tread separation, rigt rear firestone wilderness at tire p235/75r15was replaced, dot vnhl.

Three of the firestone wilderness tires on the vehicle experienced failure, separation and air loss.*mjs

I had one of the 16" firestone tires blow out at freeway speeds.the weather was warm, probably low 80's.the tire was on the back of the vehicle and i was able to maintain control.the tire was shredded.i did not look for tread separation since i did not know this was a problem.i have replaced the tires with another brand, so i do not have the exact tire information available.i was rather frustrated when this happened because the tires were only a year old.i was told by the ford dealer, in pocatello idaho where the blow occured, that blow outs were not covered by the warranty and that there was nothing to be gained by filing a complaint.at the time of the blow out, i would have filed this as a suspected defect if i had known how/where to report it.thank you for your efforts.mark( dot number: tire size: p235r70/16 )

Pe00020; tire tread separation: all four tires were showing signs of tread separation.all 4 tires have cracked around the tread. Tire size p235/75r15, dot # vnhl. Original tire equipment on a 1998, ford, ranger. Tire mileage 43,000.

Tread separation at highway speed - normal inflation of 80 psi. (dot number: vd1l 1x0tiresize: 225/75r16)

Consumer went in for his replacement tires for recall 00t005, the tires being replaced were firestone wilderness at, consumer is unhappy that the replacement tires are not similar replacements, general ameri 550 as p235/70r16 were used as the replacements.

Firestone wilderness ht tire p225/70r15 dot w2uu1p0069 was causing a noise, so consumer pulled over to see right rear tire experienced tread separation, firestone stated they would replace 1 tire, however consumer states all tires are starting to experience similar problems with tread, firestone will not assist unless tires are on a recall list.

Pe00 020; consumer was traveling onhighway and noticed thatfront right tire was flat.tire was coming in contacted with gravel/ pebbles would go right through the tire,causingtire to lose air pressure.consumer contacted firestone, and had all four tires replaced. Also,tread was rappedon the outside sidewalls.theywerefirestone, wilderness #at, p23575 r15,made in canada.one tire went flat while driving, 3 other tires went flat while parked, a tiny gravel was found in each one and the dealer stated that the walls of the tires were very soft, the tires weer not replaced for free.

While traveling and after parking noticed tire tread was separated. Tires were not part of recall.

Firestone wilderness at tuolps, p235/75r15, experienced tread separation, consumer states the steel was showing through one of the tires, these tires were not included in the recall.

Firestone tires had visible splits at the tread/sidewall interfave of several tires, consumer request reimbursement.nlm

The dealer knew my tires were chopping badly as written in the work order and only having 4837 miles did nothing. Currently i have 12,478 miles on the truck butcannot drive over 50 miles per hour. The truck vibrates severly. They say they are not in the tire business but offered to prorate and sell me new tires.they waited till my tires were out of warranty. I feel they were working with firestone tire.firestone tire also refused to do anything.i have to drive my truck and i cannot afford to buy new tires and i should not have too.it is very dangerous driving my truck like this but i have no choice, i have to drive it.the tires are severly chopping, small and large tread defects / gouges thruout. Tread areas are lifting up.they say to keep rotating the tires and it will wear them down. I have done that and it get's worse.now what?? thank you.,( dot number: tire size: p22570r14 )

My frame rotted straight thru under the cab on both left and rite frame rails y'all made toyota fix this so ford should do the same so many rangers with bad frames

Driving on hi way,evap canister rotted off,and also lost my spare tire, i have patched frame 13 times now waiting for a recall to come out and yet still havnt heard of one.truck needs to be fixed as soon as possible. . hopinganyway possible that they will throw a recall out there for us ranger owners.thankyou.

I was driving on the freeway and the truck started smoking and caught on fire, i pulled off the freeway and the whole front of the truck burst into flames.

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.

Frame is rotted out

1998 ford ranger five speed four she'll drive, was parked on level surface parking break engaged transition in gear ignition off and locked key removed, vehicle began gaining speed rolling away backward in first gear i tried to jump in to stop vehicle using breaks, at which time vehicle gained speed and flung me under tire. I received five stitches road burn as well as a soft cast and splint.

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.

No summary listed for above vehicle.

