1995 Ford Ranger Suspension Problems

THE REAR HALF OF THE TRUCK FRAME IS ROTTED TO PIECES. THE BRACKETS THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO HOLD THE SHOCKS ARE RUSTED OFF AND MISSING..

NHTSA ID

11241619

Incident

Aug 4, 2019

Mileage

195,000 mi

1995 FORD RANGER. MY NEPHEW WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN THE RIGHT REAR SHACKLE LET LOOSE AND HE LOST STABILITY. I REPLACED BOTH RIGHT SIDE FRONT AND REAR SHACKLES. I PULLED THE BED OFF TO REPLACE THE SENDING UNIT AND FOUND BOTH LEFT SIDE SHACKLES ROTTED, LEFT SIDE FRAME ROTTED IN HALF, CROSS MEMBER, GAS TANK SPLASH PAN AND STRAPS, ALONG WITH ALL CAB MOUNTS ROTTED COMPLETELY. I PARKED THE TRUCK AND HAVE NOT DROVE IT SCIENCE 2012. THE BODY IS BEAUTIFUL, AND ALL THE MECHANICS HAVE BEEN KEPT UP. I DON'T WANT TO GIVE UP ON THIS TRUCK.

NHTSA ID

10809479

Incident

Mar 12, 2012

Mileage

200,000 mi

ALL LEAF SPRING BRACKETS AND FRAME HAVE RUSTED OUT COMPLETELY IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS IS A COMMON DEFECT AND HAVE SEEN THIS MANY TIMES.

NHTSA ID

10795266

Incident

Feb 1, 2008

I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE 3 OF THE 4 SHACKLES IN MY RANGER DUE TO THEM RUSTING OFF AND BREAKING. THE FOURTH SHACKLE IS WELL ON ITS WAY TO BEING RUSTED OFF. THE FRAME OF THE TRUCK SEEMS TO BE GETTING WEAK IN THE SPOTS AROUND THE SHACKLES AS WELL. *TR

NHTSA ID

10712963

Incident

Dec 17, 2014

Mileage

194,785 mi

I WAS DRIVING AT WORK GOING FROM POINT A TO POINT B AND I HEARD THE REAR BRAKES GRINDING, METAL TO METAL SOUND, WAS GOING ABOUT 40 MPH, SLOW DOWN AND MADE IT TO POINT B, ABOUT 1 MILE, IN TOWN.... PARKED AND CHECKED UNDER THE TRUCK.... AND DISCOVERED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE CABLE WAS STRETCHED TIGHT... CRAWLED UNDER TRUCK AND DISCOVERED THAT FRAME WAS RUSTED IN HALF (BROKEN ALL THE WAY THRU) ON DRIVER'S SIDE AND PASSENGER SIDE WAS ALMOST AS BAD.... ALSO A CROSS MEMBER WAS RUSTED AWAY... AND THE DRIVER'S SIDE SHOCK WAS HANGING DOWN (BRACKET RUSTED AWAY) TRUCK IS NOW PARKED AT HOME CAN'T FIX IT.... HAD TO BUY A USED VAN FROM MY BOSS SO I COULD GET TO WORK..... I WILL HAVE TO JUNK THE TITLE IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS.... TRUCK RUNS FINE BUT JUST CAN'T FIX A RUSTED OUT FRAME... NOT SAFE FOR ANYONE TO DRIVE... BY THE WAY THE END OF THE FRAME WHERE THE REAR BUMPER ATTACHES RUSTED ABOUT 18 MONTHS AGO AND HAD TO PUT 1/2 INCH STEEL IN TO REATTACH IT.... THE FRAME WAS A LITTLE RUSTY AT THAT TIME BUT NO HOLES OR BREAKS.... I THINK FORD SHOULD COMPENSATE ALL RANGER OWNERS FOR RUSTED OUT FRAMES, I HAVE READ BLOGS AND THERE ARE A LOT OF THESE RANGER FRAMES RUSTED OUT... I HAVE PICTURES IF NEEDED... *TR

NHTSA ID

10712102

Incident

Apr 13, 2015

Mileage

193,278 mi

PURCHASED BILSTEIN SHOCKS FOR FORD RANGER 95 XLT 2WD 6CYL 4.0 3 YEARS AGO FRONT SHOCKS WENT SOFT AFTER 5K MILES. PERSEVERED AND PURCHASED NEW FRONT SHOCKS [BILSTEIN] A FEW MONTHS AGO. FRONT SHOCKS SUBSTANDARD. CONTACTED BILSTEIN. SENT ALL 6 SHOCKS IN. RECEIVED 6 REPLACEMENT SHOCKS. FRONT SHOCKS ARE SUBSTANDARD. TOOK VEHICLE TO REPUTABLE MECHANIC IN AUSTIN. CONCERNS WERE VERIFIED. CONTACTED BILSTEIN WITH INFORMATION. MY PATIENCE HAS RUN OUT. THIS IS A STANDARD PICKUP. STANDARD SUSPENSION HIGHWAY USE ONLY. 10K MILES PER YEAR. NUMBERS ON SHOCK ABSORBER BOX ARE: 24-022361 AND F4-B46-2236-H1 I CONSIDER THIS A SAFETY ISSUE. BRAKING AND HANDLING OF MY VEHICLE ARE COMPROMISED. ARE THERE OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT THESE SHOCKS? I AM IN POSSESSION OF THE BRAND NEW UNUSED PAIR OF FRONT SHOCKS SUPPLIED BY BILSTEIN I COULD SUBMIT FOR INDEPENDENT TESTING. I WOULD ALSO BE ABLE TO TAKE MY VEHICLE TO ANY INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO VERIFY THIS PROBLEM. *TR

NHTSA ID

10555967

Incident

Dec 13, 2013

THE RH. RADIUS ARM FRACTURED WITH SEVERE PULLING WITH NEAR TOTAL LOSS OF CONTROL OF VEHICLE ON A COUNTRY ROAD. FURTHER INVESTIGATION INDICATED A 85 % RUST THROUGH OF FRAME NEAR COIL SPRING AND RADIUS ARM ATTACHMENT. ALSO THE RH REAR LEAF SPRING IS RUSTED 90% THROUGH, ANY ONE OF THESE FAILURES WOULD CAUSE A DEADLY CRASH. I WORKED AS A PARTS MANAGER FOR 23 YEARS FOR A FORD DEALERSHIP AND HAVE NEVER WITNESSED ANYTHING LIKE THIS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10450432

Incident

Mar 5, 2012

Mileage

200,000 mi

I HAVE HAD A VERY BAD EXPERIENCE WITH THE SUSPENSION ON MY 1995 RANGER. I WAS DRIVING AND HAD A PASSENGER WITH ME WHEN THE REAR SPRING BRACKETS GAVE OUT ON ME, DROPPING MY REAR END DOWN AND I ALMOST LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. AFTER STOPPING THE TRUCK, I SAW THAT BOTH FRONT AND REAR LEAF SPRING BRACKETS HAD SHEARED AND WAS NOW IN TWO PIECES. THE ONLY BRACKET NOT DESTROYED WAS THE PASSENGER FRONT. ALL THE BRACKETS WERE RUSTED OUT AND GAVE WAY. I HAVE OWNED OTHER RANGERS AND THIS WAS THE FIRST ONE THAT HAS DONE THIS TO ME. I HAD TO REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE BRACKETS AND REAR SHACKLES. I FEEL THAT I SHOULD NOT HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THEM. THE METAL WAS THIN AND OF VERY LOW QUALITY. I HAVE BEEN IN THE AUTOMOTIVE FIELD FOR OVER 40 YEARS. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL AND THE DEFECTIVE UNITS REPLACED, BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED DUE TO THE FAILURE WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION AT HIGH FREEWAY SPEEDS. THIS IS A DANGEROUS CONDITION AND NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. I FEEL THAT IT FALLS WITHIN THE SAME AREA AS THE STICKING ACCELERATOR CABLE ON THE IMPORTS. LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING ANY FOLLOWUPS ON THIS PROBLEM. *TR

NHTSA ID

10449011

Incident

Feb 15, 2012

Mileage

197,625 mi

COMPLETELY RUSTED FRONT RADIAL ARM BROKE IN HALF WHEN BREAKING FOR A TRAFFIC LIGHT; RESULTING IN THE VEHICLE SWERVING COMPLETELY INTO THE ONCOMING LANE; FORTUNATELY NO ONE APPROACHING. I HAD TO CREEP HOME AT 10 MPH WITH TRUCK JERKING THIS WAY AND THAT AS THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL WENT HAYWIRE. IN THE PAST YEAR ALL FOUR LEAF SPRING SUPPORTS SEPARATELY GAVE WAY BECAUSE OF RUSTED SUPPORTING BRACKETS. IF THE TRUCK HAD BEEN LOADED IT WOULD LIKELY HAVE OVERTURNED OR MADE THE TRUCK GO OUT OF CONTROL! RUSTED FRONT AND REAR BRAKES LINES TWO YEARS AGO BLEW OUT AND NEARLY CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. THIS TRUCK NEVER PLOWED SNOW AND ONLY ONCE IN MANY YEARS WAS EVER FULLY LOADED. OTHER FRAME MEMBERS ARE OUTRAGEOUSLY RUSTED AND MIGHT BE DANGEROUS.

