IllustrationORIGINAL TIRES CAME APART, RETURNED TO LOCAL FIRESTONE STORE, REFUSED TO REPLACE NOR WARRANTY VALUE, CLAIMED WE HAD "DRIVEN ON THEM" AFTER GOING FLAT--TIRES CAME APART AT 65 MPH ON I-83 NORTH OF BALTIMORE( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 225 70R14 )
1996 Ford Ranger
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Ranger years
Owner complaints for the 1996 Ford Ranger are substantially higher than 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: 80 of 413 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.
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 60 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Visibility. Review the 52 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Tires. Review the 41 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
41 crash reports18 fire reports30 injury reports
Tires complaints
41 reportsACCIDENT OCCURED FOR WHAT WAS THEN, NO APPARENT CAUSE. TRUCK WENT OUT OF CONTROL, ROLLED,SEVERAL TIMES. THE DRIVER OF THE TRUCK WAS EJECTED OUT OF THE REAR WINDOW. UNSTABLE CRITICAL CONDITION FOR SEVERAL WEEK. DRIVER IS NOW PARALIZED FROM THE CHEST DOWN FOR LIFE. HE WAS ONLY 20 YEARS OLD WHEN THIS OCCURED.....THERE WAS EXTREME …
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ACCIDENT OCCURED FOR WHAT WAS THEN, NO APPARENT CAUSE. TRUCK WENT OUT OF CONTROL, ROLLED,SEVERAL TIMES. THE DRIVER OF THE TRUCK WAS EJECTED OUT OF THE REAR WINDOW. UNSTABLE CRITICAL CONDITION FOR SEVERAL WEEK. DRIVER IS NOW PARALIZED FROM THE CHEST DOWN FOR LIFE. HE WAS ONLY 20 YEARS OLD WHEN THIS OCCURED.....THERE WAS EXTREME TIRE DAMAGE.( DOT NUMBER: )
WHILE DRIVING 75MPH IN A 1996 FORD RANGER WHEN THE 1ST TIME ON 02/28/1999 FELT LIKE TIRES WERE OUT OF BALANCE & BUMPY. PULLED OVER & CHECKED TIRES. LEFT REAR HAD COMPLETELY LOST TREAD, BUT STILL INFLATED. THE 2ND TIME ON 07/20/00) RIGHT FRONT FELT THE SAME WAY. COULD ONLY DRIVE ABOUT 45MPH OR ELSE VEHICLE WOULD SHAKE. EACH TIME…
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WHILE DRIVING 75MPH IN A 1996 FORD RANGER WHEN THE 1ST TIME ON 02/28/1999 FELT LIKE TIRES WERE OUT OF BALANCE & BUMPY. PULLED OVER & CHECKED TIRES. LEFT REAR HAD COMPLETELY LOST TREAD, BUT STILL INFLATED. THE 2ND TIME ON 07/20/00) RIGHT FRONT FELT THE SAME WAY. COULD ONLY DRIVE ABOUT 45MPH OR ELSE VEHICLE WOULD SHAKE. EACH TIME THE TIRE WAS REPLACED. ORIGINAL FIRESTONE ATX II TIRES, SIZE P235/75R15 WITH 17,000 MILES ON THEM. 1ST TIME AND THE 2ND TIME WITH 29,000 MILES. DO NOT HAVE EITHER TIRE.*AK DOT# VDHLIPM216. *SLC
MY DAUGHTER (AGE 19) WAS DRIVING TO A SKATING LESSON WHEN THE PICKUP TRUCK "VEERED TO LEFT" AND SPUN OUT OF CONTROL. IT CLIMBED A GUARDRAIL, WENT UP OVER THE GUARDRAIL, AND ROLLED DOWN AN EMBANKMENT. PIECES OF THE LEFT FRONT TIRE WERE ON THE HIGHWAY AND THE REMAINDER OF THE TIRE WAS SHREDDED. ALL FOUR TIRES WERE OF THE SAME MAKE…
