Tires. Review the 57 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Fuel System, Gasoline. Review the 55 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Power Train. Review the 42 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

40 crash reports8 fire reports30 injury reports

Interior Lighting complaints

34 reports

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Mileage unknown · Jun 26, 2001

Interior LightingStructure

WHEN SENSORS IN DOOR ACCUMLATE DIRT IT CAUSES DOME LIGHT TO COME ON. LIGHT WILL NOT GO OUT UNTIL CONSUMER TAKES OUT FUSE. CONTACTED DEALER, AND DEALER STATED IT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. PLEASE PROVIDE VIN. *AK

NHTSA ODI #891326

Mileage unknown · May 29, 2001

Interior Lighting

WHEN GETTING INSIDE OF VEHICLE DOME LIGHT STAYS ON ALL DAY, AND THERE IS A BINGING NOISE. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM. *AK

NHTSA ODI #889319

Mileage unknown · Apr 13, 2001

Interior Lighting

INTERIOR DOOR LIGHT INTERMITTENTLY REMAINS ILLUMINATED WHEN DOORS ARE SHUT, AND WHEN VEHICLE IS BEING DRIVEN. THIS PROBLEM BECOMES MORE OF A SAFETY CONCERN WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT. *AK *SLC

NHTSA ODI #885853

Mileage unknown · Mar 12, 2001

Interior Lighting

INTERIOR DOME LIGHT WILL REMAIN ON FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME. NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO DRIVE AT NIGHT. REPLACED THE INTERIOR LIGHT RELAY. THIS DID NOT WORK. THERE IS NO WAY TO TURN THE LIGHT OFF. THIS CAUSES SERVERE DANGERS AT NIGHT. *AK

NHTSA ODI #742328

Mileage unknown · Mar 5, 2001

Interior LightingStructure

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THE DOME LIGHT WOULDN'T SHUT OFF AND CAUSED THE PINGING SOUND AS IF THE DOOR WAS AJAR. I CALLED CARRIAGE FORD (WHERE I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE). THEY SAID THE PROBLEM WAS NOT NECESSARILY IN THE DOME LIGHT BUT IN THE DOOR SWITCHES--THEY'VE HAD TO REPLACE A NUMBER OF THESE ALREADY. MY DAUGHTER, WHO LIVES IN TN, ALSO HAS A RANGER AND SHE'S HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. I'VE NOTICED PEOPLE IN OTHER RANGERS DRIVING WITH THEIR DOME LIGHTS STUCK ON, TOO. I REASONED THIS MUST BE A COMMON PROBLEM AND CHECKED TO SEE HOW MUCH THE PARTS WERE TO REPLACE IT. I WAS TOLD IT WAS MINIMAL FOR THE PARTS--BUT THE LABOR WAS $160+. I CALLED CUSTOMER SERVICE AT FORD TO SEE IF THERE WERE ANY RECALLS WITH THESE PARTS. BECAUSE THIS IS PART OF THE SAFETY AND SECURITY FEATURES, (DOME LIGHT AS WELL AS REAR HIGH MOUNT BRAKE LIGHT) I HOPED THEY'D TAKE CARE OF IT. I WAS TOLD THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO HELP ME. CAN YOU? WHERE DO I GO FROM HERE? THANKS, CHRISQUIRE@HOME.COM. *AK

NHTSA ODI #741980

Mileage unknown · Feb 28, 2001

Electrical SystemInterior Lighting

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED. INTERIOR LIGHT STAYED ILLUMINATED WHILE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION, DRAINING BATTERY.*AK

NHTSA ODI #881757

Mileage unknown · Feb 6, 2001

Interior Lighting

DOME LIGHT STAYS ON, AND IS VERY DISTRACTING AT NIGHT. CONSUMER OWNED A 1993, RANGER AND HAD SAME PROBLEM. CONSUMER WILL CONTACT THE MANUFACTURR TO SEE IF THEY WILL PAY FOR IT. *AK

NHTSA ODI #879913

Mileage unknown · Feb 2, 2001

Exterior LightingInterior LightingVisibility

WOULD BE DRIVING VEHICLE WHEN DOME LIGHT AND WINDSHIELD WIPERS COME ON BY THEMSELVES. HAVE TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP & MECHANIC INDICATED A POSSIBLE SHORT IN SWITCH WAS CAUSING PROBLEM. *AK

NHTSA ODI #879706

Mileage unknown · Jan 31, 2001

Interior Lighting

INTERIOR LIGHT FAILS TO SHUT OFF OCCASIONALLY AFTER DOOR IS CLOSED;PRESENTS PROBLEM FOR NIGHT DRIVING WHEN THIS OCCURS. *AK

NHTSA ODI #740218

101,000 miles · Jan 25, 2001

Interior LightingVisibility

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WHILE DRIVING WINDSHIELD WIPERS TURN OFF AND ON WHENEVER THEY WANT TO. THEY SOMETIMES WILL NOT RUN AT ALL OR THEY WILL STOP RUNNING DURING USE. THE DOME LIGHT ALSO STAYS ON AND WILL NOT TURN OFF CAUSING A GLARE ON THE WINDOW. IT STARTED DOING IT WITH THE PASSENGER DOOR THEN THE DRIVER'S DOOR STARTED THE SAME PROBLEM. I CHECKED WITH A DEALER AND IT SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN A PROBLEM WITH RANGERS FOR MANY YEARS NOW AND STILL TROUBLES MANY OWNERS RIGHT UP TO THE 2001 MODELS. *MR *NLM *DIMSII IVOQ ENTRY POSTED AFTER 12/12/02 CUT-OVER TO ARTEMIS**739942

NHTSA ODI #10006361

Official recalls

09V399000 · 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

DP00005 · Front Seat Belt

Opened Oct 2, 2000 · Closed May 15, 2001

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Seat Belts

There is no summary currently available

PE99045 · Steering Knuckle Separations

Opened Jul 6, 1999 · Closed Oct 29, 1999

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Steering

There is no summary currently available