IllustrationWHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH HIT AN OBJECT. THIS CAUSED THE INERTIA SWITCH TO DEACTIVIATE THE FUEL PUMP. TRIED TO RESET SWITCH SEVERAL TIMES. LATER NOTICED SMOKE. VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE & SPREAD TO CAB AREA. AK
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
What owners actually said
321 reportsDESIGN FLAW RESULTED IN VEHICLE NOT HAVING FACTORY INSTALLED LOCKING DEVICE FOR BACK REST ON BENCH SEAT.
AIRBAG FAILED. FIRST ACCIDENT DRIVER WAS REAR ENDED AT 45MPH; THE OTHER TIME, DRIVER REAR ENDED SOMEONE ELSE. BOTH TIMES AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY.
BRAKE ROTORS OVERHEATED AND CRACKED.
INTEMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WILL COME ON. OFTEN TIMES THE WASHER FLUID WILL SPEW OUT AND THE WIPERS WILL BECOME INOPERABLE, CAUSING THE DRIVER'S VIEW TO BE OBSTRUCED. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK
CLUTCH ASSEMBLY WENT BAD. THE DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK
ABS WARNING LIGHT REMAINS ILLUMINATED, INDICATING MALFUNCTION WITHIN THE SYSTEM. ALSO, WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED THEY GRIND AND MAKE A LOUD POPPING NOISE, CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILED. THE RADIO FAILED FIRST THEN BECAME PROGESSIVELY WORSE INCLUDING THE DOME LIGHT, EXTERIOR DOME LIGHT, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, WINDSHIELD WIPERS AND WASHERS COMING ON WITHOUT PROMPT OR NOTICE, DOOR CHIME STAYING ON WHEN DOOR IS CLOSED AND ABS LOCKS UP, ETC.
TRANSMISSION/OVERDRIVE ACTS LIKE IT'S NOT SHIFTING. WOULD STALL. OVERDRIVE LIGHT FLASHES. BEEN TO DEALER 3 TIMES. TORQUE CONVERTOR PUT ON. WORKED FOR A WHILE. CYLINDER SWITCH & WIRING HARNESS WERE ALSO REPLACED. STILL HAS SAME PROBLEM. *AK
THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WOULD FAIL TO STOP AFTER BEING TURNED OFF. SOMETIMES WOULD COME ON WITHOUT BEING TURNED ON. TAKING VEHICLE TO DEALER. *AK *SLC
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