20 of the 744 complaints about the 1998 Ford Ranger are about the steering — 3% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 121,932 miles.
20
Complaints
3
Crashes
1
Fires
2
Injuries
Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.
STEERING
1998 FORD RANGER. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO VEHICLE STEERING WHEEL ISSUES. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED THE STEERING WHEEL MELTED. ALSO, THE HEAD LAMP SWITCH AND CONNECTOR WAS REPLACED.
NHTSA complaint #10722973 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STEERING:LINKAGES:TIE ROD ASSEMBLY
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED A SQUEAKING NOISE CAME FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE UPPER AND LOWER CONTROL ARMS, TIE RODS AND BEARINGS WERE REPLACED.
NHTSA complaint #10157660 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STEERING:RACK AND PINION
THE DAY AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE, (1998 FORD RANGER) THE CONSUMER HAD TO GET THE RACK AND PINION STEERING CHANGED. (SEE ODI NUMBER 10052130 FOR CONSUMER COMPLAINT REGARDING 2002 FORD ESCAPE).*MR *CB
NHTSA complaint #10051805 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STEERING:COLUMN
VEHICLE WAS MAKING A LEFT HAND TURN WHEN THE STEERING COLUMN CAME APART. DRIVER THEN SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES UNTIL VEHICLE CAME TO A STOP.
NHTSA complaint #10048017 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STEERING:GEAR BOX:SHAFT SECTOR
WHILE BACKING OUT SLOWLY, STEERING WHEEL DISCONNECTED FROM STEERING MECHANISM, RESULTING IN LOSS OF STEERING, DEALER SAID THAT INTERMEDIATE SHAFT BOLT WAS STRIPPED, THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT.*AK
NHTSA complaint #895748 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STEERING:RACK AND PINION
RACK AND PINION HAS FAILED AT ONLY 38,000 MILES AND WITHIN 2 YEARS WITHOUT WARNING. CAUSE UNKNOWN.
NHTSA complaint #878594 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
CRASH INVOLVED MY VEHICLE STRIKING ANOTHER VEHICLE WHICH HAD TURNED INTO MY PATH TO MAKE A LEFT TURN AT A LIGHTED INTERSECTION. POLICE DETERMINED THAT OTHER DRIVER WAS AT FAULT. OTHER VEHICLE (A VW JETTA) WAS STRUCK IN THE SIDE, YET BOTH AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. MY VEHICLE WAS STRUCK IN THE FRONT WITH SUFFICIENT FORCE TO BREAK FRONT AXLE, YET NEITHER AIRBAG DEPLOYED. I CONTACTED DEALER WHO REFERRED ME TO THEIR 1-800 CUSTOMER HOTLINE, WHO THEN REFERRED ME BACK TO DEALER TO PURSUE TECHNICAL PROBLEMS SUCH AS THIS. THEREFORE, I'M NOW CONTACTING YOU.
NHTSA complaint #734936 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR
THE WHEELS LOCK AND FREEZE. YH
NHTSA complaint #552362 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STEERING:LINKAGES:KNUCKLE:SPINDLE:ARM
LEFT WHEEL BROKE OFF AND THERE WAS A NOISE DUE TO A SPINDLE BREAKING,WHICH COULD HAVE CAUSED LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. CURRENTLY THE NOISE HAS RETURNED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.
NHTSA complaint #859483 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
WHILE TRAVELING CONSUMER PASSED OUT AND VEHICLE RAN OFF ROAD. ALSO, NOTICED FUMES INSIDE CAB. DRIVER BELIEVES THAT CARBON MONOXIDE FUMES WERE COMING INTO THE VEHICLE, CAUSING HIM TO PASS OUT. *AK
NHTSA complaint #857317 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STEERING
SINGLE VEHICLE ACCIDENT. FRONTAL IMPACT - MY SON WAS DRIVING.
