Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUSPENSION | |||||
| 15692 | 03/01/2002 | 636326 | Some vehicles may exhibit a squeak, snap, rattle, or clunk in the front end when turning or going over bumps. *tt | 11/07/2002 | |
| 5249 | 12/01/1998 | 615366 | Information on vehicles exhibiting steering wheel shimmy, vibration or grunt on slow speed turns. *tt | 01/13/2001 | |
| 4634 | 08/01/1998 | 615172 | Steering wheel shimmy, vibration or grunt on slow speed turns. *tt | 01/03/2001 | |
| 6326 | 05/01/1999 | 6091671 | Some vehicles may exhibit a sag in the rear end. *tt | 11/09/2000 | |
| 6727 | 08/01/1999 | 608447 | This online automotive service bulletin contains procedures for vehicles with a rear end sag. *tt | 11/03/2000 | |
| 9811476 | 04/01/1998 | 613385 | Some super cab 4x4 vehicles built from twin cities assembly plants between 08-21-97 and 03-03-98 may experience a noise and / or vibration concern while driving approximately 35 mph or faster. *tt | 07/10/2000 | |
| 13018 | 07/01/1999 | 610761 | Some vehicles may exhibit a rear end sag. *tt | 05/12/2000 | |
| 13426 | 10/01/1999 | 609691 | Exhibiting very light steering vibration / shimmy / nibble at engine idle or low speeds. *tt | 04/06/2000 | |
| 982537 | 04/01/1998 | 603556 | Experiencing a noise and / or vibration concern while driving approximately 35mpyh or faster. *yc | 02/24/1999 | |
| SUSPENSION - FRONT | |||||
| 042419 | 12/13/2004 | 10014096 | Revised procedure for adjusting alignment on all suspensions - new right hand upper control arm design for torsion bar front suspensions. *tt | 04/28/2005 | |
| 98-4732 | 09/01/1998 | 607144 | Steering wheel shimmies, vibration or grunt on slow speed turns.. | 11/02/2000 | |
| 985045 | 11/01/1998 | 613097 | Revised message regarding steering wheel shimmy, vibration or grunt on slow speed turns action on sohc equipped vehicles, perform tsb 98-21-01. *tt | 06/16/2000 | |
| 985019 | 11/01/1998 | 613044 | Exhibiting a condition of pulls to the right. *tt | 06/16/2000 | |
| SUSPENSION - REAR | |||||
| 15097 | 07/01/2001 | 621022 | Subject regarding rear alignment out of spec condition. *tt | 09/06/2001 | |
| 12749 | 05/01/1999 | 6091721 | Some vehicles may exhibit a sag in the rear end. *tt | 11/14/2000 | |
| 6285 | 05/01/1999 | 607049 | Some vehicles may exhibit concerns with a sag in the rear end. *tt | 11/03/2000 | |
| 981616 | 04/07/2000 | 609753 | Left rear side of vehicle appears low. *ak | 04/07/2000 | |
| 13207 | 09/01/1999 | 6090577 | Information regarding rear end sag. *mjs | 03/21/2000 | |
| 7026 | 09/01/1999 | 6090410 | Information regarding rear end sag. *mjs | 03/20/2000 | |
| 99221 | 11/01/1999 | 6089679 | Some vehicles may appear to be low in the rear. *tt | 02/11/2000 | |
| SUSPENSION - REAR - SPRINGS - LEAF SPRING ASSEMBLY | |||||
| 17777 | 05/01/2004 | 10008552 | Rear leaf spring noise. *tt | 08/04/2004 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| SUSPENSION | |||
| 12/26/2012 | 180 | ||
| Rear frame has rotted out by the right rear spring hanger causing spring to go tru bed and the rear axle to be detached the truck at this time in in operable due to this will be trying to weld and replace it as best as can be but this seems to be a common complaint im reading about online sure wish ford would step up like toyota did | |||
| 01/05/2013 | 131800 | 1 | |
| The frame has rusted through in spots all the way down the frame. it looks close to breaking in half in some spots. a 1998 vehicle should not have this much rust no matter where it came from. after researching this vehicle, it appears this is a common problem and i believe ford should be held responsible for this. *tr | |||
| 01/05/2013 | 131800 | ||
| The frame has rusted through in spots all the way down the frame. it looks close to breaking in half in some spots. a 1998 vehicle should not have this much rust no matter where it came from. after researching this vehicle, it appears this is a common problem and i believe ford should be held responsible for this. | |||
| 10/01/2012 | 85107 | ||
| Severely rusted out rear frame rails that would not pass pa. inspection codes. in the past 3 years i have replaced all the rear spring hangers and mounts. i understand that this is a major problem with the ford ranger line and is why im sending this letter and form. | |||
| 06/01/2012 | 134000 | ||
| Rear leaf spring mounts rotted and broken , rear bumper mounts rotted and very close to failure , spare tire mount severley rotted | |||
| 06/01/2012 | 131000 | ||
| Rear section of frame that hold spare tire fell off while driving, tire and frame section just missed a vehicle behind me, at this same time the frame broke off just in front of the rear spring hanger on the driver side. | |||
| 06/01/2012 | 134000 | ||
| Rear leaf spring mounts rotted and broken , rear bumper mounts rotted and very close to failure , spare tire mount severley rotted | |||
| 06/01/2012 | 131000 | ||
| Rear section of frame that hold spare tire fell off while driving, tire and frame section just missed a vehicle behind me, at this same time the frame broke off just in front of the rear spring hanger on the driver side. | |||
| 06/01/2012 | 134000 | ||
| Rear leaf spring mounts rotted and broken , rear bumper mounts rotted and very close to failure , spare tire mount severley rotted | |||
| 06/01/2012 | 131000 | ||
| Rear section of frame that hold spare tire fell off while driving, tire and frame section just missed a vehicle behind me, at this same time the frame broke off just in front of the rear spring hanger on the driver side. | |||
| 03/01/2012 | 54000 | ||
| The frame is having serious and dangerous heavy rust and rot compromising the structural interity of the truck. in fact a shock mount just broke while driving and the resulting loud bang caused me great stress while driving. after pulling over and looking i could see the shock mount had rotted so bad as to break off the axle house.am also concerned about the structures holding the spare tire,gas tank and entire support sytem | |||
| 09/07/2010 | 98000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 1998 ford ranger. the contact stated that the frame was completely rusted. the dealer was notified of the failure but did not return the contacts call. the manufacturer was not contacted. the vehicle was repaired. the failure mileage was 98,000 and the current mileage was 125,348. kmj | |||
| 03/28/2004 | 50000 | 2 | 07/20/2003 |
| When the brake pedal was depressed the entire vehicle vibrated. a mechanic test drove the vehicle, and indicated that something was wrong, but has to inspect the vehicle to locate the cause of the vibration.*ak | |||
| 4 | |||
| The vehicle shakes severely on a freeway causing a safety problem to the driver. yh | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT | |||
| 01/25/2009 | 1 | ||
| At 40,000 miles and now at 81000 miles i need the ball joints replaced, i have never had to replace ball joints on any car under 150,000 miles my entire life, there is a problem here, this is a '98 ford ranger. *tr | |||
| 05/13/2004 | 66111 | 1 | |
| While turning, the consumer would hear a loud popping noise/heavy vibration coming from the front end. the dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. the cause was not determined. *ak | |||
| While driving in a parking lot and making a left without warning front end of the truck malfunctioned. investigator from ford investigated vehicle, stating that malfunction resulted in the manufacturing of the truck and not the driver.*ak | |||
| 06/09/2001 | 1 | 05/01/1998 | |
| Defective part found during routine state inspection. dealer declined replacement under warrenty due to > 3 years. service technician diagnosed design defects which should result in recall. no safety defect listed. *ak | |||
| 1 | |||
| Original equipment on 1998, ford, ranger with 23,000 miles, tire size p235/70r16, dot vn0811u. all 4 tires had worn out from inside and going towards the outside causing front end to come out of alignment. tires should have lasted 50,000 miles. *ak | |||
| 1 | 07/01/1998 | ||
