IllustrationUNIVERSAL JOINT: CONSTANT VELOCITY FAILURE; ALSO ENGINE VALVE COVER/WATER PUMP LEAKS. *AK
1992 Ford Ranger
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1992 Ford Ranger do not stand out strongly from 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
Limited mileage data: 22 of 189 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
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.
- Electrical System. Review the 41 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Suspension. Review the 32 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Visibility. Review the 22 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
13 crash reports32 fire reports10 injury reports
What owners actually said
189 reportsTHE CABLE BROKE FROM THE DOOR BECAUSE IT WAS COLD OUTSIDE. OWNER CANNOT OPEN THE DOOR. DEALER REPLACED CABLE UNDER RECALL AND EVER SINCE THEN THE CABLE THE DOOR HAS NOT BEEN WORKING. *AK
WHEN GOING THROUGH A PUDDLE OF WATER VEHICLE GETS SUCKED UP IN THE AIR INTAKE, CAUSING THE ENGINE TO SEIZE AND THE ENGINE BLOCK TO CRACK. *AK
DURING VEHICLE OPERATION THE SMELL OF BURNING WIRES AND SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE DASH AREA, INDICATING A VEHICLE FIRE. *AK
TRANSMISSION DOES NOT PROVIDE COMPRESSION BRAKING IN ANY GEAR, INCLUDING REVERSE; VEHICLE FREEWHEELS AS THOUGH IT WERE IN NEUTRAL; ALSO, WILL NOT SHIFT INTO ANY LOWER GEAR MANUALLY REGARDLESS OF SPEED/GEAR POSITION. *AK
AT 55 MPH AND ABOVE OUTSIDE DOOR MIRROR FOLDS IN TOWARDS THE INSIDE OF VEHICLE DUE TO THE INSTALLMENT OF THE BUG/HOOD DEFLECTOR/PASSENGER'S SIDE DOOR OUTSIDE MIRROR WAS NOT AFFECTED. *AK
VEHICLE WAS STARTED, SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING, DROVE DOWN BLOCK AND NOTICED SMOKE, PULLED VEHICLE OVER, LIFTED HOOD AND NOTICED FLAMES NEAR IGNITION AREA, WENT TO NEIGHBOR AND GOT A FIRE EXTINGUISHER BUT DID NOT HELP, CONSUMER DISCONNECTED BATTERY CABLE.*AK *JB
FIVE SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION LOCKED UP DUE TO BAD SEALS WHERE SHIFTING RODS GO THROUGH, OWNER PULLED OVER IMMEDIATELY AND WAS INFORMED THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM. MECHANIC SAID HEAT EXPANSION CAUSES THEM TO LEAK ONLY IN MOTION. *AK *SLC
LEFT SIDE VIEW MIRROR COLLAPSES WHEN VEHICLE IS DRIVEN OVER 50 MPH DUE TO HIGH WINDS.
WHILE TRYING TO START UP THE VEHICLE THE STARTER WOULD NOT TURN OFF AND THE STARTER STUCK UNDER THE HOOD, VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. *AK
Official recalls
296V024001 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:power Assist:hydraulic
Feb 5, 1996
THE STUDS WHICH ATTACH THE BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER TO THE POWER BRAKE VACUUM BOOSTER ASSEMBLY CAN DEVELOP STRESS CORROSION CRACKING AFTER BEING OPERATED FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME IN THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA LOCATION.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF A CRACK OCCURS, IT COULD RESULT IN ONE OR BOTH STUDS FRACTURING. THE MASTER CYLINDER COULD THEN SEPARATE FROM THE VACUUM BOOSTER, WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED, PREVENTING THE SERVICE BRAKES FROM ACTIVATING INCREASING THE RISK OF A VEHICLE ACCIDENT.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE POWER BRAKE VACUUM BOOSTER ASSEMBLY.
92V006000 · Structure:body:door
Jan 14, 1992
WATER CAN ENTER THE DOOR LATCH RELEASE CABLE. IF THE VEHICLE IS OPERATED IN BELOW FREEZING TEMPERATURES, THE WATER IN THE DOOR LATCH RELEASE CABLE CAN FREEZE AND CAUSE THE LATCH MECHANISM TO MALFUNCTION.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THE MALFUNCTION OF THE DOOR LATCH RELEASE CAN RESULT INTHREE DIFFERENT PROBLEMS: 1) THE DOOR WILL NOT BE ABLE TO BE RELATCHED, 2) THEINSIDE DOOR HANDLE CAN BECOME INOPERATIVE, AND 3) THE DOOR COULD APPEAR TO BELATCHED WHEN IT IS NOT, ALLOWING THE DOOR TO OPEN UNEXPECTEDLY IF IT IS JARRED,AND INCREASING THE RISK OF INJURY TO THE ADJACENT SEAT OCCUPANT.
Remedy: REVISED DOOR RELEASE CABLES AND WATER SHIELDS WILL BE INSTALLED.
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
1EA95018 · Separation Of Master Cylinder
Opened Jun 19, 1995 · Closed Apr 2, 1996
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Service Brakes, Hydraulic
FORD CONTINUES TO SUDY THE PROBLEM ATTEMPTING TO DETERMINE WHY STUD FRACTURES ARE NOT FREQUENTLY OCCURRING IN OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY.LIKEWISE, ODI CONTINUES GATHERING INFORMATION TO ASCERTAIN WHETHER THE RECALL SCOPE SHOULD INCLUDE OTHER GEOGRAPHICAL AREAS.IF EVIDENCE INDICATES THE SCOPE SHOULD BE EXPANDED, ODI WILL REOPEN THE INVESTIGATION AS WARRANTED.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
FORD CONTINUES TO SUDY THE PROBLEM ATTEMPTING TO DETERMINE WHY STUD FRACTURES ARE NOT FREQUENTLY OCCURRING IN OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY.LIKEWISE, ODI CONTINUES GATHERING INFORMATION TO ASCERTAIN WHETHER THE RECALL SCOPE SHOULD INCLUDE OTHER GEOGRAPHICAL AREAS.IF EVIDENCE INDICATES THE SCOPE SHOULD BE EXPANDED, ODI WILL REOPEN THE INVESTIGATION AS WARRANTED.
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
FORD CONTINUES TO SUDY THE PROBLEM ATTEMPTING TO DETERMINE WHY STUD FRACTURES ARE NOT FREQUENTLY OCCURRING IN OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY.LIKEWISE, ODI CONTINUES GATHERING INFORMATION TO ASCERTAIN WHETHER THE RECALL SCOPE SHOULD INCLUDE OTHER GEOGRAPHICAL AREAS.IF EVIDENCE INDICATES THE SCOPE SHOULD BE EXPANDED, ODI WILL REOPEN THE INVESTIGATION AS WARRANTED.