Dispite proper maintence, i observed body rust and decay on the underside of my truck frame.also the brake lines have been replaced due to corrusion and rust into the frame.spare tire brackets have rusted into and the tire fell off.also evap canaster bracket rusted into and the evap canaster fell off.

On starting engine hesitated ,almost stalled then raced with high rpm,while huge amounts of white thick smoke and heavy gasoline smell present.truck stalled.restarted same problem with the addition of a large black cloud of smoke from tail pipe on pushing accelerator.throttle sticks causing surging.dealer replaced throttle valve.probelm persists. Brakes make grinding noise when applied,dealer could not replicate after 4 visits they finally ackowledge problem and had to do a complete brake job.brakes are hard now and it appears that the anti locks do not engage.rear slider leaks water into extra cab when it rains. Vibration heard from ex haust area,had to have the heat shield tightened. Noise has returned./

1998 xlt 4x4.body in great shape.frame has rust so bad rear bumber and spare tire carrier have fallen off.broke by the leaf shackles also.frame was coated.unable to repair.i am beyond upset that ford does not have to replace the frame, something i am unable to afford.

98' ford ranger: has a cracked frame on the rear right side.truck makes loud noises when driving and i am afraid it may become worse over time or completely break down in unsafe speeds.i can not sell it, as i was trying to use the money for a new vehicle due to a new baby in our family.no one will buy such a defective vehicle.also seat belts will not stay latched?also the inside dome light melts right through the covering, where temperatures make the plastic cover bubble and melt.

Frame rot from rust crewmembers are rusted through fuel tank straps are rusted through bumper mounts are bad rear frame is roted out

Rear frame hasrotted out by the rightrear springhanger causing spring to go tru bed and the rear axle to be detached the truck at this time in in operabledueto thiswillbe trying toweld and replace it as best ascan bebutthis seems to be a common complaint imreading about onlinesure wish ford wouldstep up like toyota did

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.

"frame recall ? " while driving frame broke in half, both sides. Since owning i have replaced leaf spring and shock bracket,and also removed spare tire bracket before it fell off in roadway. This needs to be addressed before someone gets killed!!!

The truck is burning fuel and idaling i changed all the components that the manual said and the engine is fine it have to be a recall some were its with all ford rangers everyone is having this problem.

The rear of the frame rusted causing the bumper to hang off. It will fall off if not addressed

Vehicle continually experiencing sudden acceleration, repaired throttle valve assembly, reprogrammed computer and replaced idle air control valve. Mjs

Pulled into a sloping down parking spot. Stopped, foot on the brake. Before i could shift out of drive, the engine abruptly revved up to max rpm.i had both feet on the brakes, the back wheels started spinning creating a cloud of blue smoke.i jammed the gears into park and they engine only quit after i turned off the key.i have several witnesses to the event.my regular mechanic disconnected the cruise control cable and it hasn't happened again.ford contacted but refused to fix the problem.

Consumer received recall 99v062001 concerning speed control cable. Contacted dealer, an d no parts available to remedy problem. Please give any further details.

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.*lj

The contact owns a 1998 ford ranger.after the vehicle had been parked for 13 hours, it caught fire.the contact filed a report with the police department.a recall notice for nhtsa campaign id number 07v336000 (vehicle speed control) was received prior to the failure and the vehicle was taken to the dealer on october 10, 2008 for the recall repair.the vehicle was repaired at that time; therefore, the contact does not understand how his vehicle still caught fire.the vehicle was destroyed.the contact called the manufacturer and was informed that he would receive a call back within 14 business days by their legal department.the failure mileage was 136,000.

My complaint is against nhtsa counsel.i wrote by email the nhtsa counsel on 2 may 1999 detailing my problem.i received no answer.i wrote again on 7 jul 1999, and received no answer.i would like to know if nhtsa really does answer consumer complaints.i would be happy to fax you copies of my original emails to nhtsa counsel if you so desire. No safety defect listed in summary.

Recall # 05s28 -ford has not made available to the dealer the necessary part (wiring with a fuse) to repair a defect (speed control switch)that i was notified about in a letter dated august of 2007.now ford tells me that the necessary part will not be available before june of 2008!

Truck won't decelerate after removing foot from accelerator. Continues to travel 25-30 mph in second gear. Sunday april 18, 1999, i was traveling on us 30 west came to intersection of us 30 and us 39 at traffic light at 50 mph on wet rainy roads, and took foot off accelerator and truck wouldn't slow down. Very hazardous. They are being very slow at resolving this matter, approaching 1 yr anniversery of first complaint.

Started vehicle up. Had door opened at times driver's leg not inside vehicle. Vehicle suddenly accelerated forward, without warning. Hit a truck & then a wall. Upon impact, neither air bags deployed.

No summary listed for this vehicle.

While pulling into driveway the vehicle suddenly accelerated causing an accident. (attorney for consumer).

When coming to a stop and with no warning engine surges, and couldcause an accident. Cause unknown.dealer notified.

2 wheel drive switch jumped into four wheel drive, causing vehicle to accelerate out of control.

When consumer wasat traffic light, the engine suddenly accelerated while stepping on the brake pedal and reaching to 1000 rpm;consumer stated that vehicle used to pull to the side, and tires were rotated before.

After approximately 10 -15 minutes after a cold start and running in city traffic, the engine speed increases to 2500 - 3000 rpm with the clutch depressed.this occurs when i am slowing to stop at a traffic signal.while my foot is on the brake, the engine rpm remains close to 1000 - 1200 rpm, about what your would expect.as soon as i depress the clutch, the engine rpm rapidly increases to nearly 3000.when the problem occurs, the engine rpm will remain high for about 10 seconds or until i release the clutch or turn off the engine.as soon as the engine has stopped, i restart the engine the engine.it starts normally without incident and continues usually without incident although if the traffic is exceptionally heavy, the problem may reoccur in approximately 30 minutes. This is sort of like rebooting a computer.both team ford and the ford motor company tell me that this is normal for this type of vehicle and not to worry about it.i consider it to be a significant safety hazard because i must stop and restart the engine in heavy traffic.according to the ford motor company, all ford rangers (1998 - 2000) with manual transmission and 3.0liter engine experience this problem.the problem never occurred until i had driven the truck for over 45k miles.

My fuse #27 for backup lights and the o/d keeps blowing out and now the o/d light flashes sometimes i pulled the cover off of the steering column but the o/d cord wasn't pinched or damaged also no appearance of any wire touching anything

This vehicle is not equipped with cruise control.the problem is the throttle sticks at various speeds, causing the engine to race and making it dangerous to stop the truck.i have nearly rear ended two vehicles due to this defect.

No summary listed for above vehicle.

While driving the truck 35 mph, theengine revved high, jumped gearsand the truck accelerated to a very high speed. At that point the back end of the truck shifted to the right. When driver tried to turn the steering wheel, the steering wheel would not move, causing driver to hit a parked vehicle. The entire front end of the truck was pushed in. The truck has been towed to an auto body shop.

While driving with the cruise control engaged, i attempted to pass another vehicle. My vehicle engaged in an uncontrolled accelleration. Depressing the brake or accellerator did not disengage the cruise control. Using the "off" button on the cruise control did not disengage it. Only shifting into nuetral at a speed of approx 70 miles per hour disengaged the cruise control. This happend at least three times in a 200mile round trip. The vehicle had previously been modified by the dealer based on a recall notice which i received about the cruise control.

When the consumer holds the brake down the engine accelerates at a high rate, possible failure in the throttle linkages. *mjs

1998 ford ranger speed control recall. Consumer stated that he called the dealer when the recall was received and was told the parts would not be available until the new year.

I own a 1998 ford ranger. To begin the cruise control quit working. Then i noticed smoke from the engine compartment area. The brake pressure switch on the master brake cylinder caught fire. My husband was able to disconnect it and extinguish the fire prior to any significant damage occurring. I contacted ford and they advised the vehicle was not on the recall list of vehicles for this problem. I spoke to the dealer and they advised the truck had a similar or the same switch as those on the recalled vehicles that have caused fires in the past.

Consumer was traveling 50-55 mph with cruise controlon. Reached down to turn a/c to a lower fan speed & disengage cruise control,and vehicle accelerated from 50-85mph. Consumer pulled over to call hotline &will call ford in the morning.

When driving at low and coming to a stop, vehicle will accelerate at high speed. Consumer has to shut the key off in order to bring the vehicle to a stop.

