1998 FORD RANGER Complaints

WHILE TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 65 TO 70 MPH VEHICLE JUMPED INTO 4-WHEEL DRIVE UNEXPECTEDLY. NO DETERMINATION HAS BEEN MADE AS TO THE CAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION / ATTACHMENTS.*AK

EMERGENCY BRAKE CABLES ARE DESIGNED INCORRECTLY-RUB ON EACH OTHER AND LEAF SPRING CUTTING THROUGH JACKETS. CANNOT USE BRAKE WITHOUT IT LOCKING REAR BRAKES. NOTED A LOT OF RANGERS HAVE SAME PROBLEM. PEOPLE CANNOT USE PARKING BRAKE MAKING THE POSSIBILITY OF A RUN AWAY VEHICLE. REPLACING THE SYSTEM AS DESIGNED IS NOT AN OPTION AS IT IS DESIGNED TO FAIL AGAIN. RESULT IS TRUCKS OUT THERE WITHOUT USEFUL PARKING BRAKES. FORD IS IGNORING THE PROBLEM. WE HAVE EXTENDED WARRANTY AND FORD WILL NOT COVER SAYING IT IS RUST WHEN IN REALITY IT CAUSED BY THE FAULTY DESIGN. *AK

WHILE DRIVING, VEHICLE WOULD START TO SHIMMY/ VIBRATE AT 35MPH AND ABOVE, VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP, AND HAD TIRES ROTATED EVEN THOUGH IT WAS THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE, HOWEVER PROBLEM STILL EXISTS, CONSUMER CONTACTED FIRESTONE, AND NOTHING WAS BEING DONE ABOUT THE TIRES. P225/70R15 ON A 1998 FORD, RANGER.*AK CONSUMER CONTACTED FORD AND WAS INFORMED THAT THIS IS A FIRESTONE PROBLEM.*JB

AFTER APPROXIMATELY 10 -15 MINUTES AFTER A COLD START AND RUNNING IN CITY TRAFFIC, THE ENGINE SPEED INCREASES TO 2500 - 3000 RPM WITH THE CLUTCH DEPRESSED. THIS OCCURS WHEN I AM SLOWING TO STOP AT A TRAFFIC SIGNAL. WHILE MY FOOT IS ON THE BRAKE, THE ENGINE RPM REMAINS CLOSE TO 1000 - 1200 RPM, ABOUT WHAT YOUR WOULD EXPECT. AS SOON AS I DEPRESS THE CLUTCH, THE ENGINE RPM RAPIDLY INCREASES TO NEARLY 3000. WHEN THE PROBLEM OCCURS, THE ENGINE RPM WILL REMAIN HIGH FOR ABOUT 10 SECONDS OR UNTIL I RELEASE THE CLUTCH OR TURN OFF THE ENGINE. AS SOON AS THE ENGINE HAS STOPPED, I RESTART THE ENGINE THE ENGINE. IT STARTS NORMALLY WITHOUT INCIDENT AND CONTINUES USUALLY WITHOUT INCIDENT ALTHOUGH IF THE TRAFFIC IS EXCEPTIONALLY HEAVY, THE PROBLEM MAY REOCCUR IN APPROXIMATELY 30 MINUTES. THIS IS SORT OF LIKE REBOOTING A COMPUTER. BOTH TEAM FORD AND THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY TELL ME THAT THIS IS NORMAL FOR THIS TYPE OF VEHICLE AND NOT TO WORRY ABOUT IT. I CONSIDER IT TO BE A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY HAZARD BECAUSE I MUST STOP AND RESTART THE ENGINE IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. ACCORDING TO THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY, ALL FORD RANGERS (1998 - 2000) WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSION AND 3.0LITER ENGINE EXPERIENCE THIS PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM NEVER OCCURRED UNTIL I HAD DRIVEN THE TRUCK FOR OVER 45K MILES.*AK

WHILE BACKING OUT SLOWLY, STEERING WHEEL DISCONNECTED FROM STEERING MECHANISM, RESULTING IN LOSS OF STEERING, DEALER SAID THAT INTERMEDIATE SHAFT BOLT WAS STRIPPED, THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT.*AK *JB

THIS VEHICLE IS NOT EQUIPPED WITH CRUISE CONTROL. THE PROBLEM IS THE THROTTLE STICKS AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, CAUSING THE ENGINE TO RACE AND MAKING IT DANGEROUS TO STOP THE TRUCK. I HAVE NEARLY REAR ENDED TWO VEHICLES DUE TO THIS DEFECT.*AK

MY TRUCK WAS JUST 3 MONTHS NOW OUT OF WARRANTY.I WENT TO START IT TO GO TO WORK AND IT WOULD NOT STAY RUNNING:JUST WOULD NOT.I CALLED GORDIE BOUCHER SERVICE AND GOT AN APPOINTMENT TO HAVE IT CHECKED OUT.I WAS AFRAID TO DRIVE IT OUT THERE,SO I HAD MY HUSBAND DO THAT AND HIS FATHER FOLLOWED IN HIS VEHICLE. MY HUSBAND SAID HE HAD A HECK OF A TIME.TRUCK KEPT KILLING AND WOULDN'T STAY RUNNING.I TOLD HIM TO GO IN THE MORNING SO AS NOT TO GET CAUGHT IN HEAVY TRAFFIC AND STALL OUT AND CAUSE AN ACCIDENT!BOTTOM LINE:NEEDED MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR:COST:$360.00.I BELIEVE THIS TO BE A MANUFACTURER DEFECT REGARDLESS OF BEING ONLY 3 MONTHS OUT OF WARRANTY.I BELIEVE THIS PART SHOULD LAST LONGER THAN 3 YEARS,3 MONTHS AND I WANT TO BE REIMBURSED BY FORD FOR THE $360.00 I HAD TO PAY. I COULD HAVE HAD AN ACCIDENT HAD THAT HAPPENED ON MY GOING TO WORK OR GETTING OFF WORK OR MY HUSBAND ON HIS WAY TO TAKE IT TO BE REPAIRED!*AK

AFTER READING OTHER CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS REGARDING THE FORD RANGER , I FEEL I MUST REPAIR THE FRONT WHEELS ON MY TRUCK. THE FRONT WHEELS STARTED MAKING LOUD NOISES WHEN THEY TURNED LEFT OR RIGHT.. I WAS TOLD THE WHEEL BEARINGS NEEDED REPLACING. THIS IS EXPENSIVE. THIS CAR ONLY HAS 27,000.00 MILES ON IT AND REPLACING THE WHEEL BEARINGS SOUND A LITTLE TO MAJOR FOR A LOW MILEAGE CAR. YET FOR MY SAFETY AND OTHERS I NEED TO HAVE THIS DONE.*AK

IN THIS VEHICLE DRIVESHAFT DOES NOT FIT ON THE TRANSMISSION FAR ENOUGH WHICH CAUSES IT TO FIBRATE OUT OF BALANCE AND KNOCKS THE OIL SEAL OUT OF THE TRANSMISSION. IS THIS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH FORD?*AK

PASSENGERS SEATBELTS GO INSIDE OF RETRACTOR, BUT SEATBELTS DOESN'T ATTACH OR SECURE PROPERLY.*AK