Owner-reported complaints naming the visibility system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1997 Ford Ranger submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 36 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 36, in the owner's own words
WITH ALL CONTROLS IN OFF POSITION, VERY HOT AIR STARTS COMING FROM FLOOR VENT (97 FORD RANGER) ALSO WHEN A/C IS TURNED ON,,HOT AIR COMES OUT. REPLACED SWITCH FOR HEAT/AIR CONTROL. *TR
THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS CAME ON BY THEMSELVES AND THE WASHERS DID NOT WORK. ALSO THE DOME LIGHT STAYED ON AFTER THE DOOR WAS CLOSED FOR AT LEAST 30 MINUTES OR MORE. *JB THE WIPERS WOULD COME ON WHEN THE TURN SIGNALS WERE USED. THE DOME LIGHT WAS DISTRACTING AT NIGHT. SCC
HEATER PLENUM (DOOR TO REGULATE HEAT TO CABIN) HAS BROKEN AND BURNED OUT CONTROL MOTOR CAUSING INTERIOR HEAT TO BE ALWAYS ON FULL HEAT
NO SUMMARY. DT
REAR BRAKES PULLED, SERVICED, REPORTED UNVERIFIABLE, BEGAN LOCKING UP IN SHORT BURSTS WHEN STOPPING, REPORTED, FOUND FAULTY , REPLACED COMPLETE REAR ASSEMBLY. WINDSHIELD CRACKED ACROSS CENTER WHILE DRIVING FREEWAY AT 65 MPH, STARTED AT TOP STRIP PASSENGER SIDE SPREADING ACROSS TO DRIVERS SIDE IN JUST MINUTES. DOOR AJAR SWITCHES FAILED CAUSING DOME LIGHT TO REMAIN ON MAKING NIGHT TIME VISIBILITY IMPOSIBLE. TRANSMISSION BEGAN SHIFTING ROUGH IN SECOND GEAR HARD TO DOWNSHIFT, VERIFIED, REPAIRED BEARINGS IN SHIFTER. REOCCURED A FEW MONTHS LATER, SERVICE CLAIMED UNVERIFIABLE, WORSENED STUCK IN FOURTH GEAR IN TRAFFIC, HAD TO BE PUSHED TO SHOULDER , AND DISENGAGED. FOUND TO BE FAULTY, AND TRANSMISSION WAS REBUILT ,NO NOTICABLE CORRECTION , RETURNED TO SERVICE, CLAIMED UNVERIFIABLE, CONTACTED FORD MOTOR COMPANY CORPORAT OFFICE, ADVISED TO GO TO DIFERENT DEALERSHIP , WHILE INVESTIGATED INTERNALLY. DID SO, DEALER REPORTS UNVERIFIABLE, DROVE WITH SUPERVISOR OF SERVICE DEPT, WAS THEN VERIFIED, AND ORDERED REBUILT FOR 2ND TIME.EPAIR, SAME TIME AS EXTENDED WARRANTY TOOK EFFECT, REPAIRS DONE, NO NOTICABLE DIFFERENCE, IN FACT NOW WORSE, ALL GEARS NOW EFFECTED.AND AT TIMES, DIFFICULT TO SHIFT. CONTACTED FORD MOTOR CORPORATION ONCE MORE, IN EFFORT TO GET HELP WITH EXTENSIVE RENTAL CAR COSTS WHILE VEHICLE BEING SERVICED, WAS TOLD NOW THAT TWO INCIDENCES WERE IN NO WAY RELATED NOW THAT EXTENDED WARRANTY WAS IN EFFECT TOO MUCH TIME PASSED, THOUGH EVEN ONLY LESS VTHAN 1000 MILES, IS STILL UNREPAIRED TODAY. *AK
WINDSHIELD WIPER AND WINDSHIELD CLEANER COMES ON ALL BY ITSELF. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AND WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING WINDSHIELD WIPERS COME ON WITHOUT OPERATOR TURNING ON WIPER SWITCH. NOTICED THAT WINDSHIELD WIPERS STAY ON FOR 15 SECONDS, AND THEN TURN OFF, CAUSING DRIVER DISTRACTION. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED DEALER, DEALER REPLACED PARTS WITHIN SWITCH.*AK
POWER STEERING HAD TO BE REPLACED, WAS MAKING A NOISE LIKE PUMP WAS NOT WORKING PROPERLY. AIR CONDITIONER PUMP REPLACED. RIGHT WINDOW IS LOOSE WHILE GOING DOWN. TRANSMISSION SLIPS OCCASIONALLY WHILE TAKING OFF. THERE ARE LOOSE BOLTS UNDERNEATH SEATS. FOG LIGHT FAILED. CONSUMER STATES OIL FROM MASTER CYLINDER DAMAGED HOOD. DOOR LOCK INSIDE DRIVER'S DOOR NEVER WORKED AND WAS REPLACED. *AK *SLC
WOULD BE DRIVING VEHICLE WHEN DOME LIGHT AND WINDSHIELD WIPERS COME ON BY THEMSELVES. HAVE TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP & MECHANIC INDICATED A POSSIBLE SHORT IN SWITCH WAS CAUSING PROBLEM. *AK
WHILE DRIVING WINDSHIELD WIPERS TURN OFF AND ON WHENEVER THEY WANT TO. THEY SOMETIMES WILL NOT RUN AT ALL OR THEY WILL STOP RUNNING DURING USE. THE DOME LIGHT ALSO STAYS ON AND WILL NOT TURN OFF CAUSING A GLARE ON THE WINDOW. IT STARTED DOING IT WITH THE PASSENGER DOOR THEN THE DRIVER'S DOOR STARTED THE SAME PROBLEM. I CHECKED WITH A DEALER AND IT SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN A PROBLEM WITH RANGERS FOR MANY YEARS NOW AND STILL TROUBLES MANY OWNERS RIGHT UP TO THE 2001 MODELS. *MR *NLM *DIMSII IVOQ ENTRY POSTED AFTER 12/12/02 CUT-OVER TO ARTEMIS**739942
WINDSHIELD WIPERS AND WASHERS WILLSTART UP AT ANY TIME. AT ONE POINT I ALMOST HIT THE CAR IN FRONT. *AK
MY WINDSHIELD WIPERS TURN-ON ON THEIR OWN AND OPERATE AT VARIED SPEEDS REGARDLESS OF MY CONTROL. I CANNOT SHUT THEM OFF AND SOMETIMES CANNOT TURN THEM ON. I'VE HAD THE GEM MODULE REPLACED AT MY OWN EXPENSE YET THE SITUATIONS CONTINUES. ALSO MY INTERIOR LIGHT WILL TURN-ON ON ITS OWN AND I TOO CANNOT GET IT TO SHUT OFF AT TIMES*AK.
DOME LIGHT STAYS ON AFTER STARTED AND DOOR CLOSED AND DOES NOT GO OFF. PROBLEM SEEING AT NIGHT... NO WAY TO TURN OFF WITHOUT REMOVING THE BULBS. WINDSHIELD WIPERS DO NOT START WHEN TURNED ON THE DO NOT GO OFF WHEN SWITCHED OFF. HAVE TO TURN THE WIPERS ON THEN OFF AGAIN. SHIFT KNOB COMES OFF WHEN PULLING SHIFT LEVER FROM 1ST TO 2ND AND 3RD TO 4TH. MAKES SHIFTING DIFFICULT WHILE STARTING UP A HILL AND MERGING ON THE FREEWAY BECAUSE THE KNOB SLIPS OFF COMPLETELY AND THE SHIFTER ENDS UP IN THE NEUTRAL POSITION. *AK
THE WINDSHIELD WIPER AND FLUID TURNS ON BY ITSELF. DOES NOT SEEM TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH ANYTHING, JUST COMES ON FREQUENTLY.*AK
THE BLEND AIR DOOR INSIDE OF THE HEATER/DEF PLENUM BROKE - CASUING EXTREME HEAT IN CAB. DOOR IS NOT SERVICEABLE - REQUIRES TOTAL HEATER REPLACEMENT. SEE FORD TSB 99-8-8. 7-10 HOURS LABOR TO FIX A 2.00 PART. FORD REPLACED THIS ABS PLACTIC BLEND AIR DOOR WITH STONGER NYLON - PLENUM #F87Z-18471-DA. THIS IS A KNOWN DEFECT YET NO ANNOUNCEMENT IS MADE TO OWNERS. THIS COULD COST ME UP TO $1000.00 OR MORE TO FIX ON A 3 YEAR OLD CAR. ALSO THIS INHIBITS THE AC SYSTEM TO WORK.*AK
WINDSHIELD WIPERS COME ON AND OFF AS THEY PLEASE. THERE HAVE BEEN 13 PRIOR REPORTS TO YOUR WEBSITE ON THIS PROBLEM. I CALLED YOUR OFFICE AND GOT SOMEONE WHO HAD A "TOUGH LUCK" ATTITUDE. WHEN DO YOU PLAN TO GET WITH FORD AND GET THIS SAFETY PROBLEM RESOLVED?*AK
WINDSHIELD WIPERS CAME ON WITHOUT MANUAL OPERATION, AND WINDSHEILD WIPER FLUID RELEASED. CAUSE UNKNOWN. *AK DOOR AJAR LIGHT / DOME LIGHT REMAINED ON. *YH
WHEN DRIVING WITHOUT OPERATING THE WINDSHIELD WIPER SWITCH, WINDSHIELD WIPERS COME ON AND OFF WITH THE SWITCH IN THE OFF POSITION. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER. *AK *ML
WINDSHIELD WIPERS SEEM TO HAVE A MIND OF THEIR OWN. THE DOME LIGHT ALSO SEEMS TO HAVE A MIND OF IT'S OWN. THEY BOTH COME ON AND GO OFF WHEN THEY WANT TO. *AK
DOOR SWITCHES AND WINDSHIELDWIPER SWITCH REPEATEDLY FAILED. SAME IN FATHER'S 1997 F150. *AK
BRAKES LOCK UP AND TRUCK WILL SKID NO MATTER WHAT SPEED, TRUCK BECOMES UNCONTROLLABLE. WINDSHIELD WIPERS WILL COME ON AND SPRAY DURING SOME LEFT TURNS, FOR NO APPARANT REASON. THIS CAUSES THE INABILITY TO SEE. WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED(AND TRUCK GOES NUTS)THE PASSENGER FRONT SEAT LAUNCHES FORWARD EVEN THOUGH IT IS LOCKED INTO POSITION. ONE INCIDENT WAS I WAS MAKING A LEFT TURN ONTO A BUSY STREET WHEN MY WIPERS CAME ON AND SPRAYED FLUID ALL OVER, I TRIED TO APPLY MY BRAKES AND THE TIRES LOCKED UP AND TRUCK STARTED TO SKID, AND THE SEAT HOLDING MY INFANT SON'S CAR SEAT WAS THROWN FORWARD INTO THE DASH. I WAS TRAVELING MAYBE 4-6 MPH. SOME ONE IS GOING TO GET KILLED IN THIS VEHICLE. I CONTACTED FORD AND THEY SAY I HAVE NO RECOURSE AND HAVE NEVER HEARD OF SUCH THINGS HAPPENING WITH THIER VEHICLES. I HAVE HAD THE BRAKES INSPECTED AND I AM TOLD THAT THEY LOOK FINE, AND THERE IS NO PROBLEM WITH THE ABS DUMMY LIGHT COMING ON IN THE VEHICLE. PLEASE, PLEASE CAN YOU MAKE FORD DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS? I NOTICED THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF SIMILAR COMPLAINTS WITH THIS TRUCK POSTED HERE ON NHTSA'S SITE. THANK YOU. *AK
THE CONTROL SWITCH FOR HEAT/AIR HAS TO BE TURNED TO THE OFF POSITION. IF NOT, THE HEAT IS UNCONTROLLABLE AND STIFLING
INTERMITTENTLY WINDSHIELD WIPERS WILL COME ON AUTOMATICALLY, DISBURSING WASHER FLUID ON A STARTLING THE DRIVER. A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN HAS BEEN ISSUED ON THE VEHICLE'S MAKE. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK
DOME LIGHT COMES ON BY ITSELF AND FAILS TO TURN OFF. *ET
WIPER OPERATION ERRATIC. OPERATE BY THEMSELVES, OR WILL NOT OPERATED WHEN TURNED ON.
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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