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

21,668 miles · May 11, 2003

Power Train

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MY '97 FORD RANGER STANDARD TRANSMISSION EXHIBITS HIGH IDLE CONDITIONS WHILE SHIFTING BETWEEN GEARS. MY DEALER WAS NEVER ABLE TO FIX THE PROBLEM SINCE I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE NEW. MY VEHICLE IS NO LONGER UNDER BUMPER TO BUMPER AND EMISSIONS WARRANTY BUT I HAVE SAVED RECEIPTS OF THEIR ATTEMPTS TO FIX THE PROBLEM DURING TIME VEHICLE WAS WARRANTED BACK IN 1997. I RECENTLY DISCOVERED THAT THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY HAS FOUND THE EXACT SAME HIGH IDLE PROBLEM WITH THEIR 1998 TO 2000 MODEL RANGERS AND THEY ISSUED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN TSB00-3-5. WHEN I CALLED MY DEALER TO INQUIRE AND ASK THEM TO INCLUDE MY '97 RANGER IN THE BULLETIN, THEY WERE EVASIVE AND WOULDN'T HELP. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT MY OPTIONS ARE. ANY HELP GREATLY APPRECIATED. THANK YOU. P.S. FOR YOUR INFO, THE TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN CAN BE FOUND AT ( CASE SENSITIVE, PLEASE TYPE EXACTLY) V8SHO.COM/SHO/TSB00-3-5.HTML . *NLM

NHTSA ODI #10018511

Mileage unknown · Mar 5, 2003

Interior LightingVisibility

THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS CAME ON BY THEMSELVES AND THE WASHERS DID NOT WORK. ALSO THE DOME LIGHT STAYED ON AFTER THE DOOR WAS CLOSED FOR AT LEAST 30 MINUTES OR MORE. *JB THE WIPERS WOULD COME ON WHEN THE TURN SIGNALS WERE USED. THE DOME LIGHT WAS DISTRACTING AT NIGHT. SCC

NHTSA ODI #10009970

Mileage unknown · Feb 20, 2003

Electrical SystemFire

A FIRE STARTED UNDER THE DASHBOARD.*JB

NHTSA ODI #10008964

73,000 miles · Feb 11, 2003

Engine And Engine Cooling

97 FORD RANGER ,BOTH HEAD GASKETS LETTING COOLANT SEEP OUT.74,000 MILES ON IT.

NHTSA ODI #10005708

76,000 miles · Feb 11, 2003

SteeringStructure

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BOLTS WHICH HOLD THE STEERING SECTOR TO THE FRAME ALL BROKE OR SNAPPED. I WAS LUCKY THAT I WAS SITTING IN A PARKING LOT AND STARTED TO TURNED THE STEERING WHEEL, THERE WAS A SNAP AND I WAS UNABLE TO TURN THE WHEELS OF THE TRUCK A 97 FORD RANGER. I SENT AN EMAIL TO FOR ON JANUARY 28, 2003 ABOUT THIS ITEM AND THEY HAVE NOT RESPONDED, THE TRACKING ID IS KMM2029449C0KM CASE ID 688902. I AM NORMALLY OUT ON THE HIGHWAY TRAVELING AT OVER 65 MPH ON WEEKEND AND HAD THE BOLTS SNAPPED WHILE MOVING AT THIS SPEED I WOULD PROBABLY BE DEAD. IS THERE ANY RECORDS OF THIS PROBLEM REPORTED BY ANYONE THAT IS STILL ALIVE? THANKS FOR YOU HELP. JUST WANTED T O INFORM YOU OF THIS HAPPENING. I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THIS HAPPENING ON A VEHICLE. AS FAR AS I CAN DETERMINE THIS VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT. MOST OF THE 76,000 MILES HAS BEEN DRIVEN ON THE HIGHWAYS. THANKS AGAIN.

NHTSA ODI #10005671

95,905 miles · Jan 10, 2003

Visibility

HEATER PLENUM (DOOR TO REGULATE HEAT TO CABIN) HAS BROKEN AND BURNED OUT CONTROL MOTOR CAUSING INTERIOR HEAT TO BE ALWAYS ON FULL HEAT

NHTSA ODI #10000931

Mileage unknown · Dec 17, 2002

Equipment

FILED COMPLAINT BEFORE, YOU ALL SAID IT WASN'T SAFTY RELATED.IT SURE IS WHEN FORD MAKES PARTS OUT OF THIN PLASTIC/OR PUT IN WRONG PLEUM CHAMBER.THE BLEND DOOR WON'T OPERATE AND BREAKS ON SO MANY EXPLORER/RANGER.YOU CAN'T EVEN DEFROST YOUR WINDOWS IN THE RAIN OR IN THE MORNING.DO THEY HAVE TO WAIT FOR SOMEONE TO GET HURT/KILLED F…

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NHTSA ODI #10000188

Mileage unknown · Dec 4, 2002

Service Brakes, HydraulicCrash

CONSUMER STATED THAT WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKE THE BRACKET SNAP CAUSING A VEHICLE ACCIDENT. DEALER NOTIFIED. TS

NHTSA ODI #8023658

Mileage unknown · Nov 25, 2002

Suspension

CONSUMER STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND WITHOUT WARNING THE FUEL PUMP FAILED CAUSING A DISTRACTION TO THE CONSUMER. DEALER NOTIFIED. TS

NHTSA ODI #8023236

Mileage unknown · Nov 23, 2002

Power TrainInjury

NO SUMMARY. DT

NHTSA ODI #770049

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