IllustrationTHE GEAR SHIFT CABLE WAS MELTED BECAUSE OF ITS PROXIMITY TO THE EXHAUST SYSTEM, ACCORDING TO THE REPAIR SHOP. I HAVE THE PART WHICH CLEARLY SHOWS HEAT CAUSED THE FAILURE. I CALLED FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE AND MY DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT. I WAS TOLD IT WAS A "FREAK" OCCURANCE AND NOT TO WORRY ABLUT IT.
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
What owners actually said
413 reportsFILLER PIPE HAS A CRACK AND LEAKS GAS ONTO GROUND WHEN TANK IS FILLED. THIS PROBLEM HAS ALSO OCCURRED WITH OTHER 1996/1997 FORD RANGERS IN THIS AREA AS A PERSONAL FRIEND HAD SAME PROBLEM LAST WEEK WITH HIS 1997 RANGER.
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 …
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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 GOING UP A STEEP PASS VEHICLE STARTED TO ACCCELERATE WITHOUT WARNING. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND THEY SAID THAT COMPUTER SHOWED THAT ENGINE REVVED, BUT DIDN'T KNOW WHY. CONSUMER HAD THE SAME PROBLEM NEXT DAY. THEN, DEALER FOUND THAT THROTTLE CABLE WAS STUCK. *AK
HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT WHEN USING TURN SIGNAL SWITCH TO SIGNAL LANE CHANGE WHILE OVERTAKING SLOWER MOVING VEHICLE AT NIGHT. HEADLIGHTS CAME BACK ON AFTER TOUCHING TURN SIGNAL SWITCH STALK. SWITCH STALK HAS EXCESSIVE UP-AND-DOWN PLAY; ABLE TO REPRODUCE INCIDENT AT WILL BY SLIGHTLY MOVING SWITCH STALK UP (TOWARD STEERING WHEEL). VEHI…
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HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT WHEN USING TURN SIGNAL SWITCH TO SIGNAL LANE CHANGE WHILE OVERTAKING SLOWER MOVING VEHICLE AT NIGHT. HEADLIGHTS CAME BACK ON AFTER TOUCHING TURN SIGNAL SWITCH STALK. SWITCH STALK HAS EXCESSIVE UP-AND-DOWN PLAY; ABLE TO REPRODUCE INCIDENT AT WILL BY SLIGHTLY MOVING SWITCH STALK UP (TOWARD STEERING WHEEL). VEHICLE NOW AT DEALER FOR REPAIR.
ENGINE RUNS AT HIGH IDLE FOR SEVERAL MINUTES WHEN AIR CONDITIONING FIRST USED
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: )
ABNORMALLY HIGH COLD IDLE MADE WORSE BY ATTEMPTING TO 'KICK IT DOWN' WITH ACCELERATOR PEDAL; PEDAL STICKS TO KICKED POSITION CAUSING ENGINE TO RACE EVEN HIGHER. MUST SHUT OFF ENGINE TO AVOID DAMAGE. WITH ENGINE OFF, MUST REPEATEDLY STOMP PEDAL TO ATTEMPT RELEASE. PARTIAL RELEASE STILL LEAVES VERY HIGH ENGINE SPEED, UNDRIVEABL…
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ABNORMALLY HIGH COLD IDLE MADE WORSE BY ATTEMPTING TO 'KICK IT DOWN' WITH ACCELERATOR PEDAL; PEDAL STICKS TO KICKED POSITION CAUSING ENGINE TO RACE EVEN HIGHER. MUST SHUT OFF ENGINE TO AVOID DAMAGE. WITH ENGINE OFF, MUST REPEATEDLY STOMP PEDAL TO ATTEMPT RELEASE. PARTIAL RELEASE STILL LEAVES VERY HIGH ENGINE SPEED, UNDRIVEABLE. DEALER CAN'T DUPLICATE PROBLEM; FOUND CORROSION AT END OF THROTTLE CABLE, CLEANED AND LUBRICATED. NOT SURE IF PROBLEM IS FIXED, SINCE ON BOTH OCCASIONS THE VEHICLE HAD SAT FOR ONE WEEK OF NONUSE BEFORE PROBLEM OCCURRED.
LEAK INSIDE AIR COMPRESSOR THAT WILL NOT HOLD ITS CHARGE
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.