IllustrationWHILE DRIVING AT 45 MPH STEERING WHEEL DETACHED BY ITSELF AND CAME OFF. VEHICLE WAS NOT CONTROLLABLE AND WAS INVOLVED IN A CRASH. DEALER CONTACTED, AND COULD NOT REMEDY PROBLEM. PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
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 reportsIGNITION SWITCH FAILED RESULTING IN VEHICLE FIRE.
TRW SEAT BELT LATCH BROKE. IT APPEARS TO BE AN INTERNAL SPRING. I WENT TO A SALVAGE YARD TO GET A REPLACENT LATCH AND FOUND MANY OTHERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A SERIOUS DEFECT THAT COULD RESULT IN SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH. THE YEARS OF THE VEHICLES VARIED FORM THE LATE 80'S TO 1996 WHERE I FOUND DEFECTIVE L…
Read full complaint
TRW SEAT BELT LATCH BROKE. IT APPEARS TO BE AN INTERNAL SPRING. I WENT TO A SALVAGE YARD TO GET A REPLACENT LATCH AND FOUND MANY OTHERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A SERIOUS DEFECT THAT COULD RESULT IN SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH. THE YEARS OF THE VEHICLES VARIED FORM THE LATE 80'S TO 1996 WHERE I FOUND DEFECTIVE LATCHES.
AT 53,000 MILES THE HEAD GASKETS ARE BLOWN ,CAUSING ANTI-FREEZE LEAKAGE DUE TO TWO CRACKED BOLT HEADS, OIL PAN GASKET DISSOLVED CAUSING THE OIL PUMP TO MALFUNCTION. *AK.ET.
FUEL TANK IS CONSTRUCTED OF PLASTIC WITH AN ALUMINUM SHIELD ATTACHED BY PLASTIC FLANGES, ROAD VIBRATIONS WEAKENED THE PLASTIC FLANGES AND CRACKED AROUND THE TANK CONNECTION AND WAS NOT REINFORCED TO THE TANK, RESULTING IN FUEL LEAK. (DESIGN FLAW).
FUEL PUMP/ SENDING UNIT ASSEMBLY FAILED.
BOTH SIDE MIRRORS FAIL TO HOLD THEIR POSTION AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THEY FOLD BACK COMPLETELY AGAINST THE WINDOW AND ARE USELESS.
VEHICLE MOVED OUT OF PARK AND ROLLED DOWN A HILL AND STRUCK ANOTHER VEHICLE. CONSUMER PARKED VEHICLE CROSSWAYS ON TOP OF A HILL. LATER ON VEHICLE WAS NOT THERE, VEHICLE MOVED OUT OF THE PARK POSITION. THIS MAY APPEAR TO BE COVERED UNDER RECALL 91V189, DATED 30 OCT 91. MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED. *AK *SLC
TIRES FAILED, CAUSING ACCIDENT
WIRING HARNESS FAILURE, CAUSING FIRE.
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