2001 Ford Ranger

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD RANGER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BUCKLE COULD NOT BE SAFELY SECURED WITHOUT MAKING AN ADJUSTMENT EACH TIME THE SEAT BELT WAS USED. THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WOULD ILLUMINATE WHEN THE SEAT BELT WAS NOT SECURED AND ONCE THE ADJUSTMENT WAS MADE MANUALLY BY THE CONTACT THE WARNING SENSOR WOULD GO OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE SEATBELT BUCKLE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 15000.

FAILED COMPONENT 2: FRAME AHEAD OF LEAF SPRING SHACKLES ON BOTH SIDES. LEFT WAS COMPLETELY FRACTURED AND RIGHT WAS 1/2 FRACTURED. RIGHT SHOCK STRUT MOUNT BROKEN. DRIVING AROUND TOWN HIT SEVERAL BUMPS IN ROAD DUE TO ROAD CONSTRUCTION. WHEN I PARKED THE TRUCK I NOTICED THE TRUCK BED WAS LEANING TO THE RIGHT. FURTHER INSPECTION REVEALED A CRACKED FRAME. TOOK IT TO THE SHOP AND THEY SAID IT WASN'T SAFE TO DRIVE. THEY REMOVED THE BED AND NOTICED EXTREME RUST AND A 'PAPER THIN' FRAME.. SAID IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO FIND GOOD METAL TO WELD TO. I NOTICED THAT FORD HAD A RECALL ON THE 2004 RANGER FRAME.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD RANGER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, HE NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE VEHICLE WAS MANEUVERED OFF THE ROADWAY WHERE THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT COOLANT WAS LEAKING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE CONTACT, A CERTIFIED MECHANIC, REPLACED THE THERMOSTAT HOUSING ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS DUE TO A FRACTURE. THE FAILURE WAS RECURRING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 200,000.

DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT RETRACTING MECHANISM CAME APART AND MADE SEAT BELT INOPERATIVE. I BOUGHT A NEW SEAT BELT AND REPLACED IT. REPLACEMENT SEAT BELT DID SAME THING 9 MONTHS LATER. DEALER REPLACED IT FREE OF CHARGE. 3 MONTHS LATER SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN. DEALER REPLACED IT AGAIN. 3 MONTHS LATER IT BROKE AGAIN. WARRANTY ON PARTS IS FOR 1 YEAR SO I AM LIABLE TO REPLACE IT. I AM CONCERNED IF THEY ARE MADE THIS POORLY, WILL I BE PROTECTED IN CASE OF A COLLISION. THE MECHANISM IS HELD TOGETHER WITH SMALL PLASTIC TABS THAT BREAKOFF AND CAUSE THE SEAT BELT MECHANISM TO COME APART AND NOT RETRACT. *TR

I TOOK MY TRUCK IN FOR TIRE REPAIR AND SERVICE TECHNICIAN FOUND SEVERE ROTTING WHERE LEAF SPRINGS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE CONNECTED TO THE FRAME. THERE WAS A TOTAL DISCONNECT AT THIS LOCATION WHICH EXPLAINS THE LOUD BANGING THAT I'VE BEEN HEARING. THIS IS ON THE DRIVERS SIDE. HE ADVISED ME THAT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE, IT WAS THE SAME SITUATION BUT IT WASN'T DISCONNECTED YET. HE ADVISED ME FORD RANGERS HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THIS. I WENT ONLINE AND DISCOVERED A HUGE VOLUME OF COMPLAINTS REGARDING THIS SAME ISSUE. SOME COMPLAINTS SAID THAT THEY WERE DRIVING WHEN THEIR TRUCK BED GAVE WAY AND COLLAPSED WHILE IN THE TRUCK WAS IN MOTION. THIS TRUCK WAS HANDED DOWN WITH LOW MILEAGE AND LITTLE REASON FOR ALL THAT RUST/ROTTING IN THE FRAME OF THE TRUCK. I WAS ADVISED THAT HAD I BEEN CARRYING A MEDIUM OR HEAVY LOAD THE BED COULD HAVE GIVEN WAY, AND THAT COULD HAVE BEEN IN MOTION. *TR

THIS VEHICLE HAS LESS THAN 100K MILES ON IT AND I'VE ALREADY HAD TO REPAIR THE FRAME MULTIPLE TIMES. THE FIRST INCIDENT WAS THE CROSS MEMBERS IN THE REAR RUSTING OFF. THE NEXT INCIDENT WAS THE FRAME BREAKING BEHIND THE DRIVERS SIDE BED BETWEEN THE SHACKLES. I COULD LITERALLY FLEX THE FRAME 4 INCHES UP AND DOWN AT THE PIVOT POINT. I FOUND THIS BREAK WHILE PARKED BUT HAD TO MISS CLASS BECAUSE OF THE SEVERITY OF THE FRAME. MY TRIP TO SCHOOL HAS MANY SHARP OFF RAMPS WHERE HIGH SPEED TRAFFIC AND BRAKING OCCURS. I'M CERTAIN IF I HAD DRIVEN TO SCHOOL THAT DAY I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. WHILE REPAIRING THIS BREAK I FOUND WHERE PREVIOUS OWNERS HAD FIXED THE REAR BUMPER MOUNTS AND REAR CROSS MEMBER. AFTER TAKING MY TRUCK IN TO REPLACE THE TIRES, I WAS INFORMED OF YET ANOTHER MAJOR FRAME ISSUE. UNDERNEATH THE DRIVERS SEAT ON THE FRAME IS A HUGE RUSTED HOLE WITH A CRACK STARTING TO FORM DOWN THE CENTER OF THE RAIL. THIS WILL NEED REPAIRING IMMEDIATELY. THIS BEING MY FIRST FORD VEHICLE, I AM EXTREMELY RELUCTANT TO BUY A FORD EVER AGAIN. I COULD UNDERSTAND IF THE TRUCK HAD 150K+ MILES BUT IT STILL HAS LESS THAN 100K MILES. I OWNED A 1992 CHEVY S10 FIVE YEARS AGO AND IT HAD ALMOST NO RUST ON THE FRAME EVEN THOUGH IT WAS AN OUT DOOR TRUCK. FORD NEEDS TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED. *TR

PICKED UP KIDS FROM BUS STOP (5 AND 6 YEARS AGE) WITH 2001 RANGER PARKED IN GEAR ON GRAVEL DRIVEWAY GRADE WITH EMERGENCY BRAKE ENGAGED. LOADED KIDS AND MYSELF, STARTED VEHICLE AND RELEASED EMERGENCY BRAKE. BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR, VEHICLE TOOK OFF DOWN HILL. PUSHED AND PUMPED PEDAL HARD TO ENGAGE REAR BRAKE VALVE; NO REAR BRAKES. ENGAGED EMERGENCY BRAKE (NOW AT CONSIDERABLE SPEED ON GRADE). LEFT REAR WHEEL LOCKED SKIDDING VEHICLE TO RIGHT SIDE ON GRAVEL DRIVE, CORRECTED WITH STEERING AVOIDING ROLL OVER. SUBSEQUENT INSPECTION REVEALED EXTENSIVE PREMATURE CORROSION TO VEHICLE FRAME, SUSPENSION AND BRAKE COMPONENTS. BOTH FRONT AND REAR BRAKE LINES COMPROMISED WITH CATASTROPHIC FAILURE DURING EMERGENCY. MY KIDS AND I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED OR INJURED BECAUSE FORD SAVED A FEW BUCKS USING BELOW STANDARD IMPORTED STEEL. NTSB; ARE YOU IN SOME WAY BEING PAID-OFF BY FORD TO IGNORE THE THOUSANDS OF SAFETY COMPLAINTS AND INCIDENTS ASSOCIATED WITH EXTENSIVE CORROSION ON THESE VEHICLES? DO NOT EVEN ATTEMPT TO ASSIGN BLAME ON SALTY EASTERN ROADS; MANY OTHER VEHICLE DRIVEN UNDER IDENTICAL CONDITIONS DO NOT FALL APART SO CONSISTENTLY AND COMPLETELY. MANY UNDERCARRIAGE PARTS ON MY RANGER ARE NOT EVEN RECOGNIZABLE DUE TO NEAR COMPLETE DISINTEGRATION. MY TRUCK HAS AN 'A' TITLE AND WAS RUST PROOFED PRIOR TO DELIVERY. I TAKE GOOD CARE OF MY VEHICLES AND REGULARLY WASH UNDERCARRIAGE. HOW MANY PEOPLE WILL BE INJURED OR KILLED BEFORE ACTION IS TAKEN? *TR

FAILED COMPONENT 2: FRAME AHEAD OF LEAF SPRING SHACKLES ON BOTH SIDES. LEFT WAS COMPLETELY FRACTURED AND RIGHT WAS 1/2 FRACTURED. RIGHT SHOCK STRUT MOUNT BROKEN. DRIVING AROUND TOWN HIT SEVERAL BUMPS IN ROAD DUE TO ROAD CONSTRUCTION. WHEN I PARKED THE TRUCK I NOTICED THE TRUCK BED WAS LEANING TO THE RIGHT. FURTHER INSPECTION REVEALED A CRACKED FRAME. TOOK IT TO THE SHOP AND THEY SAID IT WASN'T SAFE TO DRIVE. THEY REMOVED THE BED AND NOTICED EXTREME RUST AND A 'PAPER THIN' FRAME.. SAID IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO FIND GOOD METAL TO WELD TO. I NOTICED THAT FORD HAD A RECALL ON THE 2004 RANGER FRAME. *TR

I HIT THE BRAKES AND THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. I WAS LUCKY THAT I WAS GOING RELATIVELY SLOW AND THERE WAS NO TRAFFIC. BRAKE LINE FROM ABS UNIT TO REAR BRAKE HOSE HAD FAILED. I AM SURPRISED THAT THIS HASN'T BEEN A RECALL AS I HAVE TWO FRIENDS WITH FORD RANGERS WHO HAVE HAD THE EXACT SAME FAILURE. ONE RESULTED IN AS CRASH. I ALSO INFORMALLY ASK OTHER RANGER OWNERS AND MANY HAVE HAD THE SAME FAILURE. I HAVE OWNED MANY OTHER CARS, FOR LONGER TIME PERIODS AND FAR MORE MILEAGE WITHOUT THIS KIND OF FAILURE. *TR