1993 Ford Ranger

TL* - THE CONTACT'S 1993 FORD RANGER CAUGHT ON FIRE. THERE WERE NO WARNINGS PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. THE CONTACT WAS TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH WITH AN ODOMETER READING OF 84000 AT THE TIME OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT PURCHASED THE VEHICLE ON 11/7/06 FROM A PRIVATE OWNER. THE THROW-OUT BEARING WAS REPLACED ON 11/9/06. THE ROAD CONDITIONS WERE DRY AND CLEAR. THE VEHICLE SPUTTERED SO THE CONTACT PULLED OFF THE HIGHWAY. THE VEHICLE LOST POWER, AND A FIRE STARTED UNDER THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE. PASSENGER COMPARTMENT ALSO CAUGHT ON FIRE AND WAS DESTROYED.*AK UPDATED 03/02/07. *JB

UNEXPECTED FIRE UNDER HOOD AFTER TURNING THE DEFROSTER SWITCH ON. WHILE DRIVING IN A PARKING GARAGE MY NEPHEW WHO WAS DRIVING AT THE TIME TURNED THE DEFROSTER SWITCH ON AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THERE WAS SMOKE BELLOWING OUT OF THE VENTS INTO THE FORD RANGER PK/U CAB. HE PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE LOT AND SOMEONE RAN UP TO HIM AND TOLD HIM TO GET OUT OF THE PK/U BECAUSE HE SAW FIRE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE GUY WAS CARRYING A FIRE EXTINGUISHED. HE TOLD MY NEPHEW TO SLOWLY LIFT THE HOOD WHILE HE BEGAN TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE UNDER THE HOOD. THE FLAMES WHERE VERY INTENSE THAT IT MELTED THE HEATER CORE COVER, WIRING, THE A/C MOTOR AND FAN AND PAINT ON THE INSIDE AND OUT SIDE OF VEHICLE. IT ALSO MELTED THE INSIDE OF THE DASH BOARD WHERE THE ON THE OTHER SIDE WOULD BE YOUR GLOVE COMPARTMENT. IN THE MEANTIME NEPHEW CALLED 911 AND FIRE DEPT WAS DISPATCHED AND THEY GOT THERE FEW MINUTES LATER AND THE FIRE HAD BEEN PUT OUT ALREADY BUT AS A PRECAUTION THEY FOAMED THE CAR ENGINE AND UNHOOKED THE BATTERY. HE WAS TOLD TO NOT START THE TRUCK AGAIN AND HAVE IT FLAT BEDDED TO GARAGE FOR INSPECTION AND POSSIBLE REPAIR. I CALLED FORD AND THEY TOOK REPORT WHICH WILL TAKE 7-10 DAYS TO GET INSPECTOR HERE IN FL TO LOOK AT VEHICLE. THIS WAS A 1993 FORD RANGER, 2 DOOR,STAND BED, 4CYL, MANUAL. THIS TRUCK JUST BURST INTO FLAMES WITH THE ONLY CAUSE THAT MECHANICS HAVE FOUND SO FAR WAS THE MOTOR BURNED FROM THE INSIDE OUT AND HEATED SO MUCH THAT IT MELTED THE BRACKETS HOLDING IN PLACE AND WHEN IT HIT THE HEAT CORE IT MELTED IT AND ALSO THE FAN MOTOR IS MELTED AND ADHERED PERMANENTLY TO THIS HEAT CORE NOW ON THE OUTSIDE. MY BROTHER OWNS THIS VEHICLE SINCE I GAVE IT TO HIM 1 YR AGO BUT THEY ARE STILL FAMILY AND THEIR SAFETY IS A CONCERN TO ME. THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED AND THIS IS AS THE MECHANIC CLAIMS ALMOST 99% SURE IT IS DEFECTIVE PARTS. THE HEAT WAS SO INTENSIVE EVEN THOUGHT IT WAS ONLY FOR A FEW MINS IF THAT TO DUE SO MUCH DAMAGE LIKE IT DID. *JB

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE WILL STOP, AND THERE ARE NO POWER BRAKES OR POWER STEERING. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEAELR, AND THEY REPLACED PARTS FOR CAMSHAFT AND DISTIBUTOR . SECOND TIME A MECHANIC SAID IT WAS SAME PROBLEM, AND THAT THOSE PARTS THAT WERE REPLACED SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN REPLACED UNLESS THERE WAS A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT. *AK

HAD TO PAY FOR A FIX THAT FORD KNEW ABOUT, TSB 21-16?, TO STOP A THUMPING SOUND IN THE PASSENGER SIDE FLOORBOARD. THE DEALER INSTALLED A VEHICLE BYPASS KIT IN THE COOLING SYSTEM TO STOP THE THUMPING SOUND IN THE PASSENGER SIDE FLOORBOARD. I PAID $222 TO FIX A PROBLEM THAT FORD SHOULD HAVE FIXED DURING A RECALL. IT HAPPENED SO MUCH THAT THEY HAD A TSB ON THE PROBLEM AND I FOUND OUT THE FIX ON FORDRANGER.COM. SHOULD THIS PROBLEM BEEN FIXED AS A RECALL?