2004 FORD RANGER Complaints

AFTER MAKING A RIGHT TURN, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED AND LURCHED FORWARD AND CRASHED INTO A BRIDGE. THE CONSUMER DROVE THE VEHICLE HOME AND A TOW TRUCK PICKED THE VEHICLE UP AND TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. THE PROBLEM WAS NOT DETERMINED. *JB

THE CONSUMER BELIEVES THAT THE DRIVER'S SEATS DESIGN DECREASES THE DRIVER'S PERIPHERAL VISION AND INCREASES THE CHANCES OF AN ACCIDENT. *NM THE SOLID PIECE INCORPORATING THE HEAD REST WAS SO HIGH THAT THERE WAS NO VISIBILITY BETWEEN THE TOP OF THE SEATS AND THE CEILING OF THE CAB. *SC *JB

WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BECAME STUCK AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED TO 70 MPH. THE CONSUMER HIT A WALL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED. *JB

WHILE DRIVING IT FELT AS IF THE GEARS WERE GOING TO JUMP. CONSUMER WENT OUT TO START THE VEHICLE, AND WENT BACK INTO THE HOUSE, AND GEARS JUMPED FROM PARK INTO REVERSE, CAUSING A COLLISION. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER SEVERAL TIMES FOR THIS PROBLEM, AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. *AK *NM

PAST SAFETY RECALLS OTIFICATION DATE COMPONENT DESCRIPTION NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER /3/2004 STRUCTURE: FRAME AND MEMBERS:UNDERBODY SHIELDS 04V331000 . *AK I BROUGHT MY 2004 FORD RANGER TO THE DEALER THIS DAY 12-13-2004 AND WHEN I MENTIONED THIS RECALL TO INSPECT FOR THIS POSSIBLE FRAME PROBLEM THE SERVICE WRITER AT THE "WORLD FORD" DEALER IN MIAMI, FL. TOLD ME THERE IS NO RECALL. WHAT DO I DO NOW?

WHILE DRIVING AT 50 MPH CONSUMER'S VEHICLE COLLIDED WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE HEAD ON. UPON IMPACT, THE AIRBAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY, RESULTING IN MINOR INJURIES.*AK

CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT A STARTING PROBLEM. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. DEALER REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP, BUT PROBLEM RECURRED.*AK

I JUST BOUGHT A 2004 FORD RANGER REGULAR CAB IN AUG 2004. ABOUT 2 WEEKS AGO AFTER A HEAVY RAIN THE WHOLE INSIDE OF MY VEHICLE WAS WET. IT WAS WET FROM BOTH THE DRIVER AND THE PASSENGER HEAD RESTS TO THE FLOOR. IT TOOK A LITTLE OVER A WEEK FOR THE VEHICLE TO DRY OUT. I TOOK IT TO THE FORD DEALER THAT I BOUGHT IT FROM AND THEY TOLD ME THAT I HAD A DEFECTIVE WINDOW. THEY DID NOT EVEN HAVE TO LOOK AT THE TRUCK TO TELL ME WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. THEY HAD TO ORDER A NEW BACK WINDOW FOR ME. THE ASSISTANT SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME THAT THE PROBLEM THE SEAT BACK PUSHES OUT THE BACK WINDOW AND WATER CAN GET INSIDE. I AM 6'4" AND I HAVE TO HAVE THE SEAT ALL THE WAY BACK TO DRIVE. WHEN THEY REPLACED THE WINDOW I TALK TO THE AUTO GLASS COMPANY THAT THEY SUB THE WORK OUT TO. HE TOLD ME THAT THIS WAS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM IN THE RANGER REGULAR CABS. HE SAID THAT HE HAS HAD A FEW VEHICLES THAT COME IN EVERY 3 MONTHS TO GET A NEW REAR WINDOW. I HAVE ALSO CALLED FORD AND SPOKE WITH THEM ABOUT THE PROBLEM. THEY OFFERED LITTLE HELP. MY NEW TRUCK NOW SMELLS LIKE MOLD AND MILDEW, BUT THEY WILL DO NOTHING TO FIX THAT, EVEN THOUGH IT IS THEIR FAULT, OR THE WINDOW PROBLEM OTHER THAN REPLACE IT IF IT HAPPENS AGAIN. I THINK THAT THE SEAT IS THE MAJOR PROBLEM. NOT ONLY DOES IT PUSH THE GLASS OUT IT ALSO RESTRICTS THE REAR VIEW OF THE TRUCK WHILE DRIVING BECAUSE THE SEATS GO ALL THE WAY TO THE CEILING. WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IN A ACCIDENT IF THE SEAT PUSHES OUT THE BACK WINDOW? *NM

THE ENGINE CONTROLLER TENDS TO HOLD THE ENGINE SPEED BETWEEN 2000 AND 2500 RPM WHEN MY FOOT IS NOT TOUCHING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. THIS BEHAVIOR IS MOST OBVIOUS WHEN THE CLUTCH IS DEPRESSED WHILE CHANGING GEARS. THE ENGINE RPM IS HELD ARTIFICIALLY HIGH (WAY ABOVE NORMAL IDLE) FOR AS LONG AS I DEPRESS THE CLUTCH, UP UNTIL THE POINT THAT THE VEHICLE HAS COASTED ALMOST TO A COMPLETE STOP. I BELIEVE THAT THE COMPUTER ALSO DOES THIS WHEN THE CLUTCH IS ENGAGED. FOR EXAMPLE, IF I REMOVE PRESSURE FROM THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND ALLOW THE VEHICLE TO COAST WITH THE CLUTCH ENGAGED WHILE IN THIRD GEAR ON A LEVEL ROAD, THE VEHICLE NEVER SLOWS DOWN BELOW APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH (CORRESPONDING TO APPROXIMATELY 2000 ENGINE RPMS). ALSO, WHILE DESCENDING A HILL IN A LOW (2ND/3RD) GEAR USING ENGINE BRAKING (NOT TOUCHING THE GAS PEDAL), I CAN FEEL THE TRUCK SPONTANEOUSLY ACCELERATE. I FIRST TOOK THE TRUCK TO THE DEALER FOR THIS COMPLAINT ON 10/22/04. THE TECHNICIAN CONFIRMED THE BEHAVIOR, INSPECTED VARIOUS SENSORS, PROBED THE COMPUTER FOR ERROR CODES, AND EVENTUALLY RESORTED TO RESETTING THE COMPUTER IN HOPES THAT THE PROBLEM WOULD MAGICALLY DISAPPEAR. THIS OF COURSE DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM, SO I RETURNED TO THE DEALERSHIP ON 11/16/04 WITH THE SAME COMPLAINT. THEY RESEARCHED THE ISSUE AND FOUND THAT IT IS A "NORMAL CHARACTERISTIC" OF THE VEHICLE, SUPPOSEDLY ADDED TO THE COMPUTER PROGRAM TO IMPROVE EMISSIONS. ASIDE FROM BEING ANNOYING, I BELIEVE THAT THIS "FEATURE" COULD POSE A SAFETY PROBLEM BECAUSE IT REDUCES THE EFFECTIVENESS AND PREDICTABILITY OF ENGINE BRAKING ON DOWN-HILL GRADES. ENGINE BRAKING IS VERY IMPORTANT IN MY AREA BECAUSE OF THE STEEP, FREQUENTLY SNOW-COVERED ROADS.*AK

FUEL CUT OFF SWITCH LOCATED UNDER THE DASHBOARD ON PASSENGER'S SIDE WAS ENGAGED ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED OF 50 MPH OR MORE. THE FUEL CUT OFF SWITCH WAS ENGAGED BY THE PASSENGER'S FOOT. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER, WHO REPLACED THE FUEL CUT OFF SWITCH. CONSUMER WAS CONCERNED THAT THE FUEL CUT OFF SWITCH DID NOT HAVE A PROTECTIVE COVER TO PREVENT THIS INCIDENT FROM RECURRING.*AK