IllustrationWHEN VEHICLE STARTED IN NEUTRAL, IT WAS PUT IN REVERSE AND THROTTLE WENT TO FLOOR WITHOUT ANYONE TOUCHING IT, VEHICLE TOOK OFF IN REVERSE , FRONT WHEEL HIT BUILDING BENDING AXLE AND OTHER COMPONENTS THIS HAPPENED ABOUT 30 DAYS PRIOR WITHOUT ANY DAMAGE. *TR
1992 Ford Ranger
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1992 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: 22 of 189 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 41 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Suspension. Review the 32 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Visibility. Review the 22 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
13 crash reports32 fire reports10 injury reports
Engine And Engine Cooling complaints
16 reportsTRUCK OIL PRESSURE SUDDENLY DROPPED VERY LOW. TRUCK BEGAN MAKING KNOCKING SOUND COMING FROM ENGINE HEAD AREA. DISASSEMBLY OF OIL PAN, OIL PUMP, AND OIL PUMP TUBE SCREEN REVEALED COMPLETE BLOCKAGE OF SCREEN FROM OIL PAN GASKET MATERIAL. *NM
WINDSHIELD LEAKS & FRAME RUSTING. SUSPENSION BOWED MAIN STRUCTOR ARMS. ENGINE PASSING OIL FROM DAY ONE OF OWNERSHIP. INTERIOR DOOR PLASTIC FRAME CRACKING. DIMMER AND TURN SIGNAL SWITCH SHORTS.
OIL PUMP PICK UP SCREEN CLOGGED WITH GASKET MATERIAL AND SILICONE SEALANT FROM OIL PAN GASKET RESULTING IN LOSS OF OIL PRESSURE.*AK
OIL PRESSURE GAUGE STOPPED READING PRESSURE. RATTLING HEARD IN VALVES. ENGINE QUIT. EVERYTHING SHUT DOWN. *AK
OIL PRESSURE FLUCTUATED THEN DROPPED. RATTLING HEARD IN VALVES AFTER PRESSURE DROP.
ENGINE OIL PUMP GETS CLOGGED WITH DETERIORATED RUBBER FROM THE OIL PAN GASKET, POTENTIALLY CAUSING THE ENGINE TO SEIZE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER. *AK
VEHICLE HAS A DEFECT IN THE VALVE TRAIN, THE VALVE TAPPET HOLES THAT ALLOW THE OIL TO FLOW THROUGH ARE SMALLER THAN THE NEW FORD TAPPET HOLES. THIS CAUSED THE ROLLER ROCKER ARM FULCRUMS TO FAIL AS WELL AS THE VALVE COVER GASKET.29113 DUP OF 524264; POSTED ON 09-07-1999. *AK
OWNER STATES WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE ON AT AVERAGE SPEED THE VEHICLE HAD A MELTDOWN CAUDED BY A COMBINATION OF THINGS, ESPECIALLY EXHAUST AND POWER STEERING LEAKS, ETC. *AK
UNIVERSAL JOINT: CONSTANT VELOCITY FAILURE; ALSO ENGINE VALVE COVER/WATER PUMP LEAKS. *AK
Official recalls
296V024001 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:power Assist:hydraulic
Feb 5, 1996
THE STUDS WHICH ATTACH THE BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER TO THE POWER BRAKE VACUUM BOOSTER ASSEMBLY CAN DEVELOP STRESS CORROSION CRACKING AFTER BEING OPERATED FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME IN THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA LOCATION.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF A CRACK OCCURS, IT COULD RESULT IN ONE OR BOTH STUDS FRACTURING. THE MASTER CYLINDER COULD THEN SEPARATE FROM THE VACUUM BOOSTER, WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED, PREVENTING THE SERVICE BRAKES FROM ACTIVATING INCREASING THE RISK OF A VEHICLE ACCIDENT.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE POWER BRAKE VACUUM BOOSTER ASSEMBLY.
92V006000 · Structure:body:door
Jan 14, 1992
WATER CAN ENTER THE DOOR LATCH RELEASE CABLE. IF THE VEHICLE IS OPERATED IN BELOW FREEZING TEMPERATURES, THE WATER IN THE DOOR LATCH RELEASE CABLE CAN FREEZE AND CAUSE THE LATCH MECHANISM TO MALFUNCTION.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THE MALFUNCTION OF THE DOOR LATCH RELEASE CAN RESULT INTHREE DIFFERENT PROBLEMS: 1) THE DOOR WILL NOT BE ABLE TO BE RELATCHED, 2) THEINSIDE DOOR HANDLE CAN BECOME INOPERATIVE, AND 3) THE DOOR COULD APPEAR TO BELATCHED WHEN IT IS NOT, ALLOWING THE DOOR TO OPEN UNEXPECTEDLY IF IT IS JARRED,AND INCREASING THE RISK OF INJURY TO THE ADJACENT SEAT OCCUPANT.
Remedy: REVISED DOOR RELEASE CABLES AND WATER SHIELDS WILL BE INSTALLED.
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
1EA95018 · Separation Of Master Cylinder
Opened Jun 19, 1995 · Closed Apr 2, 1996
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Service Brakes, Hydraulic
FORD CONTINUES TO SUDY THE PROBLEM ATTEMPTING TO DETERMINE WHY STUD FRACTURES ARE NOT FREQUENTLY OCCURRING IN OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY.LIKEWISE, ODI CONTINUES GATHERING INFORMATION TO ASCERTAIN WHETHER THE RECALL SCOPE SHOULD INCLUDE OTHER GEOGRAPHICAL AREAS.IF EVIDENCE INDICATES THE SCOPE SHOULD BE EXPANDED, ODI WILL REOPEN THE INVESTIGATION AS WARRANTED.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
FORD CONTINUES TO SUDY THE PROBLEM ATTEMPTING TO DETERMINE WHY STUD FRACTURES ARE NOT FREQUENTLY OCCURRING IN OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY.LIKEWISE, ODI CONTINUES GATHERING INFORMATION TO ASCERTAIN WHETHER THE RECALL SCOPE SHOULD INCLUDE OTHER GEOGRAPHICAL AREAS.IF EVIDENCE INDICATES THE SCOPE SHOULD BE EXPANDED, ODI WILL REOPEN THE INVESTIGATION AS WARRANTED.
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
FORD CONTINUES TO SUDY THE PROBLEM ATTEMPTING TO DETERMINE WHY STUD FRACTURES ARE NOT FREQUENTLY OCCURRING IN OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY.LIKEWISE, ODI CONTINUES GATHERING INFORMATION TO ASCERTAIN WHETHER THE RECALL SCOPE SHOULD INCLUDE OTHER GEOGRAPHICAL AREAS.IF EVIDENCE INDICATES THE SCOPE SHOULD BE EXPANDED, ODI WILL REOPEN THE INVESTIGATION AS WARRANTED.