RoadVitals

1986 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.
35
Latest Jul 25, 2006
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.
14
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 9, 1995

What this page shows

Our database holds 35 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1986 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 35 · page 1 of 2

Filed Jul 25, 2006

CONSUMER WOULD LIKE INFORMATION REGARDING A 1986 FORD RANGER SHE SOLD TO HER SON. *KB

NHTSA ID
10164744
Incident
Jan 1, 1901
Seat belts
Filed May 17, 2003

DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT DOES NOT LATCH PROPERLY. *JB

NHTSA ID
10018848
Incident
May 15, 2003
Mileage
109,368 mi
Engine
Filed Dec 6, 2002

CATASTROPHIC SHUTDOWN AT ANY SPEED, ENGINE STOPS RUNNING. DT

NHTSA ID
770524
Incident
Jan 1, 1991
EngineInterior & seats
Filed Jun 12, 2002
Fire reported

VEHICLE STALLED WHILE DRIVING. ALSO, SAW FLAMES COMING FROM UNDER THE DASH. VEHICLE WAS TOTALLED.*AK

NHTSA ID
8011622
Incident
Jun 9, 2002
Electrical
Filed Mar 29, 2001

IGNITION SWITCH WOULD STICK. WOULD SHORT OUT EVERTHING CONNECTED TO IT. HAD EVERYTHING RELATED TO IGNITION SWITCH & WIRING REPLACED DUE TO BEING BURNED.*AK

NHTSA ID
884632
Incident
Jun 11, 1998
BrakesElectricalSteering+1 more
Filed Mar 16, 2001
Fire reported

IGNITION HAS SHORTED OUT 3 TIMES. DEFECT KEEPS REOCCURRING.* AK CONSUMER STATES HAS NOW HAPPENED 4 TIMES, IGNITION FAILED TO DISENGAGE STARTER SOLENOID AFTER RELEASING BATTERY, CAUSED OVER HEATING OF STARTER, SHORTED TEMP GUAGE, RADIO, AND PANEL, INDICATOR LIGHTS, BUT DID NOT BLOW FUSES AS IT DID JUNE 11,2000. IT CAUSED BOTH FUEL PUMPS TO SHORT OUT, THE HIGH PRESSURE PUMP APPEARED TO HAVE WELDED MARKS ON OUTSIDE CASING OF PUMP, WHEN PURCHASED DEALER STATED NO DEFECTS BUT HAD JUST COME OUT OF FORD'S SHOP, HOOD HAS MARK OF COMPULSION AND MELTED PAINT ON TOP HOOD, CROSS MEMBER IS ISDE HOOD HAS OUTSIDE SHEET METAL, ALSO SHORTED ALTERNATOR ALONG WITH STARTER, STARTER SOLENOID JUNE 1998 IT APPEARS THE SHORT STARTED IN THE THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR THEN WENT TO THE INJECTOR HARNESS, CONSUMER HAS REPORTED TO MANUFACTURER CONSUMER ALSO HAD FRONT BRAKES REPLACED AS WELLS AS TIE ROD END AND WHEEL BALANCED AND TIRES ROTATED.*JB

NHTSA ID
883288
Electrical
Filed Oct 17, 2000

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID
734558
Incident
Aug 24, 2000
Tires & wheels
Filed Sep 23, 2000

ON 2/25/2000 I BOUGHT THESE TIRES AT SEARS AUTO CENTER IN FINDLAY OHIO. THEY HAVE NOT MAINTAINED THE CORRECT AIR PRESURE. I HAVE TO PUT AIR IN THEM EVERY OTHER DAY . THEY ARE NOT SAFE TO DRIVE ON BECAUSE THEY ARE CONSTANTLY LOOSING AIR PRESSURE. I HAVE BEEN BACK TO SEARS ON 4/21/2000,6/14/2000,7/10/2000 AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD TAKE A LOOK AT THEM AND EACH TIME THE TIRES CONTINUED TO LOOSE AIR PRESURE. ON 9/22/2000 I WENT TO SEARS AGAIN AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD LOOK AT THE TIRES. I SAID THAT YOU HAVE ALREADY LOOKED AT THEM 4 TIMES AND THEY CONTINUE TO LEAK AND I WANTED TO KNOW WHAT THEY WERE GOING TO DO ABOUT IT. THEY ASKED ME WHAT KIND OF TIRES THEY WERE AND I TOLD THEM FIRESTONE RESPONSE. THEY SAID THAT FIRESTONE IS RECALLING ALL OF THEIR TIRES AND THAT I SHOULD CONTACT FIRESTONE MYSELF. I CHECKED ON THE FIRESTONE WEB SIGHT AND THESE TIRES ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. NONE THE LESS THEY ARE DEFECTIVE AND UNSAFE. I NEED SOME HELP AT GETTING THESE TIRES REPLACED BEFORE THEY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. SEARS WONT STAND BEHIND THEM AND THEY AREN'T IN THE RECALL. PLEASE HELP!!!!! SINCERELY NEAL MACKEDANZ [email protected]. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P19575S14 )