Cruise control disengaged on steep hills at high elevation.yh

While applying the clutch the vehicle would accelerate without indications. Dealer has been contacted. Please provide further information.

Consumer had trouble with dealership during the recall repair (99v-062). Mjs

Parked out on the street in front of my house, caught on fire around 9 pm. Fire trucks came and put it out and knocked on the door around 9:25 pm.

Was driving 35mph with the cruise control on. The vehicle hit a patch of ice. The throttle became stuck. Vehicle took off. Spun around in the opposite direction. Hit the median. This caused the vehicle to flip over 3 times.

While waiting at either at stop light or sign vehicle would start to rev up, and later stalled out completely. Sometimesit feltas ifenginewas going to blow up because of the revving.have taken vehicle to dealership & mechanic indicated that it was normal.

I had driven my 98 ford ranger for a distance of about 10 miles prior to the incident. 2 hours after i got home my truck burst into flames. The truck is totaled now. I did nothing to remedy the situation because i was unaware of the problem. Thank you for your time.

The throttle box linkage sticks and makes the accelerator difficult to depress...especially when starting out.the throttle box has been replaced three times and is starting to stick again

Vehicle has been experiencing intermittent problem with engine acceleration while in stop / go traffic. Vehicle been in /out of dealer shop, and consumer was informed that nothing can be founed. Dealerwants consumer to take vehicle back.

While pulling into the garage the vehicle suddenly accelerated and crashed through the back of the garage and resulted in over $12,000 worth of damage.*nlm

Intermittently when applying the brakes the vehicle surges forward unexpectedly.vehicle has accelerated suddenly three times priorto this incident.the dealer has not been able to duplicate the problem.

Engine surges when foot is off accelerator.engine goes to high rpm and must be turned off with ignition key to keep it from exceeding rpm limits.this is an intermittent problem with no firm parameters for occurrence.this has happened even though there are no mats in the drivers side of the truck and drivers feet are flat on the floor not in contact with the accelerator, brake, or clutch.dealer has replaced throttle body twice but that does not solve the problem. The dealer has no idea what is causing the problem.problem has been in existence for at least 18 months.

The contact owns a 1998 ford ranger. The contact stated that while driving approximately 25 mph the accelerator pedal fractured and detached from the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who stated that the rivets attached to the accelerator pedal and brackets were corroded. As a result, the mechanic had to reattach the pedal with new bolts. The vehicle was repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 150,000.

While pulling into garage the vehicle started to accelerate at high speed, resulting in a collision.caused extensive damages to garage and vehicle.also,consumer sustained major injuries.

On starting engine hesitated ,almost stalled then raced with high rpm,while huge amounts of white thick smoke and heavy gasoline smell present.truck stalled.restarted same problem with the addition of a large black cloud of smoke from tail pipe on pushing accelerator.throttle sticks causing surging.dealer replaced throttle valve.probelm persists. Brakes make grinding noise when applied,dealer could not replicate after 4 visits they finally ackowledge problem and had to do a complete brake job.brakes are hard now and it appears that the anti locks do not engage.rear slider leaks water into extra cab when it rains. Vibration heard from ex haust area,had to have the heat shield tightened. Noise has returned./

Consumer has experienced sudden acceleration with his vehicle.

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.

Vehicle will randomly idle at a high rpm.this will cause my vehicle to travel at approximately 20 mph at an idle speed.while driving vehicle and taking foot off of the accelerator to begin slowing, my vehicle will continue traveling at the same speed.also, as i downshifted vehicle to slowdownin traffic,vehicle will sometimes remain or increase in speed that vehicle is currently traveling.

Driving 35mph, with cruise control on, vehicle hit a patch of ice. The throttle stuck. Vehicle took off. Spun around in opposite direction & then hit the median. Vehicle then flipped 3 times.

Vehicle will not decelerate after driving on freeway for 40+ minutes, no problem can be found to cause condition.

When the accelerator is released the engine does not necessarily slow down and so the vehicle does not slow. In fact if back shifting to slow down, the vehicle will sometimes gain speed

Making right hand turn to enter freeway onrap the vehicle accelerated to wide open throttle of its own accord.cruise control had been identified as defective via recall notice from ford.deales had performed recal repait previous month.cruise control had been activated previous to accident but disengaged by applyinf brake.vehicle spun wildly and went out of control causing damage to left side tires, wheels, brakes and possibly axle.potential existed for mush more serouse damage and injury.only self injured to the extent of stiff neck, sore back and left knee.

