2001 Ford Ranger

I TOOK MY TRUCK IN FOR TIRE REPAIR AND SERVICE TECHNICIAN FOUND SEVERE ROTTING WHERE LEAF SPRINGS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE CONNECTED TO THE FRAME. THERE WAS A TOTAL DISCONNECT AT THIS LOCATION WHICH EXPLAINS THE LOUD BANGING THAT I'VE BEEN HEARING. THIS IS ON THE DRIVERS SIDE. HE ADVISED ME THAT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE, IT WAS THE SAME SITUATION BUT IT WASN'T DISCONNECTED YET. HE ADVISED ME FORD RANGERS HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THIS. I WENT ONLINE AND DISCOVERED A HUGE VOLUME OF COMPLAINTS REGARDING THIS SAME ISSUE. SOME COMPLAINTS SAID THAT THEY WERE DRIVING WHEN THEIR TRUCK BED GAVE WAY AND COLLAPSED WHILE IN THE TRUCK WAS IN MOTION. THIS TRUCK WAS HANDED DOWN WITH LOW MILEAGE AND LITTLE REASON FOR ALL THAT RUST/ROTTING IN THE FRAME OF THE TRUCK. I WAS ADVISED THAT HAD I BEEN CARRYING A MEDIUM OR HEAVY LOAD THE BED COULD HAVE GIVEN WAY, AND THAT COULD HAVE BEEN IN MOTION. *TR

THIS VEHICLE HAS LESS THAN 100K MILES ON IT AND I'VE ALREADY HAD TO REPAIR THE FRAME MULTIPLE TIMES. THE FIRST INCIDENT WAS THE CROSS MEMBERS IN THE REAR RUSTING OFF. THE NEXT INCIDENT WAS THE FRAME BREAKING BEHIND THE DRIVERS SIDE BED BETWEEN THE SHACKLES. I COULD LITERALLY FLEX THE FRAME 4 INCHES UP AND DOWN AT THE PIVOT POINT. I FOUND THIS BREAK WHILE PARKED BUT HAD TO MISS CLASS BECAUSE OF THE SEVERITY OF THE FRAME. MY TRIP TO SCHOOL HAS MANY SHARP OFF RAMPS WHERE HIGH SPEED TRAFFIC AND BRAKING OCCURS. I'M CERTAIN IF I HAD DRIVEN TO SCHOOL THAT DAY I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. WHILE REPAIRING THIS BREAK I FOUND WHERE PREVIOUS OWNERS HAD FIXED THE REAR BUMPER MOUNTS AND REAR CROSS MEMBER. AFTER TAKING MY TRUCK IN TO REPLACE THE TIRES, I WAS INFORMED OF YET ANOTHER MAJOR FRAME ISSUE. UNDERNEATH THE DRIVERS SEAT ON THE FRAME IS A HUGE RUSTED HOLE WITH A CRACK STARTING TO FORM DOWN THE CENTER OF THE RAIL. THIS WILL NEED REPAIRING IMMEDIATELY. THIS BEING MY FIRST FORD VEHICLE, I AM EXTREMELY RELUCTANT TO BUY A FORD EVER AGAIN. I COULD UNDERSTAND IF THE TRUCK HAD 150K+ MILES BUT IT STILL HAS LESS THAN 100K MILES. I OWNED A 1992 CHEVY S10 FIVE YEARS AGO AND IT HAD ALMOST NO RUST ON THE FRAME EVEN THOUGH IT WAS AN OUT DOOR TRUCK. FORD NEEDS TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED. *TR

FAILED COMPONENT 2: FRAME AHEAD OF LEAF SPRING SHACKLES ON BOTH SIDES. LEFT WAS COMPLETELY FRACTURED AND RIGHT WAS 1/2 FRACTURED. RIGHT SHOCK STRUT MOUNT BROKEN. DRIVING AROUND TOWN HIT SEVERAL BUMPS IN ROAD DUE TO ROAD CONSTRUCTION. WHEN I PARKED THE TRUCK I NOTICED THE TRUCK BED WAS LEANING TO THE RIGHT. FURTHER INSPECTION REVEALED A CRACKED FRAME. TOOK IT TO THE SHOP AND THEY SAID IT WASN'T SAFE TO DRIVE. THEY REMOVED THE BED AND NOTICED EXTREME RUST AND A 'PAPER THIN' FRAME.. SAID IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO FIND GOOD METAL TO WELD TO. I NOTICED THAT FORD HAD A RECALL ON THE 2004 RANGER FRAME. *TR

SEVERELY RUSTED FRAME RAILS, REAR BUMPER IN DANGER OF FALLING OFF OF VEHICLE!! I JUST ARRIVED BACK IN MASSACHUSSETTS FROM WINTER IN SOUTH CAROLINA, STARTED TO PREPARE MY FORD RANGER TO GO BACK ON THE ROAD, OBSERVED THAT THE REAR BUMPER APPEARED TO BE HANGING LOWER THAN NORMAL. I TUGGED ON THE REAR BUMPER AND FOUND THAT I COULD EASILY MOVE IT UP OR DOWN, CRAWLED UNDER THE VEHICLE AND OBSERVED THAT THE REAR FRAME RAILS WERE SO RUSTED THAT THE BUMPER IS IN DANGER OF FALLING OFF OF THE VEHICLE, SPARE WHEEL WELL AND LIFTING MECHANISM ARE SEVERELY RUSTED AS WELL. *TR

I BOUGHT THIS 2001 FORD RANGER EDGE, REGULAR CAB FROM A DEALER IN CONNECTICUT. THE EXTERIOR BODY PANELS THEMSELVES LOOKS IMMACULATE NOT A SPOT OF RUST ANYWHERE, HOWEVER, AFTER I HAD DRIVEN HOME THE VEHICLE AND HAD MY FAMILY MECHANIC LOOK IT OVER HE DISCOVERED THERE ARE TWO LOCATIONS WHERE THE FRAME HAS COMPLETELY RUSTED/ ROTTED THROUGH (OVER 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER) ON THE DRIVER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE JUST IN FRONT OF THE REAR AXLE, ADJACENT TO THE GAS TANK. THIS VEHICLE ONLY HAS 89,000 MILES ON IT AND WAS VERY WELL CARED FOR. THIS MECHANIC THEN TOLD ME THAT THIS WILL EVENTUALLY LEAD TO THIS VEHICLE BEING UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND THAT THE VEHICLE IS BORDERLINE UNSAFE TO DRIVE IN ITS CURRENT CONDITION. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD RANGER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT UPON INSPECTION, IT WAS FOUND THAT THE FRAME WAS SEVERELY RUSTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHO CONFIRMED THAT THE FRAME WAS PERFORATED DUE TO RUST. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 151,238.

SYMPTOMS INCLUDED ENGINE STALL DURING HIGHWAY AND UPHILL DRIVING. STOPPED AT FUEL STATION TO FILL TANK; WHEN TANK APPROACHED FULL; SOUND OF STRUCTURAL FAILURE NOTED FOLLOWED BY LARGE FUEL SPILLAGE FROM TANK AREA (SATURATED TRUCK RT REAR UNDERBELLY, GROUND, REAR TIRE, MY SHOES AND LOWER PORTION OF PANTS). SUBSEQUENT INSPECTION REVEALED GAS TANK STRAP DETACHED FROM FRAME DUE TO SEVERE AND WIDESPREAD FRAME ROT. TANK APPARENTLY HANGING FROM REMAINING CORROSION DAMAGED STRAP AND FUEL FILLER NECK (CAUSED TANK TO TILT BACKWARDS; STARVING ENGINE OF FUEL DURING UPHILL OR DYNAMIC DRIVING). FUEL FILLER NECK WAS ALSO SEVERELY ROTTED AND FINALLY FAILED DURING FUEL FILL CAUSING ENTIRE TANK LOADED WITH 16 GALLONS FUEL TO BECOME DETACHED AT SHARP ANGLE. FOLLOWING INCIDENT; VEHICLE PROFESSIONALLY INSPECTED REVEALING EXTENSIVE FRAME AND SUSPENSION COMPONENT DISINTEGRATION DUE TO PREMATURE FAILURE OF FORD DESIGNED SUB-STANDARD MATERIALS. LARGE AREAS OF MATERIAL MISSING FROM BOTH FRONT FRAME MEMBERS (REAR OF ENGINE), LARGE HOLES IN FRAME AREAS FORWARD OF REAR WHEELS (WHERE FUEL TANK STRAPS ATTACK), SEVERE AND WIDESPREAD FRAME AND SUSPENSION COMPONENT CORROSION. VEHICLE CONDEMNED BY INSPECTION PERSONNEL; NOW SITS IDLE IN DRIVEWAY. RANGER PURCHASED NEW (YEAR END, 2001) WITH DEALER RUST-PROOF. VEHICLE REGULARLY MAINTAINED AND KEPT FREE FROM ROAD SALT WITH REGULAR UNDERBELLY WASH. VEHICLE ONLY HAD 120,000 MILES AND LOOKED VERY CLEAN ON EXTERIOR. I HAVE OWNED MANY VEHICLES IN MY 35 YEAR DRIVING HISTORY; NEVER HAVE I EXPERIENCED ANYTHING LIKE THIS PRIOR. FORD OBVIOUSLY USED ULTRA-SUB STANDARD MATERIALS IN RANGER CRITICAL SUSPENSION COMPONENT DESIGNS; WITHOUT REGARD FOR THE SAFETY OF UNSUSPECTING OWNERS. THIS IS CRIMINAL, IT WILL ONLY BE A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE PEOPLE ARE INJURED OR KILLED BY THESE DESIGN DEFECTS. *TR