Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 1995 record →
WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH HIT AN OBJECT. THIS CAUSED THE INERTIA SWITCH TO DEACTIVIATE THE FUEL PUMP. TRIED TO RESET SWITCH SEVERAL TIMES. LATER NOTICED SMOKE. VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE & SPREAD TO CAB AREA. AK
DESIGN FLAW RESULTED IN VEHICLE NOT HAVING FACTORY INSTALLED LOCKING DEVICE FOR BACK REST ON BENCH SEAT.
AIRBAG FAILED. FIRST ACCIDENT DRIVER WAS REAR ENDED AT 45MPH; THE OTHER TIME, DRIVER REAR ENDED SOMEONE ELSE. BOTH TIMES AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY.
BRAKE ROTORS OVERHEATED AND CRACKED.
INTEMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WILL COME ON. OFTEN TIMES THE WASHER FLUID WILL SPEW OUT AND THE WIPERS WILL BECOME INOPERABLE, CAUSING THE DRIVER'S VIEW TO BE OBSTRUCED. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK
ABS WARNING LIGHT REMAINS ILLUMINATED, INDICATING MALFUNCTION WITHIN THE SYSTEM. ALSO, WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED THEY GRIND AND MAKE A LOUD POPPING NOISE, CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
CLUTCH ASSEMBLY WENT BAD. THE DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK
THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILED. THE RADIO FAILED FIRST THEN BECAME PROGESSIVELY WORSE INCLUDING THE DOME LIGHT, EXTERIOR DOME LIGHT, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, WINDSHIELD WIPERS AND WASHERS COMING ON WITHOUT PROMPT OR NOTICE, DOOR CHIME STAYING ON WHEN DOOR IS CLOSED AND ABS LOCKS UP, ETC.
TRANSMISSION/OVERDRIVE ACTS LIKE IT'S NOT SHIFTING. WOULD STALL. OVERDRIVE LIGHT FLASHES. BEEN TO DEALER 3 TIMES. TORQUE CONVERTOR PUT ON. WORKED FOR A WHILE. CYLINDER SWITCH & WIRING HARNESS WERE ALSO REPLACED. STILL HAS SAME PROBLEM. *AK
THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WOULD FAIL TO STOP AFTER BEING TURNED OFF. SOMETIMES WOULD COME ON WITHOUT BEING TURNED ON. TAKING VEHICLE TO DEALER. *AK *SLC
CONSUMER IS EXPERIENCING PROBLEM WITH THE SEAT BELT CHIME/INDICATOR LIGHT, THEY CONTINUE TO REMAIN ON AS LONG AS THE VEHICLE IS ON. ALSO THE DOME LIGHT REMAINS ON. DEALER NOTIFIED AND WILL NOT TAKE THE RESPONSIBILITY TO INSPECT OR REPAIR WITH OUT COST TO THE CONSUMER. *AK *SLC
CONSUMER EXPERIENCING PROBLEM WITH WIPER/WASHER. IT CAME ON SUDDENLY FOR UNKNOWN REASON. DEALER ALSO NOTIFIED AND AGAIN NO RESPONSIBILITY WILL BE TAKEN, WITH COST TO THE CONSUMER. *AK
BRAKES GRAB AND LOCK UP IN WET WEATHER.
INTERMITANT PROBLEM WITH MY WIPERS, RESULTING IN TOTALLED VISIBILITY LOST. THERE IS A TSB OUT ON THE 1995 MODEL, BUT NO RECALL.
UNSPECIFIED.
DOOR SWITCH/LATCH FAILED.
VEHICLE WAS STARTED. THE RPM'S STARTED REVVING HIGH & THEN IT SUDDENLY TOOK OFF. WAS PRESSING BRAKES HARD, BUT FAILED TO STOP VEHICLE. VEHICLE EVENTUALLY FLIPPED OVER. *AK
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM PROBLEMS, CAUSING LIGHTS TO COME ON/OFF, RADIO MALFUNCTIONING AND OTHER ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS.
