IllustrationAIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY DURING FRONT END COLLISION TRUCK IS TOTALED. DT
1999 Ford Ranger
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Ranger years
Owner complaints for the 1999 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
100–25K
3425–50K
3450–75K
4475–100K
56100–150K
36150K+
214 reports with mileage · 541 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 178 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Structure. Review the 89 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 80 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
96 crash reports14 fire reports50 injury reports
What owners actually said
755 reportsFRONT END KNOCKS AT IDLE SPEED. TOOK TO DEALER 3 TIMES THEY SAY IT IS CHARACTERISTIC FOR THIS MAKE & MODEL. CALLED FORD, TOOK TRUCK BACK TO DEALER AGAIN THAT IS WHEN THEY CALLED IT CHARACTERISTIC. BUT TOLD DEALER & FORD JUST STARTED DOING THIS. BOTH SAID THEY WERE GOING TO DO NOTHING, NOISE STILL THERE. ALL I WANT IS IT FIXED, I…
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FRONT END KNOCKS AT IDLE SPEED. TOOK TO DEALER 3 TIMES THEY SAY IT IS CHARACTERISTIC FOR THIS MAKE & MODEL. CALLED FORD, TOOK TRUCK BACK TO DEALER AGAIN THAT IS WHEN THEY CALLED IT CHARACTERISTIC. BUT TOLD DEALER & FORD JUST STARTED DOING THIS. BOTH SAID THEY WERE GOING TO DO NOTHING, NOISE STILL THERE. ALL I WANT IS IT FIXED, I FEEL IT IS NOT NORMAL FOR ANY CAR/TRUCK TO HAVE FRONT END KNOCK AT IDLE SPEED. *****DIMS 11 IVOQ ENTRY POSTED AFTER 12/12/02 CUT-OVER TO ARTEMIS******769320. *AK *JB
THE CONSUMER STATED THAT SHE WAS DRIVING WHEN THE VEHICLE BLEW UP, AND FEELS THAT SHE WAS ALMOST KILLED. AFTER BEING TOLD THAT THE VEHICLE HAD EXPERIENCED A MAJOR ENGINE FAILURE. THE CONSUMER FOUND, AFTER THE INVESTIGATION, A CONNECTING ROD PROTRUDING THROUGH THE OIL PAN. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF OIL LEAKAGE FROM THE FILTER O…
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THE CONSUMER STATED THAT SHE WAS DRIVING WHEN THE VEHICLE BLEW UP, AND FEELS THAT SHE WAS ALMOST KILLED. AFTER BEING TOLD THAT THE VEHICLE HAD EXPERIENCED A MAJOR ENGINE FAILURE. THE CONSUMER FOUND, AFTER THE INVESTIGATION, A CONNECTING ROD PROTRUDING THROUGH THE OIL PAN. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF OIL LEAKAGE FROM THE FILTER OR OIL PAN GASKET, NOR FROM THE VALVES OR OIL RELATED SYSTEMS. THE WATER MIXED WITH THE OIL, WHICH RESULTED IN A BROKEN ROD. THERE WAS SLUDGE IN THE ENGINE. THE CONSUMER BELIEVES THAT A BEARING MAY HAVE SPUN AND CAUSED THIS DAMAGE. *SCC *TS
TRUCK WAS STOPPED & LEFT RUNNING, DRIVER AND PASSENGER GOT OUT TO SEE IF ROAD TOO MUDDY TO DRIVE ON. WHEN OPENED DOOR LESS THAN 1 MINUTE LATER, TRUCK FILLED WITH SMOKE. FIRE SMELLED ELECTRICAL, BATTERY UNHOOKED, VEHICLE TOWED TO FORD DEALERSHIP. APPARENTLY WIRE ON POWER WINDOW ON PASSENGER SIDE TOUCHED METAL AND STARTED THE FI…
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TRUCK WAS STOPPED & LEFT RUNNING, DRIVER AND PASSENGER GOT OUT TO SEE IF ROAD TOO MUDDY TO DRIVE ON. WHEN OPENED DOOR LESS THAN 1 MINUTE LATER, TRUCK FILLED WITH SMOKE. FIRE SMELLED ELECTRICAL, BATTERY UNHOOKED, VEHICLE TOWED TO FORD DEALERSHIP. APPARENTLY WIRE ON POWER WINDOW ON PASSENGER SIDE TOUCHED METAL AND STARTED THE FIRE. THIS VEHICLE HAS NEVER BEEN WRECKED AND DOOR OR WINDOWS WORKED ON. WHAT WOULD MAKE IT SHORT OUT AND START FIRE IF NOT FACTORY DEFECT. DT
