Your vehicle report
1991 Ford Ranger
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 132
- Received Jan 1995 to Jul 2012
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Vehicle catches fire from wiring22 complaints · 17% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Tires blow out or tread separates13 complaints · 9.8% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Side mirrors give poor rear visibility12 complaints · 9.1% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #96V024001The studs which attach the brake master cylinder to the power brake vacuum booster assembly can develop stress corrosion cracking after being operated for an extended period of time in the southern california location.
- Recall #91V189000When the automatic transmission shift lever is placed in the park position, the park pawl does not always abut or engage the park gear.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 9 crashes, 21 fires, 14 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 8 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 15 |
| 1996 | 17 |
| 1997 | 9 |
| 1998 | 15 |
| 1999 | 20 |
| 2000 | 22 |
| 2001 | 12 |
| 2002 | 11 |
| 2003 | 2 |
| 2004 | 3 |
| 2005 | 0 |
| 2006 | 0 |
| 2007 | 0 |
| 2008 | 0 |
| 2009 | 2 |
| 2010 | 0 |
| 2011 | 3 |
| 2012 | 1 |
| 2013 | 0 |
| 2014 | 0 |
| 2015 | 0 |
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 132 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 22 | 17% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 13 | 9.8% | – | |
| Side mirrors give poor rear visibility | 12 | 9.1% | – | |
| Frame rusts and corrodes through | 10 | 7.6% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 6 | 4.5% | – | |
| Suspension struts and shocks wear out early | 5 | 3.8% | – | |
| Manual clutch wears out or fails early | 5 | 3.8% | – | |
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 3 | 2.3% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #96V024001February 5, 1996108,000 vehicles affected
service brakes, hydraulic: power assist: hydraulic
The studs which attach the brake master cylinder to the power brake vacuum booster assembly Can develop stress corrosion cracking after being operated for an extended period of time in the southern california location.
If a crack occurs, it could result in one or both studs fracturing. The master cylinder could then separate from the vacuum booster, when the brakes are applied, preventing the service brakes from activating increasing the risk of a vehicle accident.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the power brake vacuum booster assembly.
NHTSA recall #91V189000November 4, 1991792,000 vehicles affected
power train: automatic transmission
When the automatic transmission shift lever is placed in the park position, the park pawl does not always abut or engage the park gear.
Driver may believe the vehicle is safely engaged in parkwhen the gear is not truly engaged. This Can lead to the vehicle jumping out ofgear unintentionally, vehicle rollaway when parked on a sloped surface, andinadvertent motion when the vehicle is started. All of these conditions canresult in a vehicle accident.
Remedy
Repair the transmission with a new park pawl.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 1991 Ford Ranger.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN