2002 Ford Ranger

MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING MY 2002 FORD RANGER ON THE FREEWAY. IT WAS RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC, CLEAR SKIES, SUN OUT AND NO RAIN. SHE FELT THE TRUCK VIOLENTLY VEERED TO THE RIGHT, AND THOUGHT THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT TIRE HAD A BLOWN OUT. BUT THE TRUCK WAS THROWN INTO THE GUARD RAIL, A WITNESS BEHIND HER SAID THE WHEEL FLEW OFF THE TRUCK, THEN IT WENT AIRBORNE AND FLEW BACK TO THE LEFT OVER THREE LANES OF TRAFFIC. FORTUNATELY, MY DAUGHTER HAD ONLY MILD INJURIES AND WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE E.R. VIA AMBULANCE. IN ADDITION, THERE WERE NO OTHER VEHICLES INVOLVED WITH THE TRUCK OR THE FLYING WHEEL. WHEN I SAW THE CAR AT THE WRECKER YARD, I NOTED THE WHOLE WHEEL AND PART OF THE AXLE WERE MISSING. MY DAUGHTER'S BOYFRIEND FOUND THE TIRE ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITH THE AXLE AND PART OF THE BRAKE COMPONENTS STILL ATTACHED. HAS THERE BEEN ANY OTHER REPORTS OF A WHEEL BREAKING OFF OF A FORD RANGER? IN RETROSPECT, THIS TRUCK HAS ONLY 6000 MILES AND THERE HAS BEEN TWO BLOWN OUTS ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE REAR TIRE IN WHICH I HAD TO REPLACE THE TIRE WITHIN THE PAST TWO MONTHS. THE TIRES ARE GOODYEAR. COULD THIS BE RELATED AS WELL OR IS IT A DIFFERENCE PROBLEM? *LA

EXHAUST ODOR AFTER ENGINE REACHES NORMAL OPERATING TEMP. THE ODOR IS LIKE ROTTEN EGGS, SULPHUR, PHOSPHORUS. PROBLEM BEGAN WHEN VEHICLE WAS APPROX. 9 MONTHS OLD WITH LESS THAN 10,000 MILES. VEHICLE WAS BOUGHT NEW AND IS A 2002 FORD RANGER WITH 4.0, AUTO, 4X4. VEHICLE NOW HAS 17,405 MILES AND HAS BEEN BACK TO THE DEALER 4 OR 5 TIMES WITHOUT RESOLVE AND IS ABOUT TO GO BACK AGAIN. THE DEALER SAID THEY HAVE DONE EVERYTHING FORD HAS ADVISED THEM TO DO AND THEY DO NOT KNOW WHAT TO TRY NEXT. THE DEALER SAID FORD WILL NOT AUTHORIZE REPLACING THE CATALYTIC CONVERTOR BECAUSE THE PROBLEM WOULD START OVER AGAIN WHEN THE NEW CONVERTOR "BURNS" IN. THE DEALER TOLD ME THE FIRST TIME IT WOULD GO AWAY IN APPROX. 5,000 MILES. THE SMELL REMAINS AND, IF ANYTHING, IS GETTING WORSE. THE FRUSTRATION BEGAN WHEN I TOOK THE TRUCK IN THE FIRST TIME FOR THE EXHAUST ODOR AND A SEVERE JERK WHEN PUTTING THE TRANS. INTO REVERSE. THE SERVICE MANAGER SAID THE "JERK" WAS BECAUSE THE VEHICLE (10,008 MILES) WAS GETTING "BROKE IN" BUT THE SMELL WAS DUE TO THE CONVERTOR JUST "BURNING IN" BECAUSE IT WAS NEW! I'VE HAD 5 RANGERS SINCE 1996 AND PURCHASE 3 OTHER VEHICLES SINCE 1990 AND HAVE NEVER HAD THIS ODOR IN ANY OF THEM. *JB

THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED OVERNIGHT. THE NEXT MORNING THE CONSUMER NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD ROLLED BACKWARDS AND ACROSS THE STREET. THE CONSUMER CHECKED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THAT THE PARKING BRAKE HAD RELEASE WHILE THE GEAR SHIFTER WAS STILL IN THE PARK POSITION. THE VEHICLE WILL BE TAKEN TO THE DEALER TO BE CHECKED. *NLM

REPLACEMENT OF TRANSMISSION IN A 2002 FORD EDGE RANGER. THIS TRANSMISSION WENT BAD WITH NO INDICATION OF A PROBLEM UNTIL THE DAY OF FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAD 51000 MILES ON IT AT THE TIME OF FAILURE AND THE TRUCK WAS MAINTAINED ACCORDING TO MANUFACTURERS SUGGESTED MAINTENANCE. ACCORDING TO THE DEALER WHERE THE REPAIR/ REPLACEMENT WAS MADE, THE TORQUE CONVERTER HAD BEEN SEIZING FOR SOME TIME THROWING SHRAPNEL INTO THE TRANSMISSION AND THE ENTIRE UNIT NEEDED REPLACING.*AK