Owner-reported complaints naming the transmission system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1994 Ford Ranger submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 35 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.
The 25 most recent of 35, in the owner's own words
WHILE PARKED, THE VEHICLE CAME OUT OF GEAR AND ROLLED DOWN A HILL. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE WAS DAMAGED. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *JB
CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING, THE TRANSMISSION WILL LOSE POWER OR VEHICLE WILL SLOW DOWN.*JB
ACCORDING TO THE MECHANIC A DEFECTIVE PLUG IN TRANSMISSION CAUSED FLUID TO LEAK OUT, THUS FAILURE OF TRANSMISSION OCCURRED. I WAS STRANDED ON THE INTERSTATE AT 3:30AM, FORTUNATELY NO ACCIDENT OCCURRED AS THE TRUCKS TRANSMISSION LOCKED UP GOING 65MPH. FORD DECLINES ANY PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION PLUG. HOWEVER, THE MECHANIC MENTIONED THE SAME PROBLEM OCCURRING ON OTHER RANGERS HE HAS FIXED. I FOUND (ONLINE) OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT RANGER TRANSMISSIONS. DUE TO THE FAULTY PLUGS, A GRADUAL LEAK OCCURS, UNOTICABLE TO THE AVERAGE PERSON. THIS COULD BECOME A HAZARDOUS SITUATION FOR THOSE TRAVELING ON THE INTERSTATE OR HIGHWAYS, ESPECIALLY IF THE VEHICLES ENGINE DIES, BECAUSE THE STEERING LOCKS UP WHEN THE ENGINE QUITS. I WOULD SIMPLY LIKE FOR ALL RANGER OWNERS TO BE AWARE OF THIS SITUATION. I REALIZE THAT FORD WILL DO LITTLE OR NOTHING ABOUT THIS SITUATION, BUT SOME GOOD OLD FASHION CUSTOMER SATISFACTION WOULD BE NICE.
TRANSMISSION IS MAKING VERY LOUD AND NOISY SOUNDS. WHILE IN FIFTH GEAR TRANSMISSION GETS STUCK. *AK
AUTOMATIC FOUR WHEEL DRIVE FAILED/REPALCED NOW WITH MANUAL SYSTEM. *AK
CLUTCH LEAKS FROM SLAVE CYLINDER WHEN APPLYING CLUTCH IN COLD WEATHER. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER A MANUFACTURER'S RECALL. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS ON THIS MATTER. *AK
OIL PLUGS IN GEAR BOX LEAKED CAUSING TRANSMISSION TO GO OUT HAPPENED WHILE ON BUSY FREEWAY WAS LUCKY AS WE MADE IT TO SHOULDER AND NO ONE WAS INJURED EL CENTRO MOTORS WAS DEALER WHO FIXED IT AS ROBINSON FORD SAID NOT UNDER WARRANTY EL CENTRO MOTORS EMPLOYEE ADMITTED IT WAS FAULTY(BAD)PLUGS BUT SAID WARRANTY DID NOT COVER PLUGS EL CENTRO MOTORS 385 MAIN ST EL CENTRO,CA 92251 (760) 352-8030 THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP ANOTHER MECHANIC I TALKED TO SAID HE HAD HEARD OF THAT SAME PROBLEM FROM SOME OF HIS OTHER CUSTOMERS (INDEPENDENT MECHANIC) THANK YOU FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE.*AK
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
WE BOUGHT THE TRUCK USED ON 10/12/00. FORTY DAYS LATER THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT. HAVE THEIR BEEN ANY RECALLS ON THIS TRUCK? *AK
KNOWN DEFECT. FORD IS NOT INTERESTED IN REPAIRING. THEY ARE ON THEIR THIRD COMPONENT UPGRADE. LIVE IN INTERIOR BRITISH COLUMBIA. ONLY HAD ACCESS TO STATES, NO PROVINCES.THANKYOU FOR YOUR WEBSITE. NO SAFETY DEFEC TLISTED. *AK
THE LEAK IN THE TRANSMISSION WAS THE RESULT OF FAILURE OF THE PLASTIC PLUGS LOCATED ON TOP OF THE TRANSMISSION. THE AASTRO TRANSMISSION AND AUTOMOBLIE REPAIRS HAD REPORTED TO ME OF THE PROBLEM. THEY ALSO HAD ENCOUNTERED OTHER VEHICLES LIKE MINE AND WITH THE SAME SITUATIONS.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P225/70R14 )
THERE ARE THREE PLUGS ON TOP OF THE TRANSMISSION MADE OF RUBBER THAT CRACKED AND TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS LEAKING. *AK
AFTER MAKING A HARD RIGHT TURN WHEN THE VEHICLE IS FIRST STARTED, THE AUTOMATIC LOCKING HUBS FOR THE 4 WD SYSTEM TRIED TO ENGAGE AND CAUSED AN UNCONTROLLABLE SHAKING OF THE FRONT END OF THE TRUCK. IN ADDITION, THERE IS A LOUD WHINING FROM THE TRANSFER CASE. ONCE THE VEHICLE IS STOPPED, THE PROBLEM CORRECTS ITSELF. *AK
TRANSMISSION WHINED FOR A TIME, FLUID LEVEL WAS VERIFIED OK. TRANSMISSION THEN "JUMPED" OUT OF GEAR AT 70 MPH ON INTERSTATE (GEAR WAS OVERDRIVE). TRANSMISSION WAS FIXED AT THAT TIME. TRANSMISSION NOW WHINES AGAIN AT 82K MILES.
WHEN TOWING ANOTHER VEHICLE TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAKS. MANUFACTURER AND DEALER HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK
SECOND GEAR HAS GONE OUT IN MY RANGER. I HAVE HEARD OF 6 OTHER SIMILAR INCEDENTS. *AK
THE LEAK IN THE TRANSMISSION WAS THE RESULT OF THE FAILURE OF THE PLASTIC PLUGS LOCATED ON TOP OF THE TRANSMISSION. THIS WAS REPORTED TO ME BY THE DEALERS SERVICE PERSONNEL WHEN VEHICLE WAS TAKEN FOR REPAIR. I WAS INFORMED THAT THIC WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE MAZDA TRANSMISSION USED IN THE RANGER TRUCK. THER HAVE BEEN AT LEAST TWO OTHER REPORTS TO NHTSA ON THIS PROBLEM. FROM INFORMATION I HAVE RECEIVED, IF THE FLUID IN THE TRANSMISSION BECOMES LOW, IT WILL RESULT IN THE TRANSMISSION BEING DAMAGED. IT APPEARS THAT THIS PROBLEM IS MUCH MORE COMMON THAT REPORTED AND SEEMS A RESULT OF THE USE OF PLASTIC PLUGS IN THE TOP OF THE TRANSMISSION. I WAS INFORMED OF THIS POTENTIAL PROBLEM WHEN I TOOK MY TRUCK TO BE SERVICED. I WAS TOLD THAT THE LEAKING WAS A COMMON PROBLEM. THE SERVICE PERSONNEL AT THE DEALERSHIP ALSO SAID THAT THE PLUG FAILURE WAS NOT UNCOMMON. IT APPEARS THAT THIS MAY BE A PROBLEN THAT IS MASKED BY OTHER TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. *AK
WHILE DRIVING IN SNOW AND WHEN PUSHING THE BUTTON TO ENGAGE THE AUTOMATIC FOUR WHEEL DRIVE, THE FOUR WHEEL DRIVE DID NOT ENGAGE. THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN REPORTED TO THE DEALERSHIP. *AK *ML
THE PLUGS IN THE TRANSMISSION CASE (I'M NOT SURE OF THE EXACT ANATOMY) SHRUNK RESULTING IN THE LOST OF TRANSMISSION FLUID. IN TURN, THE TRANSMISSION WAS DAMAGED FROM DRIVING WITHOUT FLUID. I WAS UNAWARE OF THE PROBLEM AT THE TIME AND DID NOT REALIZE SOMETHING WAS WRONG UNTIL TOO LATE. THE TRUCK WAS STILL DRIVEABLE, BUT ONLY FOR A MATTER OF TIME. IT IS BEING REPAIRED NOW. I'VE SPOKEN WITH SEVERAL MECHANICS LOCALLY WHO HAVE ALL TOLD ME THAT THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE FORD TRANSMISSION FOR SEVERAL YEARS. I'VE FOLLOWED ALL OF FORD'S CUSTOMER SERVICE CHANNELS AND HAVE RECEIVED NO HELP. I'VE ALSO MET WITH AN ATTORNEY. THANK YOU FOR ANY HELP YOU CAN GIVE.
VEHICLE STALLED WHEN CROSSING MAJOR INTERSECTION. VEHICLE ALSO JUMPS WHEN SHIFTING.
TRANSMISSION TOTALLY FAILED DUE TI IMPROPER SEALS, CAUSING TRANSMISSION FLUID TO LEAK.
TRANSMISSION WENT INTO NEUTRAL ON INERSTATE BLOWING MOST OF THE GEARS APART.
BRAKES FAILED AFTER RECALL REPAIR.
CLUTCH SLAVE CYLINDER CRACKED AND BEGAN TO LEAK FLUID.
TRANSMISSION LOCKED UP, FAILED.
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.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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