IllustrationTHE CHARCOAL GRAY PAINT ON THE HOOD AND ROOF OF MY 1990 FORD RANGER HAS FADED BADLY. FORD SAYS THEY HAD NEVER HEARD OF THIS PROBLEM BEFORE AND IT IS NOT SUBJECT TO A RECALL. *NLM
1990 Ford Ranger
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1990 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: 8 of 105 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 20 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Tires. Review the 14 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 13 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
9 crash reports15 fire reports4 injury reports
What owners actually said
105 reportsREAR DOORS WILL NOT STAY LOCKED, CAUSING CHILD TO FALL OUT OF VEHICLE WHILE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AT 20MPH, AND NO WARNING. CHILD SUSTAINED INJURIES. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK
LEFT REAR AXLE BROKE, INCLUDING WHEEL ASSEMBLY COMING OFF TRUCK WHILE BEING DRIVEN 50 MPH. LEAF SPRINGS HIT THE ASPHALT, CAUSING TRUCK TO ROLL.*AK THE VEHICLE ROLLED OVER AND CAME TO A REST ON ITS TOP. THE VICTIM, DRIVER WAS EJECTED FROM THE VEHICLE AND CAME TO REST SEVERAL FEET FROM THE VEHICLE. THE DRIVER TRIED TO CORRECT…
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LEFT REAR AXLE BROKE, INCLUDING WHEEL ASSEMBLY COMING OFF TRUCK WHILE BEING DRIVEN 50 MPH. LEAF SPRINGS HIT THE ASPHALT, CAUSING TRUCK TO ROLL.*AK THE VEHICLE ROLLED OVER AND CAME TO A REST ON ITS TOP. THE VICTIM, DRIVER WAS EJECTED FROM THE VEHICLE AND CAME TO REST SEVERAL FEET FROM THE VEHICLE. THE DRIVER TRIED TO CORRECT THE VEHICLE CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO SKID LEFT. THIS IS WHAT CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO ROLL. *JG
TRUCK ROLLED WHEN IN PARK. *AK
PICK-UP GAUGE SHOWED HOT. GOT HELP AT NEAREST STATION AND REPLACED LOST COOLENT. SEEMED TO HAVE COOLED DOWN. DROVE ABOUT FOUR (4) MILES AND NOTICED SMOKE COMMING INTO CAB DOWN BY THE GEAR SHIFT IN FLOOR BOARD. IMMEDDIATELY PULLED IN TO A SCHOOL PARKING LOT AWAY FROM OTHER CARS. GOT OUT AND LOOKED UNDER THE PICKUP. SMOKE WAS PO…
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PICK-UP GAUGE SHOWED HOT. GOT HELP AT NEAREST STATION AND REPLACED LOST COOLENT. SEEMED TO HAVE COOLED DOWN. DROVE ABOUT FOUR (4) MILES AND NOTICED SMOKE COMMING INTO CAB DOWN BY THE GEAR SHIFT IN FLOOR BOARD. IMMEDDIATELY PULLED IN TO A SCHOOL PARKING LOT AWAY FROM OTHER CARS. GOT OUT AND LOOKED UNDER THE PICKUP. SMOKE WAS POURING OUT BY THEN. WITHIN ABOUT 5 MIN. AT THE MOST A FIRE STARTED UNDERNEATH AND WITHIN MIN. THE WHOLE TRUCK WENT UP IN FLAMES. FIRE DEPARTMENT HAD ONLY 6 MILES AT THE MOST TO TRAVEL AND RESPONDED QICKLY BUT IT WAS COMPLETELY LOST BY THEN. WHAT COULD HAVE MADE IT DO THIS JUST BY GETTING HOT? HAS ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEEN REPORTED BEFORE ON L990 FORD RANGER PICKUPS? I WAS TRAVELING ALONE AND GOT OUT SAFELY BUT I WAS VERY SCARED AND COULDN'T BELIEVE THAT IT COULD HAVE BURNT UP SO FAST. AND GOT OUT.*AK
WHILE DRIVING AT STATE SPEED LIMIT AND WITHOUT WARNING ENGINE WILL ACCELERATE 50-60 MPH WITHOUT APPLYING ACCELERATOR. THEN, SHUTDOWN. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED.*AK
THE TREAD ON MY TIRE CAME OFF AND SENT ME SIDEWAYS AND ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT AND WHEN I FINELY GOT STOPPED AND LOOKED AT MY TRUCK IT HAD CAVED MY BACK RIGHT REAR QUARTER PANEL IN AND RIPPED OUT THE PLASTIC LINING THAT GOES UNDER THE FENDER AND I WOULD LIKE SOMONE TO TAKE CARE OF MY PROBLEM SINCE IT WAS A FIRESTONE ATX IT JU…
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THE TREAD ON MY TIRE CAME OFF AND SENT ME SIDEWAYS AND ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT AND WHEN I FINELY GOT STOPPED AND LOOKED AT MY TRUCK IT HAD CAVED MY BACK RIGHT REAR QUARTER PANEL IN AND RIPPED OUT THE PLASTIC LINING THAT GOES UNDER THE FENDER AND I WOULD LIKE SOMONE TO TAKE CARE OF MY PROBLEM SINCE IT WAS A FIRESTONE ATX IT JUST WASNT THE SIZE YOU GUYS ANNOUNCED IT IS A 215/75R/15. IT HAD HAPPENED TO ME TWICE I STILL HAVE MY TIRES IF YOU WHAT TO SEE THEM. COULD YOU PLEASE REPLY A.S.A.P NORMA HOLDEN. *AK (TIRESIZE: 215/75R/15)
WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 5 MPH CONSUMER SAW SMOKE COMING FROM DASH. HE PULLED OVER AND DISCONNECTED BATTERY, FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED TO PUT OUT FIRE. *AK *YH
LEAKS GAS WHEN FUELED. FOUND CRACK IN FILLER HOSE ( PLASTIC) COST OF NEW HOSE $240.00 TRUCK HAS NEVER BEEN IN WRECK. THINK HOSE CRACKED DUE TO AGE. WOULD HAVE NEVER KNOWN ABOUT IT IF NOT FOR OTHER MOTORIST INFORMING ME,AS I WAS FILLING UP WITH GAS THAT FUEL WAS LEAKING ON GROUND. *AK
WHILE DRIVING COULD STOP AT STOP SIGN OR AT A RED LIGHT AND ENGINE WILL OVERHEAT THEN STALL WITHOUT A PRIOR WARNING. HAD TAKEN VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR REPAIRS, BUT THERE HAD BEEN NO RECALL RELATED TO IT.*AK
Official recalls
391V189000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission
Nov 4, 1991
WHEN THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SHIFT LEVER IS PLACED IN THE PARK POSITION, THE PARK PAWL DOES NOT ALWAYS ABUT OR ENGAGE THE PARK GEAR.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: DRIVER MAY BELIEVE THE VEHICLE IS SAFELY ENGAGED IN PARKWHEN THE GEAR IS NOT TRULY ENGAGED. THIS CAN LEAD TO THE VEHICLE JUMPING OUT OFGEAR UNINTENTIONALLY, VEHICLE ROLLAWAY WHEN PARKED ON A SLOPED SURFACE, ANDINADVERTENT MOTION WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STARTED. ALL OF THESE CONDITIONS CANRESULT IN A VEHICLE ACCIDENT.
Remedy: REPAIR THE TRANSMISSION WITH A NEW PARK PAWL.
90V044000 · Vehicle Speed Control
Mar 1, 1990
THROTTLE LEVER MAY CONTACT THROTTLE BODY AIR INLET TUBE, WITH POTENTIAL FOR THROTTLE REMAINING OPEN FOLLOWING RELEASE OF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: UNCONTROLLED ACCELERATION COULD CREATE LACK OF CONTROLAND CAUSE AN ACCIDENT.
Remedy: MANUFACTURER WILL REPLACE AIR INLET TUBE WITH NEWLY DESIGNED REPLACEMENT.
89V234000 · Vehicle Speed Control
Dec 22, 1989
THROTTLE LEVER MAY CONTACT THROTTLE BODY AIR INLET TUBE, WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR THROTTLE REMAINING OPEN FOLLOWING RELEASE OF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL FROM THE FULL-THROTTLE POSTION IN TRUCKS WITH 4.0 L ENGINES.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: UNCONTROLLED ACCELERATION COULD CREATE LACK OF CONTROLAND CAUSE AN ACCIDENT.
Remedy: MANUFACTURER WILL REPLACE AIR INLET TUBE WITH NEWLY DESIGNED REPLACEMENT WITH AN INCREASED THROTTLE LEVER-TO-INLET TUBE CLEARANCE.
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
3RQ97015 · Parking Pawl
Opened Oct 29, 1997 · Closed Apr 1, 1999
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Power Train:automatic Transmission
WHEN THE AUTOMATIC SHIFT LEVER IS PLACED IN THE PARK POSITION, THE PARKING PAWL DOES NOT ALWAYS ENGAGE THE PARK GEAR.THIS CAN LEAD TO THE VEHICLE JUMPING OUT OF GEAR UNINTENTIONALLY AND CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO START ROLLING INADVERTENTLY
PE92084 · Front Seat Track Failure
Opened Oct 23, 1992 · Closed Feb 26, 1993
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Seats
There is no summary currently available
PE92029 · 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