1999 Ford Ranger suspension problems

“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 .”

“I WAS DRIVING WAS ABOUT 20 MPH AND HIT A SMALL POT HOLE. I HEARD A LOUD POP BANG NOISE AND THE LEFT SIDE OF TRUCK DROPPED ABOUT 2 OR 3 INCHES. I THOUGHT THE FRONT END FELL OFF. THE FRAME IS RUSTED SO BAD YOU CAN PUNCH HOLES IS THE FRAME WITH A SCREW DRIVER, THE DRIVER SIDE TORSION BAR HAS COLLAPSED DUE TO RUST ON THE FRAME THAT HOLDS IT IN PLACE, THE CROSSMEMBER TO TRANSMISSION IS BARLEY HOLDING TRANSMISSION UP, THE SPARE TIRE AREA IS RUSTED IN HALF, ALL MAIN CROSSMEMBERS ARE RUSTED IN HALF AND THE FRAME IS RUSTED IN HALF BEHIND FUEL TANK. TRUCK HAS 127K MILES AND THE BODY BODY HAS LITTLE TO NO RUST, UPPER AND LOWER CONTROL ARMS ARE UNSAFE FROM RUST. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND HOW THE BODY CAN BE SO GOOD BUT FRAME AND SUSPENSION IS COMPLETELY RUSTED TO NO RETURN.”

“MECHANIC TELLS ME THAT VEHICLE IS UNSAFE DUE TO EXTREME RUST/CORROSION ON CHASSIS FRAME (LEFT SIDE) OVER AND NEAR GAS TANK AND BRAKE LINES. NO ACCIDENT TO REPORT BUT I WON'T DRIVE VEHICLE NOW DUE TO OBVIOUS SAFETY ISSUES.”

“THE FRAME AT THE RIGHT FRONT SUSPENSION POCKET RUSTED OUT. UPPER CONTROL ARM REAR BRACKET IS COMPLETELY DETACHED. DROVE THE TRUCK TO MY DESTINATION WITH NO ISSUES, ON THE RETURN TRIP IT FELT "FLOATY" AS IF IT WAS OUT OF ALIGNMENT WHILE I WAS DRIVING DOWN A TOWN ROAD. THERE WAS NO BUMP OR AUDIBLE NOISE PRIOR TO OR ACCOMPANYING THE ISSUE. BODY HAS VERY MINIMAL RUST, THE REST OF THE FRAME APPEARS SOLID. TRUCK HAS 104,660 MILES.”

“FRAME RAILS ARE ROTTING OUT MORE ON THE LEFT SIDE THAN THE RIGHT, CRACKS AND ROT HOLES NEAR ALL THE CHASSIS /SUSPENSION MOUNTS INCLUDING THE MOUNTS FOR THE FUEL TANK, VERY DANGEROUS AS THESE VEHICLES LOOK GREAT IN APPEARANCE BUT FRAMES ARE ROTTING TO PEOPLE UNKNOWN POSSIBLY TOO LATE AS SOME MAY GET KILLED AS A RESULT, EITHER BY AN ACCIDENT OR GETTING BLOWN UP BY THE FUEL TANK FALLING OUT”

“LIKE MOST OF THE OTHER COMPLAINTS, REAR FRAME IS JUST DISCENTERGRATING. FIRST NOTICED AT ABOUT 54000 MILES, DID SOME REPAIRS AND NOW AT AROUND 90000 I NOTICED BOTH SIDES ARE GOING BAD, HAVE CRACKS AND HOLES, AND THE CROSSMEMBERS ARE IN BAD SHAPE. I'M NOT A WEALTHY PERSON AND CANNOT JUST AFFORD TO BUY ANOTHER VEHICLE. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THE GOVERNMENT OR FORD DOESN'T REALIZE WHAT A SAFETY CONCERN THIS IS. DOES SOMEONE'S LIFE HAVE TO END BECAUSE A FRAME BRAKES OFF WHILE DRIVING ON THE STREET OR INTERSTATE. DOESN'T' ANYONE READ THE COMPLAINTS ON THIS VEHICLE AND UNDERSTAND HOW DANGEROUS THIS COULD BE. I KNOW FORD IS AWARE OF THE REAR FRAMES ROTTING ON THIS MODEL YEAR AND OTHERS OF THE RANGER. I CONTACTED THEM PERSONALLY. WHAT MAKES FORD BETTER THAN TOYOTA? I ALWAYS SAY BUY AMERICAN, BUT I'M HAVING SECOND THOUGHTS.”