IllustrationTHE STEERING WHEEL HAD A LOT OF PLAY IN IT CAUSING WHEEL TO DISCONNECT / FALL APART. CONSUMER HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. MANAGER TOLD CONSUMER THAT THE BOLTS THAT HOLDS THE STEERING WHEEL BOX BROKE. DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE BOLTS. IN ADDITION, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS COME ON INTERMITTENTLY. *AK *YC
1995 Ford Ranger
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Ranger years
Owner complaints for the 1995 Ford Ranger are substantially higher than 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: 41 of 321 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.
- Visibility. Review the 63 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 55 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 29 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
25 crash reports9 fire reports11 injury reports
Visibility complaints
63 reportsWINDSHIELD WASHERS COME ON WITHOUT BEING ACTIVATED. DANGER IS AT NIGHT WHEN WINDSHIELD WASHERS COME ON AND FLOOD WINDSHIELD, MAKING VISIBILITY IMPOSSIBLE. *AK
CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STAYS ON, DOOR CHIME STAYS ON CONSTANTLY, LIGHT DOME STAYS ON EVEN AT NIGHT WHEN YOU ARE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD, HEATER DOESN'T WORK, AND MOST IMPORTANT WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORK INTERMITIENTLY AND SPRAY FLUID DISTRACTING DRIVER. I'VE ALMOST HAD ACCIDENTS WITH THE WIPERS NOT WORKING RIGHT, SOMETIMES THE WIPERS DON…
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CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STAYS ON, DOOR CHIME STAYS ON CONSTANTLY, LIGHT DOME STAYS ON EVEN AT NIGHT WHEN YOU ARE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD, HEATER DOESN'T WORK, AND MOST IMPORTANT WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORK INTERMITIENTLY AND SPRAY FLUID DISTRACTING DRIVER. I'VE ALMOST HAD ACCIDENTS WITH THE WIPERS NOT WORKING RIGHT, SOMETIMES THE WIPERS DON'T WORK AT ALL WHEN RAINING. PLEASE DO SOMETHING BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED. THANK-YOU, SHANNON CASE
WINDSHIELD WIPER WILL OPERATE WITHOUT TURNING THEM ON AND WHEN TURNED ON THEY WILL NOT OPERATE
WINDSHIELD WIPERS ARE WORKING INTERMITTENTLY AND SOMETIMES THE WIPERS WON'T WORK AT ALL. TURN OFF WITHOUT TURNING OFF ENGINE. ALSO DOME LIGHT REMAINED ON, SEAT BELT WARNING LIGHT NOT TURNING OFF FOR SOME TIME UNLESS VEHICLE IS TURNED OFF. *AK
SEVERAL MONTHS AFTER OWNING THE VEHICLE, I NOTICED THAT THE WARNING CHIMES AND DOME LIGHTING STAYED ON CONTINOUSLY AFTER TURNING THE KEY ON EVEN BEFORE ACTUALLY CRANKING THE VEHICLE..ALSO THE WINDSHEILD WIPERS COME ON AND SOMETIMES GO OFF WITHOUT CONSUMER COMMAND...FORDS SERVICE BULLETIN #2526, BULLETIN SEQUENCE #357, DATE 9804,…
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SEVERAL MONTHS AFTER OWNING THE VEHICLE, I NOTICED THAT THE WARNING CHIMES AND DOME LIGHTING STAYED ON CONTINOUSLY AFTER TURNING THE KEY ON EVEN BEFORE ACTUALLY CRANKING THE VEHICLE..ALSO THE WINDSHEILD WIPERS COME ON AND SOMETIMES GO OFF WITHOUT CONSUMER COMMAND...FORDS SERVICE BULLETIN #2526, BULLETIN SEQUENCE #357, DATE 9804, NHTSA ITEM #SB603550 DISCUSSES THIS PROBLEM...THIS APPARENTLY IS A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM FOR MANY CONSUMERS PURCHASING THIS VEHICLE AS I HAVE RESEARCHED SEVERAL AVAILABLE DATABASES AND HAVE VIEWED MANY CUSTOMER CONCERNS REGARDING THIS PROBLEM...THIS MAKES THE OPERATION OF THIS VEHICLE TOTALLY UNSAFE AS THE CHIMES DISTRACT THE DRIVER TO THE POINT OF UNSAFE OPERATION AND THE DOME LIGHT STAYING ON CONTINOUSLY CAUSES IMPOSSIBLE VISIBILITY WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE. THE USE OF WINDSHIELD WIPERS THAT ARE NOT EVEN CLOSE TO DEPENDABLE SEEMS TO WARRANT A RECALL OF THIS VEHICLE...REPAIR COSTS QUOTED AT ANOTHER DEALER LOCATION WERE $275.00 WHICH DID NOT INCLUDE REPAIRS TO THE WINDSHIELD WIPER REPAIR... THE ONLY NON-SHOP FIX IS THE REMOVAL OF THE FUSE THAT CONTROLS THESE SYSTEMS WHICH ALSO CONTROLS THE SPEEDOMETER AND ODOMETER OF THE VEHICLE...WHICH DISABLES THE WIPERS AS WELL....TOTALLY UNSAFE CONDITIONS EXISTS AS A RESULT.
WIPERS TURN ON INTERMITTENTLY AND SOMETIMES TURN OFF WHEN NEEDED; ALMOST CAUSED CRASH.
THE DOOR CHIMES WOULD REMAIN ON EVEN AFTER THE DOOR IS CLOSED. DOME LIGHT STAYS ON AND WINDSHIELD WIPERS WOULD COME ON & OFF ON THEIR OWN. DEALER REPROGRAMMED THE ON-BOARD COMPUTER, NO PROBLEMS SINCE. *AK *ML
NO SUMMARY
WINDSHIELD WIPERS WILL CUT ON WHEN IN OFF POSITION, INTERVALS DO NOT WORK CORRECT, WINSHIELD WASHER WILL WORK BY ITSELF. INTERIOR LIGHTS WILL NOT CUT OFF AFTER DOOR IS SHUT FOR APPROXIMATELY 1 HOUR. THIS HAPPENS AT ALL TIMES OF THE DAY AND NIGHT. USUALLY ONLY HAPPENS WHEN PASSENGER DOOR IS OPENED AND SHUT.
Official recalls
109V399000 · Vehicle Speed Control
Oct 13, 2009
FORD IS RECALLING MODEL YEARS 1995-2003 WINDSTAR, 2000-2003 EXCURSION DIESEL, 1993-1997 AND 1999-2003 F-250 SD THROUGH F-550 SD DIESEL, 1992-2003 E-150 THROUGH E-550, 1995-2002 EXPLORER, 1997 AND 2002 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER, 1995-1997 AND 2001-2003 RANGER, AND 1994 F53 VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE TEXAS INSTRUMENTS SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH (SCDS). THE SCDS MAY LEAK INTERNALLY AND THEN OVERHEAT, SMOKE, OR BURN.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A VEHICLE FIRE COULD OCCUR WITH OR WITHOUT THE ENGINE RUNNING.
Remedy: FORD WILL NOTIFY OWNERS THAT DEALERS WILL INSTALL A FUSED WIRING HARNESS IN LINE WITH THE SCDS. ON 1999-2003 WINDSTAR VEHICLES WITH A LEAKING SCDS, DEALERS WILL ALSO INSPECT THE ABS CONTROL MODULE CONNECTOR AND REPAIR AS NECESSARY. REPAIRS WILL BE COMPLETED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 27, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD AT 1-888-222-2751.
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
1EA02011 · Safety Belt Assembly Failure
Opened Jul 2, 2002 · Closed May 21, 2003
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Seat Belts
ODI RECEIVED 18 CONSUMER COMPLAINTS AND FORD IDENTIFIED ANOTHER FOUR REPORTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE ALLEGED DEFECT.MOST OF THE COMPLAINTS INDICATE INABILITY TO LATCH THE DRIVER SEAT BELT BUCKLE CAUSED BY A BROKEN LATCH RELEASE SPRING.NONE OF THESE 22 REPORTS RESULTED IN ANY INJURIES OR CRASHES.NO COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED IN THE PAST 6 MONTHS.FORD CONDUCTED LIFE-CYCLE TESTING ON 6 FIELD SAMPLE BUCKLE ASSEMBLIES.THE RESULTS OF THAT TESTING DEMONSTRATED THAT THE TESTED BUCKLE ASSEMBLIES COULD BE EXPECTED TO OPERATE PROPERLY BEYOND THE EXPECTED LIFE OF THE VEHICLE.BASED ON THE LIMITED NUMBER OF REPORTS AND COMPLAINTS RECEIVED, AND A DECLINING COMPLAINT TREND, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT HAS NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED AT THIS TIME AND FURTHER USE OF AGENCY RESOURCES DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE WARRANTED.ACCORDINGLY, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT EXIST DOES NOT EXIST.THE AGENCY WILL TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES.SEE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION