1996 FORD RANGER Complaints

WHILE PULLING AWAY FROM A STOP FRONT WHEELS : RIM BASE ON DRIVER'S SIDE SPLIT RIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE, CAUSING FRONT END OF TRUCK TO FALL TO THE GROUND. TRUCK WAS TOWED TO DEALERSHIP. RIM WILL BE REPLACED AT OWNER'S EXPENSE. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW AFTER 4 YEARS OF OWNING THE VEHICLE WITH ONLY 45,000 MILES ON IT THAT THE CARRIER BEARING WAS SHOT. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT BY THE MECHANIC, WHO WAS ALSO TOLD THAT BY THE DEALERSHIP WHEN HE CALLED TO REPLACE THE PART. IF IT IS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE KNOWING.. THANK YOU. *AK

VEHICLE HAS A BAD HEADLIGHT SWITCH. SWITCH HAS TO BE JIGGLED AROUND TO GET THE LIGHTS TO COME ON. ALSO, WHEN HIGH BEAMS ARE ACTIVATED THE LIGHTS GO OUT COMPLETELY. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK

FIRESTONE FR 480 MTS P22570R14NTS TIRES FAILED, ONE PUNCTURED AND REPAIRED HOWEVER 3,000 MILES LATER THE TREAD SEPARATED, REMOVED TIRE 2 FROM TIRE RACK UNDER BED AND NOTICED SPARE TIRE SIDEWALL DAMAGED DUE TO STORAGE. *MJS

WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND ALL OF A SUDDEN LOST ALL POWER AND VEHICLE STALLED. CONTACTED DEALER. *AK

DRIVING ON INTERSTATE @ APPROX 60 MPH WHEN THE ENGINE QUIT RUNNING, ACTTED LIKE A WIRE HAD BURNT INTO BECAUSE THE ENGINE STOPPED AND RAN INTERMITTENT ABOUT 3 TIMES. *AK

INTERIOR LIGHT STAYS ON WHILE DRIVING. IF DRIVING AT NIGHT IT MAY CAUSE A REFLECTION ON THE WINDSHIELD AND VISUAL DIFFICULTY WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH. COMMON PROBLEM. DEALER SAYS THAT THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW THAT NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED. *AK.ET.

WHILE DRIVING ON A NARROW TWO-LANE ROAD, I PROCEEDED TO PASS ANOTHER VEHICLE. I ACCELERATED AND KICKED THE TRUCK INTO PASSING GEAR. THE THROTTLE WENT TO THE WIDE OPEN POSITION AND WOULD NOT RELEASE. I USED THE BRAKES TO FIGHT THE OUT OF CONTROL ENGINE AND VEHICLE. I PROCEEDED DOWN THE CURVY FOR 3 TO FOUR MILES UNTIL I GOT TO A PULLOUT PLACE WHERE I APPLIED THE BRAKES SO HARD THAT IT KILLED THE ENGINE. THE BRAKES WERE DOWN TO NO PADS, WERE VERY HOT, AND COOKED OUT GREASE THAT CAUGHT ON FIRE. I RESTARTED THE ENGINE AT WHICH TIME THE THROTTLE WAS NO LONGER STUCK IN THE WIDE OPEN POSITION. *AK

SPEEDOMETER FAILED TO OPERATE. DEALER IN YUBA CITY, CA AS WELL AS SPEEDOMETER SPECIALTY SHOP (SPEEDOMETER ELECTRIC IN YUBA CITY, (530) 742-2611) CONFIRMED THAT THEY HAVE SEEN THE SAME FAILURE (WILD FLUCTUATION LEADING TO TOTAL FAILURE) IN NUMEROUS WINDSTARS AND OTHER FORD MODELS. THE DEALER SAID IT WAS NOT UNCOMMON TO SEE THE SPEEDOMETER GO OUT IN THIS VEHICLE. AFTER TALKING WITH THE DEALER, SPEEDOMETER ELECTRIC OWNER , AND FINALLY A FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE, I AM CONVINCED THAT THERE IS A DEFECT IN EITHER MATERIALS OR WORKMANSHIP. THE COST OF THE PART ALONE IS $333.33. INCLUDING LABOR, I PAID $417.49 FOR A PART THAT SHOULD NOT HAVE GONE OUT, ESPECIALLY AT THE RELATIVELY LOW MILEAGE ON THIS VAN. I SENT TWO LETTERS TO FORD (OCTOBER 22, 1999, AND NOVEMBER 19, 1999) AND ONLY GOT A GENERIC POST CARD IN RETURN SAYING THEY TRIED BUT WERE UNSUCCESSFUL IN CONTACTING ME (ALTHOUGH MY WIFE STAYS AT HOME AND WE HAVE AN ANSWERING MACHINE). THE DEALER I TOOK IT TO FOR INITIAL DIAGNOSIS WAS GEWEKE FORD IN YUBA CITY, CA (530) 821-2121. DATE: 23 AUGUST 1999. CUSTOMER # 971976. SERVICE ADVISOR SCOTT BABLER SAID IT WAS THE SPEEDOMETER, NOT THE CABLE BECAUSE HE HAD SEEN MANY SIMILAR PROBLEMS. I STRONGLY BELIEVE THERE SHOULD BE AN INVESTIGATION INTO POSSIBLY RECALLING THIS VEHICLE AND OTHERS WITH THE SAME SPEEDOMETER UNIT. PLEASE HELP. THANK YOU, ROBERT A. SCHOENBERG. *AK

BOLTS HOLDING STEERING GEARBOX IN PLACE EITHER BROKE OR FELL OUT, CAUSING NEARLY COMPLETE LOSS OF STEERING. ALMOST HIT GUARDRAIL ON EXPRESSWAY ENTRANCE RAMP. *AK