CONSUMER STATES THAT THE DOME LIGHTS WILL NOT GO OFF INSIDE THE TRUCK. DRIVER HAS TO PULL THE FUSE TO TURN THEM OFF. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION. MR
CONSUMER STATES THAT THE WINDSHIELD WHIPERS GO ON /OFF BY THEMSELVES WHILE DRIVING IN THE RAIN, WITHOUT ANY WARNING. CAUSING POOR VISIBILITY. MR
I NOTICED THAT THERE WAS A RECALL OF THE 2001 FORD RANGER FOR THE VERY SAME PROBLEM MY TRUCK SEEME TO HAVE. NHTSA#:00V394000. I WAS DRIVING WHEN THE HOOD SNAPPED OPEN. I COULD HAVE VERY EASILY BEEN IN A HEAD-ON COLLISION WHEN MY ENTIRE VIEW WAS BLOCKED WITH THE HOOD. I HAVE TAKEN SOME PICTURES OF THE HOOD AREA IF THEY ARE NE…
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I NOTICED THAT THERE WAS A RECALL OF THE 2001 FORD RANGER FOR THE VERY SAME PROBLEM MY TRUCK SEEME TO HAVE. NHTSA#:00V394000. I WAS DRIVING WHEN THE HOOD SNAPPED OPEN. I COULD HAVE VERY EASILY BEEN IN A HEAD-ON COLLISION WHEN MY ENTIRE VIEW WAS BLOCKED WITH THE HOOD. I HAVE TAKEN SOME PICTURES OF THE HOOD AREA IF THEY ARE NEEDED. THE REPAIR SHOP SAID THAT ONE OF THE SCREWS CAME LOOSE AT SOME POINT IN TIME AND WITH THE VIBRATION. THE WIRE FORMED HOOD STRIKER SNAPPED FROM METAL FATIGUE. ANYWAY THIS WHOLE ORDEAL IS COSTING ME ABOUT $1300 NOT MENTIONED THAT I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. MR
WHILE DRIVING 45MPH BRAKES SHIMMIED REAL HARD.*AK
DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG FAILED TO DEPLOY UPON FRONTAL IMPACT, BUT PASSENGER'S SIDE DID. ESTIMATED SPEED OF IMPACT WAS 55 MPH. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK
OWNER HAD TO HIT BRAKES DUE TO A VEHICLE IN FRONT OF HIM COMING TO A DEAD STOP WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH. TRUCK WENT INTO A SKID, AND STRUCK VEHICLE IN FRONT. UPON IMPACT, NEITHER AIR BAG DEPLOYED. NUMEROUS AMOUT OF FRONT DAMAGE FROM HOOD TO COOLANT SYSTEM, ETC. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK
Official recalls
407V336000 · Vehicle Speed Control
Aug 3, 2007
ON CERTAIN PICKUP TRUCKS, PASSENGER VEHICLES, SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, AND MOTOR HOMES CHASSIS, THE SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH MAY, UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS, LEAK INTERNALLY AND THEN OVERHEAT, SMOKE, OR BURN.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS COULD RESULT IN AN UNDERHOOD FIRE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A FUSED WIRING HARNESS. OWNERS OF THE PASSENGER CARS INCLUDED IN THIS CAMPAIGN WILL BE INSTRUCTED TO RETURN THEIR VEHICLES TO THEIR DEALERS TO HAVE THE SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH DISCONNECTED AS AN INTERIM REPAIR. AS SOON AS REPAIR PARTS ARE AVAILABLE (EXPECTED OCTOBER 2007), OWNERS WILL BE INSTRUCTED TO RETURN TO THE DEALERS FOR INSTALLATION OF A FUSED WIRING HARNESS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 13, 2007, AND MAILING COMPLETED BY SEPTEMBER 19, 2007. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD AT 1-888-222-2751.
99V204000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission
Jul 28, 1999
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: ELECTRIC VEHICLES. THE TRANSAXLE MAY HAVE BEEN MANUFACTURED WITH THE PARK DETENT SPRING MISALIGNED. IF THE SPRING IS MISALIGNED, THE PARK MECHANISM MAY NOT ENGAGE WHEN THE SHIFT LEVER IS PLACED IN THE PARK POSITION.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF THE PARK MECHANISM DOES NOT ENGAGE AND THE VEHICLE OPERATOR HAS NOT APPLIED THE PARKING BRAKE, THE VEHICLE COULD ROLL FREE AS IF IN NEUTRAL.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE TRANSAXLE AND ANY WITH MISALIGNED PARK DETENT SPRINGS WILL BE REPLACED.
99V062001 · Vehicle Speed Control
Mar 30, 1999
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: CERTAIN 1997-1999 RHD EXPLORER EQUIPPED WITH 4.0L OHV/SOHC ENGINES AND CRUISE CONTROL BUILT FROM MAY 29, 1996 THROUGH MARCH 4, 1999; 1998-1999 EXPLORER/MOUNTAINEERS EQUIPPED WITH 4.0L OHV/SOHC OR 5.0L ENGINES OR 1998-1999 RANGERS EQUIPPED WITH 2.5L, 3.0L FFV/EFI OR 4.0L ENGINES AND CRUISE CONTROL BUILT FROM JANUARY 5, 1998 THROUGH MARCH 4, 1999; 1998-1999 MUSTANGS EQUIPPED WITH 3.8L, 4.6L 2-VALVE OR 4-VALVE ENGINES AND CRUISE CONTROL BUILT FROM MARCH 2, 1998 THROUGH MARCH 4, 1999; 1999 F250/F350/F450/F550 (OVER 8,500 LBS.) TRUCKS EQUIPPED WITH 5.4L OR 6.8L ENGINES AND CRUISE CONTROL BUILT FROM MARCH 2, 1998 THROUGH MARCH 4, 1999; AND 1999 F-53 STRIPPED CHASSIS EQUIPPED WITH 5.4L OR 6.8L ENGINES AND CRUISE CONTROL BUILT FROM MARCH 2, 1998 THROUGH MARCH 4, 1999. A CRUISE CONTROL CABLE CAN INTERFERE WITH THE SPEED CONTROL SERVO PULLEY AND NOT ALLOW THE THROTTLE TO RETURN TO IDLE WHEN DISENGAGING THE CRUISE CONTROL.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF THE CRUISE CONTROL IS USED AND THIS CONDITION IS PRESENT, A STUCK THROTTLE COULD RESULT, WHICH COULD POTENTIALLY RESULT IN A CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE CRUISE CONTROL CABLES. AT THE PRESENT TIME, THE REPLACEMENT CABLES ARE NOT AVAILABLE. CUSTOMERS ARE BEING ADVISED NOT TO USE THE CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEM UNTIL A REPLACEMENT CAN BE MADE.
98V201000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:fuel Injection System
Sep 1, 1998
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: LIGHT DUTY PICKUP TRUCKS WITH 3.0L ENGINE. AN 'O'-RING SEAL IN THE FUEL INJECTION PULSE DAMPER TO FUEL RAIL JOINT COULD BE DAMAGED ALLOWING FUEL LEAKAGE.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE, A FIRE CAN RESULT FROM FUEL LEAKAGE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE PULSE DAMPER.
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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.