WHEN ATTEMPTING A STOP THE BRAKE PEDAL GETS HARD AND THE VEHICLE DOES NOT STOP.*AK
1998 Ford Ranger complaints
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 1998 record →
ELECTRICAL ALTERNATOR CAUGHT FIRE.
WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS THE VEHICLE WILL STALL WHICH ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE PROBLEM. CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE PROVIDE DETAILS. *AK
THE DEALER FIXED THE LEAF SPRING TO CORRECT WHAT WAS A 3 INCH LOWER LEFT REAR THAN THE RIGHT REAR. THE TRUCK FISHTAILED BADBY OVER ANY DEGREE OF ROUGH ROAD. IT IS SLIGHTLY BETTER SINCE THE SPRING HAS BEEN REPLACED. BUT THE DEALER TOLD ME THE LEANING PROBLEM WAS STILL THERE. THE SAID THEY CONTACTED FORD AND FORD TOLD THEM THE LEANING WAS A PROBLEM WITH ALL 1998 FORD RANGERS XLT AND OTHERWISE. THERE WAS A SPECIAL SHIM CREATED BY FORD TO CORRECT THE HEIGHT DIFFERENCE IN THE REAR. THE DEALER ORDERED THE SHIM AND I WAIT FOR IT'S ARRIVAL. PAINT WAS BAD IN LOWER REAR OF CAB ALSO. THE AGREED TO FIX THAT. I NEED TO KNOW IF THIS SHIM BUSINESS IS A SAFETY PROBLEM. I DON'T WANT A SHIMMED NEW CAR. IN THE PROCESS OF RETURNING. I AM NOT CONVINCED THEY DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT IT WHEN IT WAS SOLD TO ME AS NEW & JUST HOPED I WOULDN'T NOTICE. I AM CHECKING WITH A BODY SHOP TO SEE IF THE TRUCK HAS BEEN HIT OR DAMAGED & REPAINTED. IT HAS TAPE ON THE BODY WHERE THE PAINT IS BAD! MY PLAN IS
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE BETWEEN 40 AND 45 MPH AND VEHICLE STRUCK A ROAD SIGN, IT HIT ONE POLE IN THE CENTER OF THE BUMPER AND THE OTHER IN PASSENGER'S SIDE, BUT NEITHER AIR BAGS DEPLOYED.*AK
REAR DIFFERENTIAL LOCKED UP AT 50MPH, CAUSING VEHICLE TO SKID AND THROW IT OFF ROAD DOWN INTO AN EMBANKMENT. ONE OCCUPANT WAS INJURED. VEHICLE WAS TOTALLED. DEALER CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK
POOR TIRES INSTALLED ON VEHICLE.
THE FRONT MIDDLE SEATBELT MALFUNCTIONS WHEN THE OCCUPANT MOVES TO THE RIGHT AND SEATBELT ADJUSTER SLIDES DOWN, WHICH WILL NOT PROTECT THE OCCUPANT IN ACCIDENT. ALSO THE TORSION BAR RUBS AGAINST THE BRAKE LINE, CAUSING A HOLE IN THE BRAKE LINE, RESULTING IN BRAKE LOSS. *AK
CONSUMER SAID THAT HIS TRUCK IS ALL MESSED UP DUE TO TRANSAXLE FAILURE. *AK
UPPER AND LOWER CONTROL ARMS ARE LOUD AND MAKE ALOT OF NOISE WHILE GOING OVER BUMPS OR SLOWING DOWN AT ANY SPEED. THE DEALER CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM.
FRAME MEMBERS AND BODY ARE DEFECTIVE. THE MACHANIC REPOSITIONED/WELDED THE FRAME BECAUSE OF A NOISE, DEALER CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK
ENGINE FLOODS/FAILS TO START, AFTER WAITING APPROXIMATELY 30 MINUTES, ENGINE WILL SOMETIMES START. (QCAW)
ANOTHER VEHICLE PULLED IN FRONT QUICKLY. RANGER HIT BRAKES SHARPLY & BRAKES LOCKED UP ON RIGHT SIDE AND SKIDDED. DID NOT HIT OTHER VEHICLE. SKID MARK 92FT. AIR BAG DEPLOYED. LACERATION ON FACE & FOREHEAD ABRASION. EMERGENCY ROOM TREATMENT. HAS HIGHWAY POLICE REPORT.
