2000 Ford Ranger engine and engine cooling problems

“I TOOK THE TRUCK TO HAVE MUFFLER REPLACED AND BEHIND BOTH FRONT WHEELS THE FRAME IS ROTTEN TO THE POINT IT IS NO LONGER SAFE TO DRIVE. 3 YEARS AGO I HAD THE TIE ROD END FALL OUT IN THE DRIVEWAY. THE TRUCK RUNS GREAT, BODY IS STILL SHINY AND IN GOOD SHAPE BUT THE FRAME IS TOTALLY ROTTEN. WHEN THE TRUCK WAS ABOUT 4 YEARS OLD THE OIL PAN ROTTED OUT AND TO REPLACE IT THE MOTOR HAS TO BE PULLED. I MAINTAINED THE TRUCK WELL ONLY TO FIND OUT IT IS JUNK AT 78,000 MILES AND ONLY WORTH JUNK PRICE. SEEM I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS HAPPENING. I HAVE ALWAYS BOUGHT FORD TRUCKS BUT NOT ANYMORE. *TR”

“I HAVE A 2000 FORD RANGER XLT EXTENDED CAB 4X4 I FIRST STARTED HAVING TROUBLE WITH THE ALTERNATOR IT JUST STOPPED WORKING, TOOK TO SHOP AND THE BRUSHES ON IT WAS WORE OUT HAD THE REPLACED AND IT LASTED 2 DAYS AND SAME PROBLEM SO HAD TO BUY A NEW ALTERNATOR AT 300.00 IT LASTED 4 DAYS TOOK IT BACK TO PARTS STORE GOT A REPLACEMENT AND IM STILL USING IT BUT IT STILL ISN'T WORKING AS GOOD AS IT SHOULD GOT STRANDED AT 1230 AM BESIDE ROAD WITH MY DAUGHTER WITH ME THE FIRST TIME, AND WHEN THAT HAPPENED THAT WHEN MY OD LIGHT STARTED FLASHING AND THE TRANSMISSION WOULDN'T SHIFT INTO THE RIGHT GEARS HAD TO MANUALLY SHIFT IT TO GET IT TO MOVE TOOK TO SHOP NOONE COULD FIND THE PROBLEM EVEN PUTTING IT ON THE COMPUTER NO CODES WAS FOUND ENDED UP GETTING STRANDED AGAIN WHEN TRAIN COMPLETELY QUIT PULLING HAD TOWED TO SHOP AND HAD TO BUY ANOTHER TRAIN AT 600.00 AND THAT IS 3 WEEKS PAY FOR US BUT ITS THE ONLY VEHICLE WE HAVE SO HAD TO GET IT FIXED LOOKED TO SEE IF ANY RECALLS HAVE BEEN ISSUED FOR THIS BUT NONE HAVE BUT HAVE SEEN MANY MANY COMPLAINTS I THINK FORD NEED TO LOOKING TO THIS PROBLEM SOON, IT COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT AND SOMEONE COULD GET SERIOUSLY HURT. THANKS HAVE…”

“I WAS DRIVING IN MY TRUCK, WHICH IS A 2000 FORD RANGER, AND THE ENGINE TOTALLY FAILED ON ME WHILE MERGING ONTO THE HIGHWAY. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION, I NOTICED MY CAM SYNCHRO WAS ALMOST ENTIRELY STRIPPED OF IT'S TEETH. LUCKILY, I WAS STILL IN AN EXIT LANE, SO PULLING OVER TO SAFETY WAS NOT AN ISSUE (THANK GOD, MY POWER STEERING AND BRAKES WERE GONE AT THIS POINT). I HAVE HEARD OF THIS INCIDENT HAPPENING IN MANY OTHER RANGERS AS WELL. HOWEVER, THIS INCIDENT HAS SET ME BACK ON MY DAILY DRIVING VEHICLE, NOW I MUST MAKE NEW TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS TO MY 30-MILE COMMUTE TO WORK. I BELIEVE THIS IS A FAULTY PART, WHICH HAS CAUSED ME TO HAVE A MOTOR UNDER SEIZURE. IT IS LOCKED UP. NOW I MUST BUY A NEW MOTOR OR VEHICLE.*TR”

