2003 Ford Ranger

I OWN A 2003 FORD RANGER I BOUGHT NEW. ON NOVEMBER 26 2010 I PULLED INTO THE PARKING LOT @ WORK AND MY CLUTCH AND BRAKE PEDALS FELL TO THE FLOOR CAUSING A MINOR CRASH. THE PIVOT BRACKET THAT HOLDS THE STEEL PEDALS IS MADE FROM CAST ALUMINUM. I HAVE BEEN A ALUMINUM WELDER FOR OVER 10 YEARS AND IN MY OPINION THIS BRACKET IS VERY SUBSTANDARD. I SEARCHED THE WEB AND FOUND THAT OTHER PEOPLE HAD THE SAME THING HAPPEN ON RANGERS AND OTHER TRUCKS AND FORD CARS. IF I WAS ON THE ROAD THIS COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH WORSE. I SENT PICTURES AND A PIECE OF THE BRACKET TO A RECALL INVESTIGATOR. HE SAID ITS NOT A COMMON FAILURE SINCE HE CANT FIND ANY COMPLAINTS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD RANGER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH THE CABLE FOR THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL SUDDENLY FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE STOPPED BY TAKING THE KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED AND REPAIRED BY THE DRIVER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 100,000. UPDATED 02/09/11*LJ UPDATED 03/03/11

I HAVE OWNED MY 2003 FORD RANGER XLT SINCE IT WAS NEW, AND HAVE HAD ALL SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE. I HAVE HAD 4 INCIDENTS SINCE MARCH 2010 WHERE THE VEHICLE HAS ACCELERATED WHEN I WAS BRAKING TO STOP, WITH 3 OF THOSE INCIDENTS WITHIN THE PAST WEEK. THE FIRST INCIDENT CAUSED MY TRUCK TO PUSH THRU A GATE, DAMAGING THE GATE AND THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. IN THIS CASE, THE ENGINE DID FINALLY DROP TO AN IDLE. I THOUGHT THE BEHAVIOR MUST BE A FLUKE, SO DIDN'T REPORT THE INCIDENT. THE 2ND THRU 4TH INCIDENTS HAVE OCCURRED ON A LIMITED ACCESS ROAD IN OMAHA (DODGE STREET) AT STOP SIGNS AND AT A GAS STATION OUTSIDE OMAHA, AND AS I WAS NEARING A STOP THE ENGINE STARTED ACCELERATING AND PULLING THE VEHICLE FORWARD. MAXIMUM PRESSURE ON THE BRAKES ALLOWED ME TO STAY STATIONARY SO NO VEHICLES OR PEDESTRIANS WERE HIT, BUT CAUSED MY REAR WHEELS TO BURN RUBBER. I TURNED OFF THE ENGINE TO STOP THE ACCELERATION. THE MOST DANGEROUS INCIDENT WAS WHEN THIS OCCURRED AT A GAS STATION, WHEN I WAS PULLING SLOWLY TO A GAS PUMP BEHIND ANOTHER VEHICLE AND THE STRONG ACCELERATION BEGAN. WHILE THE TRUCK HAS CRUISE CONTROL, IT WAS NOT ENGAGED IN ANY OF THESE 4 INCIDENTS. I HAD THE VEHICLE IN FOR REPAIRS TO CORRECT THIS ISSUE LAST WEEK, AND THE LAST TWO INCIDENTS OCCURRED AFTER THE DEALER CHARGED ME ABOUT $880 TO FIX THE ISSUE (REPLACED THROTTLE VALVE ASSY, GASKET, POTENTIOMETER ENGINE THROTTLE, PROCHARGER FUEL INJECTION SERVICE). THE DEALER INSISTS THAT THERE ARE NO SUDDEN ACCELERATION ISSUES WITH FORD VEHICLES, BUT THERE ARE REPORTS OF ISSUES ON THE INTERNET. *TR

BRAKE PEDAL AND ACCELERATOR PEDAL TOOOO CLOSE TOGETHER! DISTANCE OF 2 & 1/4 " CAUSES CONTACT WITH ACCELERATOR WHEN BRAKE IS BEING APPLIED NUMEROUS INCIDENTS SINCE PURCHASED VEHICLE IN 03.. I WEAR A SIZE 9 &1/2 TO A 10 & 1/2 SIZE SHOE. EVEN THOUGH I AM AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, I FIND THAT IT KEEPS HAPPENING REPEATEDLY; BUT I ONLY BUMPED A CURB ONCE WITH MY TIRES. *TR

2003 FORD RANGER SUDDEN ACCELERATION. WHILE BRAKING THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED. I WAS ABLE TO TURN OFF THE ENGINE AFTER THE ENGINE SPEED REACHED ABOUT 4,000 RPM. AFTER SHUTTING OFF THE ENGINE I CHECKED TO SEE IF MY FLOOR MAT WAS CAUSING THIS PROBLEM, I REMOVED IT FROM THE DRIVER SIDE AND RESTARTED THE ENGINE WITHOUT TOUCHING ANY PEDALS. THE ENGINE STARTED AND REVVED UP TO 4.000 RPM AGAIN. THIS IS THE 3RD TIME MY RANGER DID THIS. I TOOK IT TO RIVER VIEW FORD IN OSWEGO, THEY CHECKED IT AND SAID THEY COULD NOT REPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE SECOND TIME THIS HAPPENED I NEARLY COLLIDED WITH THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. I TOOK IT BACK TO FORD FOR THE SAME REASON, AND THEY TOLD ME THE NEXT TIME IT HAPPENS DRIVE IT TO THE DEALER, AT 4,000 RPM. (I DON'T THINK SO) THERE ARE NO RECALLS FOR MY VEHICLE AS THE DEALER CHECKED. WHAT CAN I DO? *JB

MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND HIS 2003 FORD RANGER FX4 5-SPEED GAVE A SMALL LURCH AND A "STUTTER". SINCE HE WAS RIGHT THERE AT HIS DESTINATION, HE PULLED INTO THE DRIVEWAY AND SHUT THE ENGINE OFF. THINKING THAT IT WAS JUST A GLITCH (LIKE HIS FOOT SLIPPED OFF THE CLUTCH, OR SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES), HE WENT INTO THE HOUSE TO GET OUR SON AND TAKE HIM HOME. HE WAS INSIDE THE HOUSE NO MORE THAN 5 MINUTES. AS HE WAS CARRYING OUR SON OUT TO THE TRUCK, HE SAW THAT THERE WAS SMOKE POURING OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD. OF COURSE, EMERGENCY SERVICES WERE CALLED. THE FIRE REACHED THE INSIDE OF THE TRUCK WITHIN A COUPLE OF MINUTES AND BEGAN SPREADING ALONG THE GROUND. AFTER PUTTING THE FIRE OUT, THE FIRE MARSHALL INDICATED THAT HE BELIEVED THAT THE FIRE STARTED TOWARDS THE BACK OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. THE TRUCK, OF COURSE, WILL BE A TOTAL LOSS. THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG (WHICH WAS DISARMED AS OUR INFANT SON RODE ON THAT SIDE) HAD DEPLOYED, THE WINDSHIELD HAD EXPLODED, AS HAD THE TWO FRONT TIRES. AS FOR THE HOOD, THERE WAS NOTHING LEFT. *JB