WRONG WRENCH SUPPLIED WITH THE VEHICLE, USING IMPROPER TORQUE WRENCH TO TIGHTEN LUG NUTS COULD LEAD TO WARPING OF THE ROTOR/PADS IN THE FRONT WHEEL THUS RESULTING IN BRAKE FAILURE.
WHILE DRIVING ON A CURVED MOUNTAIN ROAD AT 15-20 MPH, THE BRAKES STARTED SMOKING. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED, AND STATED THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO ORDER A NEW MASTER CYLINDER. WOULD NOT REPLACE THE MASTER CYLINDER BECAUSE THEY ONLY HAD A PRESENT STOCK OF ORIGINAL MASTER CYLINDERS, AND THEY WERE FAULTY PARTS. *AK
CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WHEN THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE UNDER THE HOOD VEHICLE BURNED QUICKLY, AND WAS TOTALED. CAUSE OF THE FIRE WAS UNDETERMINED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
CONSUMER STARTED HEARING LOUD RATTLING NOISE. NOTICED THAT PASSENGER'S BUCKET SEAT WAS LOOSE. BOLTS THAT ATTACH TO SEAT WERE NOT TIGHTENED ENOUGH , CAUSING THE SEAT TO BE LIFTED AT LEAST 1/2 INCH OFF OF FLOOR. *AK
WHILE DRIVING THE TRUCK 35 MPH, THE ENGINE REVVED HIGH, JUMPED GEARS AND THE TRUCK ACCELERATED TO A VERY HIGH SPEED. AT THAT POINT THE BACK END OF THE TRUCK SHIFTED TO THE RIGHT. WHEN DRIVER TRIED TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL, THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD NOT MOVE, CAUSING DRIVER TO HIT A PARKED VEHICLE. THE ENTIRE FRONT END OF THE TRUCK WAS PUSHED IN. THE TRUCK HAS BEEN TOWED TO AN AUTO BODY SHOP. *AK
ANTI LOCK BRAKES LOCK UP IN REAR, LIGHT STAYS ON CONTINUALLY. (LAWYER FOR CONSUMER)
VEHICLE WILL NOT DECELERATE AFTER DRIVING ON FREEWAY FOR 40+ MINUTES, NO PROBLEM CAN BE FOUND TO CAUSE CONDITION.
DRIVER'S SIDE UPPER DOOR HINGE BOLT CAME OFF.
INTERMITTENTLY WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES THE VEHICLE SURGES FORWARD UNEXPECTEDLY. VEHICLE HAS ACCELERATED SUDDENLY THREE TIMES PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT. THE DEALER HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK
FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING VEHICLE TO SURGE/HESITATE DURING CRUISE.
WHILE DRIVING ON A FLAT, STRAIGHT SURFACE, HEARD A CLICK UNDER VEHICLE. VEHICLE SWERVED TO THE RIGHT LOSING CONTROL, RESULTING IN A CLASH/INJURIES. VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. *AK
CLUTCH PEDAL IS SPONGY. TRAVELS HALF ITS NORMAL DISTANCE WHEN DWPRESSED BEFORE ENGAGING TRANSMISSION.
LEFT LOWER CONTROL ARM IN THE STEERING MECHANISM IS DEFECTIVE, CAUSING LOUD NOISES WHEN MAKING A TURN OR COMING TO A STOP, A NYTHING TO DO WITH THE LOWER FRONT END. DEALER SAID WILL CALL AN ENGINEER TO INSPECT VEHICLE. *AK
Reading these
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 1998 Ford Ranger → · Every Ranger year → · How the figures are calculated →