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We found the following complaints for FORD RANGER (2003)

Read complaints for FORD RANGER (2003)

Vehicle was traveling on the road at about 65 mph when driver swerved to the right to avoid debris. This caused the driver to lose control, and vehicle flipped over four times. Upon impact,air bags did not deploy.

The contact owns a 2003 ford ranger. The contact received a notification of nhtsa campaign number: 16v036000 (air bags); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified. The contact had not experienced a failure. Vin tool confirms parts not available. Updated 06/14/16*ljupdated 06/29/16.

The contact owns a 2003 ford ranger. The contact took the vehicle to friendly ford (2800 n telegraph rd, monroe, mi 48162) to be repaired per an unknown air bag recall. Upon arriving at the dealer, the contact was charged a fee to replace wires that were cut during the air bag replacement. The contact received another recall notification for nhtsa campaign number: 17v788000 (air bags). The contact had not taken the vehicle back to the dealer. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 4,000.

The contact owns a 2003 ford ranger.the contact stated that his air bags were not functioning correctly because the air bag light constantly remained illuminated.the failure was noticed while driving 30 mph.he has scheduled an appointment with the dealer for april 14, 2008 to have the vehicle diagnosed.the purchase date was unknown.the current and failure mileages were approximately 48,000.

The contact owns a 2003 ford ranger.while driving 35 mph, the gravel road caused the vehicle to swerve to the right and then quickly to the left.the contact drove into an embankment and rolled over numerous times.the vehicle landed on its roof.the air bags failed to deploy.the vehicle was destroyed.the driver sustained lacerations to the scalp, right side of the face, and bruising to the left shoulder.the passenger sustained lacerations to the scalp, a fracture of the t-2 vertebrae, a hernia to the abdomen, and bleeding between the scalp and skull.the passenger's left eye was filled with blood, resulting in a black eye.the police arrived at the scene and filed a report.ford motor company stated that they were performing an inquiry.the failure and current mileages were 79,384. Updated 03-05-08

Air bag light keeps coming on and the dealership says that it is a defect with the airbag. I do not want to pay for the price of replacing it ~ if it is the companies fault that made the airbag.

I bought this truck used ,is there a recall on the airbags or any other recalls of any kind ?? thanks *dt

I was envolved in a vehicle accident on 3/9/04 and the air bag did not deploy. The median wall was hit head on at approximately 45 to 50 mph.

The air bag light continuously illuminated on the dashboard. As a result,air bags were inoperative, and wouldn't deploy when needed.dealershipinspected and fixedthe air bags three times. However, the problem recurred twice.

Hit a car on the freeway at approximately 50-55 mph. Front end and left front tire damaged, hood tented, tripped failsafe in fuel line, but neither driver nor passenger airbag deployed.

While driving air bag light illuminated andstayed on the remainder of the time that vehicle was being operated. The dealership tried to repairvehicle twice, but same problem recurred.

I was recently an accident during which 3 things occurred that contributed to my injuries. The first thing that happened was steering wheel lockup preventing me from turning out of the way. The 2nd & 3rd things occurred when the truck was in free fall. First of all the seatbelt failed to restrained my body during the accident sending me straight into the steering wheel during which time the air bag failed to deploy. So there was nothing to brake my impact to said steering wheel. All of the this took place on a freeway at high speeds i was lucky that my injuries were not worse then they are and in time they will heal.i was lucky, but the next person may not be so, you need to look into this matter thoroughly because the next person may die as a result of these safety failures, and that is something none us want.

The contact owned a 2003 ford ranger. While driving at 35 mph, the spindle on the driver side tire rod broke. As a result, the contact lost control of the vehicle. The vehicle swerved from lane to lane the vehicle went off the road. The vehicle became air born and crashed in a tree. The air bags did not deploy and the seat belts wouldn't buckle. The contact sustained a cut from their ear to their throat from the seat belt, the contact also had a burn mark from the seat belt. The contact sought medical attention.the contact's brother was in the vehicle was as well. They sustained an injury but didn't receive medical attention. The contact's brother sustained a cracked rib. The contact's vehicle was the only vehicle evolved in this crash. No other medical attention was needed. A police report was made. The vehicle was totaled. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. No assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 129,000.

The air bag warning light remained illuminated while driving.*mrthe dealer replaced the pre-tensioner and retractor circuit.

Takata recall

Tacata recall airbag light is flashing the stays on .not sure what is causing it but it could be seriousif the bags do not work when needed . It came on about 1 month ago. Starts as soon as you start truck . Other light that just started flashing today over drive light started flashing but has now stopped .this is a 03 ford ranger f4

My uncle was driving 60 mph when he swerved & loss control of his ford ranger. He crossed over the oncoming traffic lane going off the road hitting a sign, then hit an embankment, then flipped over several times. The airbags did not deploy & my uncle died as a result.

Dt:contactwas in a front end collision, and driver's sideand passenger'sside air bags did not deploy.ford manufacturer stated the vehicle needed to be tested to see why the airbag did not deploy.

While driving at 50 mph vehicle was involved in a head on collision, and hit a tree. Upon impact, air bags did not deploy.

Consumer put vehicle in reverse because vehicle was stuck in a rut. Upon putting the vehicle back into drive position air bag deployed. Took vehicle to the ford, and they refused to dorepairs.

While pulling out of the drivewayat low speeds front air bags inadvertently deployed.dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem.

I have a 2003 ford ranger in which the air bag warning light was malfunctioning. At different times it would come on, stay on for a long time, weeks, then would go off again. I took it to the dealer who found a service bulletin that directed them to clean wires, wrap wires and re-routewires under the seat. It had to do with the safety belt retentioner. I do not know if this was actually a safety issue or not. No one would tell me how many ford rangers had this problem, if this would cause any failure in the seat belt or the air bag. Even though i felt this was a failure of the air bag and safety belt system was charged for this repair. (i was still under ford's 50000 safety system warranty.) i am concerned about the cost, but i am also concerned that the pretentioner was not replaced and whether this will occur again.

Dt:consumer's vehicle was involved inacollisionon june9, 2005. .the airbags deployed before the impact.the consumer saw something flash in her face, which was the center of the steering wheel, and the airbags deployed.the consumer took the vehicleto the dealer, and they said that there was something wrong with the srs, and they found a faulty sensor # 450047 in the front of the vehicle. It has been fixed since this accident.

Engine stops running with no warning. Happened 3 times in less than a mile, under 35 mph.started back up .gauges were normal with plenty of fuel. 1st time engine quit, i had just started moving , next 2times i was moving under 35 mph aall took place in less than 1/4 mile in traffic

I have a 2003 ford ranger, when i apply the brakes the vehicle surges. Forward; i put the truck in park & shut off the ignition. When i restart.it returns to normal. This happens on once in a while.

I purchase this truck brand new from gene evans ford in august 2003. I started complaining to them a week later that the truck rides as though my butt is hitting the pavement on a trip i took. Everyone ignored my concern in the service and sales department. When the problem was finally notice. I was sold a brand new truck with a severe bent axle and they would not do anything to repair the truck nor give me another one. They all played dumb and stupid as to never seeing the problem in the beginning. Ford still owes me restitution. Dealership should not be able to defraud the public on damage vehicles paying a fortune for just to kill you or someone else. Gene evans knew there was a problem from the onset. There has been a lot of problems with this truck in the past, present and most likely in the future considering the repairs that has already been put into the truck out of my pocket. My vehicle does everthing in all motion and no motion at all. Dangerous things happens including, cutting off constantly, lights are dim on the outside so it is very hard to see at night,rain coming in the rear window, truck started smoking, filled the reservoir and over flowed spewingthe antifreeze all over the engine. It sounded like food was frying in very hot grease. There is a stinking odor, smells like very strong urine . Sickening feeling comes over me and anyone in the truck.abs and check engine lights will not go off. The passenger window is moving slow as though it is going to stop. Trucks jumps which causing me to bounce up and down while idling or at a stop.

The contact owns a 2003 ford ranger. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked the horn activated on its own. When the contact proceed to inspect the vehicle she noticed the vehicle on fire and spreaded to the vehicle that was parked next to it. The fire department confirmed the vehicle was destroyed. The vin was not available. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure.the failure and current mileage was 78,000.

Dt:consumer reports: his 2003 ford ranger caught on fire one night while the engine was running. There were electrical sparks coming from the front left tire well. He fought the fire with bare hands and snow. He attempted to drive the truck and lost control and it slid into a snow drift. He tried to drive the car out and he started to dig the car out of the snow when he noticed the sparks again and a glow coming from somewhere in the engine. He tried to put the fire out again with a snow shovel. By the time the time the fire department showed up, it was on fire again. After the fire dept. Hosed the fire down with a standard 2'' hose, it caught on fire again. The fire dept disconnected the battery, put the fire out again and the fire didn't start back again. The dealership said the fire was due to driver abuse of the transmission and clutch system. The damage consisted of the following: the complete destruction of the asbestos lining on the clutch plate, including the shearing of the retaining pins, the slave cylinder had a giant hole, ' of the main seal was missing with no hydraulic fluid remaining inside the cylinder and the internal parts scorched from fire. They said the fire was inside the bell housing. Scorched marks were all over the rear of the engine as well as the fire well itself, including the insulation that is mounted on the underside of the hood in the same area. The dealership did drive the truck after the fire. There was no damage done the fly wheel.

Body, frame and suspension have all been rusted out. Bumper recently just fell off due to rust (while parked). Doors won't shut completely due to rust, which has led to the interior light remaining on or periodically turning on throughout the day/night and killing the battery. Entire truck is one big pile of rust on wheels.

The contact owns a 2003 ford ranger. After starting the engine and turning on the heater, smoke and flames were present inside the vehicle coming from the driver's side vents. A fire extinguisher was used to extinguish the flames. The cause of the failure was not determined. Autonation ford mobile (901 east 1-65, service rd south, mobile, al) and the manufacturer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 150,000. The vin was invalid.

Inertia switch below passenger side dash board defective.had to be reset frequently (no less than once weekly for 3 years), until it caused small electrical fire beneath passenger's feet.engine stopped while driving 65mph on i-17 in central phoenix.heavy traffic caused difficulty maneuvering across 3 lanes to the shoulder of the road.an arizona department of public safety officer was near by, and assisted to prevent a collision.passenger put out the fire with onboard fire extinguisher.after replacing the inertia switch (which was badly damaged by fire), there have been no further problems.

While driving at 55 mph vehicle lostpower.this problem occurred six times.electrical inertia switchwas defective.dealer replaced the switch once, and needs to be replaced again.

The contact owns a 2003 ford ranger. The contact stated the interior of the vehicle caught on fire surrounding the instrument panel. The fire went out by itself. The vehicle was not occupied at the time of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 137,300. The vin was not available.

