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 1998 Ford Ranger submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 16 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.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD RANGER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORKED INTERMITTENTLY. THE DEALER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND FOUND NO FAILURES. AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED, THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED OF A RECALL FOR THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 45,000.
THE PLASTIC HEADLIGHT LENS ARE SEVERELY CLOUDY, A LOT WORSE AS TIME TIME GOES ON....YEARS AGO, WHEN I BOUGHT THE TRUCK THEY WERE CLEAR, NOW THEY ARE VERY - VERY OPAC, CLOUDY, SO BAD THAT YOU CAN'T EVEN SEE THE HEADLIGHT BULB ! THERE ARE MANY VEHICLES THAT HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM! SO MANY, IN FACT THAT THE PART STORE AFTERMARKET INDUSTRIES HAVE COME OUT WITH A RESTORATION KIT . I AM SURE THAT THE CLOUDY, OPAC LENS DO SEVERELY LESSEN THE AMOUNT OF LIGHT EMITTED THROUGH THE LENS. MY OPINION ON THIS IS THAT THE TYPE OF PLASTIC SELECTED BY FORD SEEMED FINE BACK IN 1998 BUT OVER A PERIOD OF YEARS THE PLASTIC DETERIORATES. MY RECOMMENDATIONS IS TO HAVE THE MANUFACTURES REPLACE THEM. BY, I DID BUY THE KIT FROM A PARTS STORE AND IT IS CALLED HEADLIGHT RESTORER / DEFOGGER KIT. MYHEADLIGHT.COM . MY BROTHER AND I HAND BUFFED HIS 2001 JEEP HEADLIGHTS AND IT TOOK US ALMOST 2 HOURS ! IT DID HELP THE AMOUNT OF LIGHTING! P.S. SORRY, HAVEN'T GOT SPELL-CHECK.... *TR
HEATER WENT BAD ON VEHICLE. CONSUMER FELT THAT IT WAS THE MANUFACTURER'S FAULT FOR MAKING A BAD HEATER. *LA *JB
WE HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS WITH THE DOOR AJAR LIGHT AND DOME LIGHT STAYING ON, PLUS THE WIPERS ARE IRRADIC AND THE WINDOWS WILL SOMETIMES GO DOWN ON THEIR OWN. IT WAS FIXED ONCE AND NOW IT'S HAS STARTED DOING THE SAME THING AGAIN. IT SEEMS TO ME THERE ARE AN AWFUL LOT OF SIMILAR COMPLAINTS OUT THERE ON THIS VERY SAME ITEM AND I FEEL FORD SHOULD HAVE TO RECALL THIS VEHICLE TO CORRECT THE SITUATION. I CALLED THEM AND ASKED IF THIS WOULD BE SOMETHING THEY WOULD FIX SEEING AS IT'S ONE OF THEIR MECHANICAL DEFECTS AND THEY REPLIED WITH A 'NO'. I AM TO THE POINT THAT I JUST WANT TO GET RID OF THIS VEHICLE. I ALSO NOTED THEY HAVE A MENTION OF HOW THIS VEHICLES LEANS. THAT IS ALSO TRUE. MY RANGER LEANS. I THINK THIS TRUCK IS A TRUE LEMON.
THE OUTSIDE MIRRORS VIBRATE QUITE BADLY; IT LOOKS LIKE YOU ARE LOOKING AT TWO OR MORE VEHICLES AT THE SAME TIME. THE MIRRORS HAVE BEEN REPLACED ONCE ALREADY, BUT WE HAVE NOT NOTICED ANY IMPROVEMENT WITH THE NEW MIRRORS, THEY VIBRATE ALMOST AS BAD AS THE OTHERS AND WILL GET JUST AS BAD SHORTLY!!!!!!!!! ALSO, WE BROUGHT THE '98 RANGER IN FOR THE PROBLEM OF WE HAD A LIST OF 14 THINGS THAT WERE WRONG, (ONE OF WHICH WAS THE MIRRORS). THEY FIXED MOST OF THE THINGS THAT WERE WRONG WITH THE TRUCK, THEY ALSO CHANGED THE MIRRORS, BUT, THERE IS NO IMPROVEMENT IN THE NEW MIRRORS, THEY VIBRATE ALSO!!!!!!!! I WILL TELL THE REST OF THE PROBLEMS THAT WERE WRONG WITH THE TRUCK WHEN I DO TALK TO SOMEONE ON THE PHONE OR HOWEVER IT IS TAKEN CARE OF. *AK
VEHICLE IDLES VERY ROUGHLY. THEN IDLE WILL GO AWAY FOR AWHILE. VEHICLE TURNED OFF WITHOUT PRIOR NOTICE. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM. *AK CONSUMER STATES THAT AFTER ROUGH IDLE GOES AWAY, VEHICLE WILL HESITATE OR STALL, MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR WAS REPLACED, HOWEVER PROBLEMS STILL EXISTS. GAS PEDAL GETS STUCK. PASSENGER SIDE FRONT WINDSHIELD WIPER ARM WAS LOOSE. PWER STEERING PUMP WAS REPLACED DUE TO WHEN TURNING WHEEL IT WOULD MAKE ANOISE. *SLC
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 45MPH ON THE HIGHWAY ANDTAILGATE DOOR JUST OPENED ON ITS ON. THIS INCIDENT HAPPEN SEVERAL TIMES.*AK
WHEN EXITING VEHICLE AND SHUTTING DOOR HEARD SOMETHING HIT THE GROUND. CONSUMER THOUGHT IT WAS KEYS. NEXT MORNING, DRIVER'S SIDE SUPER CAB WINDOW BUSTED FROM THE INSIDE. CONSUMER DID NOT SLAM DOOR, AND NO ONE BUSTED IT. IT BROKE FROM INSIDE. CONSUMER FELT WINDOW SHOULD NOT HAVE BROKEN THAT EASILY. *AK
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CLUTCH SLAVE CYLINDER BOLTS CAME OUT KNOCKING HOLE THROUGH TRANSMITION CASE.TRANSMISSION CROSS MEMBER HAD TO BE CUT OUT AFTER SPEED NUTS BROKE LOOSE.HEATER FAILED THREE TIMES.THERMOSTAT REPLACED TWICE DIDN'T HELP.BOLTS HOLDING COOLING FAN ON CAME OUT.SWITCH FOR DOME LIGHT FAILED, AND BRAKE ROTORS WARPED.*AK
REAR VIEW MIRRORS ON THE EXTERIOR ARE DESIGNED WITH SHARP EDGE, CONSUMER CUT HANDS WHEN WASHING VEHICLE. MJS
FRONT SEAT IS DISTORTED AND SINKING/COLLAPSED, REPAIRED SEVERAL TIMES AND CONTINUES TO COLLAPSE. MJS THE CONSUMER WAS WRITING A COMPLEMENT TO THE DEALERSHIP. *YH
WINDOWS MAKE RATTLING NOISE. *YC
COMPLAINT#1: GAS TANK LEAKED AFTER VEHICLE WAS ONLY ONE WEEK OLD. DEALER REPLACED IT WITH A NEW TANK. COMPLAINT#2: POWER WINDOWS ARE 'JERKY' AND THEY CHATTER WHEN GOING DOWN. DEALER HAS NOT REPAIRED IT YET. COMPLAINT#3: PASSENGER SEAT VIBRATES ANY TIME TRUCK DRIVES OVER ANY BUMPS, LARGE OR SMALL. DEALER HAS NOT REPAIRED IT AT THIS TIME.
WHILE DRIVING HOME ON A MAINTAINED DIRT ROAD, THE DRIVERS SIDE REAR WINDOW EXPLODED.MIKE SHAD FORD HAS REFUSED TO REPLACE UNDER WARRANTY. RICK PALMAN IS THE SERVICE MANAGER FOR MIKE SHAD. AND CHRIS @ FORD, REP # 2752 ON 9/28/98 @12:28PM VIA PHONE SAID HE WOULD HAVE MIKE SHAD FORD CALL TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TO REPLACE IT AS IT WOULD BE A WARRANTY ITEM. WHEN AT MIKE SHAD FORD, MR. PALMAN REFUSED TO REAIR THE MISSING WINDOW UNDER WARRANTY.
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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