NHTSA ID

10391888

Incident

Feb 1, 2011

Mileage

73,000 mi

1)TRUCK STEERING ERRATIC AND PULLING TO LEFT OR RIGHT. 2)BOTH REAR SUSPENSION MIDDLE (OF 3) LEAF-SPRINGS BROKEN JUST ABOVE AXLE. 3)THE TRUCK HAS NEVER CARRIED A PAYLOAD GREATER THAN 300 LBS. 3)REPAIR HAS NOT YET BEEN MADE.

NHTSA ID

10125058

Incident

Jun 1, 2005

LEAF SPRING BRACKETS, MOUNTS AND SHACKLES RUSTED THROUGH ALMOST CAUSING THE REAR END TO DISLODGE FROM THE VEHICLE.

NHTSA ID

10120766

Incident

Apr 20, 2005

Mileage

151,000 mi

FORD RANGER 1995, REAR END ALMOST DISLODGED FROM ITS LEAF SPRING MOUNTS. *BF *JB

NHTSA ID

10115732

Incident

Feb 1, 2005

Mileage

85,000 mi

MY FORD RANGER IS A VERY DANGEROUS VEHICLE. IT IS BUILT UNSTABLE/BALANCED, IT VIBRATES AND ALSO SHAKES UNCONTROLLABLY. IT HAS ALMOST TAKEN MY LIFE TWICE! YES I DRIVE AT THE SPEED LIMIT, AND TUNE MY CAR UP ON A REGULAR BASES. THE 2003-4 MODEL HAVE THE SAME PROBLEMS, BUT IRONICALLY THE TOYOTA TACOMA HAS NO PROBLEMS AT ALL THAT ARE RELATED TO THESE OF THE FORD RANGER. I HAVE ALREADY CONTACTED FORD BUT NO REPLY, I AM ALSO GOING TO CONTACT MY CONGRESS PERSON TO PRESENT THESE ISSUES AND MORE WITH GOVERNED BODIES TO SEE IF THE FEDERAL TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION CAN BE IMPROVED, ANOTHER ASPECT TO THIS HAZARDOUS CAUSE OF THE FORD MIGHT BE THAT THE U.S DOESN'T USE EUROPEAN STANDARDS IN AUTOMOTIVE. YOU DON'T REALLY SEE BMW, OR OTHER CARS OF A EUROPEAN DECENT WITH THOSE PROBLEMS. *JB

NHTSA ID

10098043

Incident

Oct 16, 2004

Mileage

140,000 mi

BALL JOINTS DON'T HAVE LUBE FITTINGS CAUSING THEM TO WEAR OR SEIZE, THIS IS CAUSING STEERING TO GET LOOSE, THE COST TO REPAIR THIS IS OVER $500. *SLC

NHTSA ID

876913

FRONT WHEEL BEARING LEAKED GREASE CAUSING THE INNER AND OUTER RACES TO WEAR THROUGH THE SPINDLE. SPINDLE SNAPPED OFF CAUSING LOSS OF STEERING AND BRAKING CONTROL.

NHTSA ID

532331

Incident

Nov 21, 1996

INTERIOR LIGHTS STAY ON INTERMITTENTLY DUE TO GROUNDED DOOR AJAR SWITHCES.

NHTSA ID

522057

Incident

Jul 5, 1996

FAULTY SHOCK ABSORBERS, CAUSING FRONT END NOISE. ALSO, EXPERIENCES ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. *AK

NHTSA ID

518486

Incident

Mar 1, 1997

WHEN TURNING, THERE IS SOME NOISE IN THE SUSPENSION . PLEASE DESCRIBE . *AK

NHTSA ID

987285

MISALIGNMENT CAUSES VEHICLE TO DRIFT LEFT OR RIGHT. TT

NHTSA ID

501151

Incident

Jan 23, 1996

I-BEAM FELL APART, CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL. *SD

NHTSA ID

488893

Incident

Oct 23, 1995

REAR SUSPENSION FAILED, CAUSING POOR STABILITY. *SD

NHTSA ID

487295

Incident

Oct 23, 1995