1995 Ford Ranger

THE ELECTRICAL PROBLEM AFFECTS THREE AREAS OF OPERATION: THE WINDSHIELD WASHER, THE RADIO, AND THE DOME LIGHT AND CHIME. THE MOST DANGEROUS IS THE WINDSHIELD WASHER. WHILE DRIVING IT WILL TURN ITSELF ON AND BLIND MY VISION FOR 15 SECONDS WHILE IT SPRAYS WASHER FLUID ON THE WINDSHIELD AND THEN WIPES IT OFF. UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES IT IS ONLY AN ANNOYANCE BUT IF I AM CHANGING LANES OR IN BRIGHT SUNLIGHT OR ON CURVES IT BECOMES A POTENTIAL DISASTER. IT STARTED DOING IT THE FIRST MONTH I BOUGHT IT FROM A FRIEND (01/98) AND HAS LASTED TILL THE PRESENT DATE(06/00. THE PREVIOUS OWNER WARNED ME OF THE ELECTRICAL PROBLEM SO IT HAS BEEN AN ON GOING SITUATION. THE SECOND PROBLEM IS ELECTRICAL IN NATURE ALSO. IT INVOLVES THE FACTORY RADIO/ TAPE DECK. THE RADIO WORKS GREAT BUT THE TAPE DECK WONT WORK AFTER BEING REPACED ONCE AND WORKED ON BY FORD FOUR TIMES. THE LAST ISSUE IS WITH THE DOME LIGHT AND CHIME SOUND. THE LIGHT REMAINS ON AND THE CHIME CONTINUES TO SOUND FOR UP TO TWO MINUTES AFTER THE DOOR IS CLOSED AND ALL THE SEAT BELTS HAVE BEEN FASTENED. I DONT KNOW IF THE THREE ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS ARE RELATED BUT I DO KNOW THAT THEY ALL THREE ORIGINATE IN THE ELECTRICAL WIRING BEHIND THE DASH BOARD. MY MAIN CONCERN IS THE WIPER AND WASHER TURNING THEMSELVES ON WHILE I AM DRIVING . IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THIS CAUSES AN ACCIDENT SINCE IT HAPPENS AT LEAST TWICE A WEEK. MY FRUSTRATION LIES IN THE FACT THAT NEARLY ALL 1995 RANGERS HAVE THIS SAME PROBLEM (ACCORDING TO CONSUMER REPORTS AND EVERY INDIVIDUAL I MEET WHO OWNS THIS SAME YEAR OF TRUCK) AND YET FORD STILL HAS NOT ISSUED A STATEMENT OR A RECALL THAT I AM AWARE OF AT THIS TIME. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME . TONY FILLEY. (*AK

WINDSHIELD WIPERS -- BEGINNING SUMMER 1998 I EXPERIENCED PROBLEM WITH MY WINDSHIELD WIPER, DOME LIGHT, AND DOOR CHIME COMING ON INTERMITTENTLY. IN DECEMBER 1998 THE WIPERS STOPPED WORKING SO I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO MAGUIRE FORD FOR REPAIR. THE WIPER MOTOR WAS REPLACED (OBVIOUSLY THIS INTERMITTENT ON/OFF CYCLE BURNT IT OUT), AS WAS A SWITCH FOR THE DOOR. THE FEATURES WERE TROUBLE FREE (THOUGH THE DOME LIGHT STILL HAS PROBLEMS) UNTIL 5/10/2000. ON THAT DAY I STARTED THE VEHICLE DURING A RAIN STORM, AND THE WIPERS WOULD NOT WORK. I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE BACK TO MAGUIRE FORD FOR REPAIR. I WAS TOLD THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN REPAIRED, BUT WHEN I STARTED IT THE WIPERS STILL WOULD NOT WORK. THE VEHICLE IS STILL IN THE SHOP AND REQUIRES A PART (COSTING ~$150). THE MECHANICS AT FORD KEPT REFERRING TO "INTERMITTENT WIPER" PROBLEMS ON OTHER FORD'S, PROMPTING ME TO CHECK THE "CAR TALK" WEB SITE, WHICH HAD A LINK TO THE NHTSA SITE. ON THIS SITE I SAW THAT MANY OTHERS HAVE BEEN HAVING SIMILAR WIPER/DOOR CHIME/DOME LIGHT PROBLEMS. WHILE ON THIS SITE I NOTICED NUMEROUS INSTANCES WHERE PEOPLE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THEIR ABS SYSTEMS. ON 11/28/99 WHILE DRIVING ON I-81 JUST NORTH OF BINGHAMTON, NY I HAD A FRIGHTENING EXPERIENCE WITH MY BRAKES. A CAR CUT CLOSELY IN FRONT OF ME, PROMPTING ME TO APPLY MY BRAKES WITH FORCE, IN ORDER TO PREVENT A COLLISION. THE BRAKE ON THE FRONT RIGHT-HAND SIDE LOCK, CAUSING THE TRUCK TO JERK TO THE RIGHT. I SURPRISINGLY WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE TRUCK, BUT AFTER ANOTHER 30 MILES OF DRIVING I BEGAN NOTICING A GRINDING SOUND IN THE AREA OF THE FRONT RIGHT BRAKE. I TOOK THE TRUCK TO MIDAS AND WAS TOLD THE THE CALIPER ON THE FRONT RIGHT BRAKE BROKE AND THAT SOMETHING (THE BRAKE?) HAD SEIZED. I PAID FOR REPAIRS AND DISMISSED THIS INCIDENT UNTIL READING ON THE "CAR TALK - NHTSA" LINK THAT MANY OTHER HAVE EXPERIENCED A SIMILAR EVENTS WITH THEIR BRAKES. THE PROBLEM, IT SEEMS, IS WORTHY OF A RECALL. THANKS FOR YOUR HELP. *AK

THE DOOR AND KEY CHIMES COME ON WHENEVER THE IGNITION IS TURNED OFF. KEY MUST BE REMOVED BEFOR THEY WILL GO OFF. THE DOME LIGHTS WON'T GO OFF AFTER EXITING THE VEHICLE. THE DOME LIGHT WONT GO OFF UNTIL DRIVING FORWARD, MAKING BACKING OUT OF A DRIVEWAY DANGEROUS IN THE DARK, CONSUMER REMOVED FUSE BECAUSE NOTHING ELSE WORKS. NLM