NHTSA ID
732319
Incident
Feb 28, 2000
Fuel system
Filed Jul 20, 2000

GAS TANKS WILLNOT FILL PROPERLY AND LEAKS. *AK

NHTSA ID
725706
BrakesEngineTransmission+1 more
Filed Sep 30, 1999

ABS SYSTEM IS WORKING INTERMITTENTLY. ALSO, SUN ROOF DOESN'T WORK, AND WATER PUMP HAD TO BE REPLACED. IN ADDITION, VEHICLE IS SHIFTING HARD. *AK

NHTSA ID
849387
Incident
Jan 1, 1999
Seat belts
Filed Sep 15, 1998

SEAT BELT BUCKLE FAILED TO RELEASE.

NHTSA ID
540029
Incident
Aug 26, 1998
EngineTransmission
Filed Aug 18, 1998

ENGINE FAILS INTERMITTENTLY.

NHTSA ID
539035
Engine
Filed Jul 30, 1998

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE STALLS AND ENGINE DIES OUT FOR NO REASON. CAUSE UNKNOWN. *AK

NHTSA ID
826062
Other / unspecified
Filed Jul 14, 1998

STUDS ON TIRES KEEP COMING LOOSE, CAUSING THE TIRE TO SEPARATE FROM THE WHEELS. THEY HAVE BEEN REPLACED AT LEAST 4 TIMES BY THE TIRE COMPANY. HAS NOT TAKEN VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP AS OF YET. *AK

NHTSA ID
825365
Incident
Jun 8, 1998
Seat belts
Filed Feb 5, 1998

THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT DOES NOT LATCH. THE SPRING IN THE BUCKLE IS BROKEN. THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN CORRECTED. *AK

NHTSA ID
821172
Incident
Oct 10, 1997
Seat belts
Filed Jun 16, 1997
Crash reported1 injury reported

WHILE DRIVING AT 40 MPH AND SEAT BELTED, THE DEFECTIVE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT BECAME UNLATCHED, CAUSING THE OCCUPANT TO BE THROWN OUT AND RAN OVER BY THE VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID
813154
Incident
Feb 17, 1997
Fuel systemSteering
Filed Dec 12, 1996

FIRE--RESULTED FROM A LEAK IN EITHER THE RUBBER FUEL LINES OR HIGH PRESSURE POWER STEERING HOSES ROUTED ALONG THE LEFT SIDE OF THE V6 MOTOR.

NHTSA ID
512055
Incident
Oct 11, 1995
Transmission
Filed Nov 13, 1996

REVERSE GEAR THRUST WASHER BROKE, CAUSING REVERSE AND OVERDRIVE GEARS TO CLASH, TRANSMISSION TO FREEZE, LOCKING UP TIRES.

NHTSA ID
511339
Incident
Jul 21, 1995
ElectricalFuel system
Filed Aug 1, 1996

IGNITION MODULE AND STARTER ASSEMBLY FAILED CAUSING STALLING.

NHTSA ID
507010
Incident
Jan 11, 1996
Electrical
Filed May 23, 1996
Fire reported1 injury reported

VEHICLE PARKED IN DRIVEWAY, UPON STARTING, FIRE BROKE OUT IN THE IGNITION SWITCH AREA DUE TO AN ELECTRICAL SHORT. *AK

NHTSA ID
504676
Incident
May 23, 1996
Electrical
Filed May 1, 1996
Fire reported1 injury reported

AFTER PARKING, SHORT WHILE LATER NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM STEERING COLUMN, THEN FLAMES SHOT OUT OF IGNITION SWITCH WHILE PUSHING DOWN DRIVE WAY. *AK

NHTSA ID
983987
Electrical
Filed Apr 29, 1996
Fire reported

AFTER BEING PARKED FOR APPROX. 10 HOUR, FOUND VEHICLE ENGULFED IN FLAMES, FIRE DEPT WAS EXTINQUISHING, AND MADE NO DETERMINATION AS TO WHY IT STARTED. *AK

NHTSA ID
983844
Electrical
Filed Apr 26, 1996
Fire reported

WHILE SITTING A WEEK OR SO, HORN STARTED BLOWING THEN SMOKED. BATTERY HAD TO BE DISCONNECTED TO STOP FIRE FROM SPREADING FURTHER. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK

NHTSA ID
983648
Electrical
Filed Apr 22, 1996
Fire reported

HORN STARTED BLOWING AND THE LIGHT CAME ON, THEN FIRE STARTED IN THE IGNITION SWITCH. *AK

NHTSA ID
983197
Incident
Oct 5, 1995
Electrical
Filed Apr 19, 1996
Fire reported

ELECTRICAL SHORT OR SHOCK IN THE IGNITION SWITCH, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO CATCH ON FIRE. *AK

NHTSA ID
983142
Incident
Sep 25, 1995

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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Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .