1999 Ford Ranger

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 FORD RANGER. WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, AN ABNORMAL NOISE WAS HEARD COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE REAR SPRING SUSPENSION FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 237,000.

MY REPAIR GARAGE CALLED ME IN TO LOOK AT THE FRAME ON MY 1999 FORD RANGER. THE FRAME WAS DETERIORATED SO BADLY FROM RUST NEAR THE FRONT ENGINE AND BY THE REAR SPRING HANGERS AND SHACKLES IT IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. MECHANICALLY IT RUNS AND DRIVES GREAT AND THE SHEET METAL AND INTERIOR IS EXCELLENT. THE FRAME IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE FOR A VEHICLE WHICH HAS BEEN GARAGED, WELL CARED FOR, AND HAS BEEN DRIVEN ONLY AN AVERAGE OF 6,125 MILES ANNUALLY. FORD SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THIS!

I HAVE OWNED 4 RANGERS OVER THE PAST 15 YEARS, A 1995, 1998,1999,AND A 2001 AND ALL 4 TRUCKS HAVE HAD THE LEAF SPRING HANGERS ROT OFF . MY LATEST TRUCK THE LEAF SPRING HANGER AND NOW THE FRAME HAS ROTTED AWAY THERE IS NO WAY THIS IS AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. THE INTERNET IS FULL OF COMMENTS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT TUNDRAS HAD A RECALL ON THIS SAME ISSUE. WHY IS IT DIFFERENT FOR A RANGER? *TR

FOR THE SECOND TIME AS FAR AS I KNOW THE REAR FRAME (REAR SPRING SHACKLES AND SPEAR TIRE HOLDER SPECIFICALLY) HAVE AND ARE BEING REPLACED BECAUSE THEY HAVE RUSTED AND THEY TORE APART. AS I WAS DRIVING I HIT A REGULAR BUMP IN THE ROAD. I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 35 TO 45 MPH ON THE WAY TO WORK. WELL IT SOUNDED LIKE IT HIT PRETTY HARD, AS I WAS DRIVING I NOTICED THE TRUCKS PERFORMANCE WAS LACKING. SO, WENT TO WORK, GOT OUT OF WORK AND ON THE WAY BACK HOME I NOTICED THE SAMETHING WITH THE PERFORMANCE OF THE TRUCK. IT WAS LACKING IN A BIG WAY. AS I WAS PULLING INTO THE DRIVEWAY I HEARD A LARGE CLUNK SOUND. THE NEXT DAY I HAD A PRIOR APPOINTMENT AT MY TRANSMISSION SHOP. AS THE MECHANICS PUT IT ON THE LIFT "THE REAR AXLE DROPPED TO THE FULL EXTENT OF THE SHOCK ABSORBER AND BUSTING THEIR SEALS. BECAUSE THE SHACKLE BROKE IT WAS CAUSING THE AXLE TO TWIST WHILE I WAS DRIVING GIVEN THE TRUCK THE BAD PERFORMANCE, BAD STEERING, AND GIVING THE TRANSMISSION A PULSATING AFFECT. ALSO THE ENGINE LOST THE POWER GIVING THE TRUCK RESISTANCE AND USING MORE GAS. SO I AM REPLACING BOTH SHACKLES, BOTH SHOCK ABSORBERS, AND THE SPEAR TIRE MECHANISM. AT THE SAME TIME I WILL BE SANDING THE FRAME DOWN, AND COATING ALL PARTS (CLEANING AND COATING PARTS) WITH BEDLINER COATING TO HOPEFULLY STOP THE RUST. THE PARTS THAT I AM REPLACING ARE ALSO REPLACEMENT PARTS BECAUSE THEY ARE BOLTED ON TO THE FRAME INSTEAD OF RIVETED LIKE THE ORIGINALS WERE. ALSO THE STEEL SEAMS TO BE THINNER IN THE REAR THAN THE FRONT AND MIDDLE. *TR

I TRIED TO GET MY 99 RANGER INSPECTED WHEN THEY PUT IT ON THE LIFT A BIG CHUNK OF THE FRAME FELL TO THE GROUND .UPON FURTHER INSPECTION THERE WERE HOLES IN THE RIGHT SIDE FRAME NEXT TO THE REAR SPRING SHACKLES AND THE GAS TANK STRAPS WERE RUSTED OUT OF THE FRAME .THE GARAGE OWNER TAPED THE FRAME WITH A BALL PEEN HAMMER AND FOUND MORE HOLES ON THE LEFT SIDE AND THE RIGHT FRONT UNDER THE AIR CONDITIONER .I COULD NOT DRIVE THE TRUCK HOME IT WAS SO UNSAFE I CAN'T BELIEVE THE FRAME DID NOT BRAKE WHEN I WAS DRIVING IT .IF I WAS TO GET INTO AN ACCIDENT WITH THE TRUCK IN THAT CONDITION THE FRAME WOULD HAVE CRUMPLED UP LIKE TIN FOIL .READING THE COMPLAINTS HERE I'M NOT ALONE .THE TRUCK WAS TAKEN CARE OF WASHED ALL THE TIME IF FORD IS GOING TO SELL TRUCKS IN NEW YORK THEY BETTER BE SAFER .I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER FORD . *TR

I NOTICED A HOLE IN THE REAR OF MY TRUCK BED. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION I FOUND SPRING SHACKLES AND FRAME MOUNTS WERE RUSTED AWAY AND NOT HOLDING THE SPRINGS ANYMORE. THEY WERE COMING THROUGH MY TRUCK BED! THIS MADE MY TRUCK UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THE REST OF MY TRUCK IS IN VERY GOOD SHAPE. THIS KIND OF RUST IS NOT NORMAL AND IS NOT SAFE! AS I CHECKED ON THE INTERNET I'VE FOUND THAT I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE THAT HAS HAD THIS PROBLEM WITH THE 1999 FORD RANGER! *TR

I NOTICED HEAVY RUST SCALE ON GROUND AND INSPECTED TO SEE MY SPARE TIRE WAS MISSING, THERE IS A LARGE HOLE RUSTED ALL THE WAY THRU THE FRAME IN FRONT OF THE LEFT REAR SPRING SHACKLE AND A CRACK IN THE FRAME IN FRONT OF THE FRONT SHACKLE ALMOST ALL THE WAY AROUND THE CHANNEL. FURTHER INVESTIGATION SHOWED ALL CROSS MEMBERS, GAS TANK STRAP AND BED SUPPORTS ARE SEVERELY RUSTED AND THE RIGHT SIDE FRAME RAIL FOLLOWING SUIT WITH THE LEFT FRAME RAIL. THE REMAINDER OF THE TRUCK IS IN VERY GOOD CONDITION THIS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN TO A TRUCK WITH THIS AGE AND MILEAGE. *TR