Problems · by component
1999 Ford Ranger service brakes, hydraulic problems
78 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 1999 Ford Ranger cite service brakes, hydraulic, 10% of all 785 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
78
10% of all complaints
Crashes
11
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
4
Reported by owners
What owners say about the service brakes, hydraulic
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“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”
“I WAS DRIVEN AND GOING ABOUT 20MPH. AND COME TO A STOP LIGHT I TRIED TO PRESS THE BRAKES THEY WORKED A LITTLE THEN I COULDN'T PRESS DOWN ANYMORE ALMOST REAR ENDED ANOTHER CAR. I CALLED FORD DEALERSHIP TO HAVE IT CHECKED OUT AND THE TECH. SAID THE ABS MODULE NEEDS TO BE REPLACE HE TOLD ME THIS ITEM SHOULD NEVER WENT BAD. I ASKED A COUPLE OF FRIENDS ABOUT THIS THEY TOLD ME PARTS LIKE THIS SHOULD NEVER GO BAD? I WAS WONDERING IF THIS IS ON THE RECALL LIST BECAUSE THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD! *TR”
“I HAVE A 1999 FORD RANGER AND THE ABS BRAKES SEEM TO BE MALFUNCTIONING. IT ONLY HAPPENS AT SLOW SPEED LIKE IN A PARKINGLOT OR TURNING A CORNER. MY ABS LIGHT DOES NOT COME ON BUT THE TRUCK WILL NOT COME TO A COMPLETE STOP IT SEEMS TO COAST FORWARD ABOUT 5 - 7 FEET PAST WHERE I WANT TO STOP. MECHANIC CHECKED IT AND SAYS MAY BE A FAULTY ABS CONTROL MODULE AND HE PULLED THE ABS FUSE UNTIL REPAIRS CAN BE MADE. UPON SEARCHING WEB THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM, ALSO KNOW SOMEONE WHO HAS A 2000 RANGER AND HAS SAME ISSUE. THIS SEEMS TO BE A MAJOR ISSUE AND AI FEEL FORD SHOULD BE RECALLING THESE VEHICLES AND CORRECTING THE PROBLEM BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED OR MAYBE THEY ALREADY HAVE AND WE DON'T KNOW IT WAS CAUSED BY THE BRAKE SYSTEMS. *TR”
“I WAS DRIVING ALONG AND I CAME TO A HILL AND AT THE BOTTOM WAS A STOP SIGN. I GOT ALLMOST STOPPED BEHIND THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME AND MY BRAKES GAVE OUT CAUSING ME TO CRASH INTO THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. I HAVE HEARD OF AT LEAST 25 DIFFERENT PEOPLE THAT HAVE THE SAME MODEL TRUCK THAT I HAVE THAT HAVE EITHER WRECKED OR ALMOST WRECKED BECAUSE OF THIS DEFECT. *TR”
“I WAS STOPPING AT A STOP SIGN AT THE BOTTOM OF A HILL BEHIND ANOTHER CAR AND MY BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND THE BRAKES QUIT WORKING. I HIT THE CAR CAUSING APPROX. $1500 DAMAGE AND BENDING MY FRONT BUMPER. I ALSO GOT A TICKET BECAUSE THE OFFICER SAID THE CRASH WAS DUE TO DRIVER FAILING TO STOP, HE DIDN'T EVEN CHECK THE BRAKES. I TOWED IT TO 2 DIFFERENT SHOPS BEFORE THEY DETERMINED IT WAS A BRAKE PROBLEM (THE FIRST SHOP CRASHED IT INTO A CAR JACK BECAUSE OF THE BRAKES NOT WORKING) AND TOLD ME TO TAKE IT TO A FORD DEALER. THE FORD MECHANIC TOOK IT FOR A TEST DRIVE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS AND THE BRAKES GAVE OUT AGAIN CAUSING HIM TO RUN SOMEONE OFF THE ROAD. IT IS STILL AT THE FORD DEALER AND EVEN THOUGH FORD DOESN'T REALLY KNOW WHAT'S WRONG WITH IT THEY QUOTED $800 TO FIX IT. THEY THINK THE ABS MODULE IS MALFUNCTIONING. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE HAD MY MODEL TRUCK. I THINK THAT IT IS A DEFECT FROM THE MANUFACTURER AND THAT IT SHOULD BE RECALLED SO IT WON'T CAUSE ANYMORE ACCIDENTS. *TR”
“FRONT BRAKE PADS WEAR OUT EVERY 3,000 MILES OR SO. IT HAS HAPPENED 3 TIMES SO FAR. I HAVE REPLACED THE CALIPERS AND ROTORS TOO, THIS HAS NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. *TR”
Showing 6 of 78 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 5, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.