Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
60–25K
525–50K
2250–75K
2075–100K
36100–150K
21150K+
110 reports with mileage · 301 unknown
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.
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
What owners actually said
411 reports
150,000 miles · Sep 9, 2005
Vehicle Speed Control
DUE TO THE RECENT RECALL OF FORD F-150 PICKUPS, I THOUGHT I WOULD PASS THIS ALONG. I OWN A 1997 FORD RANGER PICKUP. IT TOO HAD A FAILURE OF THE CRUISE CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH. ALTHOUGH IT LEAKED BRAKE FLUID ONTO MY DRIVEWAY AND SPRAYED FLUID THROUGHOUT THE LEFT SIDE OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT NO SERIOUS DAMAGE OCCURRED. I…
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DUE TO THE RECENT RECALL OF FORD F-150 PICKUPS, I THOUGHT I WOULD PASS THIS ALONG. I OWN A 1997 FORD RANGER PICKUP. IT TOO HAD A FAILURE OF THE CRUISE CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH. ALTHOUGH IT LEAKED BRAKE FLUID ONTO MY DRIVEWAY AND SPRAYED FLUID THROUGHOUT THE LEFT SIDE OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT NO SERIOUS DAMAGE OCCURRED. IT COST ME THE PRICE OF A NEW SWITCH, BRAKE FLUID AND THE CLEANER FOR THE DRIVE AND ENGINE COMPARTMENT. I CAN SEE A POTENTIAL FOR BRAKE FAILURE AND FIRE IF LEFT UNDETECTED. *JB
NHTSA ODI #10136044
55,000 miles · Aug 29, 2005
Fuel System, Gasoline
I HAVE BEEN SMELLING GAS FROM BETWEEN THE CAB AND BED OF THE TRUCK, A 1997 FORD RANGER 2.3L. I PULLED THE BED OFF THE FRAME AND FOUND THE GAS FILLER NECK SPLIT AT BOTH THE TOP AND BOTTOM AT THE HOSE CLAMPS. THE SPLITS ARE SEVERE ENOUGH TO CAUSE GAS TO LEAK FROM THE FUEL TANK AS WELL AS FUMES. THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION AND SH…
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I HAVE BEEN SMELLING GAS FROM BETWEEN THE CAB AND BED OF THE TRUCK, A 1997 FORD RANGER 2.3L. I PULLED THE BED OFF THE FRAME AND FOUND THE GAS FILLER NECK SPLIT AT BOTH THE TOP AND BOTTOM AT THE HOSE CLAMPS. THE SPLITS ARE SEVERE ENOUGH TO CAUSE GAS TO LEAK FROM THE FUEL TANK AS WELL AS FUMES. THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION AND SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY THE MANUFACTURER. *JB
NHTSA ODI #10134597
44,475 miles · Aug 14, 2005
Fuel System, Gasoline
SAFETY DEFECT: THE GASOLINE REFILL HOSE TO THE GAS TANK IS CRACKED AT BOTH ENDS. RECENTLY, I TOTALLY FILLED THE GAS TANK, AND GASOLINE SPILLED UNDER THE HOT VEHICLE AND CATALYTIC CONVERTER. I DISCOVERED THAT 3 CRACKS IN THE REFUEL HOSE CAUSED THE SPILL. MY TRUCK IS A 1997 FORD RANGER; HOWEVER, EVEN AFTER 8 YEARS THIS HOSE SHO…
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SAFETY DEFECT: THE GASOLINE REFILL HOSE TO THE GAS TANK IS CRACKED AT BOTH ENDS. RECENTLY, I TOTALLY FILLED THE GAS TANK, AND GASOLINE SPILLED UNDER THE HOT VEHICLE AND CATALYTIC CONVERTER. I DISCOVERED THAT 3 CRACKS IN THE REFUEL HOSE CAUSED THE SPILL. MY TRUCK IS A 1997 FORD RANGER; HOWEVER, EVEN AFTER 8 YEARS THIS HOSE SHOULD NOT HAVE SUCH LARGE CRACKS. MY FORD RANGER IS TYPICAL, AND I WOULD SUSPECT THAT OTHERS HAVE THIS SAME DEFECT BUT PERHAPS IN A MORE MODERATE WAY. I VISUALLY INSPECTED THE CRACKS AT BOTH ENDS AND THEY ARE LOCATED AT THE CONNECTION POINT TO THE GAS TANK AND THE EXTERNAL GAS INPUT PORT. NOTE: THE GASOLINE SPILL STOPPED AFTER REFUELING AND AFTER THE GASOLINE INSIDE THE HOSE HAD SPILLED TO THE GROUND. I HAVE NOT YET REPLACED THE HOSE. *NM
