Problems · NHTSA complaints

1999 Ford Ranger problems

Owners filed 785 complaints about the 1999 Ford Ranger with NHTSA between Nov 1998 and Oct 2021. The most-cited component is tires (177).

Complaints
785
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
98
Reported by owners
Fires
18
Reported by owners
Injuries
62
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Tires177
  2. Structure89
  3. Air bags79
  4. Service brakes, hydraulic78
  5. Visibility74
  6. Suspension71
  7. Power train69
  8. Vehicle speed control57
  9. Engine and engine cooling50
  10. Electrical system43
  11. Steering17
  12. Wheels14
  13. Fuel system, gasoline14
  14. Interior lighting13

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 5, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
19983
1999109
2000192
200192
200256
200352
200438
200541
200614
200724
200820
200915
201014
201123
201219
201311
20147
20159
201620
20178
20186
20196
20201
20215

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Tires

177 reports13 crashes2 related recalls
“I NOTICED HEAVY RUST SCALE ON GROUND AND INSPECTED TO SEE MY SPARE TIRE WAS MISSING, THERE IS A LARGE HOLE RUSTED ALL THE WAY THRU THE FRAME IN FRONT OF THE LEFT REAR SPRING SHACKLE AND A CRACK IN THE FRAME IN FRONT OF THE FRONT SHACKLE ALMOST ALL THE WAY AROUND THE CHANNEL. FURTHER INVESTIGATION SHOWED ALL CROSS MEMBERS, GAS TANK STRAP AND BED SUPPORTS ARE SEVERELY RUSTED AND THE RIGHT SIDE FRAME RAIL FOLLOWING SUIT WITH THE LEFT FRAME RAIL. THE REMAINDER OF THE TRUCK IS IN VERY GOOD CONDITION THIS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN TO A TRUCK WITH THIS AGE AND MILEAGE. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 24, 2013Suspension, Structure, TiresODI 10513461

Structure

89 reports1 fire
“When washing the truck I noticed a crack in the left rear frame just aft of the forward leaf spring shackle.Vertical crack approx, 6" long and separating, frame severely rusted while the rest of the body has minimal rust.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 24, 2021StructureODI 11426295

Air bags

79 reports60 crashes1 fire
“"TAKATA RECALL" WE CONTINUE TO RECEIVE NOTICE THAT AIR BAGS NEED REPLACEMENT. HAVE BEEN TOLD WE ARE ON WAITING LIST AND THAT PARTS WILL BE AVAILABLE SOON AND WHEN THEY COME IN WE WILL BE NOTIFIED. AS OF YET THIS HAS NOT HAPENED. THIS WEEK NOTICE IN THE NEWS AND ON WEB SITES OF FORD AND TAKATA AND YOUR SITE SUGGESTS THAT THESE VEHICLES NOT BE DRIVEN. WHAT ARE WE TO DO? WE HAVE CONTINUED TO TAKE ARE VEHICLES INTO THE FORD DEALERSHIP TO KEEP THEM MAINTAINED AND IN GOOD WORKING ORDER, WE ARE GIVEN NO SOLUTION OF A REPLACEMENT OR OPTION OF DEACTIVATION OF THE DEVICE UNTIL A REPLACEMENT IS AVAILABLE AND NOT EVEN AN OPTION FOR PURCHASE OF A REPLACEMENT. PLEASE HELP ALL OUR VEHICLES ARE FORDS ALL ON RECALL WE SHOULD NOT BE FORCED TO DRIVE ACTIVATED BOMBS”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 9, 2018Air bagsODI 11092754

Service brakes, hydraulic

78 reports11 crashes1 fire
“TRUCK LOST BRAKES WHILE GOING DOWNHILL. FRAME CORROSION HAD CAUSED RIGHT SPRING HANGER TO FAIL, AND CORRODED BRAKE LINE BURST. I WAS ABLE TO PUMP THE BRAKE PEDAL AND AVOID AN ACCIDENT. BRAKE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AFTER THE INCIDENT. MECHANIC PUT THE TRUCK ON A LIFT, AND IDENTIFIED SEVERE CORROSION TO THE BRAKE LINES, DIFFERENTIAL, FRAME, AND SEVERAL OTHER UNDERCARRIAGE COMPONENTS. TRUCK HAD BEEN UNDERCOATED AND WASHED REGULARLY, AND HAS LESS THAN 105,000 MILES. MECHANIC SUGGESTED ALL NEW BRAKE LINES, TOTAL FRAME, AND REAR END REPLACEMENT. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 26, 2012Suspension, Service brakes, hydraulic, Power train, StructureODI 10445479

Visibility

74 reports
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 FORD RANGER. THE CONTACT STATED IT WAS DIFFICULT TO SEE OUT OF THE SIDE VIEW MIRROR ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. THE DEALER STATED THE LAW DID NOT ALLOW THEM TO CHANGE THE MIRROR. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN, BUT THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 99,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 27, 2012VisibilityODI 10445582

Suspension

71 reports2 crashes
“I was driving to the store around 1 month ago and I noticed the truck was trying to tail to the side as I was driving. I thought nothing of it until my Uncle Bobby noticed my rear shock was scraping the ground. We looked underneath to investigate and found both shock mounts completely rusted off and the frame in terrible shape. The truck itself barely has any rust other than the tailgate and bed floor. Also thought I should include that the hose that connect the gas tank and where you pump the gas is rusted to where every time I pump gas, a little drips out onto the floor. I was trying to find videos on how to fix it but came across a page that says Rangers have been recalled from the years 1995 to 2000 because of Toyota starting to make frames for them. *EDIT* Also would like to mention that the frame where the bumper attaches to on the driver side has cracked and now the bumper is sagging down .”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 22, 2021SuspensionODI 11437821
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 5, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.