2001 FORD RANGER Complaints

I OWN A FORD RANGER AND THE FRAME WHERE THE LEAF SPRINGS ATTACH HAS COMPLETELY ROTTED OUT! IS THERE ANYTHING I CAN DO? *TR

DURING MY ANNUAL INSPECTION IT WAS NOTED THAT THE REAR LEAF SPRING BRACKET WAS RUSTED OFF AND PART OF THE FRAME HAD RUSTED AWAY. WOULD NOT PASS SAFETY INSPECTION.... *TR

THE DRIVER'S SIDE REAR SHACKLE WELDS BROKE FOR THE LEAFSPRING SUPPORT. IT MADE A CLUNKING NOISE, SO I CHECKED IT & SEEN THAT IT WAS BROKE. WERE THEN I NOTICED THE TRUCK BOX BEING LIFTED ON THAT SIDE. *TR

REAR OF FRAME HAS RUSTED AWAY. REAR BUMPER IS READY TO FALL OFF. LEFT SPRING UP AGAINST BED FLOOR. THIS TRUCK HAS THE ORIGINAL EXHAUST ON IT NO OTHER PROBLEMS EVER I USE FORD 5W20 SYN. BLEND OIL, CHANGED EVERY 3,000 MILES. GUESS I WASTED ALL THAT MONEY?? I GET 24 MILES TO THE GAL. HIGHWAY. NOW I CANT TAKE IT THERE. STILL LOOKS GOOD SETTING IN MY DRIVEWAY. I AM 68 YRS.OLD, MY ONLY VEH. NO MONEY FOR ANOTHER VEC. NOW WHAT???? THANKS FOR LETTING ME RAMBLE.........[XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

REAR WHEEL ASSEMBLY (WHEELS, AXLE, LEAF-SPRINGS) BECAME DETACHED FROM FRAME DUE TO SEVERE AND PREMATURE FRAME AND LEAF-SPRING BRACKET CORROSION (FAILURE CAUSED ABRUPT PULL TO CENTER OF HIGHWAY AT SPEED, FORTUNATELY NO ACCIDENT, SINCE I AM A PRETTY GOOD DRIVER). SUBSEQUENT INSPECTION REVEALED EXTENSIVE CORROSION ASSOCIATED WITH VEHICLE FRAME AND CRITICAL SUSPENSION COMPONENTS. LEAF SPRING BRACKETS AND VARIOUS OTHER SUSPENSION COMPONENTS NOTED TO BE MANUFACTURED FROM ULTRA-LOW CARBON STEEL (KNOWN TO TURN TO DUST WHEN EXPOSED TO WEATHER). VEHICLE IS A 2001 WITH ONLY 113,000 MILES; TRUCK IS BASICALLY JUNK AT THIS POINT WITH NO CHANCE OF REPLACING THE NUMEROUS COMPONENTS EFFECTED. I REPLACED THE LEAF-SPRING BRACKETS; HOWEVER I AM FEARFUL TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE SINCE IT MAY KILL ME. GOOD JOB FORD INSTILLING CUSTOMER SAFETY, SATISFACTION AND QUALITY ENGINEERING. HOPE THE FEW BUCKS YOU SAVED BY USING SUB-STANDARD MATERIALS ON CRITICAL SUSPENSION COMPONENTS WAS WORTH IT. I GUARANTEE MY FAMILY WILL NEVER PURCHASE ANOTHER FORD PRODUCT. -HUSBAND, FATHER OF TWO... *TR

SINCE I HAVE OWNED THE VEHICLE I HAVE HAD MANY ISSUES WITH THE FRAME OF MY 2001 FORD RANGER EDGE. AT ONE POINT I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND I HEARD A LITTLE NOISE SO I STOPPED AND THE SPARE TIRE CAME ROLLING BY ME DOWN THE STREET. ONE OF MY LEAF SPRINGS CRACKED SO I HAD MY MECHANIC CHECK IT OUT AND HE SAID THE FRAME WAS ALL ROTTED OUT AND THAT THIS WAS VERY COMMON FOR THIS YEAR RANGER. HE SAID THE SHACKLES THAT HOLD ON THE LEAF SPRIG WERE BROKEN BECAUSE OF ROT. SO HE BRACED UP SOME AREAS WITH METAL AND INSTALLED NEW LEAF SPRINGS AND SHACKLES. THE BED OF THE TRUCK IS TILTED BECAUSE OF THE FRAME. I CANT GIVE YOU AN EXACT DATE THAT THIS FIRST HAPPENED BUT I BELIEVE IT IS AROUND THE DATE I PUT DOWN. I GET NERVOUS TOWING MY BOAT OR MY POP UP TRAILER BECAUSE OF THE FRAME. *TT

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD RANGER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR FRAME WAS COMPLETELY CORRODED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO ADVISED THAT THE MATERIAL USED TO BUILD THE FRAME WAS DEFECTIVE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE WHO DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 120,000.

ON THE DATE LISTED, THE TRANSMISSION FAILED TO GO INTO REVERSE. THE REPAIR SHOP TOLD ME THAT THE FORD RANGER IS NOTORIUS FOR TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS THAT INCLUDE: 1. FAILING TO GO INTO REVERSE, 2. FAILING TO GO INTO FORWARD AFTER STOPPING, 3. JUMPING GEARS, OR SLOW GEAR CHANGES. THIS INFORMATION HAS BEEN CONFIRMED BY OTHER SHOPS AS WELL AS A GOOGLE SEARCH. IN FACT, THE PROBLEM MAY BE SEVERLY UNDER REPORTED AS FORD DEALERSHIPS MAY LIST AS OTHER PROBLEMS AND SMALLER SHOPS MAY NOT LINK THE PROBLEM. THIS IS A VERY COSTLY REPAIR, SO I'M SURE FORD DOES NOT WANT TO BE FORCED TO RECALL ALL OF THE RANGERS, AND IT APPEARS THAT THIS PROBLEM DOES AFFECT SEVERAL YEARS OF RANGERS ON THE MARKET. PLEASE GOOGLE FORD RANGER TRANSMISSIONS, AND LOOK AT THE AMOUNT OF COMPLAINTS. LOOK AT THE BLOGS AND GROUPS THAT ARE COMPLAINING ABOUT THIS ISSUE, WHICH IF IT INVOLVES THE VEHICLE MOVING FORWARD, COULD IMPACT THE PASSENGERS IF THE PROBLEM OCCURS ON A FREEWAY ENTRANCE RAMP OR SUBDIVISION STREETS. THIS IS A WIDEPSREAD PROBLEM THAT IS UNDER REPORTED AND IS NOT BEING ADDRESSED, AND IT NEEDS TO BE EXAMINED IN MORE DETAIL. *TR

FRAME WAS NOTED TO HAVE SEVERE RUST DAMAGE TO REAR PORTION OF FRAME, HOWEVER,THE FRONT PORTION OFTHE FRAME DOES NOT SHOW SUCH DAMAGE. I HAVE DONE RESEARCH ON THIS ISSUE AND IT SEEMS TO BE SO COMMON THAT THERE IS AN AFTER MARKET FRAME REPAIR KIT FOR THIS SPECIFIC VEHICLE. THE TRUCK HAS NO OTHER ISSUES. I BELIEVE THAT IT SOULD NOT BE MUCH TO ASK TO HAVE DEFECT REPAIRED BY THE MANUFACTURER TO AVOID SAFETY ISSUES.

TRUCK HAS 86,000 AND LOOKS LIKE BRAND NEW CONDITION, HOWEVER, THE FRAME IS BADLY RUSTED, OUR AUTO MECHANIC HAS TOLD ME THAT THE TRUCKS LIFE IS COMING TO AN END. CONTACTED FORD AND THEY SAID THERE IS AN ONGOING INVESTIGATION AND THEY CAN NOT COMMENT AT THIS TIME. I ASKED IF THEY WOULD HELP PAY FOR A FRAME REPLACEMENT WHICH THEY DECLINED. *TR