2000 Ford Ranger

OCCASIONAL LOSS OF ALL BRAKING POWER. 2000 FORD RANGER 4X4 PICK-UP. THIS VEHICLE ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS IN THE PAST TWO MONTHS WITHOUT ANY NOTICE HAS HAD COMPLETE OR DRASTIC BRAKING POWER LOSS. THERE ARE NO INDICATOR WARNING LIGHTS OF ANY TYPE TO INDICATE THERE IS A PROBLEM. ON TWO OCCASIONS I ALMOST HIT OTHER VEHICLES IN THE REAR DUE TO BRAKE FAILURE AND MY WIFE FAILED TO STOP AT A STOP SIGN AND WENT OUT INTO THE PATH OF AN ON COMING VEHICLE. (NO ACCIDENT). *NM

I OWN A 2000 YEAR MODEL FORD RANGER, AND FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS I NOTICED THAT THE STEERING WOULD HANG AND THEN POP WHEN I WAS TURNING TO THE RIGHT. I WOULDN'T DO IT IF TURNING THE OTHER DIRECTION. I SEEMED TO GET PROGRESSIVELY WORSE, AND FINALLY I TOOK IT TO A LOCAL MECHANIC TO FIX. HE CHANGED THE RACK AND PINION AND INFORMED ME THAT THE FORD RACK AND PINION HAD A REVISED DESIGN TWICE. FOR THIS REASON I HAD A FORD MOTORCRAFT PART INSTALLED RATHER THAN AN AFTERMARKET PART. HE ALSO INFORMED ME THAT THE VERY NEXT DAY AFTER HE FIXED MY TRUCK, ANOTHER RANGER OF THE SAME YEAR HAD THE SAME PROBLEM BUT WORSE, BECAUSE THE STEERING WAS TOTALLY LOCKED IN PLACE AND WOULDN'T TURN. I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR A RECALL TO COME OUT, BECAUSE THIS OBVIOUSLY A SAFETY ISSUE, BUT NOTHING HAS HAPPENED. SO NOW I FEEL I MUST FILE A COMPLAINT. ALSO, THERE MUST BE A RECURRING PROBLEM IF FORD HAS REPLACED THE ORIGINAL RACK AND PINION DESIGN WITH A NEW DESIGN. *JB

DT: THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 FORD RANGER. BRAKE SHOES ON THE REAR, HAS A SAFETY DEFECT. THE SPRING ON THE BOTTOM OF THE BRAKE SHOES HAVE A SELF ADJUSTER THE SPRING AT THE BOTTOM RUBBED THE SELF ADJUSTER. IT DID NOT RUB BRAKE SHOES . IT STARTED MAKING A NOISE IN THE WHEEL. THE CONTACT TOOK IT OFF AND FOUND THE BROKEN SPRING . WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY IT MADE A RATTLING NOISE ON JULY, 15 2005. NO CRASH INVOLVED. NO POLICE REPORT TAKEN. NO INJURIES REPORTED. *AK THE BOTTOM BRAKE SHOE RETAINING SPRING WAS INSTALLED ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE SELF ADJUSTER, WHICH EVENTUALLY RUBBED THE SPRING AND BROKE. ABOUT 2 MONTHS LATER THE OTHER SIDE STARTED MAKING A NOISE AN IT HAD ALSO BROKE. AFTER INSTALLING THE NEW BRAKE SHOE THE CONSUMER FOUND THAT THE SPRING SHOULD HAVE BEEN INSTALLED BEHIND THE SELF ADJUSTER. THE CONSUMER HAS ONE OF THE SPRINGS IN HIS POSSESSION. *NM

DT: THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 FORD RANGER. WHILE THE CONTACT'S DAUGHTER WAS TRYING TO FASTEN THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT SEAT BELT IT WOULD NOT LATCH. THE CONTACT INSPECTED THE LATCH , AND THERE DID NOT APPEAR TO BE ANYTHING LODGED IN THE LATCH TO CAUSE IT NOT TO LOCK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE SEEMED TO BE PLASTIC PART OF THE SEAT BELT THAT BROKE OFF. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN INSPECTED BY A DEALERSHIP YET, BECAUSE WHEN THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP THEY STATED THAT IT WOULD COST APPROXIMATELY $100 TO REPLACE THE SEAT BELT. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THERE WAS A FIVE YEAR, 50,000 MILE WARRANTY ON THE SEAT BELTS, AND THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO TO REPLACE THE SEAT BELT WITHOUT THE CONSUMER COVERING THE COST.*AK UPDATED 11/29/2005- A LOCAL GAS STATION WAS ABLE TO REPAIR THE SEAT BELT FOR UNDER $60. THE CONSUMER STILL HAS THE BROKEN BELT IN HIS POSSESSION. *NM

2000 FORD RANGER HAD SMOKE SEEPING OUT OF THE STEERING COLUMN WHENEVER THE CONSUMER WOULD USE HIS TURN SIGNAL.*MR THE CONSUMER SAW NEW COVERAGE ON RECALL OF SOME FORD TRUCK. THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL ALTHOUGH HER VEHICLE EXHIBITED THE SYMPTOMS OF THE RECALL. THE DEALER REPLACED THE MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH. *NM

SRS LIGHT IS ALWAYS ON NOW, MAY BE DUE TO USING SWITCH TO TURN OFF PASSENGER AIRBAG A COUPLE OF TIMES OR DRIVING WITH IT OFF. NOW THE ALERT LIGHT FOR THE PASSENGER DOESN'T LIGHT EITHER. OTHER PROBLEM IS ENGINE KNOCKING EVEN THOUGH THIS 2000 RANGER HAS ONLY 36,000 MILES AND HAS BEEN BABIED ON SUPER PREMIUM GAS. I FEEL THAT FORDS TEND TO FAIL JUST OUT OF WARRANTY, THESE PROBLEMS HAPPENED LITERALLY AT THE MARK OF 36,000 MILES. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THEM!

ON OR ABOUT 8/1/05 I PARKED MY 2000 FORD RANGER XLT IN MY DRIVEWAY AND GOT OUT TO OPEN THE GATED PARKING SPACE AT MY RESIDENCE. VEHICLE JUMPED INTO REVERSE AND BACKED INTO THE STREET. MANAGED TO STOP IT BUT INJURED MY KNEE. FOUND PIN FROM SHIFTER MECHANISM ON THE FLOOR UNDER STEERING COLUMN THAT HAD FALLEN OUT OF SHIFTER. SHIFTER WOULD NOT STAY IN "PARK" AFTERWARDS BUT KEPT JUMPING INTO "NEUTRAL" AND "REVERSE". SPRING TENSION OF THE SHIFT INDICATOR WOULD PULL IT OUT OF "PARK" AS SOON AS THE LEVER WAS RELEASED. SHIFTER WOULD GO INTO "NEUTRAL" AND "REVERSE" AT RANDOM. HAD TO SHUT OFF THE VEHICLE AND RESTART WHEN I LEFT CAR EVEN BRIEFLY - NOT SOMETHING DRIVERS NORMALLY DO. VEHICLE POPPED INTO "NEUTRAL" ABOUT 75 TO 100 TIMES AND INTO "REVERSE" ABOUT 50 TIMES. HAD TO HOLD THE LEVER IN "PARK" TO RESTART. ABOUT A WEEK OR SO AFTER THE INITIAL FAILURE, I HEARD A LOUD "SPROING" AND A "SNAP" SOUND. SHIFT INDICATOR WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE RIGHT IN "D1" POSITION. IT NEVER WORKED AGAIN. SHIFT LEVER NOW STAYS WEAKLY IN "PARK" BUT POPS INTO GEAR SOMETIMES. FORD DEALER HAD NO INTEREST IN PROBLEM AND MERELY REFERRED ME TO MANUFACTURER. MANUFACTURER REFERRED ME BACK TO THE DEALER. SHIFTER MECHANISM IS DEFECTIVELY DESIGNED AND NOT FIT FOR ITS INTENDED USE. VEHICLE DOES NOT MEET FMVSS BECAUSE CRITICAL SHIFTER MECHANISM IS DEFECTIVE AND WILL FAIL CATASTROPHICALLY. GEAR SHIFT OUGHT TO WORK WITHOUT FAILURE FOR THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE. FORD AND ITS DEALERS DO NOT HAVE ANY MEASURES IN PLACE TO ADDRESS THIS FAILURE AND INSTEAD TRY TO PUSH OFF CORRECTIVE ACTION, LEAVING THE VEHICLE OWNER WITH A HAZARDOUS CONDITION. THIS FAILURE HAS PROBABLY HAPPENED TO OTHERS AND IS BEING UNDERREPORTED BECAUSE OF THE ACTIONS OF FORD AND ITS DEALERS. IF THIS DEFECT IS NOT CORRECTED, IT WILL ULTIMATELY KILL SOMEBODY. NHTSA HAS A DUTY TO CALL FORD AND ITS DEALERS INTO ACCOUNT AND REQUIRE A RECALL TO CORRECT THE DEFECT.

WHILE DRIVING THERE WAS UNWANTED ACCELERATION. THE CONSUMER STATES IT BECOMES VERY VIOLENT UPON COMING TO A STOP. *AK WHEN THE CONSUMER STOPPED USING THE AUTO SPEED CONTROL THE SURGING DID NOT OCCUR UNTIL EARLY 2005. THERE WAS A BANGING NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR WHEN BRAKING DUE TO THE REAR SPEED SENSOR AND THE BRAKE PUMP, IT MADE THE VEHICLE FEEL AS IF IT WERE BEING HIT IN THE BACK. *SC *JB

ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, THE LEFT TURN SIGNAL HAS FAILED TO WORK PROPERLY - WHEN IT FAILS, THE SIGNAL WILL EITHER NOT COME ON AT ALL OR WILL REMAIN LIT CONTINUOUSLY (INSTEAD OF FLASHING), EVEN IF THE TURN SIGNAL SWITCH IS OFF. IN ADDITION, WHEN THE SIGNAL FAILS, SMOKE COMES OUT OF THE STEERING COLUMN NEAR THE HAZARD FLASHER SWITCH AND/OR TURN SIGNAL SWITCH. I HAVE ORDERED A REPLACEMENT TURN SIGNAL SWITCH (AND WILL BE REPLACING IT AS SOON AS THE NEW PART ARRIVES) - I WILL KEEP THE OLD PART.