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.
14
Latest Aug 1, 2011
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.
28%
of 50 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.
11
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
5
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 1987 Ford Ranger submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 14 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 Aug 1, 2011
Fire reported
TRUCK WAS BOUGHT USED AND DEALER MAINTAINED, IT SAT PARKED FOR 3 DAYS WITHOUT BEING TOUCHED DUE TO SON BEING IN A PICA CAST FROM CHEST TO FEET, AT APPROXIMATELY 2 AM THE LOCKED TRUCK HONKED AND WOKE ME UP, WHEN I WENT OUTSIDE I COULD SEE FLAMES IN THE PASSENGER SEAT SO GOT KIDS OUT OF THE HOUSE AS THERE WAS GAS LINE CLOSE AND CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WHICH WAS UNABLE TO SAVE THE VEHICLE, AS SOON AS THE DOOR OPENED IT EXPLODED INTO A BIG WHITE BALL NOT EVEN THE TIRES WERE ANY GOOD. FIRE DEPARTMENT SAID IT WAS THE COMPUTER THAT SHORTED OUT AND CAUGHT IT ON FIRE. CONTACTED DEALER AND WAS TOLD THERE WERE NO COMPLAINTS OF THIS HAPPENING BEFORE WITH THE COMPUTERS BUT THEY WOULD NOTATE IT. LOCATION OF OCCURANCE AND WAS RUPERT,IDAHO AND REPORTED TO FORD DEALER IN BURLEY,ID
NHTSA ID
10417308
Incident
Apr 15, 1998
Electrical
Filed Jul 4, 2005
Crash reportedFire reported5 injuries reported
I HAD JUST LEFT A RED LIGHT. I WAS THE 1ST VECHICLE INTHE NORTH LANE ON A TWO LANE STREET. THE SOUTH BOUND SIDE HAD ABOUT 8 CARS . THE LAST CAR HIT A CAR IN FRONT OF HIM, SHE HIT A JEEP IN FRONT OF HER, AND IMPACT CAUSED HER TO SWEARVE INTO THE NORTHBOUND SIDE WHERE I HIT HER IN IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE. I HAD MY GRANDSON 9 IN THE FRONT WITH ME. MY GRANDDAUGHTER 16 AND HER FRIEND 15 WERE IN THE TRUCK BED. I JUST HAD A SMALL INDENTION IN THE FRONT OF MY TRUCK. THIS TRUCK WAS A 1987 LONG BED. RUNS GOOD. IT I THOUGHT WAS STEAMING MAYBE I BUSTED MY RADIATOR. MY CONCERN WAS THE CHILDREN. THEN IT STARTED SMOKING. A FIRE EXTINQUISHER WAS USED. A LITTLE WHILE LATER IT CAUGHT AND BURNED UP.
NHTSA ID
10127377
Incident
Apr 3, 2005
Electrical
Filed Dec 9, 2001
I'V HAD TO REPLACE THE IGNITION MODULE 3 TIMES SINCE THE FIRST DATE OF THE FIRST TIME OF BREAKING DOWN.*AK
NHTSA ID
755449
Incident
Aug 21, 1992
Electrical
Filed Aug 30, 2001
Fire reported
VEHICLE WAS PARKED/ IDLING WHEN IT SUDDENLY CAUGHT ON FIRE IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK
NHTSA ID
895519
Incident
Aug 23, 2001
Electrical
Filed Oct 18, 2000
NO SUMMARY
NHTSA ID
734611
Electrical
Filed Feb 9, 2000
Fire reported
ELECTRICAL COMPUTER SHORT OUT WAS THE POSSIBLE CAUSE OF VEHICLE FIRE. *MJS
NHTSA ID
9000040
Incident
Dec 14, 1999
Electrical
Filed Oct 31, 1997
Fire reported
WHILE BACKING OUT OF DRIVEWAY SMOKE APPEARED FROM DASH COLUMN. VEHICLE THEN CAUGHT FIRE DO TO A FAULTY IGNITION SWITCH. VEHICLE WAS A TOTAL LOSS. *AK
NHTSA ID
817048
ElectricalFuel system
Filed Jun 28, 1996
Fire reported
VEHICLE STALLED AND THEN CAUGHT ON FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. *AK CONSUMER STATES NO VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE, THEN STALLED IN A MATTER OF 30 SECONDS, THE CAB OF TRUCJ WAS ON FIRE AND CONSUMER BARELY HAD ENOUGH TIME TO PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, TO GET OUT OF TRAFFIC, GET HER PURSE AND GET OUT OF TRUCK AND GET 10 FEET AWAY CONSUMER STATES THE FUEL CLIP WAS NEVER REPLACED.*JB
NHTSA ID
986274
Incident
Jun 27, 1996
Electrical
Filed May 9, 1996
Fire reported
AFTER PARKED AND RESTARTED TEN MINUTES, TRUCK CAUGHT ON FIRE. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK
NHTSA ID
984277
Incident
May 3, 1996
Electrical
Filed May 7, 1996
Fire reported
IGNITION SWITCH SHORTED, CAUSING FIRE. *DSH
NHTSA ID
504134
Incident
Jun 1, 1995
Electrical
Filed Apr 29, 1996
IGNITION SWITCH STICKS, WON'T ALLOW KEY TO TURN VEHICLE OFF, ALSO EXPERIENCES PROBLEM IN STARTING. *AK
NHTSA ID
983856
Electrical
Filed Apr 29, 1996
WHEN VEHICLE IS STARTED THERE IS A BURNT SMELL, WHILE DRIVING, CONSOLE SHUTS DOWN. *AK
NHTSA ID
983724
Electrical
Filed Apr 23, 1996
Fire reported
STARTED VEHICLE, DROVE A QUARTER OF BLOCK SMOKE STARTED COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE HOOD. VEHICLE BURST INTO FLAMES AND SHOT UP NINE FEET. *AK
NHTSA ID
983365
Incident
Apr 9, 1996
Electrical
Filed Apr 19, 1996
Fire reported
IGNITION SWITCH WIRING HARNESS FIRE. *AK
NHTSA ID
983154
Incident
Apr 10, 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.
Other components reported on this vehicle
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own