The contact owns a 2003 ford ranger. The contact stated that while driving approximately 20 mph, the headlights and the instrument panel lights suddenly began to flicker followed by the vehicle stalling. The contact was unable to restart the vehicle. The contact exited the vehicle and returned the next day to discover the vehicle had caught on fire and was completely destroyed. The vehicle was towed to a wrecking yard and was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the fire.the failure mileage was 185,000.

The truck stalled in traffic. Acted as if it was out of gas, but had half a tank of fuel. Called tow truck. Luckily the driver was able to show me the inertia switch, and how to reset it. Was charged 50 dollars for this, did not have to tow vehicle. Since then it has tripped many times when i have a passenger, it's placement is such that a passenger's feet will trip it very easily. It now also trips for no reason, no passenger, no bumping it etc. It has tripped while driving in the fast lane of freeway, no passenger in vehicle. This is very scary and dangerous. I had to pull to left side of freeway, with no power brakes, no power steering etc.exit vehicle, go to passenger side open door and reset switch. Very dangerous. This "safety feature" can cause an accident, not to mention the multitude of reports i have read of people having vehicles towed and replacing fuel pumps when the issue was actually this switch. I was lucky to get a tow truck driver that was aware of the bad design, and it only cost me the 50 dollar minimum fee for him showing up. I called ford, and they were no help at all. They denied even knowing that a problem exists with this part. I am very disappointed in ford.

2003 ford ranger experiencing problems with the door locks.*mrdoor locked spontaneously, was informed that ford could not fix the problem.the consumer had to purchase a spare key to keep outside the truck.

On august 4th,2007 my ford truck would not start. I had stopped at walgreens to pick up aspirin and upon returning to my truck, it would not start. As before i pushed the fuel pump reset switch. The truck did not start. So i removed the reset switch from under the dash to find it had melted and had melted the plug.

There was a shortage in the leonard cap wires which caused the vehicle to have no brake lights.further inspection revealed there was no fuse used to install the cap.the consumer felt that had a fuse been used it would not have disables the vehicles brake system.the consumer paid to have the cap replaced andwas later reimbursed. *nlm

While driving north on i-17 headed to flagstaff, az, at 60+ mph, the engine on my 2003 ford ranger suddenly cut out without any warning. This caused me to have to navigate my vehicle from the left lane over to the right shoulder of the highway without the benefit of power steering or any engine power. Fortunately, i was able to get onto the shoulder without incident or injury. If the highway had been more crowed this could have led to an accident.after being towed to a ford dealer, i found out that the electrical connection to the fuel pump, which is routed under the passenger floor board, had become frayed and disconnected, thereby shutting down the fuel pump. As the mechanic who serviced my ranger seemed to be familiar with this problem, i wonder why there ins't a recall for this potentially dangerous problem.

The contact owns a 2003 ford ranger. The contact stated that the thermostat housing failed, causing the vehicle to leak anti-freeze. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the thermostat housing needed to be replaced. The failure was recurring. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 142,000.

The contact owns a 2003 ford ranger. While driving 60 mph, the vehicle stalled. The contact restarted the vehicle and the engine warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The approximate failure mileage was 244,000.

Engine quit running,took to mechanic. Spark plug overheated blew wire off. Engine had water in oil.engine is ruined.was onhighway.had to use wrecker to mechanic.only160,000 mileson highway.thought recall on ford trucks to engines giving away prematurely.

Engine stalls and won't re-start due to improper activation of the passive anti-theft system (pats) which is faulty. Engine shuts off, no power assist, lights remain functional, anti-theft dashboard light starts to blink. Vehicle will re-start only after removing and re-installing the #19 fuse to re-set the system. It may require several re-sets of thirty or more seconds each, after which the vehicle may run normally for a short distance or up to several months of normal driving. There are folks who shared their similar experiences on-line alerting me to the re-set procedure. I am told the solution to the problem requires the replacement of the power control module, which the pats is part of, and that it is not possible to otherwise disable the pats anti-theft system.

When at stop light engine rpms go up high where it is hard to hold vehicle still with brakes.

The contact owns a 2003 ford ranger. While driving approximately 5 mph, the spark plug shot out of the engine and left a large hole in the engine block. The check engine light illuminated. The vehicle was coasted to the side of the road and was later towed to an independent mechanic. The techniciandiagnosed a spark plug blowout and stated that a repair kit was needed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to take the vehicle to a local dealer. The contact was informed that there were no recalls. The failure was not remedied. The vin was unknown. The failure mileage was 142,000.

Carquest water pump new 18420011 (t4188) complete failure after 100 miles. A new water pump was installed onto a 2003 ford ranger v6 3.0 vin-v truck. He vehicle was driven between 25 - 60 mph off and on for approximately 1 week totaling about 100 miles. Under normal driving conditions (30-35 mph) and with slight acceleration, the bearing housing sheared off from the water pump body launching the cooling fan/clutch into the radiator. Power steering failed (no drive belt) and the cooling system dumped it's contents. The body of the pump is still intact to the vehicle, but the rest of it came off. Upon inspection of an identical part from the same store, there is an apparent casting color difference on the pump. It appears that there is a casting defect present in the pump and the installed pump broke almost perfectly aligned to the casting color differentiation.

While driving the engine failed.the dealer informed the consumer that nothing could be done.ford had issued a recall on the 3.0 engine, but the consumer suggested that maybe this problem pertained to the 4.0 engine as well. *sc

Vehicle has died on interstate four times and had to be towed in. Ford customer service at 1-800-392-ford states that they don't want to replace the vehicle. I am told i should continue to get it repaired under warranty. My concern is for the safety of my family when we are waiting hours in a snowstorm for the tow truck to arrive. I have owned 8 fords in the last five years. That is about to change because ford motor states that they have followed the letter of the law concerning repairs under the warranty. We have now replaced one ford with a lexus and are totally amazed at the difference of attitude towards the customer. At our first free lexus oil change my wife was given a dozen long stem roses. What do you think she is saying about ford these days? now i understand why people are buying more foreign cars and trucks.

Consumer complained about an engine problem. When driving at 40 mph or greater there was a grinding noise. Consumer took the vehicle to the dealer, and theydone absolutely nothing.service technician stated that there was nothing wrong.

When vehicle idled, engine slowed down to below 500 rpm, and then charged back up to 3000 rpm.dealer said this was a characteristic of this vehicle.ford issued technical service bulletin regarding engine idling.*la

Vehicle idles below 500 rpms.the engine sounds rough, and acts like it isgoing to stall.then, itreturns to normal.

Engine idledrops low and feels like truck shakes....have had into ford for idle control replacement

A burningodor smell was coming in through the vents.the driver took the vehicle to the dealer for analysis.the mechanic could not duplicate the problem.*nlm

Brake and engine problems. *mr the rotors were turned on the front brakes and a idler was installed because the engine stalled out.(twice after that the vehicle was returned the vehicle for the same problem) *scc

2003 ford ranger 4.0l 4wd at.two of the six valve seats in the engine dropped causing the engine to lose compression after less than 70k miles.noticed loss of power, took it in and had to pay over $2k in repairs even though it was still under warranty. The valve seats were replaced.the problem was fixed but a few months later while merging to freeway speeds the car stalled and would not re-start.towed it in to find that the engine had jumped timing and bent all six crank arms.again, repairs were made.top end of the engine was replaced including the cranks.this is ridiculous for a truck with less than $70k miles on.i feel the original repair costs upwards of $2,000.00 should have been covered under the warranty as it was an internal engine issue and been reimbursed.also a new engine should be installed or vehicle traded as this engine is obviously defective.all the meanwhile the main reason for taking the vehicle in for repairs three times prior was to fix the huge thump and delay on acceleration that almost caused me to get in an accident!the dealer said this was normal for 4wd trucks and there was nothing wrong with it.yet every 4wd i've driven, even ones with over 100k miles on them, accelerate smoothly with no thumping or delay in acceleration.nearing the expiration on my warranty due to mileage, i feel the dealership was trying to push the actual repairs off until then.they even said that the cause of the thump was that the transmission mounts were loose.so they "repaired" that but it had no effect and the issue still remains.this is where i stand currently and am trying to get the truck back in the shop, once again, to have this issue fixed so that i do not actually get in an accident.and to add to that, there is once again a loss in power, so we'll find out if the valve seats have once again dropped...

When placing vehicle in reverse, motor raced with foot on the brakes.it was later determined by dealership that it was a computer problemand was reprogrammed. *la this remedied the problem temporally. Failure has occurred numerous times since the part replacement. Consumer felt if ford couldn't repair the vehicle without it failing again, then his money should be returned.*ph

Truck bucks/jerks during drive cycle when in 3rd or 4th gear, rpm ~2500.

Dt: the contactowns a 2003 ford ranger.while driving vehicle stalled.the dealershiphad the vehicle 6 times, but could not find anything wrong with it.the contact stated the vehicle started jerking then it died,and after waiting approximately 1 hour the vehiclestarted back up.the dealership wanted to trade the vehicle with the contact. But the manufacturer wanted the dealership to find thecause of the problem before they would authorize the transaction.the consumer contacted the manufacturer.

A failed roller rocker destroyed a cam and lifter after only 66,000 miles. 3,000 miles previous i had taken it to the dealer who said they couldn't hear the noise. By the time they could hear it, the damage had more than tripled. The failure was definitely caused by the defective roller rocker(the part is available for inspection).

When the transmission is engaged, automatic, on acceleration, there is a chattering noise coming from the engine area.happens whether a/c is on or not.

Dt:the consumer stated that his 2003 ford ranger caught on fire on 9-30-05.the vehicle started smoking while in motion.the vehicle was pulled over.the fire was viewed coming from under the hood.the fire department was called.the truck was declared a total loss.the consumer felt that the fire department was unable to determine the cause of the fire.the consumer experienced no prior problems with the vehicle.the dealer was made aware of the problem.the consumer contacted his insurance company.the truck was towed to a junk yard in illinois.pictures were taken of the engine and the vehicle itself.the consumer planned to notify the manufacturer about the fire.(11/22/05)a popping noise was coming from the engine and it begun to lose power.the consumer popped the hood and saw fire coming out of the engine.by the time the fire department arrived, the engine was engulfed in flames.*sc

While driving vehicle intermittently stalled.the cause of the problem had not been determined.

The contact owns a 2003 ford ranger.while decelerating at 10 mph, all of the fluid spilled out from the clutch cylinder or either a failed hose.the contact is uncertain and the vehicle has not been diagnosed.he is certain, however, that oil was leaking between the transmission.the vehicle was towed to the owner's residence.the current and failure mileages were 49,710.

Engine stumbles on acceleration.this has happened repeatedly, and the dealer in ny said there was nothing wrong.owner/driver uses name-brand gasoline from a reputable dealer and is prompt about servicing vehicle.in a previous ford, owner expericenced the same problem---solved by replacing sensor.this problem has nearly caused a motor vehicle accident and has been reported to both ny, ct andmt attorney generals.i wish this problem fixed.

Silver coating around a/c and heater unit is coming off and the inside door handles rattle and are loose.

The front turn signal do not work all the time.

Vehicle's brake lights also function as the turn signals indicators.consumer feels this design is very unsafe because if your are braking and signaling for a turn, you lose 1/2 of braking "visibility" to alert other traveling vehicles.this design defect increased the risk of rear-end collisions.

Fog lamp lenses on 2003 ford ranger pick-up truck keep cracking. Dealer claims roadside debris is the cause. However, both lenses have cracked twice at the same time. Complaints have been made twice to ford motor co. Which has no recall record for this type of incident.

I was blinded by oncoming head lights not set to high beam and distraction from very bright head lights in rear view mirror (also not on high beam).the source is ford ranger pickups built in the last 5 years.other makes of trucks and suv's can be bad, but the ranger is the worst of the bunch.*la

The inertia switch located at the top of the passenger floor board engages at the slighted bump.i've had this car for 5 years and continue to get false information from the ford dealership about avenues of recourse or rectification.its a faulty design for the inertia switch to be located near possible contact with a passenger.legal recourse will be pursued.

Was driving on state hwy.20 @ 615pm, when i noticed no power when i pressed on the accelerator, rpm shot to 4000, then dropped down with no power,cars behind me were flashing there lights, arms waving out there windows when the car came to my side they were frantically yelling that i was on fire. I immediately pulled to the side of hwy. And flames were rolling into the cab of the truck, it was in 2 waves then i was able to open my door and exit the truck.now flames were rolling out of the rear driver side wheel well, luckily i had a fire extingwisher in the bed of the truck which i extingwished in the wheel whell and as far back as i could reach,this put out the fire,but not without extensive damage to the underneath of truck including the gas tank where grass valley ford determined the fire oringinated.as the hot spot is very distinguishing.ford motor co in dearborn mi.sent me a letter saying they will not address this failer,and will not give me any information to contact anyone that can help resolve this matter.a 4 year old truck that has no modifications,and has been wwell taken care of should not burst into flames,endangering lives.they are at this point offering no assistance to correct this problem.i can provide estimates from the dealership with parts list included as well as them determing that it was a fire originating at the gas tank..there were no events leading to this failer, never a gas smell just instantly into flames..thanks for your time in this matter..

Failure occurs on a 2003 ranger edge 4wd 4.0l extended cab, in this case, as well as in many other model years and styles of the ford ranger pickup.ford design flaw in placement of fuel pump cutoff switch (inertia switch) in the passenger compartment where it can be easily kicked (triggered) by passenger. Description of incident:1. Engine turned off at supermarket, vehicle parked on a cold january night. Passenger inadvertently trips fuel pump cutoff switch with foot while exiting the vehicle. Parties return to a vehicle that will crank but will not start. Unaware of ford's design flaw, parties walk home in freezing temperatures burdened with valuables and groceries. Internet research on wiki answers site reveals tripped fuel cutoff switch as common problem as a result of a design flaw that places said switch within easy kicking distance of passenger's feet. Owner returns to truck next day, re-sets the switch and vehicle starts normally.2. The failure occurs whenever passenger raises their right foot, inadvertently making contact with the switch. 3. The failure was corrected by re-setting the switch, but design flaw persists.this design flaw could be extremely hazardous if switch was kicked (triggered) at speed on crowded freeways or in remote locations.this improper placement may be purposeful to keep ford repair tech's busy, as this design flaw is found in many model years and styles of the ranger pickup.vehicles should be recalled to have switch re-mounted up a minimum of 4 inches, or rerouted and placed up under the dash so inadvertent triggering could not occur by passenger shifting feet or exiting vehicle.

The first time the car engine started racing uncontrollably i was at a stop sign.the second time, the same day 3/10/2010 i turned a corner and we took off at a very high speed.both times i put the vehicle in neutral and "goosed" the gas pedal and the engine settled down toa normal speed.2003 ford ranger.

Difficulty in filling gasoline in 2003 ford ranger.it seems to be a systemic problem that many ranger owners experience.not only is it a safety hazard because of the constant splash-back of gasoline when filling, but it's also an environmentalhazard with all the spilled gasoline on the ground.

While stationary at a traffic light, a smell of gasoline entered the passenger compartment followed a few seconds later by a muffled explosion in the engine compartment followed quickly by black smoke and flames pouring out from under the hood and under the front of the vehicle.the vehicle was completely destroyed forward of the truck bed.

The 2003 ford ranger developed a gas leak off the fuel pump after further search fopund the fuel pump was leaking due to a fuel line break and the top of the fuel pump the plastic top was cracked and broken. Ven #iftyr14v23pa70793/36077miles.

Rough idle at normal or cold temperatures either in gear or out and also if air conditioner is on or off. This is occuring on a 2003 ford ranger v6 3.0l .. Ford dealership gave me a copy of a service message under 618400 rolling idle special service messages 16180.. It states if the condition is stillpresent, make sure your wds is updated with the lastest calibratuon files, wds release b20.10 or later and reprogram the pcm. They did that and i am still having the problem. I have been doing some reseach and it seems they have had this problem since nov02. According to the mechanic i talked to stated if it didnt fix the problem dont worry ford is trying to correct the problem. It has been 8 months now. Do we know if they are actually going to fix the problem?

The contact owns a 2003 ford ranger.the contact stated that the vehicle was slow to fill with fuel.once the tank was filled, gasoline would spill back out.the vehicle was taken to the dealer, but they could not repair the failure.there were no warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel.prior to the failure, the contact installed a new fuel filter in the vehicle in march of 2008. The current and failure mileages were 50,000. Updated 6/15/09 updated 06/16/09.

Two things on my 2003 ford ranger supercab 2 wd :1.) front brakes are bad, and continue to be bad, due to bad design of frontrotors. The original oem rotors fail, due to warping, resulting in a most the aggravating pulsing when brakes are applied. This results in inadequate stopping when needed, and could cause a very severe accident !!!2.) the fuel cutoff safety switch ( whatever it is called) above the front passenger leg area (on wall -inside cab) is defective, causing serious consequences to the occupants, due to vehicle losing all power during operation. This hashappened to me now 10+ times in the last 6 months. Sometimes while in heavytraffic, with no where to go when all power is lost, gauges go wacky,losesteering control, etc.as soon as the switch is "reset", by pushing in on it from the top of it, and turning vehicle key to on position for 3-5 seconds, then backoff ( per owner's manual) the vehicle seems fine,,,until, randomly it happensagain when you least expect it. The manual says this switch is for "safety" concerns , when after an accident, it shuts off fuel supply, etc....but mytruck has never been in any accident whatsoever, and this device is now becoming a great potential accident producer in itself !!!!!the "incident date" is multiple dates !!!!! and they are still continuing as of today8 march 2008* i have been told by mechanics the oem brakes rotors are defective, but since there is no recall, i would have to pay again,,,and again,,,and again...which is just not right.

I have a 2003 ford ranger regular cab 2 wheel drive truck. On 5 occasions the emergency fuel shutoff switch located inside the cab on the passenger side fire wall has been dislodge by the passenger getting there foot on the connector and disconnecting the power plug from the switch this causes the truck to stall immediately. I have only owned this truck for approx 90 days. If this happens at the wrong time this could get someone hurt or killed.

After driving 52 miles (10 miles city & 42 miles highway) with a full tank of fuel, the fuel gauge shows that the vehicle used 1/4 tank of fuel.vehicle gets between 17 & 20 miles to the gallon.approximate range per 1/4 tank should be between 83 & 98 miles.vehicle has a 19.5 gallon fuel tank.the fuel gauge comes off of full very quickly and when filling the tank with the fuel gauge in the red (just off of empty) it will only take 13.7 gallons of fuel.the tank has been drained and filled to verify that the tank is a 19.5 tank.the fuel gauge and fuel meter have also been replaced without any change in the condition.was advised by ford that this is normal operation even though there is a service bulletin (nhtsa # 0179/ford #01-11-2) to address this exact concern for 2001 model year ford rangers.the summary description states: some vehicles built before 3/26/2001 may exhibit a fuel gauge that drops from full too fast or indicates less than the actual fuel left in he tank (excessive tank reserve).was advised that this approximate 6 gallon reserve was there to allow the customer to make it to a filling station safely with the tank on e.this is telling me that when the tank reads almost empty there is still over a quarter tank of fuel in the tank.with the gauge reading this way you are not sure how much fuel you have.for the price of vehicles, consumers should not have to rely on calculating their mileage and using the odometer to guess there fuel range.i thought this was the purpose of the fuel gauge.*la

Bought the 2003 ranger new in jan 2004. Last week, after coming to a stop at red light, it suddenly began revving up drastically ( 3000 + rpm's). Brake harder to keep it from ramming car in front. Put in park and turned off with key. Re-started and it ran normally. It has done this twice more since then, once when i put it in reverse to back out of parking spot. Both times it ran normally after the incident. Never had this happen before. Checked mats around the accelerator pedal, all clear. There are 66,720 miles on odometer, no major problems 'till now.???

The pocket on the frame that holds the fuel tank straps rusted out. This could cause the fuel tank to fall off while driving and cause a fire or explosion.

When at stop light engine rpms go up high where it is hard to hold vehicle still with brakes.

Every so often when i step on the brake and accelerate one time i almost backed into somebody there's been a lot of complaints on the internet about this happening to their ford ranger 2003

I was backing down a driveway when the truck accelerated full throttle while i had my foot on the brake peddle. I ended up crashing into a tree totaling my 2003 ford ranger xlt.

The steel cables that support the tail gate of my 2003 ford ranger failed without warning. The tailgate dropped and it the bumper. Had i been standing on the tail gate or had a load placed on it i would have fallen to the ground or the load would have dropped which either would have caused injury.the cables failed due to corrosion. They are covered by a plastic sleeve with open ends which allows water to enter the cable assembly and become trapped causingthe cable to corroded prematurely.

While using ramps to load lawn equipment into the bed of my 2003 ford ranger pickup, both of the tailgate limit cables broke simultaneously.examination of the failed cabled indicated they both broke at the same location, roughly the midpoint of the cable where it is folded when the tailgate is in the up position.it would appear that water might have entered the cable sheath and rusted the cable.this failure resulted in the tailgate dropping approximately six inched and nearly causing two persons plus heavy equipment to fall to the ground.this could have resulted in serious injury.this appears to be a classic design flaw.i tried to get new cables from ford, but they are on backorder pending re-design (according to the parts department at the ford dealer i went to).this seems to indicate that ford is aware of the problem but has not notified its customers.

