RoadVitals

1986 Ford Ranger Electrical Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the electrical system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Electrical reportsComplaints 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.
12
Latest Mar 29, 2001
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
34%
of 35 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
9
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
2

What this page shows

Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1986 Ford Ranger submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 12 reports on file name it.

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

Owner reports naming electrical

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

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
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
Electrical
Filed Mar 5, 1996
Fire reported

AFTER STARTING THE VEHICLE, THE IGNITION SWITCH CAUGHT ON FIRE. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK

NHTSA ID
980163
Electrical
Filed Feb 9, 1996
Fire reported

IGNITION SWITCH FIRE. *SD

NHTSA ID
501402
Incident
Feb 9, 1996

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.

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .