1999 Ford Ranger

I HAVE TAKEN MY 1999 FORD RANGER TO BOTH MULLINAX FORD IN WICKLIFFE, OHIO AND CLASSIC FORD IN MENTOR, OHIO COMPLAINING ABOUT ABNORMAL ABS ACTIVITY, THE BRAKES DO NOT ENGAGE AT SLOW SPEEDS AND BOTH DEALERS GAVE ME A PRINT OUT STATING THAT THAT IS NORMAL ABS ACTIVITY( THE TRUCK WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY DURING THIS TIME) I RECENTLY TOOK THE TRUCK TO A NON DEALER SHOP AND THEY DETERMINED THAT THE ABS MODULE WAS IN FACT BAD AND WAS READING 255 MPH AT SPEEDS BELOW 50 MPH, I TOOK THIS INFORMATION TO THE DEALER AND THEY WILL NOT COVER THE REPAIR COST EVEN THOUGH THIS WAS THE PROBLEM WHEN THE TRUCK WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY, THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH ABS MODULES WITH FORD TRUCKS AS WELL AS CHEVYS AND SHOULD BE PART OF A SAFETY RECALL, IT WILL ONLY BE A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE SOMEONE IS SERIOUSLY INJURED AS A RESULT OF FORD NOT ADDRESSING THIS ISSUE, I KNOW YOU HAVE OTHER INDIVIDUALS WITH THIS ISSUE WHO HAVE RUN INTO FENCES OR GARAGE DOORS AS A RESULT OF THE ABS MODULE FAILING, IT WILL ONLY BE A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE SOMEONE IS SERIOUSLY INJURED AS A RESULT OF FORD'S NEGLIGENCE. *NM

I PURCHASED NEW, A 1999, FORD RANGER, 4-WHEEL DRIVE TRUCK ON NOVEMBER 16, 1998, [XXX]. TODAY, I ONLY HAVE APPROXIMATELY 40,000 MILES ON THIS VEHICLE ALTHOUGH I WILL BE REPLACING THE REAR BRAKES A SECOND TIME IN NEARLY 3 YEARS. IN JANUARY OF 2003, IN RUSH-HOUR TRAFFIC ON A SNOWY MORNING, I APPLIED MY BRAKES AND KNEW SOMETHING WAS WRONG. I DIDN'T FEEL THE BRAKES CATCH AND HOLD THE WAY THEY SHOULD. CONSEQUENTLY, IT TOOK A LONGER DISTANCE FOR ME TO STOP. BRAKES ARE AN EXTREMELY IMPORTANT COMPONENT TO MY SAFETY AS WELL AS THE SAFETY OF ALL OTHER DRIVERS ON THE ROAD. I TOOK MY TRUCK TO HANKS GARAGE, INC. (5928 ACKLEY ROAD, CLEVELAND, OHIO 44105, 216-883-0345). I WAS TOLD THAT MY REAR DRUM BRAKES HAD NOT BEEN WORKING AT ALL. IN FACT, THE REAR BRAKES HAD NOT BEEN WORKING AT ALL FOR SOME TIME AS WAS EVIDENT BY THEM BEING COMPLETELY FROZEN AND RUSTED THROUGH. ALSO, THE REAR WHEEL CYLINDERS WERE NOT WORKING. MY MECHANIC SHOWED ME HOW THE SPRINGS AND SHOES WERE RUSTED AND CRUMBLED, FELLING IN TO PIECES. THAT DISCOVERY WAS UNSETTLING TO SAY THE LEAST FOR A VEHICLE THAT ONLY HAD 29,611 MILES AT THAT TIME. I AM LUCKY THAT NO ONE HAS BEEN KILLED BECAUSE OF THIS OBVIOUS SAFETY ISSUE CONCERNING REAR BRAKES ON THESE VEHICLES. AT THAT TIME THE TRUCKS ODOMETER READ ONLY 29,611 MILES. CLEARLY THERE IS A SAFETY DEFECT IN THIS VEHICLES REAR DRUM BRAKING SYSTEM. THAT DEFECT IS CLEARLY A SAFETY ISSUE THAT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY FORD. SAFETY FOR THE DRIVER, PASSENGER AND OTHERS ON THE ROADWAYS SHOULD BE A PRIORITY. FORD SHOULD STAND BEHIND THEIR DESIGNS AND SAFETY QUALITY. TODAY, AGAIN, I AM HAVING A TROUBLE WITH THE REAR BRAKES. IT SEEMS TO BE TAKING ME A LONGER DISTANCE TO STOP SAFELY. THIS IS THE SAME PROBLEM THAT LED ME TO TAKE THE TRUCK INTO THE REPAIR SHOP IN 2003. I HAVE ONLY PUT SLIGHTLY MORE THAN 10,000 ADDITIONAL MILES ON MY TRUCK. MY CURRENT MILEAGE IS 39,973. IT IS LOW MILEAGE TO HAVE ALL THE COMPONENTS RUST AND DETERIORATE A SECOND TIME. *JB UPDATED 07/18/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDO

WHILE BRAKING ANY SPEED THE BRAKES FAILED, RESULTING IN EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK CONSUMER HAD THIS PROBLEM WITH BOTH A 1999 AND 2001 RANGER, BOTH ON THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL. THE RIGHT REAR BLEEDER SCREW ON BOTH VEHICLES WAS SEALED SHUT. THE WHEEL BRAKE CYLINDER WAS REPLACED AND THE AIR WAS TAKEN OUT OF THE LINES BUT THE BRAKES STILL PERFORMED POORLY. *BF *NM

I LOST AIR PRESSURE IN AIR SHOCKS I HAD INSTALLED ON THE VEHICLE. UPON INSPECTION, I DISCOVERED THAT THE REAR BRAKE FLUID LINES HAD RUBBED A HOLE IN THE BLADDER ON THE AIR SHOCKS. THE BRAKE LINE WAS ALSO DAMAGED, AND HAD WORN ALMOST THROUGH, WITH ABOUT 75 PERCENT OF THE THICKNESS GONE. I THEN INSPECTED ALL REAR BRAKE LINES, AND DISCOVERED THAT BOTH REAR BRAKE LINES WERE SEVERELY DAMAGED FROM RUBBING ON THE SHOCK ABSORBERS, AND IN ONE SPOT ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE VEHICLE WHERE THE LINE PASSES THROUGH A HOLE IN THE FRAME, THE LINE WAS ALMOST COMPLETELY CUT THROUGH. I PULLED THE AFFECTED LINES AWAY FROM THE SHOCK ABSORBERS, AND SECURED THEM WITH PLASTIC HARNESSES. I ALSO PUT A 2 INCH LONG PIECE OF ONE HALF INCH I.D. PVC PIPE ON THE LINE THAT PASSED THROUGH THE FRAME. I HAVE SEEN OTHER TRUCKS LIKE MINE, AND ALL OF THE TRUCKS I HAVE SEEN HAVE THIS PROBLEM. OBVIOUSLY, IF UN- REPAIRED, THIS CONDITION COULD LEAD TO LOSS OF BRAKE FLUID, AND BRAKE FAILURE. ALSO THE DAMAGE TO THE SHOCK ABSORBERS WAS SEVERE, AND THEY NEED REPLACEMENT

WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 25 AND 30 MPH CONSUMER APPLIED THE BRAKES, PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR, AND THERE WAS COMPLETE BRAKING FAILURE. CONSUMER STATED HAD A PLENTY OF TIME TO MENTAL THINK HOW TO STOP THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER DROVE THE PASSENGER SIDE IN A NARROW ALLEY, SCRAPE AGAINST THE WALL OF BRICK HOUSE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. DEALER COULD NO FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE BRAKE SYSTEM. *AK