The contact owns a 2003 ford ranger. The contact stated that while traveling 60 mph the hood on his vehicle came open and obscured his vision.the latch on the hood and the hood cable also failed.the dealer stated that the repairs would be approximately $260.00 at the owners expense. The vehicle was not repaired. The current and failure mileages were 86,000.updated 12/22/10 the consumer stated he fixed the problem himself. Updated 12/23/10

While driving 60 mph, the consumer's vehicle was being by passed by an 18 wheeler.the air blast popped the hood open and the safety catch kept the hood from opening completely.*sc

When releasing the parking brake during wet conditions the linings stick to the drums, this is especially a problem in the winter months as they will freeze. This also causes the brakes to be extremely sensitive during the first 5 miles (approx) of braking. When the vehicle service brakes are applied the rear wheel grab hard and the abs tries to release them and can't. I have had two faults on the abs due to this. This is not a one time thing this happens so frequently that during wet/freezing conditions i actually use a 4x4 wood block to hold the vehicle in place..

The windshield wipers failed and when the brakes were applied, the vehicle failed to stop properly and acted as if the brakes were manual, the brakes had to be pumpedbefore the truck stopped.the vehicle was in the shop previously because the emergency brake failed to release.

1. No warning or event.2. Parking brake cable sheared off by leaf spring. Happened when truck was loaded with 700 lbs in bed of truck ( within rated capacity ).resulting in loss of parking brakes and possible runaway vehicle. 3. Replaced broken cable but failure will happen again unless the cable guide is modified to prevent the spring from chopping into the cable ( needs raised an inch ).

The vehicle was riding very rough as though some one was knocking on the engine with a hammer. I took it to the dealer ( gene evans ford ) which is where i purchase it from, all i was told was that is what a truck suppose to sound like. I continue to complain about the roughness of the truck, no one was concern about my complaints. Now here it is september 2010, i take my truck for a oil change and tire rotation in new jersey and the repair shop writes up a invoice stating my rear axle needs an adjustment.the ford dealerships has service my vehicle all this time and to me they made sure this would not be detected. I had an accident on january 4,2014 and my axel is now bent from a small impact because it was no good from the day i bought the truck. Auto nation was going to repair the vehicle and when [xxx] the manager saw the invoices with the diagnosis about the adjustment of the axel and the 2010 date on it, someone there told state farm that i did not want them to fix the truck. In all honesty they are the only one i wanted to handle this repair so they could give me a brand new axel or a brand new vehicle instead they lied to everyone and walked away from the problem. I had and have submitted correspondents to ford also i had ask to speak to ford representatives at several dealerships, i was told because of the high mileage there is nothing they can do. The most peculiar thing is that all the dealership made sure that no one address the problem with the axle although they had been rotating the tires and all and any other kind of repairs they as professionals knew the truck needed. Being a woman needed your vehicle properly maintained as to enjoy the longevity of something you depend on day to day just to have someone to take itfor granted to pretend they have done your truck a viable service to keep you safe and on the road at all time. Help!!!! information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).

I drive the 2003 ford ranger edge v-6, 3.0. In stop and go traffic my transmission shifts very hard into 2nd and 3rd gear...it has happened numerous times through out the year i've had the truck. The problem is usually from 0-25 mph. I took the truck to the dealership, but they turned me away blaming me for the cause of the problem....even though my truck was still under warranty.

Automatic transmissionfailed, causing vehicle to stall and jump forward.

When stopped at a traffic light with the brake applied and the engine idling in drive (an automatic transmission) the engine revved up significantly. When it did i pushed on the brake as hard as i could and the rear wheel spun. This has been happening maybe 3 or 4 times a year for the past two years and most of the time can be stopped by releasing then quickly pressing on the brake. This is the first time it has happened where someone could have been hurt and i received a ticket for the incident.

The contact owns a 2003 ford ranger. While the vehicle was parked in the driveway, the contact started the ignition and when the gear was shifted into reverse, the transmission failed to respond. The overdrive warning indicator illuminated and remained illuminated until the engine was turned off. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

Severe water leak in roof and rear window exact location not determined yet. Owner noticed water dripping on drivers seat. Under heavy rain conditions the cab will fill up with water -all over the floor, carpets, mats, etc. Water has caused damage to interior and upholstery. I took the truck to ford''s service department and they refused to look at the vehicle as well as repair the leak and damage to interior. They told me leaks are common and they will do nothing about it. Second defect: automatic transmissions does not shift correctly will even get hung up in a gear; causes heavy vibration upon braking. Some steering and suspension components have been recently replaced by owners expense.

Power surge from a stop which can only be controlled by hard braking and putting transmission in neutral. Then the surge will stop and truck acts normally. Ford dealer found "nothing wrong" more than once since purchased in 2003.

While traveling on highway and pulling a travel trailer the right rear axle on my truck broke causing the truck to roll four times. The truck had been in the shop for warranty repair to the left rear axle within the past month due to the left axle "flaking off" into the rear end. The left axle was replaced at that time. I had received a cell phone call from ford just a few hours before the failure and i had informed them that the rear end was making the same noise it made before the replacement of the left axle. I was severely injured in the accident. This is why this complaint is listed.

Pinion seal on front differential leaked, repaired under warranty.now the seal in the rear differential is leaking where the drive shaft connects.

Manual transmission wouldn't go into gear.dealership replaced a chip in the engine motor.but, problem recurred.then, dealership replaced the clutch pedal because it was loose, andproblem recurred.

Howling noise from clutch. Was told by dealer that the clutch was no good, and that they contacted ford and was advised that parts for repair are currently being manufactured?????????????? the dealer advised me that i would have to wait until mid january for my truck to be repared.

Drive line binding, has been in for repairs three times. First time they where unable to fix it. 2nd time the drive line was replaced. 3rd time spindle was greased, still have the same problem.

Manual transmission wouldn't go into gear.dealership replaced a chip in the engine motor.but, problem recurred.then, dealership replaced the clutch pedal because it was loose, andproblem recurred.

Faulty clutch design on 2003 ford ranger 4.0l withmazda m50-r1 5 speed transmission: please research this problem. Premature failure rate approaches 100% and recurs again within a short period of time.this problem is not unique to the 2003 model year.the hydraulic mechanismof the clutch is at fault.itcannot maintain adequate pressure to allow enoughpedal travel to shift the transmission.recommended fixes include replacing the entire clutch or the slave cylinder/throwout bearing, and master cylinder for clutch system. All of these short lived fixes are very expensive as the transmission must be removed except for the master cylinder.just bleeding the system is expensive if the leek is internal, which is usually the case.

I was driving down the road and came up to a light.when the light turned green i tried to put the truck into gear but was unable to do so. I had the car brought to a mechanic and was told that the clutch, slave cylinder, and fly wheel needed to be replaced because a pump had failed and allowed fluid to penetrate all three.the truck only has 48,000 miles on it.i never in my life had to replace a clutch with only 48000 miles.

Cruse-control is very flimsy,some times it will not work,,, have to hold it from back side when trying to start control.in motion, on highway.

At about 6000 miles i noticed the vehicle vibrating when i applied the brakes.i took it in to the local ford dealer in temecula and they told me the rotors on the front brakes were overheating.i mentioned to them that i never had a problem before on the many cars i've owned over the years (as i'm 54 years old).they machined the rotors for free but told me it was my driving.at about 11,000 miles i experienced the same problem.i brought it to the same dealer and after much discussion with the service manager he machined the rotors for free.about a month ago the car started vibrating again when i applied the brakes.i called the ford hotline toll free number and they told me to take it back to the dealer that worked on the brakes and have them send them a report.the dealer still cannot find anything a matter with the brakes.please believe me, i do not tailgate on the feeway and do not drive like an 18 year old.i've never had a problem with brakes before, outside of replacing pads and machine the rotors every 35k miles or so. At this point i'm not sure what options i have.can you help?thank you,dennis cullen.

This is my second ranger. The first(1998) i had an accident in,the seat belt never employed, i received concussion, i have noticed the same with this 2003 ranger, seat belt will not stay tight, or employ when jerked on.stationary.

Slid off road, drivers tires blew out vehicle rolled twice.driver nor passenger seatbelt restrained upper body.driver's head wedged under steering wheel and upper left back shoulder and arm exited the vehicle. Roof caved in on driver, resulting in multiple breaks, fractures and partial parallization.passengers legs hit chest from lack of restraining seatbelt.

Consumer states that seatbelts are inoprative in an event of a vehicle accident,because seatbelts are attached to the vehicle doors. Please provide additional information. Ts

The contact owns a 2003 ford ranger.while driving approximately 5 mph downhill in inclement weather, the contact lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a ditch on the opposite side of the road.during the crash, the vehicle rolled over once and landed in the upright position.the vehicle was completely destroyed.the contact was wearing his seat belt prior to the crash; however, he noticed that the seat belt was unfastened as he attempted to exit the vehicle after the crash.he has not filed a formal complaint with the manufacturer.the current and failure mileages were 40,700.updated 02-07-08.

The contact owns a 2003 ford ranger which was purchased in 2008. She stated that the passenger seat belt would not latch into the latch mechanism. Neither the manufacturer nor dealer were contacted to date. The contact was not aware if there were any recalls on her specific vehicle. The failure and current mileages were under 108,000.updated 02/1710 updated 02/19/10

The seat belt(s) which are in the rear, (if in an accident/roll over), the rear door(s) may openand throw a person out.scc

Entering the truck i leaned back while getting seat belt on. Seat support broke causing the seat to fall back against the back seats. Vehicle was stationary, thank goodness.

Drivers seat back collapsed due to a failure of a bolt.

The contact owns a 2003 ford ranger. The contact stated that the abs warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a private mechanic however, the failure was unable to be diagnosed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 78,000 and the current mileage was 96,000.

Bought truck used at 66018 milestruck needed front rotors turned on 2/27/10 @ 79730 miles (rotors warped)replaced front rotors on 12/31/11 (rotors warped)truck again needs front rotors turned on 7/18/13 @103055 miles (rotors warped)to date at approximately every 12,500 miles the front rotors need to be turned.the same brake pads are on from when i bought the truck with 37,037 miles on them.

Lost all brakes while driving. Found all brake lines rotted and in need of replacement. While replacing lines, noticed excessive frame and cross member deterioration from rust. Bed cross members completely rusted away and rear spring hangers rusted so bad they are ready to break off.

Consumer stated while driving brake pedal became hard, and it could not be pushed.consumer took vehicle to two different dealers, and both were unable to resolve the problem.

I own a 2003 ford ranger i bought new. On november 26 2010 i pulled into the parking lot @ work and my clutch and brake pedals fell to the floor causing a minor crash. The pivot bracket that holds the steel pedals is made from cast aluminum. I have been a aluminum welder for over 10 years and in my opinion this bracket is very substandard. I searched the web and found that other people had the same thing happen on rangers and other trucks and ford cars. If i was on the road this could have been much worse. I sent pictures and a piece of the bracket to a recall investigator. He said its not a common failure since he cant find any complaints.

2004 ford ranger- tsb 4-17-9 * grabbing condition from rear drum brakes customer states that the problem is more pronounced in the rain**ccthe consumer provided invoice for repair and documentation pertaining to defect of vehicle.

While coming to a stop consumer noticed brakes became spongy. On december 6, 2003 when the owner applied the brakes to make a stop, the brakes performed erratically. Extended stopping distance was necessary for the brakes to perform efficiently.vehicle was stopped at a stop sign with the driver's foot depressing the pedal.the brake pedalwent all the way to the floor board and the vehicle rolled into the intersection.vehicle collided with another vehicle.2003 ford ranger is in the shop and the mechanics are aware that the brakes need to be checked out.*mr

During wet weather, rear brake locks up when brakes are applied. Causing skidding and lose of control. First time this happen my local ford dealership referred to this as a rear brake lock problem, and replaced rear brake components, after that when it happened again i was told that the problem was due to moisture getting into the brake parts and that if i wanted this fixed i would have to pay for the fix it. The first time i was told that there was a service bulletin out on this and that's why it got fixed,now i'm told no such thing exist.first time with problem truck had about 26,000 to 30,000 miles on itseems funny that at 60,000 i would have the same problem.

As i slowly pulled my 2003 ford ranger into a parking space at work this morning with my foot on the brake the truck suddenly accelerated.i applied the brake harder and the truck stopped.i verified that i did not have my foot on both the brake and accelerator, only on the brake.

The first time the brakes locked up and didn't release i was coming down the street where i live going less than 15 mph and when we hit the brakes my truck didn't stop and we went sideways trying to stay out on-coming traffic. This last time it locked up i was already on the brakes going less than 15 mph and i came within an inch of hitting the car in front of me. I have brand new tires and brakes all the way around. This should not be happening. There is something messed up in the computer my abs light never even came on while i was sliding.

2003 ford ranger steel brake line rotted and failed. 26,000 miles well maintained vehicle. Cause brake failure. Fortunately no accident incident. Steel line rotted at fitting over rear axle where it attaches to flex line to the axle housing. Other rust and corrosion issues plague this vehicle.

Brake rotors sold by advance auto parts as an "exact fit" for this vehicle were installed without any problems and all associated components for a brake repair (pads, calipers, bearings, seals, abs rings) were also installed and seemed to fit perfectly.after assembly i noticed that the brake pads were only partially bearing on the brake rotor, with the pads overlapping the edge of the rotors.i did not notice this condition until both new front rotors had been replaced and all components except the tires/wheels had been replaced.upon further research, the rotors sold as an "exact fit" (selected for me by the counter man at my local advance auto parts store) were approximately 1 inch smaller in diameter as the original equipment rotors.i contacted advance customer service to inform them of this problem and they denied any responsibility for installation of improper parts.several reviews posted on the store's website indicate that other people have installed these rotors and are driving around with them despite the fact they are not the proper rotors for this 4 wheel antilock brake vehicle (they do fit rangers with rear wheel antilock brakes).this is a murphy's law situation in which a consumer can install these parts and drive around with them, unaware of the potential for brake failure.the final installation looks normal and i would not have noticed unless i had made a close inspection and found that the brake pads were not in full contact with the rotor surface because of the smaller than specification diameter.this is a serious safety hazard because the advance auto parts website and store computer system list them as an exact fit for the vehicle when, in fact, they are not.they can be installed and driven without the installer realizing that they are the wrong size.this requires an immediate notice and recall and advance should be sanctioned.

Brake pedal and acceleratorpedal toooo close together!distance of 2 & 1/4 "causes contact with accelerator when brake is being appliednumerous incidents since purchased vehicle in 03.. I wear a size 9 &1/2 to a 10 & 1/2 size shoe.even though i am aware of the problem, i find that it keeps happening repeatedly;but i only bumped a curb once with my tires.

The right rear brake drum had a 2" piece rusted out, the left rear brake had rusted so bad it had broken loose in the drum and the shackles had rusted completely off. The vehicle has never been left outside always garaged, never been in high water or exposed to a high level off salt. The under carriage is always washed after road salt has been applied. The under carriage has more rust than normal for a vehicle taken care of as this one. The mechanic even commented on it.in 2010 the rear shocks had to be replaced because they had been rusted through.

Brake and gas pedals are too close, and hit both at same time. Unable to make emergency stop and went through red light. Suspect this to be cause of several accidents recently--some fatal !

The vehicle has been taken to the dealer on three separate occasions for brake failure and accelerator problems.

The contact owns a 2003 ford ranger.while driving approximately 35 mph on normal road conditions, the contact heard a loud grinding noise when the brake pedal was depressed.the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for inspection.the failure was contributed to the manufacturer installing incorrect hubs on the vehicle.the service repair cost was estimated at $800.the front brake pads were replaced and the contact was advised to not drive the vehicle due to the potential safety hazard.the vehicle has not been repaired.the manufacturer was notified, but there were no resolutions.the failure and current mileages were 60,000.

This problem has appeared all of a sudden without warning. Brakes fade at low speeds.the pedal sinks to the floorboard.this condition occurs randomly.i have topped off the brake fluid reservoir.this has not changed the situation.i've reviewed the internet for potential remedies and have discovered many others with the same or similar problem.

When coming to a stop with foot pressed on brake pedalvehicle continued to roll.consumer had to pump the brakes real fast to get vehicle to stop.dealer statedconsumerwas pressing gas and brake pedals at the same time. The driver did not agree.

I have had to take this vehicle into the dealership for braking problems 7 times now.there has been a constant vibration upon braking.the vibration has become so bad at times, it is difficult to hold the steering wheel.the vibration is being caused by warped rotors.the rotors have been turned and replaced at least 2 times each. I am now on my third set of rotors.the last time i brought the truck back from dealership, it was obvious the caliper was sticking.ford even had an engineer look at the truck.the engineer looked at the truck 100 miles before the caliper was sticking.he couldn't come up with any reason for the warpage.on taking my truck back to the dealership this past time, the brake pedal started going to the floor and was making a whooshing sound upon depressing the pedal.i was afraid it wouldn't stop.i am now afraid of driving this truck because i don't know what will happen with the brakes next.

(1) i was in heavy stop and go traffic, keeping with the flow of the traffic.at one point i had to slam on my brakes.the truck felt like it didn't want to stop.the brakes felt "greasy" and i had to avoid rear ending the car in front of me.(2) brake failure due to overheating?rotors were warped after that.truck shuddered when applying the brake.(3) a ford dealer turned the rotors at 25,632 miles.at around 28,000 the shuddering has returned during braking.dealership says it will not fix the problem again under warranty.

Dt:the contact took vehicle to the dealership to have the brake pads changed. The mechanicdetermined thatthe front brake rotors where corroded and pitted. The rotors had to be replaced. Updated 01/04/06.

Dt*: the contact stated while applying the brake pedal, a sound of metal on metal was heard.the vehicle was pulled over and the contact noticed the pad separated from the caliper holder on the front passenger side.an independent repair shop replaced the passenger front brake pad.updated 12/12/2006 -

When braking at any speed the consumer would hear a squeaking noise. The consumer was informed that front brake rotors were worn. The problem was not resolved.the vehicle also displayed a loud clunk that ford was under the front end.the noise appeared to be upon shifting especially when going over bumps or when turning sharply.*scthe drive belts were replaced

Dealer replaced the master cylinder.vehicle hadonly 400 miles.

When applying brakes while driving stopping distance was greatly increased and brake pedal was hard to depress.tookvehicle to dealer who could not diagnose any problem.one day, consumer attempted to apply brakes, but pedal was very hard, vehicle then collided with another vehicle.

The contact owns a 2003 ford ranger. While drivingapproximately 5 mph the consumer's son depressed the brake pedal and his foot unintentionally depressed the accelerator pedal due to the close proximity of both pedals. The driver crashed into a fence. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 18,000. Updated 02/14/12*ljupdated 02/22/12

Consumer stated the pedals are so close together that sometimes when driving he hits both pedals at one time. The consumer stated that the brake needs to be moved 2 to 2 1/2 inches to the left.*tc

"takata recall"driving home on dec 23, 2015 and turning in my driveway something in the steering column on rhe drivers side of fire wall let go and there was no way to control the steering.the steering wheel would just spin around.very scarey but no accident .

2003 ford ranger [xxx]i was driving home from work at night.it was raining lightly.i was driving between 30 and 35 mph.i hit a pothole with my left front wheel.i lost control of my vehicle and was not able to regain control.after swerving back and forth a few times my vehicle struck a light pole and stopped. The police officer, my coworker who stopped to see if i was ok and i were able to locate the pothole.it was big but not huge, maybe 16" in diameter and 6 to 7 inches deep at its deepest point. The repair shop called me a few days later and reported that the impact with the pothole had broken the rack and pinion steering system on my vehicle. My insurance company agreed to pay for repairs estimated at $7591.the repair shop has begun work.they were not able to retain the steering box because ford needed it as a core. I contacted ford.they only replied that they are very busy and will get back to me.it has been more than two weeks.information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)

The contact owned a 2003 ford ranger. While driving approximately 50 mph, the steering wheel became extremely loose and failed to operate. The contact crashed the vehicle into a barricade. The air bags deployed. A police report was filed. The contact sustained a broken jaw, three broken ribs, and his spine was injured, which required medical attention. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was not notified. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.

Intermittent failure of power steering when turning.has happened consistently since purchase of t he vehicle in may 2003.taken to dealer for service twice and each time the dealer has been unable to confirm the defect so no repair has been made to date.the truck is currently at the dealer to drive until defect is noted.

Dt: the contactwas traveling at45 mph when thevehicle hit a patch of ice on the road. He lost control of the vehicle and hit a ditch. The vehicle then rolled and hit an embankment. The vehicle t busted in to flames. The occupants were able to get out of the vehicle before itexploded. The fire was extinguished by the fire department. Injuries were sustained. The vehicle has not been inspected at this time to determine what caused the vehicle to explode. The vehicle was totaled.

The silver coating on the dash board around the radio and ac unit is rubbing off. *la

Consumer feels that bracket on vehicle is a safety hazard.*mr when the rear door was opened, at the top of the door opening a bracket extended from the frame which was used as a closing device. The consumer's wife was hit in the head by the extended bracket while trying to get in the back seat of the truck.

Chassis and suspension exhibits excessive corrosion for the year and miles.very heavily corroded and pitted while the exterior is rust free.the truck is a 2003 with 90000 miles.

The under-bed spare tire holder rotted off the frame and dropped the entire assembly to the ground while the vehicle was driving.

Consumer callled complaining about having problems with the dashboard, cannot be visible if there is a shadw hitting the dashboard.manufacturer was contacted, and stated that there was nothing they can do.

Truck made a clunking noise going around a turn. Checked it out and found the rear spring shackle and hanger had rusted off. When replacing found the spare tire well and hanger all rusted which could have dropped the spare tire onto the road. Also the frame is rusted completely through and needs repaired. Also with it rusted at the rear where the hitch attaches i could lose anything i maybe trailering. My frame is horrible for the year and unsafe. *ja

Structure rotting out had to replace shock mount and a strut to pass inspection.now have 34000 miles on it and the spare tire casing separated from the body, the strut holding the transmission is rust so i can't trust it to drive. The body is in perfect shape.

Severe frame rot (rust) at aprox. 85000 miles, already replaced left rear leaf spring mount (aprox. 2 years ago) frame cross braces are rusting through including the spare tire mount.10/10/16. My beliefis that there was little or no corrosion resistantappliad to these frames upon vehicle assambly. Good usable parts are hard if not impossible to find as most are as bad or worse than my existing parts. I believe this issue exists when vehicle is stationary or in motion.

My wife got a 2003 ford ranger fx4 last year. As we looked it over we notice some bubbling rust under the paint. The dealer said he would paint it if we got the truck. Ok so he did and it looked good. A few months later i started to notice more bubbling. Last week i was driving it and i heard something like a thump, i looked in the mirror and saw the spare tire in the middle of the road. I pulled over and put the spare in the bed. When i got home i looked under the truck and noticed the spain tier area was totally rotted out. Yesterday i pulled into the driveway and hear a squeaking noise. I looked around and noticed that the front passenger corner of the bed was hanging. I looked at the area and what held the bed up was totally rotted out. We are now afraid to drive the truck!!! what can we do?

The fuel tank strap bracket on the frame rotted out and the strap is now hanging loose. The strap looks to be rusty but wasn't the issue it is where the t-shape end on the strap hooks to the frame/bracket that is the problem if the other straps are taking up all the weight and were to break this could cause the gas tank to fall out. This may have happened while driving on city streets. Salt spread throughout the winter and wet conditions would be the best cause for this to happen resulting in rust and corrosion. Also common for the leaf spring shackles and mounts to rot out and come apart this is also another safety issue in itself. This also applies to the mazda b2300 through the b4000 series pick ups since they use the same ranger frames.

I was attaching utility trailer to my truck. I jumped in the trailer to get the ball to seat in the receiver and noticed the bumper pulled away from the body of the truck. I looked under neath and saw the frame broke in front of where the trailer hitch was attached to the frame. The metal is paper thin there.i'm curious if there is a recall as this seems very dangerous. My cell # is[xxx].thank-you.[xxx]information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).

A few weeks ago my spare tire fell off my truck while driving on lakeshore drive in hewitt, nj 07421. Thankfully it rolled off onto the side of the road so no one else hit it. Yesterday i noticed the back end of the truck looked twisted only to find that the rear passenger side frame is completely snapped. Only to further discover the entire frame, suspension, and various other components are rotting horribly. My vehicle has under 70,000 miles. I had an older toyota tacoma a few years ago that was recalled due to frame rust and it was fully handled. However, the rust and rot on this ford ranger make the 1997 tacoma frame look nearly new. I can no longer drive this vehicle as it is not safe. Ironically, it seem that this is or has happened to nearly every ford ranger from the early 2000s. Personally i feel with the overwhelming amount of web evidence (literally thousands) ford should be held responsible. Please see the photos i've attached. Thank you.

While replacing fuel system canister i had to remove spare tire and noticed cross section of frame rusted through. I also noticed strap for has tank rusted trough. I will need to replace at my expense both.

Spring shackle support on rear of truck on drivers side of truck rusted completely off the frame and was replaced in the summer of 2015 , the other side was also replaced at the same time. Spring pushed thru the truck bed. Frame on rear drivers side of vehicle has rusted thru. Spare tire holder rusted off causing spare tire to fall off somewhere while driving down the road. Bed rail supports are rusted thru into the interior of the truck bed. Rear shock body's are rusted off, shock supports rusted badlyother places on the truck frame are rusted very bad also pictures are attached !!!!

The rear frame is rusted so bad it won't pass inspection. The rest of the truck is in great shape.

Two years ago, a crunching noise while turning was determined to be that both rear spring brackets had rusted through and broken, leaving the rear of the leaf springs unattached to the frame.both were replaced without incident.this week, while doing routine maintenance, i noticed the front fuel tank hanger was out of place.upon examination, one side of the fuel tank hanger was completely disconnected from the frame.the cross member and the hanger for the fuel tank bracket is completely rusted away.the frame has no structural support in that area and nothing is supporting the front of the fuel tank.it is unacceptable that ford is allowed to produce frames that rust away right under the vehicle so quickly.this truck body looks fine, however, the bed is rusted away in two places and this frame cross member is completely gone.

The rangers frame coating system is failing in several areas. The paint is just peeling off. There is also a significant amount of rust on the underbody of the cab and truck bed.this vehicle has less then 55000 miles and originally in the state of va. The vehicle was willed to me and just brought to the state of ma. In august of 2011. It has not been exposed to a new england winter road conditions. The winter road conditions will only compound the issue. I can provide pictures upon request. I stronglyrquest that some action be taken to investigate the paint system failure.

Frame in rear of vehicle has holes on both the left side and right side. Also where the spare tire is held is also rotted out , can not hold a spare tire. Also the cross member that holdes the the gas tank strap is also rotting.due to the rotted frame the truck is unable to tow anything with. Other than the frame the truck is in good condition

Body, chassis, and all suspension is rusted to a non-repairable condition. Bolts have to be cut to free, body underpinnings have denigrated to nothing, and paint is bubbling.

Entire frame rusted out. Won't pass inspection.obviously an ongoing problem. Driver side behind cab to bumper very bad. It is actually allthe way into.we got it on a line of credit. We are out of 5000.00 . Rest of truck is really nice

Ranger rear frame is rusting heavily. Spare tire assembly may be unreliable.

The entire front of the bed rusted apart and now has a three to five inch gap between front bed wall and bed floor.needless to say the front bolts that attach the bed are no longer doing anything to hold the bed down.this results in the entire front of the bed flopping around and bouncing when driving.to add insult to injury the rear portion of the frame when the leaf spring shackles mount are rusted through with several holes visible, and the entire passenger side leaf spring shackle rusted apart and busted off the frame the other day while driving on a state highway at highway speeds.it took me 11 hours to grind off the old rivets and replace the shackle but am unsure if the frame will hold up due to the severe perforation's from rusting.the other side has not compromised yet but it is in really bad shape and will be falling apart in the next few months.hopefully it wont result in an accident when it does go.

Frame rusted-took it to be repaired. Was told it is not reparable. Too rusty and far gone to fix. Take it off the road. Not safe to drive.the rest of it is still in good shape.

2003 ford ranger suddenly accelerated upon attempting to park.i was pulling into my parking spot while apply the brakes when my vehicle suddenly accelerated, jumped a snow bank and hit a light pole.independent witness reported the vehicle just took off, rear wheels rapidly started turning.i contacted ford motor co. Who did not seem too concerned about the incident and had no interest to inspect the vehicle.

Rear half of frame excessive corrosion. Frame, spring mounts, spare tire rack and main frame members rusted away affecting structural integrity. Corrosion is significantly worse than would be expected for this age vehicle. Rear spring mounts dangerously corroded.

The contact owns a 2003 ford ranger. While taking the vehicle to receive new tires at schierl tire and service center (1002 s 8th street, medford, wi 54451; 715-748-2963), the contact was informed that the rear frame near the shackles and bumper was severely rusted. The rust was so bad that nothing could be attached to the frame. The contact called medford motors (105 wisconsin avenue, medford, wi 54451; 715-748-3700) who informed the contact that the failure was premature and the frame needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 135,000.

I discovered that the truck bed had rusted completely through and has severe rust on the frame as well.the rest of the truck is in very good condition with no rust showing anywhere.all of the rust is on the passenger side of the truck bed.it appears to have started at the heat shields.the truck had a sprayed in rhino lining that ford sold when i bought the truck new which hid the problem until the bed gave way completely and now has one 5"x 8" hole and another smaller hole.

Purchased a new ranger xlt extended cab dec. 20 2002. While trying diagnose why the door ajar system was malfunctioning, i noticed that the driver side door was not straight. It has since become a problem while driving on the highway and taking right hand turns, where air can be heard through the door opening. The service manager where i purchased the vehicle stated that it was just that there is a different sound when turning because the air travels a different path across the truck body. He has not tested the issue on the highway because we were pressed for time. The service manager and auto body manager did agree that the door was not straight along the front and top edges and agreed to perform a repair and install a new door from the factory. The problem there was that i was told that a door installed as a "repair" would be painted at the dealership and would not have the quality of a factory installed door. The service manager also stated that he could not guarantee that a "new" door would fit any better. I admire him for his honesty to the end. I paid for a new vehicle, not a sub-standard repaired vehicle, especially since the problem existed off the factory floor. This isn't a warranty repair, but a defect. I am outraged.

My son-in-law was helping unload a box from the bed of my 2003 ford ranger pickup and was standing on the tailgate. The combined total weight was less than 200 lbs.while he was standing on the tailgate, both cables securing the tailgate snapped without warning, causing him to fall off the truck tailgate.he was not injured.some scratching of the tailgate occurred as it struck the bumper.i took the truck to the dealer, but since it is a few months past warranty (although with only 21,000 miles).they would not cover the cable replacement.i called the ford consumer line, and was told they were not interested in repairing the defect either.there was no existing damage to the cables, and the truck is not used commercially, nor has it been in an accident.the parts have not yet been replaced.the old parts are available for inspection at any time.

Spare tire carrier rusted off of truck so we then took further investigation. My husband laid under the bed of the truck to look at it and then seen a hole in the floor of the truck bed. So right then he removed the bed liner that was it in and sure enough there was a huge hole. Then also seen the frame was broken and rusted very badly. So he removed the truck bed itself from the frame and seen how bad the damage was. It has since cracked due to the obscene amount of rust of the frame of the truck. There are also rust spots in several spots on the body of the truck but are not as concerned about that as the fact that the frame is broken. The dealership so far is not taking responsibility for this. We feel they have tried to cover it up. We have filed a complaint with the attorney general's office and are still waiting for a response from the dealership. Ford motor company is not taking responsibility for it. We have pictures available which we have shown to a mechanic at our closet ford dealership and he stated this was absolutely unbelievable. This is a 2003 ford ranger. Has not been wrecked or damaged in any way.

The contact owns 2003 ford ranger pick up. The contact stated that the frame bed was excessively rotted. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the technician who confirmed that there was significant damage to the center frame. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 48,000. The current mileage 53,000.updated 9/29/14

The contact owns a 2003 ford ranger. The contact stated while her husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, the spare tire detached from underneath the vehicle. The vehicle was driven back to the residence and inspected. The driver noticed that the undercarriage and sub-frame were severely corroded. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The mechanic stated that the sub-frame had rusted out and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 131,000

This complaint is about my 2003 ford ranger edge 4x4that has 70,000 miles on it . My truck looks great but i just found out that my frame is gone an i can't believe that this could happen its so far gone ( rusted away ) . I have been online an have found that i'm not the ( only one ) with a ranger that still looks great that is rusted away like mine , toyota stepped up an took care of it's customer's i'm sure they got a push to do it . By o d i . Ford needs to step up an fix this for us ranger owner .i will have to park my truck an wait to hear if your department can help us buyer's of american products.

Body, chassis, and all suspension is rusted to a non-repairable condition. Bolts have to be cut to free, body underpinnings have denigrated to nothing, and paint is bubbling.

Frame and chassis has severe rot frame is also cracked. Bumper fell off while driving rear bumper. This is a 2003 ford ranger 5 speed 2 wheel drive it has less than 81000 miles on it. The bumper fell off while the vehicle was being driven. I do not have picture of frame but if asked i could get some.

Rear bumper mount frame rot

Chassis rotting out.lost spare tire carrier and rear frame support.spring perch rotted off chassis.other areas are beginning to rot out on frame rails!things came apart in motion but was able to safely remove upon stopping

Chassis and suspension exhibits excessive corrosion for the year and miles.very heavily corroded and pitted while the exterior is rust free.the truck is a 2003 with 90000 miles.

I had been noticing some squeaking form the rear of my 2003 ford ranger. I thought it was my breaks. It turned out that the mounts for the rear springs had rusted out. My mechanic also noticed a hole, in the frame,resulting from rust. The hole is locatedon the inside surface of the frame on the passenger side just forward of the passenger compartment.since the hole was discovered i stopped using the ranger due to safety concerns.

Spin out and fishtailing issue. I was turning a corner and i stepped down to get out of the way of oncoming traffic. The tires begin to spinout; i lost control of the truck, crashed intothe curb, and blew out three new tires and bent 3 rims. I also had some small damage to the truck's body. This spinout has happen on more than one occasion. Most vehicles would burn rubber, however this truck spinouts and has some fishtailing which i consider a safety issue. I would like to know what to do to stop this from happening again and know if there are other ford ranger truck owners having the same issue.

Had a right rear spring shackle replaced from being broken in half from corrosion of rust. Auto repair shop said "rear frame rails are paper thin from rust." "especially the right side". They told me the vehicle wouldn't pass inspection even after the inspection had just been renewed less than a year ago. Rust doesn't happen that fast.

There is no incident and perhaps this may not be the correct place to file this complaint but you can be the judge of that.my complaint is i own a 2003 ford ranger 4wd super cab with goodyear factory installed tires which are wearing unusually (cupping/chopping).tires have been rotated by ford dealer, balanced, proper air pressure maintained and alignment checked.vehicle has 16,500 miles on it.tires are causing vibration and noise.i believe there is a safety hazard because i can't feel or hear if another component is failing.dealer has told me he sees an average of 6 ford rangers with the same problem each week.ford tells me there is no recall or directive to replace the tires and they will not replace them.goodyear tells me that ford has issued a broadcast service bulletin to its dealers to replace these tires with a larger size.have no access to this bulletin but questioned ford customer service and they said they have no access to broadcast bulletins.ford customer service said this type of tire is not expected to wear normally because of its design.why then put it on the vehicle?conversation with ford was on the phone and i should have written exactly what they said but this is pretty much it.if the dealer is seeing this many vehicles each week there must be a huge problem somewhere.

While driving there was vibration in the front end of vehicle.the consumer managed to pull over.the dealer inspected the vehicle, but could not duplicate or correct the problem.the vehilce was in drive with the consumer's foot on the brake when the vehicle begune to violently shake. *sc

Problems with the size of the spare tire equipment on ford ranger.*mrthe spare and wheel are not the same size or same spec as the rest of the tires.the spare was not rated to carry the weight of a fully loaded truck.the truck has 4 wheel antilock brakes but the use of the spare tire and wheel rendered the antilock brakes inoperative.

Tread is separating on three of the tires.dt

The spare was smaller than the original. The consumer was concern because the spare isn't a full size.

The under-bed spare tire holder rotted off the frame and dropped the entire assembly to the ground while the vehicle was driving.

The vehicle came equipped with 16 inch tires, however the vehicle spar tire is only 15 inches.

Consumer states vehicle's spare tire does not match the rest of the tires, the spare is a size 16 when the rest of the tiresare 15. Dealer states all spares on that year an model are size 16.

The truck is less than a year old and the paint on the roof is peeling.the best analogy is that it looks like there are spots where it is "sunburned" and the paint is peeling away from the structure.this is an "electric blue" color.

Consumer stateddealership didn't inform him about the trucks' inefficiency to exceed the speed of 80 mph.if the truck was driven at that speed it experienced a severe vibration and would not go any faster. Thespeedometer would register 120 mph..the consumer was told that 4-wheel drive vehicles should not be driven on dry roads.*nlm

When coming to a slow stop at a city street or highway at stop signs and stoplights the truck starts to accelerate as i push the brake. When i apply the brakes the vehicle suddenly accelerates to a high rpm 3500 , plus the tires squeal and 3 plus seconds later i turn the key off before restarting the truck. When i restart the truck it seems to be okay.this has happed to me 4 times, and so far no damage to property or persons. I have parked the truck as i feel it is unsafe to continue to drive the truck. It is not safe to drive. The last time i drove it, i was going to a friends home at a gated community. As i tried to stop to enter to stop to enter the code the truck accelerated as i braked the i turned the key off and the truck came to a stop. I have been fortunate so far that i have not hit another vehicle, object or person when these incidents have happened.

The spare tire carrier(the sheet metal part that is attached to the frame)rusted and fell off the truck while the truck was going down the road.

My 2003 ford ranger edge frame has rusted around the fuel strap on the driver side. The frame has rusted clear through and broke in half. I have seen several complaints on the internet as this is similar to what was happening to the toyota truck that had it's frame recalled.

2003 ford ranger airbags symbol on the dash started coming on. A rivet rubbed against air bag wiring under the carpet which caused the air bag light to illuminate.

Two tires, douglas xtra-trac ii, bought from a local big retailer are not under warranty. Both tires bought on april 8, 2016 with less than 5000 miles on them are showing signs of band separation in the outer sidewall. I must contact the manufacturer to get any assistance with the issue. I plan to do this immediately, however, i am concerned that i may have a blowout while driving. Please investigate these tires and save many low income consumers from further auto damage and greater expense. The vehicle is shuddering when operating at speed of 43-65 mph.

I was driving my ford and the back bumper dropped on the driver's side, sending it and the spare tire to the pavement.after further investigation, it has been determined that the frame is rusted through and only holding on by a small bit on the passenger side.also, the spare tire support is only holding by approximately 1 1/2 inches.in addition, the cross member forward of the spare tire support that supports the evaporative emissions controls is virtually rotted in half.

2003 ford ranger sudden acceleration. While braking the vehicle suddenly accelerated. I was able to turn off the engine after the engine speed reached about 4,000 rpm. After shutting off the engine i checked to see if my floor mat was causing this problem, i removed it from the driver side and restarted the engine without touching any pedals.the engine started and revved up to 4.000 rpm again. This is the 3rd time my ranger did this. I took it to river viewford in oswego, they checked it and said they could not replicate the problem. The second time this happened i nearly collided with the vehicle in front of me. I took it back to ford for the same reason, and they told me the next time it happens drive it to the dealer, at 4,000 rpm. (i don't think so)there are no recalls for my vehicle as the dealer checked. What can i do?

Engine stumbled an acceleration and surged, causing vehicle tohit another passenger car. Accelerator stuck on several occasions, nearly causing previous accidents.i took the truck to thedealership andstated theproblems, even though they wereunable to find the problem. They agreed that a problem could exist somewhere in the electronics.i am now serving 5yrs and 10months in prison for this accident. There was no evidence to support my plea, if it was a accident or deliberate act by the driver. Not only do i wish this to be fixed, buti need more evidence that this has happened to other people has well. I need written evidence from other states thatthese accidents have happened. In hopes it will help my case. So i can get back home to my family.

Engine stumbled an accleration and surged, causing vehical to hit another passenger car. Accelrator stuck on several occcasions, nearley causing previous accidents.i took the truck to thedealership andstated theproblems, even though they wereunable to find the problem. They agreed that a problem could exist somewhere in the electroniocs.i am now serving 5yrs and 10months in prison for this accident. There was no evidense to support my plea, if it was a accident or diliberate act by the driver. Not only do i wish this to be fixed, buti need more evidense that this has happened to other people has well. I need written evidence from other states thatthese accidents have happened. In hopes it will help my case.so i can get back home to my family.

Engine stumbled on acceleration and surged, causing vehicle tohit another passenger car. Accelerator stuck on several occasions, nearly causing previous accidents.i took the truck to thedealership andstated theproblems, even though they wereunable to find the problem. They agreed that a problem could exist somewhere in the electronics.i am now serving 5 yrs and 10 months in prison for this accident. There was no evidence to support my plea, if it was a accident or deliberate act by the driver. Not only do i wish this to be fixed, buti need more evidence that this has happened to other people has well. I need written evidence from other states thatthese accidents have happened. In hopes it will help my case. So i can get back home to my family.

Vehicle accelerates when brakes are applied.so far only has happened at slow speeds while parking the vehicle.i've seen a jump of 1,000 rpm's when it occurs, but if your pressing hard enough on the brakes you can control the acceleration

I have owned my 2003 ford ranger xlt since it was new, and have had all scheduled maintenance. I have had 4 incidents since march 2010 where the vehicle has accelerated when i was braking to stop,with 3 of those incidents within the past week.the first incident caused my truck to push thru a gate,damaging the gate and the front of the vehicle.in this case, the engine did finally drop to an idle.i thought the behavior must be a fluke, so didn't report the incident. The2nd thru 4th incidents have occurred on a limited access road in omaha (dodge street) at stop signs and at a gas station outside omaha, and as i was nearing a stop the engine started accelerating and pulling the vehicle forward.maximum pressure on the brakes allowed me to stay stationary so no vehicles or pedestrians were hit, but caused my rear wheels to burn rubber.i turned off the engine to stop the acceleration.the most dangerous incident was when this occurred at a gas station, when i was pulling slowly to a gas pump behind another vehicle and the strong acceleration began.while the truck has cruise control, it was not engaged in any of these 4 incidents.i had the vehicle in for repairs to correct this issue last week, and the last two incidents occurred after the dealer charged me about $880 to fix the issue (replaced throttle valve assy, gasket, potentiometer engine throttle, procharger fuel injection service).the dealer insists that there are no sudden acceleration issues with ford vehicles, but there are reports of issues on the internet.

The contact owns a 2003 ford ranger. While attempting to reverse, the vehicle independently accelerated without warning and crashed into a wall. A police report was filed and there were no injuries sustained. The vehicle was towed. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. The vin was not available.

The contact owns a 2003 ford ranger. The contact stated that while stopped at a traffic stop, the engine pms increased abnormally to 3000. The contact held the brake down with extreme force as the tires began to spin and make a screeching noise.the vehicle was attempting to accelerate abnormally but the contact was able to stop the failure by abruptly applying the brakes and powering the vehicle off. The vehicle was restarted and resumed normal operation. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and advised the contact to take the vehicle to a dealer. The dealer stated that because the vehicle was over ten years old, they were unable to perform a diagnosis. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 218,000.

The idle control valve failed in open position.this caused the vehicle to idle at 4000 rpm.driving ability was severely impaired at this high idle.speed control while applying the brake was difficult.

Cruse-control is very flimsy,some times it will not work,,, have to hold it from back side when trying to start control.in motion, on highway.

Occasionally when i apply the brake to stop, the engine accelerates as i depress the brake pedal.some times only momentarily, but on occasion it accelerates to above 200 rpm for a few seconds and then returns to idle.there is no pattern .it seems to happen mostly when the engine is cold, but not always.my dealer told me that unless they could make it happen that they could do nothing to rectify it.it has done this since new.the truck now has 5000 miles on it. Hopefully the factory sends a recall before it kills me on the ice.*la

2003 ford ranger xlt does not exceed 80 mph.*mr(transferred to rule making).

Sudden acceleration with warning. Has happened several times in the past two years. Went to dealership to register this problem but the service manager was not concerned.

2003 ford ranger was purchased by the police deparment as a utility truck. On 2 separate occasions, with 2 different police officers driving the truck, the vehicle suddenly accelerated even thought both police officers report they had their foot off the accelerator and on the brake.the first incident occured 2/24/04 and the truck was taken to the dealer.they were unable to duplicate the problem but replaced the throttle body.the next incident occurred 3/11/04.different police officer had multiple incidents where the truck surged foreward even though foot was off accelerator and on the brake.the vehicle was again taken to the local dealer and once again the mechanics were unable to duplicate the problem but did replace a valve assembly- throttle air bypass.the vehicle has 4000 miles on it.

The throttle cable didn't say in place.as a result the throttle became stuck and the pedal went to the floor.*nlm

Serious safety hazard: vehicle throttle actuates independently when brake is applied. I purchased a used 2003 ford ranger 2 wheel drive extended cab 4 door model with a 3.0 l engine with 21123 miles 3 weeks ago. Three times i have come to a stop, applied the brakes and the throttle has independently actuated. This defect occurs when i apply the brake to make a complete stop. Specifically at the exact time my foot depresses the brake pedalthe throttle actuates by itself to increase theengine rpm. ( i did not have my foot on the throttle pedal) yesterday, the third time this has occurred. I kept my foot on the brake and the rpm increased to approximately 3000. Smoke emitted from the right wheel brake because of the rotation of the tire in opposition to my application of the brake. I had not been using the cruise control and was stopping from a relatively low speed of 5 mph either at a stop sign or in front of my office in all three incidents. Yesterday when parking in front of my office the engine rpm stayed constant and did not drop to idle.( during the previous two times the engine rpm surged and then returned to idle within 1 second.) however yesterday after approximately 5 seconds of constant high engine rpmi moved the gear shift lever of the automatic transmission from the drive position to the neutral position. The rpm then returned to idle speed and the transmission no longer attempted to involuntarily propel the vehicle in the forward position. I then immediately drovethe truck to the conway-heaton ford dealer in bardstown kentucky for a warranty repair.*la

When i accelerate quickly with my 2003 ford ranger, the vehicle's accelerator gets stuck and will not return to normal until i turn off the ignition and put it in park. After a minute when i start it up everything is normal.bad computer??

Consumer requesting information on 2003 ranger defects.a friend of the consumer's downloaded complaints that were similar to the problems the consumer experienced with his vehicle.while driving 55 mph with the cruise control on the truck began to accelerate.the vehicle sped up to approximately 80 mph before the consumer could get it to stop.three months later while stopped at a traffic light the vehicle accelerated suddenly and struck several vehicles.this accident caused serious injuries to four people.the consumer was unable to prove that the vehicle caused the accident therefore he was sentenced to 70 months in jail.

I have a 2003 ford ranger, when i apply the brakes the vehicle surges. Forward; i put the truck in park & shut off the ignition. When i restart.it returns to normal. This happens on once in a while.

Consumer complaint regarding 2003 ranger suddenly going at full speed and caused an accident. The first time this occurred the vehicle was taken to the dealer.the dealer was unable to duplicate the problem, therefore nothing was fixed.complainant writing on behalf of consumer.

When the consumer applied the brake pedal, the vehiclesuddenlyaccelerated and collided with another vehicle.

When the vehicle is shifted into reverseengine revs. Dealer examined the vehicle and reprogrammed the computer of the engine.not long afterwards the vehicle was at a stop light and surged forward, nearly causing a collision. *mr

Vehicle with cruise control problem (not engaging) suddenly accelerated while driver was accelerating from stoplight. Reached approx. 45 mph under forced acceleration before was able to pull onto side road, stand on brake, shift to neutral, turn off engine. Restart engine still had engine racing. Second restart ditto. Tapped accelerator, engine returned to normal rpm. Whew! was in process of purchasing vehicle, dealership (not ford) replaced cruise control cable, cruise now working, no repeat of problem.

The contact owns a 2003 ford ranger. The contact stated that while driving 15 mph, the accelerator pedal became stuck. As a result, the vehicle accelerated independently and crash into a curb. The vehicle was destroyed. A police report was not file and injuries were reported. The vehicle was not inspected and the cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure who stated that the contact needed to write a letter and mail it into ford. The failure mileage was 72,000.

The contact owns a 2003 ford ranger. The contact stated that the rpms increased to 4,000, caused the tires to smoke, and the engine to suddenly accelerate. The contact placed the vehicle into neutral gear, released the brake pedal and the vehicle functionednormally. The contact removed the cruise control linkage; however, the failure was not corrected. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure.the vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 59,000. The current mileage was 63,000. ...updated 11-12-13

The vehicle has been taken to the dealer on three separate occasions for brake failure and accelerator problems.

While applying the brake pedalvehicle accelerated uncontrollably. Consumer able to maintain control of the vehicle,and drove it to the dealer for inspection. Mechanic couldnot duplicate the problem.

While proceeding to leave the driveway the owner pressed the brake pedal and without warning the vehicle surged forward before stopping. It was later determined that this occurred because the accelerator pedal and brake pedal are too close together.*nlm

Consumer stated the pedals are so close together that sometimes when driving he hits both pedals at one time. The consumer stated that the brake needs to be moved 2 to 2 1/2 inches to the left.*tc

On numerous occasions, while stopped in traffic, the vehicle has accelerated out of control, almost causing an accident.this has happened with at least 4 different drivers. Have had the truck looked at by 2 different dealerships.

The contact owns a 2003 ford ranger. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 mph the cable for the acceleratorpedal suddenly fractured. The vehicle stopped by taking the key out of the ignition. The vehicle was inspected and repaired by the driver. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.updated 02/09/11*ljupdated 03/03/11

My husband was driving down the road and his 2003 ford ranger fx4 5-speed gave a small lurch and a "stutter".since he was right there at his destination, he pulled into the driveway and shut the engine off.thinking that it was just a glitch (like his foot slipped off the clutch, or something along those lines), he went into the house to get our son and take him home.he was inside the house no more than 5 minutes.as he was carrying our son out to the truck, he saw that there was smoke pouring out from under the hood.of course, emergency services were called.the fire reached the inside of the truck within a couple of minutes and began spreading along the ground.after putting the fire out, the fire marshall indicated that he believed that the fire started towards the back of the engine compartment on the driver's side.the truck, of course, will be a total loss.the passenger side airbag (which was disarmed as our infant son rode on that side) had deployed, the windshield had exploded, as had the two front tires.as for the hood, there was nothing left.

Cruise control on my 2003 ford ranger 4x4 appeared to disengage when i shifted the truck into neutral going down a steep hill.when my vehicle slowed, i shifted from neutral back into drive and the engine raced to redline(rev limiter) as the cruise was trying to immediately increase the speed without waiting for the transmission to engage fully.i shifted back into neutral and then i noticed that i had the cruise control on.i cut cruise control off, then shifted back into drive and everything worked correctly.if cruise control is supposed to disengage when shifted to neutral, it really should disengage not race to redline when shifted back into drive.i don't know what the affect would be if an engine at 6000 rpms suddenly engages the transmission at 65 mph.i'd rather have the engine race when i first put the shifter in neutral than when i shifted back into drive!

Non injury momentary loss of engine control while driving up a moderate incline with my new ford ranger in cruise control & over drive on at about 65 mph & 2500 rpm's.the engine kicked down twice in immediate succession and the engine ran away to 6000 rpm's+ and stayed there. Engine tach limit is 6000rpm's so i do not know the extent of the over rev.i took immediate action to disengage cruise control which lowered the rpm's and turned the over drive off which resulted in a normal rpm of about 3000@ 65 mph. I have traveled the same area before without any such occurrance.also the engine has a erratic type misfire at idle which may contribute to the problem.this situation was very unsafe as when the engine "ranaway" i only glanced at the tack twice and do not know how fast it ended up before i disengaged the cruise control.

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We found the following complaints for FORD RANGER (2003)

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