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MY DAUGHTER (AGE 19) WAS DRIVING TO A SKATING LESSON WHEN THE PICKUP TRUCK "VEERED TO LEFT" AND SPUN OUT OF CONTROL. IT CLIMBED A GUARDRAIL, WENT UP OVER THE GUARDRAIL, AND ROLLED DOWN AN EMBANKMENT. PIECES OF THE LEFT FRONT TIRE WERE ON THE HIGHWAY AND THE REMAINDER OF THE TIRE WAS SHREDDED. ALL FOUR TIRES WERE OF THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL. I SUSPECTED A BLOW OUT BUT HAD NO WAY OF PROVING IT.( DOT NUMBER: )
FIRESTONE FR 480 MTS P22570R14NTS TIRES FAILED, ONE PUNCTURED AND REPAIRED HOWEVER 3,000 MILES LATER THE TREAD SEPARATED, REMOVED TIRE 2 FROM TIRE RACK UNDER BED AND NOTICED SPARE TIRE SIDEWALL DAMAGED DUE TO STORAGE. *MJS
CONSUMER PURCHASED A NEW VEHICLE. WHILE TRAVELING ON THE INTERSTATE THE DRIVER'S REAR TIRES FELL OFF THE VEHICLE, CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER, DEALER REFUSED TO REPLACE TIRES. *AK *ML
RIGHT FRONT TIRE BLEW OUT CAUSING DRIVER TO LOOSE CONTROL AND HIT A LIGHT POLE. (CORNELL - SIZE P237-7S-R1S).
COURTESY LAMP FAILED.
TIRES SIDEWALL CAME OPEN. (FIRESTONE P225/70R14).
FRONT LEFT FIRESTONE TIRE HAS A 2X3 INCH PIECE OF TREAD MISSING IN THE MIDDLE.
Official recalls
209V399000 · Vehicle Speed Control
Oct 13, 2009
FORD IS RECALLING MODEL YEARS 1995-2003 WINDSTAR, 2000-2003 EXCURSION DIESEL, 1993-1997 AND 1999-2003 F-250 SD THROUGH F-550 SD DIESEL, 1992-2003 E-150 THROUGH E-550, 1995-2002 EXPLORER, 1997 AND 2002 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER, 1995-1997 AND 2001-2003 RANGER, AND 1994 F53 VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE TEXAS INSTRUMENTS SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH (SCDS). THE SCDS MAY LEAK INTERNALLY AND THEN OVERHEAT, SMOKE, OR BURN.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A VEHICLE FIRE COULD OCCUR WITH OR WITHOUT THE ENGINE RUNNING.
Remedy: FORD WILL NOTIFY OWNERS THAT DEALERS WILL INSTALL A FUSED WIRING HARNESS IN LINE WITH THE SCDS. ON 1999-2003 WINDSTAR VEHICLES WITH A LEAKING SCDS, DEALERS WILL ALSO INSPECT THE ABS CONTROL MODULE CONNECTOR AND REPAIR AS NECESSARY. REPAIRS WILL BE COMPLETED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 27, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD AT 1-888-222-2751.
96V161000 · Equipment:other:labels
Aug 29, 1996
THE CERTIFICATION LABELS ON THE INVOLVED VEHICLES HAS INCORRECT REAR TIRE INFLATION PRESSURE DESIGNATIONS. THIS DOES NOT COMPLY WITH FMVSS NO. 120, "TIRE SELECTION AND RIMS FOR MOTOR VEHICLES OTHER THAN PASSENGER CARS."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: INCORRECT INFLATION PRESSURES COULD CAUSE PREMATURE WEAR OF THE REAR TIRES. .
Remedy: OWNERS WILL BE PROVIDED WITH CORRECT CERTIFICATION LABELS AND INSTRUCTIONS FOR INSTALLING THESE LABELS. DEALERS CAN INSTALL THIS LABEL IF THE OWNER SO DESIRES.
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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.