1998 FORD RANGER Complaints

I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AND THE TRUCK STARTED SMOKING AND CAUGHT ON FIRE, I PULLED OFF THE FREEWAY AND THE WHOLE FRONT OF THE TRUCK BURST INTO FLAMES. *TR

TOOK IN FOR INSPECTION. IT FAILED BECAUSE OF RUSTED FRAME, SHACKLES, SHOCKS, BRAKE LINES AND REAR BRAKE DRUMS. IT COST ME $3,127.34 TO REPLACE ALL THE PARTS. BEFORE THIS, THE SPARE TIRE FELL OFF. TOYOTA REPLACED THE FRAME OF MY NEIGHBORS PICKUP AT NO COST TO HIM. I ALSO HAVE A FRIEND WHO HAD A YEAR 2000 MAZDA PICKUP THAT HAD A RUSTED FRAME AND WOULDN'T PASS INSPECTION. I'M SURE THIS ISN'T THE FIRST COMPLAINT ON THIS SUBJECT. I BOUGHT FORDS FOR YEARS AND MY FATHER WORKED FOR A FORD DEALER SHIP FOR 40 YEARS. SINCE THIS TRUCK, I WILL NOT BUY ANOTHER FORD. THANKS FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. *JS

REAR SECTION OF FRAME AT REAR BUMPER MOUNT AND SPARE TIRE HOLDER IS COMPLETELY RUSTED TO THE POINT OF HOLES ALL THE WAY THRU. HAVE READ A LOT OF OTHERS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. TRUCK IS IN VERY NICE SHAPE OTHER THAN THIS. HAVE OWN MANY MANY FORD TRUCKS OVER THE YEARS. ALL DIFFERENT YEARS FROM 1968-2008. FORD SHOULD MAKE THIS RIGHT FOR ITS CUSTOMERS. *TR

WENT TO GET ESTIMATE ON REPLACING MUFFLER SYSTEM AND WAS TOLD NOT TO DO IT BECAUSE FRAME WAS RUSTED AND READY TO BREAK. I HAVE OWNED THIS VEHICLE SINCE JAN. 16 2001. ALSO HAD TO REPLACE REAR SHACKLES IN 2009. DOES FORD HAVE ANY RECALL ON THIS AS I HAVE READ MANY MANY OTHERS THAT HAVE THE SAME COMPLAINT. *TR

SPARE TIRE FELL OFF WHILE DRIVING. ENTIRE FRAME IS RUSTING. GAS TANK ABOUT TO FALL OFF. TRUCK ONLY HAS 115000 MILES???? *JS

THE FRAME ON THE PASSENGER SIDE FROM ABOUT THE MIDDLE OF THE DOOR TO THE FRONT SUSPENSION MOUNT IS ALMOST COMPLETELY GONE FROM RUST. I SHOWED IT TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP AND THEY ADVISED ME NOT TO DRIVE AS IT IS EXTREMELY UNSAFE BUT THEY EITHER COULD OR WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. THE COIL SPRING POCKET IS CRACKED AND THE SPRING IS ABOUT TO POP OUT. I CANNOT AFFORD A NEW VEHICLE AT THIS TIME. THE FRAME IS BROKEN AND CRACKED IN SEVERAL AREAS DUE TO STRESS FROM FLEXING BECAUSE OF THE RUST. I ATTEMPTED TO GET A LOCAL FABRICATION SHOP WELD IT BUT THEY WILL NOT TOUCH IT. I CAN TAKE PHOTOGRAPHS IF NEED BE. FORD MOTOR COMPANY TOLD ME THEY HAVE HAD NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS SAME PROBLEM BUT NOT ENOUGH TO ISSUE A RECALL. I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE THIS VEHICLE BUT HAVE NO CHOICE. I HAVE ALREADY REPLACED REAR SPRING MOUNTS AND SHACKLES BECAUSE OF RUST BUT I CANNOT REPLACE THE FRAME AND NO ONE WILL TOUCH IT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD RANGER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE VIBRATED AND THE WATER RESERVOIR WAS ABNORMALLY LOW. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A PRIVATE MECHANIC, WHO STATED THAT THE NUMBER FOUR SPARK PLUG WAS BURNED. THE HATCH HAD CRACKED AND LEAKED WATER TO THE NUMBER FOUR SPARK PLUG. THE FAILURE RECURRED FREQUENTLY AND HAD TO REPLACE THE SPARK PLUG EVERY 3,000 MILES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 139,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 146,329.

TRUCK IN OVER ALL GREAT SHAPE HOWEVER THE FRAME IS BEAT I KNOW FORD SAYS SALT BUT LOOKING AT THE REST OF TRUCK ONE CAN SEE IT WAS TAKEN VERY GOOD CARE OF. LIKE TOYOTA ,WITH THEM BEING RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ISSUES OF THEIR FRAMES I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT FORD IS ABOVE THE RIGHT THING TO DO... IN CLOSING PLEASE LET ME KNOW, IF ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS IS FORDS . THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR TIME IN THIS MATTER, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

REAR FRAME HAS ROTTED OUT BY THE RIGHT REAR SPRING HANGER CAUSING SPRING TO GO TRU BED AND THE REAR AXLE TO BE DETACHED THE TRUCK AT THIS TIME IN IN OPERABLE DUE TO THIS WILL BE TRYING TO WELD AND REPLACE IT AS BEST AS CAN BE BUT THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON COMPLAINT IM READING ABOUT ONLINE SURE WISH FORD WOULD STEP UP LIKE TOYOTA DID

THE FRAME HAS RUSTED THROUGH IN SPOTS ALL THE WAY DOWN THE FRAME. IT LOOKS CLOSE TO BREAKING IN HALF IN SOME SPOTS. A 1998 VEHICLE SHOULD NOT HAVE THIS MUCH RUST NO MATTER WHERE IT CAME FROM. AFTER RESEARCHING THIS VEHICLE, IT APPEARS THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND I BELIEVE FORD SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS. *TR