2000 FORD RANGER Complaints

IN OCTOBER OF 2006 THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION IN MY 2000 4X4 FORD RANGER BEGAN TO NOT ENGAGE IN PARK WHEN I WOULD STOP AND PARK THE TRUCK. THE INDICATOR WOULD ALSO NOT STOP ON THE GEAR THAT THE TRUCK WAS IN. AFTER CHECKING THE TRANSMISSION SELECTOR CABLE RUN AND ADJUSTING IT WHERE IT ENTERS THE TRANSMISSION THE PROBLEM WAS A LITTLE BETTER. IN ABOUT TWO WEEKS THE PROBLEM BEGAN AGAIN AND I LOOKED AT THE COMPONENTS I HAD LOOKED AT BEFORE AND EVERYTHING WAS THE SAME. AT THAT TIME I ALSO GOT A MIRROR AND LIGHT AND LOOKED UNDER THE DASH AT THE BACK OF THE GEAR SELECTOR AND SAW TWO STAR DRIVE SCREWS. I PUT A STAR DRIVE ON MY DRIVER AND FOUND BOTH SCREWS TURNED EASILY. AFTER TIGHTENING THE SCREWS THE SHIFTING MECHANISM STAYED ON EACH GEAR AS IT SHOULD HAVE AND ENGAGED ALL GEARS AND PARK. THE PROBLEM WAS FIXED. THE CONSEQUENCES OF THIS WERE, THAT, BEFORE IT WAS FIXED I WOULD STOP THE TRUCK "PUT IT IN PARK" GET OUT, AND THE TRUCK WOULD START ROLLING. FORTUNATELY, I BEGAN USING THE PARKING BRAKE BEFORE I FIGURED OUT WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. I ONLY USE MY TRUCK ON ROUGH ROADS ABOUT 5% OF THE TIME. SINCE THIS PART IS IN A REALLY OUT OF SIGHT PLACE THE SCREWS SHOULD HAVE SOME EXTRA LOCKING MECHANISM OR ADHESIVE ON THEM BECAUSE THE CONSUMER OR MECHANIC IS NOT GOING TO LOOK FOR THE PROBLEM WHICH IS OUT OF SIGHT AND IN A HARD TO REACH PLACE. *NM

2000 RANGER HAD THROTTLE PROBLEMS. *TS THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED VARIOUS PARTS ON THE VEHICLE SUCH AS THE MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR, IDLE AIR CONTROL. THE PROBLEM CONTINUED. *JB

I EXPERIENCED SUDDEN, UNCONTROLLABLE ACCELERATION WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH ON A SUBURBAN STREET. THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND WAS SEEMINGLY DISCONNECTED FROM ITS LINKAGE. I WAS ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE BY TURNING OFF THE IGNITION, THANKFULLY BEFORE ENCOUNTERING ANOTHER VEHICLE, PEDESTRIAN OR OBSTACLE. MY VEHICLE IS A VERY WELL MAINTAINED 2000 FORD RANGER XLT WITH ABOUT 68,000 MILES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL GARAGE WHO REPAIRED IT PROMPTLY. I REPORTED THE INCIDENT TO MY LOCAL FORD DEALER WHO BASICALLY SHRUGGED HIS SHOULDERS, SEEMINGLY UNCARING THAT THERE MAY BE A POTENTIALLY SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. HE GAVE ME A TOLL-FREE PHONE NUMBER TO CALL FORD MOTOR COMPANY, BUT AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO REACH THAT LINE, AND BEING PUT ON HOLD THROUGH AN AUTOMATED SYSTEM FOR UP TO 40 MINUTES AT A TIME, I HAVE BECOME FRUSTRATED ENOUGH TO REPORT THIS TO NHTSA. *JB

2000 FORD RANGER ACCELERATOR PEDAL STICKS AT HIGH SPEEDS ALMOST CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. *KB *JB

EMERGENCY BRAKE CABLES THAT RUN TOGETHER BY THE REAR END, HAVE RUBBED TOGETHER TO THE POINT OF WARRING THROUGH THE SHEATHING. THIS HAS STARTED TO CAUSE THE REAR EMERGENCY BRAKES TO STICK WHEN THE EMERGENCY BRAKE IS RELEASED AFTER BEING SET. I THINK THIS COULD BE COME A BIG SAFETY CONCERN DOWN THE ROAD, BY EITHER FAILING TO WORK, OR RELEASE. IT'S A POOR DESIGN ON FORDS PART AND COULD BE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN THANKS FOR YOUR TIME. ALSO WHAT'S UP WITH THE ENGINE PAN GASKET FORD USED ON THIS TRUCK MINE IS LEAKING BADLY AND I'VE HEARD MOST OF THEM DO. ARE THERE ANY RECALLS? THANKS AGAIN STEV ANDERSON. *NM

TRANSMISSION ACTED AS IF IN NEUTRAL. HAD TO MANUALLY SHIFT DOWN TO BE ABLE TO MOVE VEHICLE OFF ROAD. THIS SITUATION COULD HAVE PRESENTED A REAL TRAFFIC HAZARD HAD IT OCCURRED WHEN I NEEDED TO PULL OUT QUICKLY, OR IF THERE WERE LOTS OF TRAFFIC. RESEARCHED PROBLEM ON THIS SITE AND FOUND SERVICE BULLETINS WHICH MENTION THE PROBLEM: 10013414, 10014086 AND 10013369. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED SMOKE CAME FROM THE STEERING COLUMN WHILE ATTEMPTING TO USE THE LEFT TURN SIGNAL. ALTHOUGH THE DEALER WAS CONSULTED NO INSPECTIONS WERE MADE. *AK

ON APRIL 8TH 2006 THE FRONT PARKING BRAKE CABLE ON MY 2000 FORD RANGER BROKE DUE TO WEAR FROM A METAL CLIP USED TO HOLD THE CABLE SLEEVE IN PLACE. WHEN I TRIED TO REPLACE THE CABLE I DISCOVERED THAT THE PARKING BRAKE ASSY. WAS MANUFACTURED SO THAT THE PARKING BRAKE/E-BRAKE PEDAL ASSY ALSO HAS TO BE REPLACED, BECAUSE THERE IS NO WAY TO REMOVE THE BROKEN CABLE FROM THE PEDAL ASSY. THE COST OF THE PART IS $85.00 FOR THE PEDAL ASSY. AND $35.00 FOR THE CABLE ASSY. PARTS ARE ONLY AVAILABLE THROUGH THE DEALER ON SPECIAL ORDER ONLY. MY CONCERN IS THAT IF PEOPLE HAVE TO PAY THAT MUCH FOR SOMETHING THEY SHOULDN'T HAVE TO REPLACE, THEN THEY WONT REPLACE THE BROKEN CABLE AND POTENTIALLY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT OR WORSE, DEATH TO SOMEONE. *NM

DOOR AJAR LIGHT/ DOME LIGHT COMES ON. ALSO BUZZER COMES ON WHENEVER MAKING RIGHT OR LEFT TURNS . EVEN GOING OVER BUMP CAN TRIGGER THIS ON 2000 FORD RANGER. *AK

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED, EVEN THOUGH THE VEHICLE DROVE NORMALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER BECAUSE IT WOULD NOT PASS THE STATE INSPECTION. THE DEALER DISCOVERED THE FLEXIBLE FUEL SENSOR DETERIORATED WHICH MAY BE DUE TO THE ROAD SALTS USED IN THE STATE OF NEW YORK. IT WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP FOR REPLACEMENT OF THE FLEXIBLE FUEL SENSOR. THIS VEHICLE WAS MANUFACTURED BY THE CALIFORNIA EMISSION STANDARDS.*AK UPDATED 01/25/06. *JB