No summary listed for this vehicle.

On going/intermittent problem in hot weather condition when applyingtransmission to stop or decline from a hill.it causesrmps to increase to 1500.vehicle been in/out of dealer shop on two occasions, and problem still reoccurring. Please provide further details.

Vehicle maintained a constant speed after releasing pressure from gas pedal.another example: vehicle was at 58 mph @2000rpm, foot taken off gas, vehicle put in neutral, vehicle coasted to stop, but rpms had increased to 2500rpm and stayed there for over .4 miles.at worst time vehicle rpms had increased to 3650rpm.occurs when placed in neutral or clutch is depressed at any speed, any time, but not consistent and quite random.vehicle has been in to two different ford dealerships, 3 times.both dealerships claimed there was nothing to fix, as they do not know what to fix.ford tech line states there is nothing to fix.current dealership (where purchased) has had vehicle for over four weeks, which does not include the first time it was taken in.

Recall 05s28cruise control ford ranger 1998received 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

Consumer was pulling into a parking space and attempted to depress brake pedal. Due to the accelerator pedal's position and proximity to the brake pedal, the consumer depressed the accelerator pedal also, resulting in a collision.consumer stated that while attempting to depress brake, the pedal goes to the floor and there is foot contact with the accelerator pedal at the same time.

The consumer has been experiencing problems with accelerator.accelerator stuck 11 times.the manufacturer has been contacted.*sb

Vehicle idles very roughly.thenidle will go away for awhile.vehicle turned off without prior notice.dealership is aware of problem.consumer states that after rough idle goes away, vehicle will hesitate or stall, mass air flow sensor was replaced, however problems still exists.gas pedal gets stuck.passenger side front windshield wiper arm was loose.pwer steering pump was replaced due to when turning wheel it would make anoise.

When taking foot off the accelerator pedal, the truck does not decelerate. The dealer is not able to correct the problem.

When driving between 20 to 40mph and applying the gas pedal,vehicles does not accelerate at all. Acts as if it is in neutral. Owner has to wait at least 2 minutes before accelerator kicks in. Dealer can't find the caus eof the problem.

While driving at 45 mph throttle sticks open and vehicle unexpectedly accelerated and took off. Driver firmly held brake pedal to the floor and shift vehicle into netural to gain control.feel free to provide any further infromation.

I have a standard 1998 ford ranger xlt and am wondering if the recall for the speed control cable pertains to it? the throttle revs up to about 2200 rpm when i am coming to a stop.

Consumer stated that while driving down the highway and attempting to make a stopvehicle failed to stop.consumer putvehicle in neutral, turned it around, and went back home.at home consumer raised the hood and discovered that the throttle cable separated.consumer wasscared because he was traveling about 45-50 mph.

Ford sent me letter last fall stating my ford ranger was subject to a safety recall. I stopped by my dealer every couple of weeks for months and they said nobody has parts, because the supplier won't make these parts 'til everything is ready.i'm tired of waiting... I want the gov't to pressure ford to act.the recall i learned is for the cruise control wiring that causes fires... Even when not using cruise control.

A ford representative informed the consumer of a recall regarding the speed control (possibly a manufacturer's recall), the consumer has not received a recall statement and the dealer would not perform any work.

Replaced fuse that had blown on cruise control on 1998 fordranger.stepped on brake to put in gear and noticed excessive smoke from under hood.opened hood and found mechanism in front of master cylinder reservoir on fire.small fire torched front of reservoiri put out the fire with a towel breaking the mechanism, cruise control brake disconnect.

Dt:the consumer stated on july 10, 2003 there was a fatal roll over.the tires separated and the vehicle rolled over and blew out.according to consumer's investigation there was a problem with the fuel on the cruise control switch.this vehicle was a 1998, ford, ranger.the highway patrol came to thescene andissueda report.it wasconsumer's cousin vehicle.the tread came offfrom rear driver's side tire. Consumer thoughtthe vehicle rolledover three times.there was two occupants, andbothwere killed in the accident.the exact mileage was not known.

Vehicle continually experiencing sudden acceleration, repaired throttle valve assembly, reprogrammed computer and replaced idle air control valve. Mjs

Idle air control--idle operation was erratic, dealer found a bad idle air control valve.

Engine idles between 2500-3200 when coming to a stop or slowing down.

A ford representative informed the consumer of a recall regarding the speed control (possibly a manufacturer's recall), the consumer has not received a recall statement and the dealer would not perform any work.

Pulled my 1998 ford ranger into a store parking lot.i was getting ready to park when i could smell something burning.stopped the truck.smoke was coming from under the hood.i popped the hood and saw an electrical plug burning with flames.i was able to blow the flames out before much else was damaged.i was able to drive it to a ford dealership.they told me that the cruise control plug is what caught fire.it also damaged my reservoir for the brake fluid.they are replacing the master cylinder and the cruise control plug.of course, this is at my own expense, not fords.

First, no accident has happened yet. It is an accident waiting to happen. I have a 1998 ford ranger with the 3.0 engine and 5 speed manual transmission. The problem, taking my foot off the gas has no effect on vehicle speed. If traffic is slowing in front of me, taking my foot off the gas is the normal thing to do in order to start slowing down and not hitting traffic in front of me. This vehicle will keep on going and brake application is required. As a further example. Coming to a red light or stop sign, the engine will want to race above 2000 until the vehicle comes to a complete stop. It takes about 4 seconds after the stop before the computer will slow the engine. I have had the vehicle to the dealer twice. Both times, they have indicated that a problem exists with this engine/transmission combination. However, their testing equipment shows no problems. They have reported it to ford but can do nothing until ford issues a programming change for the computer. One time last summer, at a stop sign, the engine decided to go from 2000 to 3600 rpm and the only way to stop it was to kill the engine. Ford seems unwilling to correct this problem which must be considered a safety concern.as an additional test, i got on the interstate, got up to speed, put the transmission in neutral, and took my foot off the gas. The engine speed remained constant at 2800. Even touching the brake and slowing the vehicle down a small amount, had no effect on engine speed during this test. The problem seems to not be present when the engine is cold. Once warm however, at least 50% of the time, the above conditions exist.

While parked the consumer's 1998 ford ranger caught on fire.the cruise control was used for 4 1/2 hour the day before the fire erupted.the consumer's home sustained extensive smoke and fire damage.

Vehicle will randomly idle at a high rpm.this will cause my vehicle to travel at approximately 20 mph at an idle speed.while driving vehicle and taking foot off of the accelerator to begin slowing, my vehicle will continue traveling at the same speed.also, as i downshifted vehicle to slowdownin traffic,vehicle will sometimes remain or increase in speed that vehicle is currently traveling.

My 1998 ford ranger caught fire on july 31, 2006.the truck had been parked in front of our house and the engine had been turned off.minutes later, the vehicle unexpectedly caught fire under the hood and a watchful neighbor called the fire department.now, the vehicle's engine is completely charred, property on the house is damaged, and the vehicle is a total loss.i have contacted my insurance company and i will have a fire inspector determine the cause of the fire.further investigation on the internet has led me to believe the fire may have been caused by a faulty speed control switchpresent on many ford vehicles. The nhtsa is currently conducting an investigation on this matter, as it has already received over 550 complaints from similar incidents. Please make a report of this complaint and contact me for further information.thank you.

While driving vehicle suddenly and unexpectedly accelerated to 100mph, resulting in a collision. Dealer and manufacturer have been notified.

Consumer received recall letter 99v062001, speed control cable.contacted dealer, dealer indicated no no parts available to correct the problem.please give any further details.

Consumerreceived a recall notice concerning cruise control cable.upon receiving the notice, he contacted dealer and was informed that the parts were not available. Recall 99v062.001.

The plastic headlight lens are severely cloudy, a lot worse as time time goes on....years ago, when i bought the truck they were clear, now they are very - very opac, cloudy, so bad that you can't even see the headlight bulb !there are many vehicles that have the same problem! so many, in fact that the part store aftermarket industries have come out with a restoration kit . I am sure that the cloudy, opaclens do severely lessen the amount of light emitted through the lens. My opinion on this is that the type of plastic selected by ford seemed fine back in 1998 but over a period of years the plastic deteriorates. My recommendations is to have the manufactures replace them. By, i did buy the kit from a parts store and it is called headlight restorer / defogger kit. Myheadlight.com .my brother and i hand buffed his 2001 jeep headlights and it took us almost 2 hours ! it did help the amount of lighting!p.s. Sorry, haven't got spell-check....

The contact owns a 1998 ford ranger.the contact stated that the windshield wipers worked intermittently.the dealer inspected the vehicle and found no failures.after the vehicle was purchased, the contact was informed of a recall for the electrical system.the nhtsa campaign id number was unknown.the failure mileage was 30,000 and current mileage was 45,000.

Clutch slave cylinder bolts came out knocking hole through transmition case.transmission cross member had to be cut out after speed nuts broke loose.heater failed three times.thermostat replaced twice didn't help.bolts holding cooling fan on came out.switch for dome light failed, and brake rotors warped.

Heater went bad on vehicle.consumer felt that it was the manufacturer's fault for making a bad heater. *la

While driving home on a maintained dirt road, the drivers side rear window exploded.mike shad ford has refused to replace under warranty. Rick palman is the service manager for mike shad. And chris @ ford, rep # 2752 on 9/28/98 @12:28pm via phone said he would have mike shad ford call to make an appointment to replace it as it would be a warranty item. When at mike shad ford, mr. Palman refused to reair the missing window under warranty.

Consumer was traveling about 45mph on the highway andtailgate door just opened on its on.this incident happen several times.

When exiting vehicle and shutting door heard something hit the ground. Consumer thought it was keys. Next morning, driver's side super cab windowbustedfrom the inside. Consumer did not slam door,and no one busted it. It broke from inside. Consumerfelt window should not have broken that easily.

Window binds and makes noise going up, aligned window and lubricated however experienced problem again. Mjs

We have had nothing but problems with the door ajar light and dome light staying on, plus the wipers are irradic and the windows will sometimes go down on their own.it was fixed once and now it's has started doing the same thing again.it seems to me there are an awful lot of similar complaints out there on this very same item and i feel ford should have to recall this vehicle to correct the situation.i called them and asked if this would be something they would fix seeing as it's one of their mechanical defects and they replied with a 'no'.i am to the point that i just want to get rid of this vehicle.i also noted they have a mention of how this vehicles leans.that is also true.my ranger leans.i think this truck is a true lemon.

Complaint#1: gas tank leaked after vehicle was only one week old. Dealer replaced it with a new tank.complaint#2: power windows are 'jerky' and they chatter when going down. Dealer has not repaired it yet. Complaint#3: passenger seat vibrates any time truck drives over any bumps, large or small. Dealer has not repaired it at this time.

Rear view mirrors on the exterior are designed with sharp edge, consumer cut hands when washing vehicle. Mjs

The outside mirrors vibrate quite badly; it looks like you are looking at two or more vehicles at the same time.the mirrors have been replaced once already, but we have not noticed any improvement with the new mirrors, they vibrate almost as bad as the others and will get just as bad shortly!!!!!!!!! also, we brought the '98 ranger in for the problem of we had a list of 14 things that were wrong, (one of which was the mirrors).they fixed most of the things that were wrong with the truck, they also changed the mirrors, but, there is no improvement in the new mirrors, they vibrate also!!!!!!!!i will tell the rest of the problems that were wrong with the truck when i do talk to someone on the phone or however it is taken care of.

No summary listed for above vehicle.

Windows make rattling noise.

Vehicle idles very roughly.thenidle will go away for awhile.vehicle turned off without prior notice.dealership is aware of problem.consumer states that after rough idle goes away, vehicle will hesitate or stall, mass air flow sensor was replaced, however problems still exists.gas pedal gets stuck.passenger side front windshield wiper arm was loose.pwer steering pump was replaced due to when turning wheel it would make anoise.

No summary listed for above vehicle.

Window washer tank defective. Mjs

We have had nothing but problems with the door ajar light and dome light staying on, plus the wipers are irradic and the windows will sometimes go down on their own.it was fixed once and now it's has started doing the same thing again.it seems to me there are an awful lot of similar complaints out there on this very same item and i feel ford should have to recall this vehicle to correct the situation.i called them and asked if this would be something they would fix seeing as it's one of their mechanical defects and they replied with a 'no'.i am to the point that i just want to get rid of this vehicle.i also noted they have a mention of how this vehicles leans.that is also true.my ranger leans.i think this truck is a true lemon.

