IllustrationABS: REAR ANTI LOCK BRAKES ARE NOT FUNCTIONING AT ALL; RELY ON FRONT BRAKES ONLY; OWNER HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF FAILURE UNTIL VEHICLE WAS SERVICED. TT
1989 Ford Ranger
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1989 Ford Ranger do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 144.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Ranger years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 7 of 73 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Electrical System. Review the 15 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 11 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Fuel System, Gasoline. Review the 8 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
5 crash reports14 fire reports1 injury reports
What owners actually said
73 reportsOIL PAN SEALANT PIECES FOUND IN OIL PUMP, CLOGGING IT, CAUSING IT TO FAIL. *DSH
SEMI-METALLIC BRAKE DEVELOP HEAT, WARPING ROTORS. (OTHER VEHICLE ON 468584) *AW
THE FRAME IS RUSTED AND IS VERY BAD ON THE TRUCK. PLEASE DESCRIBE. TT
WHEN DRIVING THE SIDE MIRROR ON EACH DOOR STARTS MOVING . TT
THE FRONT LEFT DISC BRAKE WARPED AND IT WOULD NOT WORK AT ALL AND THE PISTON KEPT CRUMPLING AND IT WAS DUE TO STICKING PADS. PLEASE DESCRIBE. TT
ENGINE HEADS CRACKED CAUSING ANTIFREEZE TO MIX WITH OIL. *SKD
THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT RESTRAINT IS NOT WORKING. TT
BOTH CYLINDER HEADS CRACKED, CAUSING COOLANT TO MIX W/OIL. *AW
THE TRUCK BURNT UP FOR NO REASON. PLEASE DESCRIBE. TT
Official recalls
189V109000 · Suspension:front:wheel Bearing
Jul 5, 1989
FRONT WHEEL BEARING ADJUSTING NUT RETAINING KEYS MAY BE MISSING FROM FRONT AXLE ASSEMBLIES, ALLOWING THE NUT TO LOOSEN.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS COULD RESULT IN DETACHMENT OF THE WHEEL AND HUBASSEMBLY FROM THE AXLE, LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL, AND AN ACCIDENT.
Remedy: INSTALL RETAINING KEYS IN FRONT WHEEL HUB ASSEMBLIES WHERE MISSING.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1PE92029 · Whl Separation/torque Loss
Opened Mar 16, 1992 · Closed Aug 31, 1992
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Suspension
There is no summary currently available