“MY FORD RANGER 4. LITRE, V SIX IS SPEWING ANTI-FREEZE FROM A BLOWN HEAD..THE COOLING SYSTEM FAILED, WATER PUMP MALFUNCTION. THE 2000 YR VEHICLE HAS HAD RECALL PROBLEMS WITH THE WATER PUMP PER NHTSA (ALONG WITH SIX OTHER RECALL PROBLEMS!) FORD CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE CENTER HAS TOLD ME THAT MY VEHICLE HAS NOT HAD PROBLEMS OF MY NATURE....I NOW AM FORCED TO PAY $950. TO $1200 TO HAVE MY MINT CONDITION FORD 4X4 EXT. CAB TRUCK DRIVABLE AGAIN.. *TR”

“AT 56,000 MILES, THIS IS THE THIRD TIME MY TRUCK HAS DEVELOPED ENGINE SPONTANEOUS RACING EVEN WHILE IN GEAR. THIS IS A HAZARDOUS CONDITION WITH POTENTIAL INJURY/FATALITY. OCCURRED AT 22 K MI, 45 K MI, AND NOW AT 56 K MI. WHEN IT OCCURS VEHICLE WANTS TO RACE AHEAD AND CRASH UNLESS TAKEN OUT OF GEAR WHEN THE ENGINES RACES AND SOMETIMES WON'T STOP UNLESS I INTENTIONALLY STALL OR TURN OFF THE ENGINE WHILE IN TRAFFIC. IT IS NOT AN INCIDENT, IT IS ONGOING. I HAVE USED THE DEALER REPAIR SHOP EXCLUSIVELY. THEY REPLACED THE THROTTLE POSITION CONNECTOR AT 22K MI. THEY REFERRED TO TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN 00-3-5. I, OF COURSE, WOULD LIKE THIS FIXED PERMANENTLY AS IT GRADUALLY RECURS MORE AND MORE OFTEN TO THE POINT OF SEVERAL TIMES A DAY. *TR”

“I BOUGHT A 2000 FORD RANGER. I HAVE KEPT THE ALL THE UPKEEPS FOR THIS CAR AND MORE ACCORDING TO THE FORD DEALERS INSTRUCTION MANUAL FOR THE FORD RANGER TRUCK. IT HAS ABOUT 81000 MILES ON IT. I RECENTLY HAD TO PAY $2300.00 TO THE KEARNY MESA FORD TO FIX MY CAR. I DO HAVE THE CRUISE CONTROL ON IT. ONE DAY, I SMELLED ANTIFREEZE. MY HEAT GADGET DID NOT GO OFF. THERE WAS NO INDICATION THAT THE TRUCK WAS OVERHEATING, BUT I CHOSE TO BRING IT IN. I THOUGHT IT WAS PROBABLY A LEAK IN A HOSE. IT TURNED OUT THE A HEATING ELEMENT WAS "PROBABLY THE CULPRIT", BUT THEY FOUND THROUGH THEIR COMPUTERS THAT THE ENGINE HAD TO BASICALLY BE REBUILT BECAUSE THE ENGINE HAD OVERHEATED. MY CONCERN WAS THAT NOT ONCE DID MY HEATING GAUGE TELL ME THAT THE TRUCK WAS OVERHEATING. THAT IS DANGEROUS. I DO NOT KNOW IF THIS IS CONNECTED TO THE CRUISE CONTROL PROBLEM, BUT FOR A HEATING GAUGE TO NOT GO OFF WHEN THERE IS SEVER HEAT GOING ON IN THE ENGINE IS DANGEROUS. I COULD HAVE GOTTEN STRANDED IN A DANGEROUS PLACE OR THE ENGINE MAY HAVE EXPLODED ON THE FREEWAY WITH THE ENORMOUS DAMAGE THAT TOOK PLACE. I THOUGHT THIS NEEDED TO BE REPORTED. FORD COULDN'T TELL ME WHY THE HEATING GAUGE DID NOT WORK.…”