1996 Ford Ranger

THE CONTROL CLUSTERS ON THE STEERING WHEEL HAVE BEEN AT A SUFFICIENTLY HIGH TEMPERATURE THAT THE PLASTIC COVERING OVER THE MICRO SWITCHES HAS DEFORMED AND ON OCCASION IT WILL STICK TO YOUR FINGERS. THE CENTER BUTTON ON THE LEFT SIDE HAS DISINTEGRATED TO THE POINT THAT THE ACTUAL MICRO BUTTON IS NOW OPERATED DIRECTLY THROUGH THE MISSING PORTION OF THE ORIGINAL COVERING. ONE OF THE MICRO BUTTONS ON THE RIGHT SIDE IS IN THE SAME CONDITION AND BOTH CONTROL CLUSTERS HAVE BROKEN LOOSE FROM THE STEERING WHEEL. WITH THE PROBLEMS FORD HAS HAD WITH FIRES I THOUGHT THEY WOULD OFFER SOME ASSISTANCE IN REPAIRING THIS DEFECT BUT BOTH THE LOCAL DEALERS I HAVE TAKEN IT TO HAVE INDICATED NO ASSISTANCE IS AVAILABLE, I GUESS WE WILL WAIT FOR THE FIRE THAT SPREADS THROUGH THE GARAGE AND TAKES DOWN THE WHOLE HOUSE. DEALERS THAT TURNED ME DOWN ARE BLUE BONNET IN NEW BRAUNFELS, TX AND GRIFFITH IN THE KYLE, TX AREA. THE CONTROL STILL ACTUALLY FUNCTIONS IF YOU CAN HOLD IT ALL TOGETHER LONG ENOUGH TO ACTIVATE THE MICRO SWITCHES AND YOU DON'T MIND GETTING STICKY BLACK GOOP ON YOUR FINGERS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 FORD RANGER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, SMOKE WAS EMITTED FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE VEHICLE WAS MERGED ONTO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD AND AS THE HOOD WAS RAISED FLAMES STARTED TO RISE. THE CONTACT EXTINGUISHED THE FLAMES AND NOTICED THAT THE WIRES FROM THE VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL STARTED THE FIRE. AS A RESULT, THE WIRES FOR THE MASTER CYLINDER SWITCH MELTED AND ALL OF THE BRAKE FLUID LEAKED OUT. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS NOT NOTIFIED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED HOME. THE DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 127,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 FORD RANGER. WHILE ACTIVATING THE RIGHT TURN SIGNAL, THE CONTACT HEARD AN ELECTRICAL CRACKLING SOUND IN THE DASHBOARD. THE FAILURE HAS BEEN OCCURRING DAILY FOR THE LAST NINE MONTHS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 164,000. UPDATED 04/08/08. *LJ THE RIGHT TURN SIGNALS AND EMERGENCY FLASHERS DID NOT WORK. THE CONSUMER ALSO STATED THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS A PROBLEM AS WELL. UPDATED

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 FORD RANGER. AS THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO ENGAGE THE CRUISE CONTROL, HE NOTICED THAT THE SWITCH WAS BURNED AND THE PLASTIC WAS MELTED. THE DEALER INFORMED HIM THAT HIS VEHICLE WAS NOT UNDER A RECALL. A NEW CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH WILL COST $50. THE MANUFACTURER COULD NOT INFORM HIM IF THE NEW SWITCH WOULD FAIL AND ADVISED HIM TO FILE A COMPLAINT WITH NHTSA. THE CONTACT WILL REPLACE THE SWITCH HIMSELF, BUT WILL INVESTIGATE TO SEE IF IT WILL BURN AGAIN. THE SPEED WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 210,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 209,000.

ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO (I DON'T RECALL THE EXACT DATE) I HAD TAKEN MY 1996 FORD RANGER XLT INTO NORTH GATE FORD (PORT HURON/FT. GRATIOT, MI) FOR A TRACE ON ELECTRONICS?'CHECK ENGINE' LIGHT WAS ON. AFTER THEY HAD PLACED MY TRUCK ON THEIR COMPUTER THEY SAID THAT THEY HAD TO 'DOWNLOAD UPDATES' TO MY TRUCK, WHICH WOULD TAKE SOME TIME (3 BILLED HOURS!). EVER SINCE THEN MY CRUISE CONTROL WOULD 'ACT UP'. IT WILL INCREASE SPEED ABOVE THE SET SPEED BY 5-7 MPH, OCCASIONALLY UP TO 12 MPH, AND THEN THE THROTTLE WOULD RELEASE WITH A THUNK SOUND. USING THE BRAKE PEDAL, OR THE 'OFF' BUTTON WOULD WORK AFTER A COUPLE OF TRIES HOWEVER. ALSO, THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS NOT ALWAYS AVAILABLE?WOULD NOT TURN ON OR SET. I BELIEVE THAT THE FORD DEALER UNKNOWINGLY, OR MAYBE EVEN WILLINGLY, INSERTED A COMPUTER VIRUS OR CORRUPTED CODE INTO MY TRUCK'S ECM MODULE. I ATTEMPTED TO TAKE IT TO ANOTHER DEALER TO BE CHECKED, BUT IT WOULD HAVE COST ME MORE THAN I COULD AFFORD TO PUT IT BACK ON THE DIAGNOSTIC COMPUTER. I'M AFRAID THAT THIS WILL RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT?I HAVE MS AND RELY ON THE CRUISE CONTROL WHEN ON THE HIGHWAY. *JB

I WAS DRIVING A FORD RANGER VIN [XXX] AT AROUND 40 MILES/HOUR IN A REGULAR STREET, THE TRUCK SUDDENLY START TO SPEED UP. IT DID NOT STOP EVEN WHEN I BRAKED VERY HARD. FINALLY I PUT THE VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL TO BE ABLE TO STOP. I WAS ALMOST KILLED OR VERY BAD INJURED. I CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER BUT THEY DO NOT WHAT TO TAKE ACTIONS WITH THIS PROBLEM. PLEASE BEFORE SOME ONE GETS KILLED. TAKE THE APPROPRIATE ACTIONS.*AK UPDATED 07/25/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)