Owner-reported complaints naming the transmission system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
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 2003 Ford Ranger submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 11 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 2003 FORD RANGER. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY, THE CONTACT STARTED THE IGNITION AND WHEN THE GEAR WAS SHIFTED INTO REVERSE, THE TRANSMISSION FAILED TO RESPOND. THE OVERDRIVE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND REMAINED ILLUMINATED UNTIL THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 90,000.
WHEN STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT WITH THE BRAKE APPLIED AND THE ENGINE IDLING IN DRIVE (AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION) THE ENGINE REVVED UP SIGNIFICANTLY. WHEN IT DID I PUSHED ON THE BRAKE AS HARD AS I COULD AND THE REAR WHEEL SPUN. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING MAYBE 3 OR 4 TIMES A YEAR FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS AND MOST OF THE TIME CAN BE STOPPED BY RELEASING THEN QUICKLY PRESSING ON THE BRAKE. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IT HAS HAPPENED WHERE SOMEONE COULD HAVE BEEN HURT AND I RECEIVED A TICKET FOR THE INCIDENT. *TR
FAULTY CLUTCH DESIGN ON 2003 FORD RANGER 4.0L WITH MAZDA M50-R1 5 SPEED TRANSMISSION: PLEASE RESEARCH THIS PROBLEM. PREMATURE FAILURE RATE APPROACHES 100% AND RECURS AGAIN WITHIN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. THIS PROBLEM IS NOT UNIQUE TO THE 2003 MODEL YEAR. THE HYDRAULIC MECHANISM OF THE CLUTCH IS AT FAULT. IT CANNOT MAINTAIN ADEQUATE PRESSURE TO ALLOW ENOUGH PEDAL TRAVEL TO SHIFT THE TRANSMISSION. RECOMMENDED FIXES INCLUDE REPLACING THE ENTIRE CLUTCH OR THE SLAVE CYLINDER/THROWOUT BEARING, AND MASTER CYLINDER FOR CLUTCH SYSTEM. ALL OF THESE SHORT LIVED FIXES ARE VERY EXPENSIVE AS THE TRANSMISSION MUST BE REMOVED EXCEPT FOR THE MASTER CYLINDER. JUST BLEEDING THE SYSTEM IS EXPENSIVE IF THE LEEK IS INTERNAL, WHICH IS USUALLY THE CASE. *TR
I DRIVE THE 2003 FORD RANGER EDGE V-6, 3.0. IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC MY TRANSMISSION SHIFTS VERY HARD INTO 2ND AND 3RD GEAR...IT HAS HAPPENED NUMEROUS TIMES THROUGH OUT THE YEAR I'VE HAD THE TRUCK. THE PROBLEM IS USUALLY FROM 0-25 MPH. I TOOK THE TRUCK TO THE DEALERSHIP, BUT THEY TURNED ME AWAY BLAMING ME FOR THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM....EVEN THOUGH MY TRUCK WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. *TR
POWER SURGE FROM A STOP WHICH CAN ONLY BE CONTROLLED BY HARD BRAKING AND PUTTING TRANSMISSION IN NEUTRAL. THEN THE SURGE WILL STOP AND TRUCK ACTS NORMALLY. FORD DEALER FOUND "NOTHING WRONG" MORE THAN ONCE SINCE PURCHASED IN 2003. *TR
2003 FORD RANGER 4.0L 4WD AT. TWO OF THE SIX VALVE SEATS IN THE ENGINE DROPPED CAUSING THE ENGINE TO LOSE COMPRESSION AFTER LESS THAN 70K MILES. NOTICED LOSS OF POWER, TOOK IT IN AND HAD TO PAY OVER $2K IN REPAIRS EVEN THOUGH IT WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. THE VALVE SEATS WERE REPLACED. THE PROBLEM WAS FIXED BUT A FEW MONTHS LATER WHILE MERGING TO FREEWAY SPEEDS THE CAR STALLED AND WOULD NOT RE-START. TOWED IT IN TO FIND THAT THE ENGINE HAD JUMPED TIMING AND BENT ALL SIX CRANK ARMS. AGAIN, REPAIRS WERE MADE. TOP END OF THE ENGINE WAS REPLACED INCLUDING THE CRANKS. THIS IS RIDICULOUS FOR A TRUCK WITH LESS THAN $70K MILES ON. I FEEL THE ORIGINAL REPAIR COSTS UPWARDS OF $2,000.00 SHOULD HAVE BEEN COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY AS IT WAS AN INTERNAL ENGINE ISSUE AND BEEN REIMBURSED. ALSO A NEW ENGINE SHOULD BE INSTALLED OR VEHICLE TRADED AS THIS ENGINE IS OBVIOUSLY DEFECTIVE. ALL THE MEANWHILE THE MAIN REASON FOR TAKING THE VEHICLE IN FOR REPAIRS THREE TIMES PRIOR WAS TO FIX THE HUGE THUMP AND DELAY ON ACCELERATION THAT ALMOST CAUSED ME TO GET IN AN ACCIDENT! THE DEALER SAID THIS WAS NORMAL FOR 4WD TRUCKS AND THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. YET EVERY 4WD I'VE DRIVEN, EVEN ONES WITH OVER 100K MILES ON THEM, ACCELERATE SMOOTHLY WITH NO THUMPING OR DELAY IN ACCELERATION. NEARING THE EXPIRATION ON MY WARRANTY DUE TO MILEAGE, I FEEL THE DEALERSHIP WAS TRYING TO PUSH THE ACTUAL REPAIRS OFF UNTIL THEN. THEY EVEN SAID THAT THE CAUSE OF THE THUMP WAS THAT THE TRANSMISSION MOUNTS WERE LOOSE. SO THEY "REPAIRED" THAT BUT IT HAD NO EFFECT AND THE ISSUE STILL REMAINS. THIS IS WHERE I STAND CURRENTLY AND AM TRYING TO GET THE TRUCK BACK IN THE SHOP, ONCE AGAIN, TO HAVE THIS ISSUE FIXED SO THAT I DO NOT ACTUALLY GET IN AN ACCIDENT. AND TO ADD TO THAT, THERE IS ONCE AGAIN A LOSS IN POWER, SO WE'LL FIND OUT IF THE VALVE SEATS HAVE ONCE AGAIN DROPPED... *TR
SEVERE WATER LEAK IN ROOF AND REAR WINDOW EXACT LOCATION NOT DETERMINED YET. OWNER NOTICED WATER DRIPPING ON DRIVERS SEAT. UNDER HEAVY RAIN CONDITIONS THE CAB WILL FILL UP WITH WATER -ALL OVER THE FLOOR, CARPETS, MATS, ETC. WATER HAS CAUSED DAMAGE TO INTERIOR AND UPHOLSTERY. I TOOK THE TRUCK TO FORD''S SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND THEY REFUSED TO LOOK AT THE VEHICLE AS WELL AS REPAIR THE LEAK AND DAMAGE TO INTERIOR. THEY TOLD ME LEAKS ARE COMMON AND THEY WILL DO NOTHING ABOUT IT. SECOND DEFECT: AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS DOES NOT SHIFT CORRECTLY WILL EVEN GET HUNG UP IN A GEAR; CAUSES HEAVY VIBRATION UPON BRAKING. SOME STEERING AND SUSPENSION COMPONENTS HAVE BEEN RECENTLY REPLACED BY OWNERS EXPENSE. *JB
I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND CAME UP TO A LIGHT. WHEN THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN I TRIED TO PUT THE TRUCK INTO GEAR BUT WAS UNABLE TO DO SO. I HAD THE CAR BROUGHT TO A MECHANIC AND WAS TOLD THAT THE CLUTCH, SLAVE CYLINDER, AND FLY WHEEL NEEDED TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE A PUMP HAD FAILED AND ALLOWED FLUID TO PENETRATE ALL THREE. THE TRUCK ONLY HAS 48,000 MILES ON IT. I NEVER IN MY LIFE HAD TO REPLACE A CLUTCH WITH ONLY 48000 MILES. *NM
MANUAL TRANSMISSION WOULDN'T GO INTO GEAR. DEALERSHIP REPLACED A CHIP IN THE ENGINE MOTOR. BUT, PROBLEM RECURRED. THEN, DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE CLUTCH PEDAL BECAUSE IT WAS LOOSE, AND PROBLEM RECURRED. *AK
HOWLING NOISE FROM CLUTCH. WAS TOLD BY DEALER THAT THE CLUTCH WAS NO GOOD, AND THAT THEY CONTACTED FORD AND WAS ADVISED THAT PARTS FOR REPAIR ARE CURRENTLY BEING MANUFACTURED?????????????? THE DEALER ADVISED ME THAT I WOULD HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL MID JANUARY FOR MY TRUCK TO BE REPARED.
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILED, CAUSING VEHICLE TO STALL AND JUMP FORWARD. *AK
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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