NHTSA ODI #10132787
78,000 miles · Jul 7, 2005
Electrical SystemFire
DT: CALLER HAD AN ENGINE FIRE. CALLER'S SON WAS DRIVING AND SMELLED SMOKE, PULLED OVER AND CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. THE SON SAID VEHICLE MADE A POPPING SOUND AND HE COULD NOT GET AWAY FROM IT FAST ENOUGH BEFORE IT EXPLODED. THIS HAPPENED WITHOUT WARNING. FIRE DEPARTMENT CAME AND THERE WAS A REPORT FILED. DEALER SAID SHE DID…
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DT: CALLER HAD AN ENGINE FIRE. CALLER'S SON WAS DRIVING AND SMELLED SMOKE, PULLED OVER AND CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. THE SON SAID VEHICLE MADE A POPPING SOUND AND HE COULD NOT GET AWAY FROM IT FAST ENOUGH BEFORE IT EXPLODED. THIS HAPPENED WITHOUT WARNING. FIRE DEPARTMENT CAME AND THERE WAS A REPORT FILED. DEALER SAID SHE DID NOT MAINTAIN THE VEHICLE BUT THE CALLER STATED SHE MAINTAINED THE VEHICLE. DEALER SAID THIS BECAUSE SHE DID NOT TAKE IT TO A FORD DEALER TO HAVE IT MAINTAINED. THE MANUFACTURER OFFERED NO HELP. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT DID NOT KNOW HOW THE FIRE STARTED.*AK
NHTSA ODI #10127736
Mileage unknown · May 27, 2005
Seats
DT: CONSUMER STATES WHILE DRIVING HIS VEHICLE, THE DRIVER'S SEAT COLLAPSED BACKWARD. *TT
NHTSA ODI #10122357
Mileage unknown · Apr 22, 2005
SteeringCrashInjury
THE CONSUMER VEHICLE LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND ROLLED OVER. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *JB
NHTSA ODI #10119041
70,000 miles · Apr 6, 2005
SteeringCrashInjury
WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH VEHICLE LOST CONTROL AND ROLLED OVER. AS A RESULT, THE ROOF CRUSHED IN AND BROKE THE DRIVER'S NECK. VEHICLE WAS CONSIDERED A TOTAL LOSS. *AK
NHTSA ODI #10117515
Mileage unknown · Mar 10, 2005
Interior Lighting
THE RELAY TO THE DOME LIGHT SHORTED OUT. IT'S HAPPENED TWICE. I KNOW 3 OTHER PEOPLE WHO ALSO DRIVE RANGERS , AND HAVE ALL HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. ONE OF THEM HAS HAD THE SAME FAILURE TWICE. *AK
NHTSA ODI #10113917
105,015 miles · Feb 11, 2005
Fuel System, Gasoline
I THOUGHT I COULD SMELL GAS FOR ABOUT 6 WEEKS. LAST WEEK WHILE PUTTING GAS IN MY 1997 FORD RANGER PICK UP SOME ONE TOLD ME I WAS SPILLING GAS ON THE GROUND. THE GAS TANK FILLER HOSE WAS CRACKED AT THE TANK AND GAS WAS SPILLING OUT. IT WAS A ROTTEN HOSE. I STILL HAVE IT. *JB
NHTSA ODI #10110378
Mileage unknown · Jan 5, 2005
Air BagsCrashInjury
THERE WAS A THREE VEHICLE ACCIDENT AT 50 MPH. THE CONSUMER'S AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. *SC *TC *JB
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
2
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
1997 Ford Ranger Problems, Complaints & Recalls | Skip That Year
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