RoadVitals

1985 Ford Ranger Owner Complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers, shown in full

Data refreshed

Complaints on fileComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
27
Latest Mar 16, 2007
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
9
Filed in the last 12 monthsReports filed with NHTSA in the trailing 365 days. Recent volume reflects attention and vehicle age as much as anything else.
0
Reports on file since Feb 1, 1995

What this page shows

Our database holds 27 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1985 Ford Ranger. Each one is a report filed by an owner or driver and published by NHTSA without most of them being verified. A complaint is not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. Narratives are shown exactly as filed.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Complaints, most recent first

Showing 1–25 of 27 · page 1 of 2

EngineVisibility
Filed Mar 16, 2007

STALLS AT ANY TEMPERATURE WHILE DRIVING. WHEN STOPPED I HAVE TO ALMOST FLOOR THE GAS PEDAL TO GET MOVING W/O STALLING. HEATER GETS ALMOST TOO HOT.

NHTSA ID
10185272
Incident
Mar 16, 2007
Mileage
27,000 mi
Electrical
Filed Mar 20, 2002

VEHICLE WILL SHUT OFF WHILE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING. CONTACTED DEALER, AND DEALER STATED THAT VEHICLE WAS CUTTING OFF BECAUSE IGNITION MALFUNCTIONED. *AK

NHTSA ID
8005982
Incident
Mar 1, 2002
Fuel systemPowertrain (other)
Filed Feb 11, 2002

VEHICLE STALLS AT ALL SPEEDS, IT APPEARS TO BE A MODULE ON DISTRIBUTOR, PLACED NEAR ENGINE BLOCK. ALSO HAD PROBLEM WITH SPEEDOMETER CABLE.

NHTSA ID
9006085
Powertrain (other)
Filed Sep 5, 2001

THE VEHICLE LOST IT'S U JOINT WHICH CAUSED THE DRIVE SHAFT TO BREAK DAMAGING THE FUEL TANK AND DISABLED THE VEHICLE.(OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT) *YH

NHTSA ID
562932
Incident
Jul 10, 2001
Electrical
Filed May 8, 2001

IGNITION SWITCH HAS FAILED TWICE. ONCE AT 80,000,AND AGAIN AT 200,000 MILES. CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

NHTSA ID
887701
Electrical
Filed Feb 8, 2001

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE JUST STALLED WHITHOUT A PRIOR WARNING. CONSUMER WAS CRANKING ENGINE, BUT IT DID NOT START. CONSUMER REPLACED IGNITION MODULE. THEN,COULD START VEHICLE WITHOUT A PROBLEM.*AK

NHTSA ID
880172
Incident
Feb 1, 2001
Visibility
Filed Feb 1, 2001
1 injury reported

STREAM AND LIQUID CAME OUT OF HEATER SYSTEM, BURNED DRIVER'S LEG AND FOOT, CAN NOT USE HEATER. *CJ

NHTSA ID
559346
Electrical
Filed Oct 12, 2000

WHILE TRAVELING AND WITHOUT ANY INDICATION VEHICLE WOULD STALL. PLEASE PLROVIED FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

NHTSA ID
872874
Tires & wheels
Filed Sep 30, 2000

3 TIRES WITHIN 3 MONTHS HAD TREAD COME OFF AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS.*AK (DOT NUMBER: AUVRUR351 TIRESIZE: LT2.15/75R)

NHTSA ID
732900
Incident
Jun 1, 2000
Filed Nov 6, 1999

NO SUMMARY

NHTSA ID
714414
Engine
Filed Nov 19, 1997

INTERMITTENT ENGINE STALL.

NHTSA ID
525123
Electrical
Filed Feb 13, 1997
Fire reported

WHILE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND NOT RUNNING IT CAUGHT ON FIRE UNDER THE HOOD ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE WHERE THE BATTERY IS LOCATED. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT STATED THAT FIRE WAS ELECTRICAL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALLED.

NHTSA ID
808883
Incident
Jan 8, 1997
Electrical
Filed Dec 16, 1996

OWNER STATES UPON TURNING HEATER ON THERE IS SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE VENTS AND THERE IS FAULTY WIRING AND THIS COULD LEAD TO A POSSIBLE FIRE. *AK

NHTSA ID
806384
Incident
Dec 16, 1996
Tires & wheels
Filed Aug 21, 1996

VEHICLE WAS LEFT IN PARK IN IDLE POSITION, JUMPED OUT OF GEAR INTO REVERSE. *AK

NHTSA ID
801148
Incident
Aug 1, 1996
ElectricalSuspension
Filed Aug 12, 1996

REAR AXLE FAILED. (FIRST VEHICLE ON 601571) *DH

NHTSA ID
507266
Incident
Jan 1, 1985
Suspension
Filed Jul 26, 1996
Crash reported

LEFT REAR AXLE SHEARED OFF, CAUSING WHEELS TO FALL OFF, CAUSING ACCIDENT. (OHIO STATE POLICE REPORT) *DH

NHTSA ID
506694
Incident
Jun 24, 1996
Steering
Filed Jul 17, 1996

OUTER STEERING RING IS COMING APART, WOBBLING FORWARD AND BACKWARDS. AREA DEALERS ARE AWARE OF SAME FAILURES. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK

NHTSA ID
987001
Electrical
Filed May 30, 1996
Fire reported

VEHICLE WAS TOTALLY DESTROYED BY FIRE ORIGINATING AT THE IGNITION HOT WIRE/SWITCH AREA. (PER ARSON INVESTIGATOR). *AK

NHTSA ID
985032
Interior & seats
Filed May 29, 1996
Fire reported

DASH FIRE. *DH

NHTSA ID
505009
Incident
Mar 1, 1996
Electrical
Filed May 2, 1996
Fire reported

ARRIVED HOME FROM WORK, PARKED VEHICLE, WENT INSIDE OF HOUSE, HALF HOUR TO HOUR LATER VEHICLE WAS TOTALLY ENGULFED IN FLAMES. *AK

NHTSA ID
983954
Incident
Jun 16, 1991
Electrical
Filed May 1, 1996
Fire reported

BACKING VEHICLE UP, FRIEND STOPPED BY, SMELLED WIRING BURNING, SOON SMOKE APPEARED IN STEERING COLUMN, SOON AFTER FIRE ENGULFED THE STEERING COLUMN AREA. *AK

NHTSA ID
983882
Incident
Apr 30, 1996
Electrical
Filed Apr 26, 1996
Fire reported

WHILE DRIVING, SUDDENLY SMOKE AND FLAMES STARTED POURING OUT FROM UNDERHOOD; INSURANCE CO. TRACED FIRE BACK TO STEERING COLUMN AREA; ALL WIRES BURNED UP. *AK

NHTSA ID
983575
Incident
Apr 15, 1986
Visibility
Filed Apr 25, 1996
Fire reported

HEATER MOTOR CAUGHT FIRE. *SD

NHTSA ID
504025
Incident
Feb 8, 1996
Visibility
Filed Apr 14, 1996
Fire reported

LEAVES FELL INTO THE HEATER/AC AIR INTAKE GRILLE, COMING IN CONTACT WITH RED HOT RESISTOR COILS, CAUSING THE LEAVES TO BURST INTO FIRE. *DSH

NHTSA ID
503531
Incident
Mar 31, 1996
Interior & seatsTransmission
Filed Mar 12, 1996

REAR SCREWS OF DRIVERS SEAST HAVE SHEARED OFF. FRONT SEATS ARE ALSO LOCATED RIGHT ON TOP OF THE WHEEL BASE.

NHTSA ID
513963

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

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Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

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Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .