Your vehicle report
1998 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
- 576
- Received Dec 1997 to Apr 2021
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Tires blow out or tread separates133 complaints · 23% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Frame rusts and corrodes through38 complaints · 6.6% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Unintended acceleration despite braking24 complaints · 4.2% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #07V336000On certain pickup trucks, passenger vehicles, sport utility vehicles, and motor homes chassis, the speed control deactivation switch may, under certain conditions, leak internally and then overheat, smoke, or burn.
- Recall #99V204000Vehicle description: electric vehicles. The transaxle may have been manufactured with the park detent spring misaligned. If the spring is misaligned, the park mechanism may not engage when the shift lever is placed in the park position.
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: 66 crashes, 29 fires, 40 people injured, 7 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 20 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 |
|---|---|
| 1997 | 1 |
| 1998 | 51 |
| 1999 | 109 |
| 2000 | 160 |
| 2001 | 68 |
| 2002 | 34 |
| 2003 | 20 |
| 2004 | 17 |
| 2005 | 8 |
| 2006 | 8 |
| 2007 | 12 |
| 2008 | 9 |
| 2009 | 8 |
| 2010 | 4 |
| 2011 | 13 |
| 2012 | 8 |
| 2013 | 10 |
| 2014 | 6 |
| 2015 | 13 |
| 2016 | 3 |
| 2017 | 5 |
| 2018 | 3 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 3 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 576 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 133 | 23% | – | |
| Frame rusts and corrodes through | 38 | 6.6% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 24 | 4.2% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 22 | 3.8% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 20 | 3.5% | – | |
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 19 | 3.3% | – | |
| Door ajar light stays on when closed | 17 | 2.9% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 14 | 2.4% | – | |
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 13 | 2.3% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 13 | 2.3% | – | |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 11 | 1.9% | – | |
| Suspension clunking or rattling noise over bumps | 11 | 1.9% | – | |
| Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up | 10 | 1.7% | – | |
| Check engine light comes on repeatedly | 8 | 1.4% | – | |
| Manual clutch wears out or fails early | 7 | 1.2% | – | |
| Cruise control fails to disengage | 7 | 1.2% | – | NHTSA recall #99V062001 |
| Transmission fails or loses power while driving | 7 | 1.2% | – | |
| Rear door latch fails to open or close | 6 | 1.0% | – | |
| Brakes fail intermittently or repeatedly | 6 | 1.0% | – | |
| Coil springs break and puncture tires | 5 | 0.9% | – |
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 #07V336000August 3, 20073,600,000 vehicles affected
vehicle speed control
On certain pickup trucks, passenger vehicles, sport utility vehicles, and motor homes chassis, the speed control deactivation switch may, under certain conditions, leak internally and then overheat, smoke, or burn.
This could result in an underhood fire.
Remedy
Dealers will install a fused wiring harness. Owners of the passenger cars included in this campaign will be instructed to return their vehicles to their dealers to have the speed control deactivation switch disconnected as an interim repair. As soon as repair parts are available (expected october 2007), owners will be instructed to return to the dealers for installation of a fused wiring harness. The recall began on august 13, 2007, and mailing completed by september 19, 2007. Owners may contact Ford at 1-888-222-2751.
NHTSA recall #99V204000July 28, 1999326 vehicles affected
power train: automatic transmission
Vehicle description: electric vehicles. The transaxle may have been manufactured with the park detent spring misaligned. If the spring is misaligned, the park mechanism may not engage when the shift lever is placed in the park position.
If the park mechanism does not engage and the vehicle operator has not applied the parking brake, the vehicle could roll free as if in neutral.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect the transaxle and any with misaligned park detent springs will be replaced.
NHTSA recall #99V062001March 30, 1999898,739 vehicles affected
vehicle speed control
Vehicle description: certain 1997-1999 rhd explorer equipped with 4.0L ohv/sohc engines and cruise control built from may 29, 1996 through march 4, 1999; 1998-1999 explorer/mountaineers equipped with 4.0L ohv/sohc or 5.0L engines or 1998-1999 rangers equipped with 2.5L, 3.0L ffv/efi or 4.0L engines and cruise control built from january 5, 1998 through march 4, 1999; 1998-1999 mustangs equipped with 3.8L, 4.6L 2-VALVE or 4-VALVE engines and cruise control built from march 2, 1998 through march 4, 1999; 1999 F250/F350/F450/F550 (over 8,500 lbs.) trucks equipped with 5.4L or 6.8L engines and cruise control built from march 2, 1998 through march 4, 1999; and 1999 F-53 stripped chassis equipped with 5.4L or 6.8L engines and cruise control built from march 2, 1998 through march 4, 1999. A cruise control cable Can interfere with the speed control servo pulley and not allow the throttle to return to idle when disengaging the cruise control.
If the cruise control is used and this condition is present, a stuck throttle could result, which could potentially result in a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the cruise control cables. At the present time, the replacement cables are not available. Customers are being advised not to use the cruise control system until a replacement Can be made.
NHTSA recall #98V021000February 2, 199811,500 vehicles affected
equipment: other: labels
Vehicle description: light duty four-wheel drive pickup trucks equipped with off-road option. The tire and rim identification information is incorrect on these vehicles. This does not comply with the requirements of FMVSS no. 120, "tire selection and rims for motor vehicles other than passenger cars."
The 16" tires could not be inflated on the specified 15X7.0J rim.
Remedy
Owners will be sent a safety certificaiton label partial overlay which will contain the correct rim size, and instructions for affixing this label to the vehicle. If an owner so desires, their Ford dealer Can install the label for them.
NHTSA recall #97V186001October 28, 19972,000 vehicles affected
fuel system, gasoline: delivery: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Vehicle description: light duty pickup trucks equipped with 4.0L engines. The flexible section of the chassis mounted fuel line that connects to the engine was routed too close to the exhaust manifold. The line could contact the manifold.
This could potentially result in damage to the fuel line, or in some cases, cause a fuel leak. Fuel leakage in the presence of an ignition source could result in a fire.
Remedy
Dealers will install an additional clip to hold the fuel line in the intended design position.
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 1998 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