WINDSHIELD WIPER FAIL INTERMITTENTLY OR WILL TURN ON WITHOUT SWITCH OPERATION. TURN SIGNAL WILL SOMETIMES STOP WORKING AT SAME TIME. THERE HAS ALSO BEEN THE SMELL OF OVERHEATING WIRES, BUT NO VISIBLE SMOKE.
WINDSHIELD WIPERS INTERMITTENTLY FAIL TO WORK OR WILL TURN ON WITHOUT SWITCH OPERATION. ON OCCASION THE TURN SIGNALS HAVE STOPPED WORKING AT THE SAME TIME. THERE HAS ALSO BEEN THE SMELL OF OVERHEATING WIRES.
FRONT WHEEL BEARING LEAKED GREASE CAUSING THE INNER AND OUTER RACES TO WEAR THROUGH THE SPINDLE. SPINDLE SNAPPED OFF CAUSING LOSS OF STEERING AND BRAKING CONTROL.
WINDSHIELD WIPERS INTERMITTENLY FAIL OR WILL TURN ON WITHOUT SWITCH OPERATION. TURN SIGNALS HAVE OCCASIONALLY STOPPED WORKING AT THE SAME TIME. THERE HAS ALSO BEEN THE SMELL OF OVERHEATING WIRES.
ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS, CAUSING THE HEADLIGHTS/WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR, AND INTERIOR LAMP TO COME ON UNEXPECTEDLY. *AK
VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN TO DEALERS NUMEROUS TIMES DUE TO FAULTY ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS THAT CAUSE WINDSHIELD WIPERS NOT TO WORK. ALSO DOOR AJAR, CHIMES WHEN DOOR IS CLOSED. DEALERS HAVE NOT CORRECTED PROBLEM. *AK
WHILE DRIVING THE TRUCK WHEN IT WAS WET OUTSIDE THE DRIVER APPLIED THE BRAKES AND THE TRUCK SLID. THE BRAKES DO NOT HOLD WHEN IT IS WET. THE TRUCK DOES NOT STOP WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES. *AK
WHILE DRIVING ON ICE/SNOW OR GRAVEL AND APPLIED THE ABS, THE BRAKES WOULD NOT KICK IN. DRIVER LOST CONTROL OF THE STEERING.*AK
ROTORS WARP AT APPROX. 10000 MILES, DEALER TURNS THEM AND THEN THEY WARP IN 5000 MILES. THEN PROCESS REPEATS.
FUEL INJECTION THROTTLE VALVE STICKS, CAUSING DIFFICULTY CONTROLLING VEHICLE.
DOME LIGHT/DOOR BUZZER FAILED/ WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORKSINTERMITTENTLY/ CRUISE CONTROL WORKS INTERMITTENTLY.
WINDSHIELD WIPERS/WASHER OPERATE ERRATICALLY. RANDOMLY COME ON AND IT IS DIFFICULT TO GET THEM TO TURN OFF. ALSO, INTERIOR LIGHTS MALFUNCTIONED. *AK
ENGINE BLOCK HAS RUSTED CAUSING RUST IN THE RADIATOR, AND FAILURE IN THE ORIGINAL THERMOSTAT.
ENGINE BLOCK HAS RUSTED, CAUSING RUST IN RADIATOR AND FAILURE OF ORIGINAL THERMOSTAT.
SUDDEN ACCELERATION RESULTING IN COLLISION.
CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION IN WHICH A FIRE STARTED WITHIN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, CAUSING THE FUEL TANK TO ERUPT. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
WHEN THERE IS ICE OR SNOW ON THE ROAD THE ABS WOULD NOT KICK IN, CAUSING THE TRUCK TO LOSE ALL CONTROL OF THE BRAKES AND STEERING,THIS ONLY HAPPENS WHEN THERE IS ICE OR SNOW LOCATED ON THE ROAD. *AK *JB
THE ANTI LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM FAILED, PEDAL GOES ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR.
FRONT LICENSE PLATE FRAME IS MADE OF PLASTIC ATTACHED WITH METAL CLIPS, OVER TIME PLATE FRAME DETACHES FROM METAL CLIPS.
INTERIOR LIGHTS STAY ON INTERMITTENTLY DUE TO GROUNDED DOOR AJAR SWITHCES.
WHILE DRIVING (65) MPH ON INTERSTATE, ABOUT 80% OF THE TREAD SEPARATED FROM THE TIRE ON THE RIGHT REAR, CAUSING $2,100 DOLLARS OF DAMAGE TO THE WHEEL WELL AND THE SIDE PANEL OF TRUCK. DRIVER WAS ABLE TO STEER TRUCK OFF THE ROAD SAFELY. *AK TIRE WAS A FIRESTONE RADIAL ATX, SIZE P235/75R15 M+S TUBELESS, DOT # VNHL1MO090, TIRE HAD ONLY BEEN ON VEHICLE ABOUT TWO WEEKS BEFORE FAILING, IT WAS A SPARE AND DID CAUSE DAMAGE TO VEHICLE. *SLC
FAULTY SHOCK ABSORBERS, CAUSING FRONT END NOISE. ALSO, EXPERIENCES ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. *AK
TRANSMISSION SLIPPING; ACCELERATOR CABLE STICKS, AND PEDAL GOES COMPLETELY TO THE FLOOR AND WILL NOT RELEASE. CAUSE OF THIS IS UNKNOWN. *AK
CRUISE CONTROL FAILURE, CAUSING VEHICLE TO ACCELERATE BEYOND SPECIFIED SPEED LIMITS. *AK
WHILE PERFORMING A VISUAL INSPECTION DISOVERED A DARK STAIN ON WINDSHIELD. *AK
THE VEHICLE ACCELERATES SUDDENLY WHEN DRIVING BETWEEN 50 TO 60MPH AND THE BRAKE PEDAL BECOMES VERY HARD TO APPLY. *AK
VEHICLE WAS IN A 12 O'CLOCK CRASH AT 60MPH, DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S SIDE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK
THROTTLE CONTROLS ARE FAULTY. WHEN TRYING TO DECELLERATE, THE ENGINE SOMETIMES DEFAULTS TO AN IDLE IN THE 1200 TO 1600 RPM RANGE, AND WON'T DECELLERATE TO LESS THAN 40 MPH UNLESS PRESSING THE BRAKES OR SHIFTING INTO NEUTRAL. WHEN TAKING FOOT OFF ACCELERATOR AND THE CONTROLS DEFAULT TO AN IDLE IN THE 1400-1500 RPM RANGE AND VEHICLE ACCELERATES. HAD SEVERAL NEAR-MISSES. *AK
ABS BRAKE FAILURE, WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED IN HUMID/DAMP OR WET WEATHER CONDITIONS , BRAKES LOCK UP WHEN THEY BECOME WET, HAS NO CONTROL, VEHICLE SKIDS AND SLIDES. *AK
WHILE APPLYING PRESSURE TO ABS BRAKES ON /OFF ROAD CONDITIONS BRAKE PEDAL DROPS TO FLOOR. *AK
CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN A 35 MPH FRONTAL CRASH IN WHICH THE DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. PLEASE GIVE FURTHER DETAILS.
DRIVING UP HILL 30 MPH, TOOK FOOT OFF ACCELERATOR WHICH STUCK, HIT ACCELERATOR TO UNSTICK, ENGINE REVVED, VEHICLE SLID SIDEWAYS & HIT SNOW BANK W/REAR FACING OTHER DIRECTION. VEHICLE STALLED OUT. HAD TO DIG OUT. TOOK TO DEALER. *AK
NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Full record for the 1995 Ford Ranger → · Every Ranger year → · How the figures are calculated →