NHTSA complaint #718103 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STEERING:LINKAGES:DRAG:LINK:CONNECTION
FRONT SHOCKS AND FRONT SPINDLE CONNECTING DRAG ASSEMBLY REPLACED. MJS
NHTSA complaint #547589 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STEERING:RACK AND PINION
RACK AND PINION FAILED. MJS
NHTSA complaint #547589 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STEERING:GEAR BOX (OTHER THAN RACK AND PINION)
STEERING GEAR ASSEMBLY FAILED.
NHTSA complaint #606758 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STEERING:GEAR BOX (OTHER THAN RACK AND PINION)
CONSUMER WAS TURNING RIGHT AT APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH WHEN THE STEERING FAILED WHICH ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. DEALER DID NOT DETECT THE PROBLEM THE FIRST TIME , BUT THEN IT HAPPENED AGAIN, AND CURRENTLY DEALER IS REPLACING THE STEERING GEAR BOX. *AK
NHTSA complaint #837273 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:PUMP
THE POWER STEERING PUMP MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING THE POWER STEERING FLUID TO CRYSTALLIZE, RESULTING IN LOSS OF POWER STEERING. DEALER REPLACED POWER STEERING PUMP 4 TIMES, AND HAS REPLACED STARTER AND REPAIRED THE COOLANT SYSTEM ONCE. *AK
NHTSA complaint #837163 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
POWER STEERING FAILED.
NHTSA complaint #607969 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR
A VIBRATION HAS DEVELOPED UNDER ALL BRAKING CONDITIONS (15,000 MILES ON). THE STEERING WHEEL WILL SHUDDER AND TWITCH FROM SIDE TO SIDE. ENTIRE VEHICLE WILL VIBRATE. WORST UNDER LOW BRAKING PEDAL PRESSURE. AS THE VEHICLE SLOWS, THE SENSATION IS AS IF THE BRAKES ARE MAKING VARYING BRAKING CONTACT WITH THE ROTORS/DRUMS, CONSISTANT WITH THE WHEEL REVOLUTION SPEED. AT LOW SPEED AND LIGHT BRAKE PEDAL PRESSURE, THE STEERING WHEEL WILL SUDDENLY SPIN 90-180 DEGREES TO THE LEFT, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO CHANGE DRIVING LANES, UNLESS FIRMLY HELD BACK. DEALERSHIP INSPECTED AND DROVE THE VEHICLE. EXPERIENCED VIBRATION/SHUDDER AND WHEEL PULL. STATES BRAKING AND STEERING SYSTEMS COMPONENTS ARE IN NORMAL CONDITION, BRAKES ARE UNADJUSTABLE, COMPLAINT IS COMMON, AND USUALLY GETS WORSE. CAN OFFER NO SOLUTION.
NHTSA complaint #704844 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STEERING:LINKAGES:KNUCKLE:SPINDLE:ARM
BRAKES HAVE BEEN EXAMINED TWICE FOR SQUEAKINESS. DEALER HAS STATED THAT THEY CANNOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM. NOISES HAVE WORSENED SINCE LAST EXAM ON 12/15/98. THERE ARE SEVERAL AREAS OF RUST ON THE UNDERSIDE OF MY TRUCK AND ON THE OUTTAKE MANIFOLD IN THE ENGINGE. DEALER HAS STATED "THAT'S NORMAL" TO REPEATED INQUIRIES ABOUT THIS RUST. I HAVE ALREADY HAD THROTTLE ASSEMBLY PIECE, THE "BUTTERFLY VALVE" REPLACED IN NOV OF 1998. I NOW HAVE SQEAKY NOISES COMING FROM THE REAR AXLE AS WELL, WHICH I WILL SCHEDULE FOR EXAM THIS WEEK, 1/11/99.
NHTSA complaint #702124 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STEERING:LINKAGES:KNUCKLE:SPINDLE:ARM
UPPER BALL JOINT SEPARATED FROM THE VEHICLE CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL AND MINOR COLLISION, RUST FOUND OUTSIDE BOTH THE SIDES OF THE KNUCKLE AND A MISSING BOLT.
NHTSA complaint #540916 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.