1998 Ford Ranger

REPLACED FUSE THAT HAD BLOWN ON CRUISE CONTROL ON 1998 FORD RANGER. STEPPED ON BRAKE TO PUT IN GEAR AND NOTICED EXCESSIVE SMOKE FROM UNDER HOOD. OPENED HOOD AND FOUND MECHANISM IN FRONT OF MASTER CYLINDER RESERVOIR ON FIRE. SMALL FIRE TORCHED FRONT OF RESERVOIR I PUT OUT THE FIRE WITH A TOWEL BREAKING THE MECHANISM, CRUISE CONTROL BRAKE DISCONNECT. *NM

PURCHASED TRUCK USED IN MAY 1999 WITH 15,000 MILES ON IT. PROBLEM STARTED AFTER HAVING 25,000 ODOMETER MILES ON TRUCK. VEHICLE WOULD ACCELERATE UPON STOPPING OR SLOWING. HAD IDLE ADJUSTED NEXT SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE (30K). AS OF THIS DATE, AUGUST 19, 2005, VEHICLE STILL ACCELERATES ON VERY RARE OCCASIONS. AFTER A FEW MONTHS FROM THE 45K MAINTENANCE CHECK THE VEHICLE THEN STARTED TO STALL AT RANDOM WHEN STOPPING OR SLOWING. AT REGULAR MAINTENANCE CHECKS I WOULD TELL TECH ABOUT STALLING PROBLEMS. MOST OFTEN TECH COULD NOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM ON ROAD TEST. VEHICLE WOULD BE SERVICED, STALLING PROBLEM WOULD STOP FOR A VERY SHORT TIME, AND THEN PROBLEM WOULD COME BACK. JULY 12, 2005- I WENT ON ROAD WITH TECH ON ROAD TEST AND FOUND TECH WAS DOWN-SHIFTING AT STOPS. TOLD HIM NOT TO AND THEN VEHICLE DID STALL WHEN COMING TO STOP. DEALER: INSPECTED AND VERIFIED COMPLAINT, CHECKED AND FOUND IDLE AIR CONTROL FAULTY, REMOVED AND REPLACED IAC MOTOR AND CONCERN. TECH NOTES: STILL ACTING UP. FOUND IDLE SPEED ADJUSTED TOO HIGH. READJUSTED IDLE SCREW, ROAD TESTED AND RECHECKED OK. PROBLEM WAS SOLVED FOR A BRIEF THREE WEEKS AND RESURFACED. AS OF AUGUST 19, 2005- THE STALLING PROBLEM STILLS EXISTS. IS A VERY REAL SAFETY ISSUE, AS I HAVE HAD SEVERAL CLOSE ACCIDENT CALLS. EXAMPLES: 1) TURNING OFF A VERY BUSY STREET (45MPH) INTO PARKING LOT, HAVING VEHICLE STALL AND LOSING ALL POWER STEERING INTO TURN, HAVING TO AVOID HITTING TREES, BUILDINGS, PEOPLE, AND OTHERS CARS IN PROCESS. 2) COMING TO A RED STOPLIGHT, MY VEHICLE STALLS, STOPLIGHTS CHANGING TO GREEN AS APPROACHING, CARS BEHIND ME HAVING TO AVOID HITTING MY TRUCK AS I RESTART. 3) VEHICLE STALLING AT YIELD SIGN. NO CROSS TRAFFIC AND CARS BEHIND ME EXPECTING ME TO PASS THROUGH.

DT: THE CONSUMER STATED ON JULY 10, 2003 THERE WAS A FATAL ROLL OVER. THE TIRES SEPARATED AND THE VEHICLE ROLLED OVER AND BLEW OUT. ACCORDING TO CONSUMER'S INVESTIGATION THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE FUEL ON THE CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH. THIS VEHICLE WAS A 1998, FORD, RANGER. THE HIGHWAY PATROL CAME TO THE SCENE AND ISSUED A REPORT. IT WAS CONSUMER'S COUSIN VEHICLE. THE TREAD CAME OFF FROM REAR DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE. CONSUMER THOUGHT THE VEHICLE ROLLED OVER THREE TIMES. THERE WAS TWO OCCUPANTS, AND BOTH WERE KILLED IN THE ACCIDENT. THE EXACT MILEAGE WAS NOT KNOWN.*AK

1998 FORD RANGER PICKUP TRUCK. PULSATING BRAKE PEDAL,L SUSPECTED WARPED FRONT BRAKE ROTORS. I HAD SIMILAR PROBLEM WITH 1991 FORD EXPLORER. FIRST OCCURANCE IN MARCH 2001 FORD REPLACED ROTORS UNDER WARRANTY ON 2/12/2001, VEHICLE HAD 24,170 MILES AT TIME OF REPAIR.SECOND TIME WITH SIMILAR PROBLEM AT 42717 MILES ONLY 18547 MILES AFTER FIRST PROBLEM ON 5/27/2004. ROTORS HAD TO BE REPLACED AGAIN THEY WERE RUSTY AND PITTED. I PAID FOR THIS REPAIR THE DEALER WAS GOING TO TAKE IT UP WITH FORD REP BUT CLAIM WAS DENIED. I HAVE HAD NUMEROUS CONVERSATION WITH DEALERSHIP SERVICE REP TO NO AVAIL. ONE SERVICE REP I TALKED TO INSINUATED THAT FORD RANGERS ARE PRONE TO THIS PROBLEM. I HAVE CALLED FORD AND OPENED A COMPLAINT FILE. I AM CONVINCED FORD HAS A QUALITY PROBLEM WITH BRAKE ROTORS ON THIS MODEL. EVERYONE AGREES ROTORS SHOULDN'T WEAR THIS FAST. I TAKE VERY GOOD CARE OF MY VEHICLES. *AK

WHILE DRIVING WITH HEADLIGHTS ON AT NIGHT, THE HEADLIGHTS SUDDENLY WENT OUT. THE CONSUMER HAD TO TURN THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH SEVERAL TIMES TO GET THE HEADLIGHTS TO OPERATE AGAIN. *AK THE LIGHTS WENT OUT AGAIN AND THE CONSUMER HAD TO MOVE THE SWITCH ON THE STEERING COLUMN BACK AND FORTH TO GET THE LIGHTS BACK ON. THE CONSUMER WAS AWARE OF OTHER OWNERS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS SAME PROBLEM. *SC *JB