Problems · NHTSA complaints

2004 Ford Ranger problems

Owners filed 405 complaints about the 2004 Ford Ranger with NHTSA between Nov 2003 and Oct 2026. The most-cited component is air bags (189).

Complaints
405
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
42
Reported by owners
Fires
3
Reported by owners
Injuries
35
People reported injured
Deaths
2
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Air bags189
  2. Structure46
  3. Suspension29
  4. Power train27
  5. Vehicle speed control19
  6. Service brakes, hydraulic19
  7. Electrical system17
  8. Tires17
  9. Engine and engine cooling17
  10. Fuel system, gasoline11
  11. Engine7
  12. Visibility7
  13. Fuel/propulsion system6
  14. Seats6

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
20031
200427
200523
200627
200713
20089
200911
201022
201110
20124
201311
201412
201519
201658
201729
201882
201915
202011
20216
20224
20233
20243
20253
20262

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

Air bags

189 reports24 crashes8 related recalls
“The contact owns a 2004 Ford Ranger. The contact stated that while driving on the highway in rainy weather at 60 MPH, she lost control of the vehicle and drove off the road. The contact stated that she could not recount what happened moments after she drove off the road; she did recall that she pulled up to a stop sign and her air bags had deployed. The police arrived at the scene and assisted the contact with moving the vehicle out of the road; a police report was not filed. The contact did not seek medical attention but suffered burns to her right arm and chest. The contact also sustained bruising to her face. The vehicle was towed the next day to an independent mechanic, where the vehicle remained in the possession of the mechanic and had yet to be repaired. The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. Upon investigation, the contact discovered that the vehicle was under recall for NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V306000(Air Bags). The failure mileage was approximately 270,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 19, 2025Air bagsCrash reportedODI 11700319

Structure

46 reports1 related recall
“Rear frame rusted and rotted..spare tire fell off entire evap can also..both sides rear frame shock and spring shackles rotted and broke off. Entire frame rotted and broke while driving ..on rear driver side frame rusted rotted and broke ..value of truck is not worth what estimates are ..gas tank hangers rusted and rotted many other pieces of frame rusted rotted through..truck is now unsafe to drive an probably unsellable due to broken rusted rotted frame..”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 12, 2022StructureODI 11451628

Suspension

29 reports2 crashes
“THE FRONT SUBFRAME WHERE THE LOWER CONTROL ATTACHES HAS SEPARATED OR BROKEN DUE TO RUST. I WAS HEADED HOME FROM WORK, UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS, WITH NO EXTRA LOAD ON VEHICLE. I HIT A BUMP GOING THRU PARKING LOT N HEARD A POP. I HAD STOPPED AT GAS STATION N SEEN THAT DRIVER SIDE WHEEL N TIRE WERE NOT STRAIGHT UP N DOWN, IT WAS AT A DEGREE OR ANGLE. GOT UNDERNEATH N SEEN THAT SUBFRAME WAS RUSTED ALL THE WAY THRU WHERE LOWER CONTROL ARM WAS ATTACHED”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 14, 2020SuspensionODI 11349154

Power train

27 reports3 crashes2 fires
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD RANGER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS FAULTY AND THE VEHICLE HESITATED WITHOUT WARNING. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE LUNGED FORWARD AND ALMOST STRUCK OTHER VEHICLES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 144,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 28, 2019Power trainODI 11210286

Vehicle speed control

19 reports4 crashes
“WAS DRIVING AND SUDDENLY, MY VEHICLE STARTED TO LOSE POWER. WAS VERY SCARY BECAUSE IT WAS AT NIGHT. ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND POWER WAS LOST. PULLED OFF FREEWAY INTO GAS STATION. CHECKED FLUIDS, ETC.. UPON TRYING TO LEAVE, VEHICLE WAS SPUTTERING WITH NO COMPRESSION. I DID NOT THINK I WAS GOING TO MAKE IT HOME. AFTER A FEW MINUTES, I TRIED AGAIN, THIS TIME GIVING VEHICLE MORE GAS. IT SEEMED TO DO A LITTLE BETTER. BUT, EVERY TIME I HAD TO SLOW DOWN OR STOP FOR A STOP SIGN OR TRAFFIC LIGHT, VEHICLE WAS SPUTTERING AND ACTING LIKE IT WAS GOING TO STALL OUT. WAS VERY NERVE RACKING, AS I WAS AFRAID OF BEING REAR ENDED BY CARS THAT WERE BEHIND ME. NOW EVERY TIME I SLOW DOWN TO WHERE VEHICLE IS IN IDLE, IT ACTS LIKE IT IS GOING TO STALL OUT ON ME, WHICH MAKES ME VERY NERVOUS. HAD A MECHANIC INSTALL NEW PLUGS, NEW INJECTOR, COIL PACKAGE AND VEHICLE IS STILL DOING BADLY AND RUNNING VERY ROUGH. ENGINE LIGHT STILL COMES ON AFTER HAVING ALL THESE NEW PARTS INSTALLED. MECHANIC ALSO RECOMMENDED USING A GAS ADDITIVE AND FILLING TANK WITH PREMIUM GAS, WHICH I DID. STILL RUNNING ROUGH. UPON FURTHER RESEARCH, HAVE FOUND OUT THAT FORD RANGERS, YEARS 2004 THROUGH 2006 ARE HAVING THE…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 10, 2017Vehicle speed control, Engine, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11003936

Service brakes, hydraulic

19 reports5 crashes
“REAR BRAKES RUSTED, HOLDING SPRINGS RUSTED, SUPPORT PINS FELL OUT AND CAUSED BRAKES TO DRAG AND BECOME WORN AND OVERHEATED WAY BEFORE THEIR TIME CAUSING REPLACEMENT ABOUT 30,000 MILES BEFORE THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN. COULD HAVE CAUSED BRAKES TO LOCK WHILE DRIVING. *TT”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 28, 2011Service brakes, hydraulicODI 10427702
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.