The tires need to be trude and balanced almost every month, i have taken it back to ford4 or 5 times and they will do nothing about itits either the tire or rims and no one will help me with this problem in the past year i've spent over 1,000.00 and more just to get it right and it is still not right. Ford is blameing firestone and firestone is blameing fordi need help please.( dot number: tire size: 235/70/14 )

While driving 60 mph front left wheel bearing superheated and ignited lubrication of grease which caused a fire. And wheel off which almost caused a serious crash.ford was not willing to assist consumer, even under warranty.please provide further information.

Dispite proper maintence, i observed body rust and decay on the underside of my truck frame.also the brake lines have been replaced due to corrusion and rust into the frame.spare tire brackets have rusted into and the tire fell off.also evap canaster bracket rusted into and the evap canaster fell off.

Left wheel broke off and there was a noise due to a spindle breaking,which could have caused loss of vehicle control.currently the noise has returned.please provide further information.

Left front wheel became unattached from the vehicle while it was traveling on expressway resulting in loss of control and an accident.seat belt also became disconnected at the time of impact.nlm

The tires need to be trude and balanced almost every month, i have taken it back to ford4 or 5 times and they will do nothing about itits either the tire or rims and no one will help me with this problem in the past year i've spent over 1,000.00 and more just to get it right and it is still not right. Ford is blameing firestone and firestone is blameing fordi need help please.( dot number: tire size: 235/70/14 )

The spindle on the right front wheel of the vehicle split in half causing the wheel to separate from the vehicle. My son lost control and damaged the right front bumper and fender. But for the grace of god he could have been killed or seriously injured. He had just left the freeway.

New auto hubs dont engage,(bad design), wrnty fix, still dosnt wrk. Engaging driver moter failed on transfer case, and hubs have failed serveral times, cold weather affects it also.now it diengages the front tires when i change from forward to reverse, can hear noses from the front hubs

While backing my 98 ford ranger 4.0 supercab with tow package (which has the beefier brakes) the aluminum bracket that holds the bar that the brake and clutch hinge on, broke away from the truck. This left me heading in reverse with no brake or clutch. I was in shock, imagine the steering wheel coming off in your hands while driving; that's how i felt. I didn't think to hit the emergency brake, but i was already halfway into the garage and had very little time to react properly before i crashed into the back wall (cinderblock) punching a hole in the wall which killed the engine. This happened at the fire station where i work! the police did a report. He saw and reported the brakes were broke although he didn't look very closely. Many of my superiors at the job saw that the brakes had broke away and were now dangling, useless. The vehicle had to be towed to a ford dealership where the brake assembly was replaced. The dealership acknowledged on the bill the state of the brakes and clutch assembly. I requested the broken parts and they are now in my possession. I contacted ford customer service, they stated the obvious, that the vehicle was no longer under warranty. They also stated their were no recalls on my vehicle which was not true; i knew about the cruise control and has had the firestones replaced. I guess they meant on the brakes. I said yes, but certain things should never happen on a vehicle. This is a safety issue on a vehicle only eight years old you would not accept that the steering wheel may fall off. Just like you would not accept that the brake pedal assembly may brake away under your feet. Today i received a letter from ford saying they could not help me because the vehicle was not under warranty. I wonder if there has been other incidents like mine and they are in the form of "service bulletins" secret recalls that keep ford and other companies from having to fix many of their problems.the consuner had to have 2 bad lug nuts replaced on the right front wheel. Updated 01/10/07.

Dt*: the contact stated the original left rear wheel is cracked and rusting along the inner portion by the valve stem of the rim.the vehicle was seen by an independent repair shop.the repair shop personnel determined the rim fractured due to rusting of the steel material of the wheel.this problem only existed on the left rear wheel rim.although the vehicle was not exposed to harsh weather or other elements, the rusting rim allows air to escape from the attached tire.

Rim ruptured and deflated, consumer felt ifhe was going any faster may have lost control of vehicle.tire was damaged due to the bead coming through the crack in the rim, consumer is concerned about the other 3 rims on vehicle.




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