2000 Ford Ranger

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 FORD RANGER. WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED SMOKE RISING FROM UNDER THE WINDSHIELD. HE PULLED OVER AND DISCOVERED FLAMES COMING FROM THE FRONT TIRES. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ATTEMPTED TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE WITH SAND AND WATER. A FIRE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 90,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 FORD RANGER. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH SHE HEARD A LOUD CLICKING NOISE COMING FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE STEERING RACK NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER MADE THE REPAIR AND THERE HAVE BEEN NO OTHER OCCURRENCES. THEY RECOMMENDED THAT THE CONTACT DRIVE THE VEHICLE TWENTY MILES THEN RETURN FOR A FOLLOW-UP. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 22,310 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 22,331.

ENGINE FIRE IN 2000 FORD RANGER 4X4 PARKED IN MY DRIVEWAY WITH THE ENGINE TURNED OFF OCCOURED DEC 31ST 2006 APPROX. 4:00 PM. I HAVE REPORTED THIS INCIDENT TO FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD GET ME A RESPONSE LETTER IN 7-10 DAYS. I DID NOT HAVE FULL COVERAGE AS THE VEHICLE WAS PAID FOR W/ 131K MILES BUT PLANNED ON DRIVING THE TRUCK 100K MORE. I BELIEVE THAT THIS WAS CAUSED DUE TO THE CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH I HAVE FOUND OUT ABOUT ON THE WEB BUT DUE TO NOT HAVING FULL COVERAGE WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR AN INVESTIGATION MYSELF THAT I CAN NOT AFFORD. *NM

IN OCTOBER OF 2006 THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION IN MY 2000 4X4 FORD RANGER BEGAN TO NOT ENGAGE IN PARK WHEN I WOULD STOP AND PARK THE TRUCK. THE INDICATOR WOULD ALSO NOT STOP ON THE GEAR THAT THE TRUCK WAS IN. AFTER CHECKING THE TRANSMISSION SELECTOR CABLE RUN AND ADJUSTING IT WHERE IT ENTERS THE TRANSMISSION THE PROBLEM WAS A LITTLE BETTER. IN ABOUT TWO WEEKS THE PROBLEM BEGAN AGAIN AND I LOOKED AT THE COMPONENTS I HAD LOOKED AT BEFORE AND EVERYTHING WAS THE SAME. AT THAT TIME I ALSO GOT A MIRROR AND LIGHT AND LOOKED UNDER THE DASH AT THE BACK OF THE GEAR SELECTOR AND SAW TWO STAR DRIVE SCREWS. I PUT A STAR DRIVE ON MY DRIVER AND FOUND BOTH SCREWS TURNED EASILY. AFTER TIGHTENING THE SCREWS THE SHIFTING MECHANISM STAYED ON EACH GEAR AS IT SHOULD HAVE AND ENGAGED ALL GEARS AND PARK. THE PROBLEM WAS FIXED. THE CONSEQUENCES OF THIS WERE, THAT, BEFORE IT WAS FIXED I WOULD STOP THE TRUCK "PUT IT IN PARK" GET OUT, AND THE TRUCK WOULD START ROLLING. FORTUNATELY, I BEGAN USING THE PARKING BRAKE BEFORE I FIGURED OUT WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. I ONLY USE MY TRUCK ON ROUGH ROADS ABOUT 5% OF THE TIME. SINCE THIS PART IS IN A REALLY OUT OF SIGHT PLACE THE SCREWS SHOULD HAVE SOME EXTRA LOCKING MECHANISM OR ADHESIVE ON THEM BECAUSE THE CONSUMER OR MECHANIC IS NOT GOING TO LOOK FOR THE PROBLEM WHICH IS OUT OF SIGHT AND IN A HARD TO REACH PLACE. *NM

I EXPERIENCED SUDDEN, UNCONTROLLABLE ACCELERATION WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH ON A SUBURBAN STREET. THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND WAS SEEMINGLY DISCONNECTED FROM ITS LINKAGE. I WAS ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE BY TURNING OFF THE IGNITION, THANKFULLY BEFORE ENCOUNTERING ANOTHER VEHICLE, PEDESTRIAN OR OBSTACLE. MY VEHICLE IS A VERY WELL MAINTAINED 2000 FORD RANGER XLT WITH ABOUT 68,000 MILES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL GARAGE WHO REPAIRED IT PROMPTLY. I REPORTED THE INCIDENT TO MY LOCAL FORD DEALER WHO BASICALLY SHRUGGED HIS SHOULDERS, SEEMINGLY UNCARING THAT THERE MAY BE A POTENTIALLY SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. HE GAVE ME A TOLL-FREE PHONE NUMBER TO CALL FORD MOTOR COMPANY, BUT AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO REACH THAT LINE, AND BEING PUT ON HOLD THROUGH AN AUTOMATED SYSTEM FOR UP TO 40 MINUTES AT A TIME, I HAVE BECOME FRUSTRATED ENOUGH TO REPORT THIS TO NHTSA. *JB