2002 Ford Ranger

FORD IS KNOWINGLY SELLING A DEFECTIVE ENGINE IN THEIR FORD RANGER. MY FACTORY ORDERED TRUCK HAS WHAT COULD BE DESCRIBED AS A SEVERE, CONSTANT "ROUGH IDLE". I HAVE HAD IT BACK TO THE DEALER A NUMBER OF TIMES (THE FIRST TIME WAS 2 DAYS AFTER I PURCHASED IT). FORD HAS SENT THEIR DISTRICT ENGINEER TO LOOK AT THIS ISSUE. HE PERFORMED A "G-FORCE" TEST WHICH REGISTERED 0.6. FORD SERVICE AGREES THAT IT HAS THIS ISSUE. FORD'S STANCE IS THAT ALL 2002 RANGERS HAVE THIS ISSUE (NUISANCE IS THE WORD THEY USED) AND THEY ARE NOT GOING TO DO ANYTHING TO "FIX" IT. THE ENGINEER TOLD ME THAT FORD IMPLEMENTED "SOFTER" MOTOR MOUNTS TO TRY AND ALLIEVIATE THIS ISSUE WHICH MY TRUCK ALREADY HAD. SO FORD IS VERY AWARE OF THIS ISSUE. THE MODEL I TEST DROVE DID NOT EXHIBIT THIS ISSUE. FORD'S STANCE IS THAT IT IS MY FAULT FOR BUYING THIS VEHICLE. IN OTHER WORDS, IF I WANTED A SMOOTHER IDLING ENGINE, I SHOULD HAVE PURCHASED A DIFFERENT MANUFACTUER'S VEHICLE. THIS MAY NOT BE THE PROPER FORUM FOR THIS TYPE OF ISSUE, BUT I WANTED TO MAKE THE GOVERNMENT AWARE OF WHAT FORD IS TRYING TO PUT OVER ON THE CONSUMER. AS FAR AS FORD'S CONTENTION THAT "THEY ALL DO THIS" I WOULD HAVE TO DISAGREE. I HAVE BEEN TO ALL THE "RANGER" FORUMS AND USER SITES AND NO ONE IS REPORTING THIS ISSUE ON THEIR 2002 RANGERS. PLEASE HELP IF YOU CAN.*AK

AS I WAS DRIVING ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY, I ATTEMPTED TO PASS ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE OTHER VEHICLE SPED UP; I SLOWED; HE SLOWED; OBVIOUSLY A GAME OF SOME KIND WAS BEING PLAYED THAT I WANTED NO PART OF, SO I TRIED TO GET AWAY AND WHEN I HIT 85MPH, MY VEHICLE CEASED TO ACCELERATE AND BEGAN ACTING LIKE IT WAS STARVED FOR GAS. I SPOKE TO MY DEALER AND FORD MOTOR COMPANY AND LEARNED THAT THE VEHICLE HAS A "REV LIMITER" WHICH IS APPARENTLY A GOVERNOR THAT STOPS ALL ACCELERATION AT 85MPH. AS FAR AS I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DETERMINE, FORD IS THE ONLY VEHICLE MADE THAT HAS SUCH A LIMITER AND IT CANNOT BE REMOVED OR ALTERED. WHEN I ASKED FORD WHY, I WAS TOLD IT WAS FOR MY OWN GOOD SINCE SPEED LIMITS ARE MAXIMUM OF 70-75 MPH ACROSS AMERICA . I THEN ASKED WHY THE SPEEDOMETER WENT TO 120 MPH AND THEY SAID THE VEHICLE WAS DESIGNED FOR IT BUT FORD CHOSE TO NOT LET DRIVERS EXCEED 85. I ASKED WHY FORD FELT COMPELLED TO HOLD A DRIVER TO 85 WHEN EVERY OTHER MANUFACTURER DID NOT AND HOW SAFE WAS IT TO ALLOW ME TO GO ONLY 10MPH OVER THE MAXIMUM SPEED WHEN THAT ALSO MEANT I COULD GO 55MPH OVER IN AN AREA POSTED FOR 30MPH. SAME ANSWER--FOR MY OWN GOOD. ONE OF THE MANY PROBLEMS WITH THIS IS THAT IN RARE EMERGENCY OCCASIONS (SUCH AS PASSING AN 18 WHEELER AND SOMEONE AHEAD PULLING OUT FROM A SIDE ROAD COMING IN MY DIRECTION--THERE ARE PROBABLY BETTER EXAMPLES), I MAY BE PAST THE POINT OF BEING ABLE TO SLOW DOWN OR ANOTHER CAR MAY BE BEHIND ME, AND WE ALL GET KILLED BECAUSE FORD DECIDED THEIR CARS SHOULD GO SLOWER THAN EVERY COMPARABLE VEHICLE ON THE ROAD. I COULD UNDERSTAND ALL CARS TOPPING OFF AT 85, BUT NOT ONLY ONE--AND NOT ONE THAT HAS EVERY INDICATION IT WOULD GO FASTER IN AN EMERGENCY AND FORD NEVER TELLING YOU ANYTHING TO THE CONTRARY UNTIL THE EMERGENCY OCCURS. THIS MAY BE THE FIRST, OR ONLY, COMPLAINT YOU EVER RECEIVE ABOUT A CAR GOING TOO SLOW, BUT IT WAS A REAL PROBLEM AND I FOUND IT EXTREMELY FRUSTRATING AND DANGEROUS.*AK

I RECENTLY PURCHASED A 2002 FORD RANGER. ON MARCH 11, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP AS I WAS TURNING AROUND NEAR THE NEW PHILADELPHIA POST OFFICE AROUND MY LUNCHTIME. I HAD MY FOOT TO THE FLOOR AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP. I ENDED UP HITTING THE CONCRETE RAMP AT THE TUSCARAWAS COUNTY EDUCATIONAL BUILDING. THE TIRES CONTINUED TO SPIN EVEN THOUGH MY FOOT WAS TO THE FLOOR AND I WAS HITTING THE CONCRETE BARRIER! THIS IS THE SECOND TIME I HAD EXPERIENCED THIS HOWEVER THE FIRST TIME I DID NOT HIT ANYTHING I JUST JUMPED THE CURB AT MY APARTMENT. I THOUGHT THE FIRST TIME WAS MY ERROR BECAUSE I HADN'T BEEN USED TO DRIVING A TRUCK. ALSO, AFTER THE FIRST TIME I WASHED MY TRUCK I NOTICED PAINT CHIPPING OFF OF THE FLARE... ONLY THE CLEAR COAT IS CHIPPING... I HAVE TAKEN THE TRUCK TO FORD (HUMPHRIES) AND THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT MADE SOME ADJUSTMENTS BUT WERE UNABLE TO REPAIR THE DENTED BUMPER BECAUSE FORD ADVISED THEM THERE WERE NO RECALLS. FORD HAS ALSO SENT ME A LETTER STATING IT IS AN INSURANCE MATTER. MY GOAL IS THIS: I DO NOT FEEL I SHOULD HAVE TO PAY ANYTHING TO GET THE PROBLEMS FIXED. I WANT THE DENTED BUMPER REPAIRED AND THE CHIPS IN THE FLARE REPAIRED. I DO NOT HAVE $500 TO WAIT TO BE REIMBURSED ON EITHER. WHAT CAN BE DONE TO HELP ME? NLM