| Front end alignment is out, but must purchase additional kits to be put on before alinement can be set correctly. should have been told about this. now cost of repair is est $120. most people can not afford that at one time and will drive on misalined front end which can be a big saftely issue. *ak | |||
| 4 | |||
| The vehicle shakes severely on a freeway causing a safety problem to the driver. yh | |||
| 10/06/1998 | 09/01/1998 | ||
| Cab shakes side to side. source seems to be front drive train. | |||
| 1 | 06/01/1998 | ||
| Front tires wear improperly due to possible front end alignment problems. yh | |||
| 06/15/1999 | 1 | 08/01/1998 | |
| Front end alignment will require installation of additional parts ($250 worth) which are included on most other cars & trucks but omitted on this $23,000 truck, and not included in warranty coverage. *ak | |||
| 08/13/1998 | 1 | 06/15/1998 | |
| Steering wheel not straight and vehicle bounces front to back due to improper alignment. mjs | |||
| 06/01/1998 | |||
| Front end keeps wearing out tires ever 2500 miles suspension comes loose severe vibration in front end tire choping again dealer has had for 22 days and 6 times fixing front end suspension still not fixed( dot number: tire size: 205-75-15 ) | |||
| 04/04/1998 | 03/30/1998 | ||
| While driving on a flat, straight surface, heard a click under vehicle. vehicle swerved to the right losing control, resulting in a clash/injuries. vehicle was totaled. *ak | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - CONTROL ARM | |||
| 05/02/2006 | 58864 | 1 | |
| Dt*: the contact stated while driving at any speed a squeaking noise came from the front of the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the upper and lower control arms, tie rods and bearings were replaced. | |||
| 12/19/1997 | 1 | 12/18/1997 | |
| Left front ball joint fell off due to missing screw during manufacturing. mjs | |||
| 06/30/1998 | |||
| Upper and lower control arms are loud and make alot of noise while going over bumps or slowing down at any speed. the dealer cannot duplicate the problem. | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - CONTROL ARM - LOWER ARM | |||
| Left lower control arm in the steering mechanism is defective, causing loud noises when making a turn or coming to a stop, a nything to do with the lower front end. dealer said will call an engineer to inspect vehicle. *ak | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - CONTROL ARM - LOWER BALL JOINT | |||
| 11/15/2003 | 46200 | 1 | 09/17/1998 |
| Passenger side lower control arm joint grease protector has deteriorated allowing moisture and dirt to enter the joint.*ak | |||
| 02/13/2001 | 1 | 12/11/2000 | |
| The vehicle made a squeak noise in the front end due to lower ball joints failure. *yh | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - CONTROL ARM - UPPER BALL JOINT | |||
| 03/26/2001 | 2 | ||
| Consumer's vehicle didn't pass inspection last year on 3-14-2000. all 4 ball joints had to be replaced. vehicle had 29,000 miles then. vehicle didn't pass inspection again this year at 39,570 miles. upper ball joints need replacing. in virginia, vehicles have to be inspected every year.*ak *slc | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - SHOCK ABSORBER | |||
| 01/26/1999 | 1 | 12/18/1997 | |
| Front shocks and front spindle connecting drag assembly replaced. mjs | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - SPRINGS - LEAF SPRING ASSEMBLY | |||
| 06/09/1998 | 1 | 06/19/1998 | |
| The dealer fixed the leaf spring to correct what was a 3 inch lower left rear than the right rear. the truck fishtailed badby over any degree of rough road. it is slightly better since the spring has been replaced. but the dealer told me the leaning problem was still there. the said they contacted ford and ford told them the leaning was a problem with all 1998 ford rangers xlt and otherwise. there was a special shim created by ford to correct the height difference in the rear. the dealer ordered the shim and i wait for it's arrival. paint was bad in lower rear of cab also. the agreed to fix that. i need to know if this shim business is a safety problem. i don't want a shimmed new car. in the process of returning. i am not convinced they didn't know about it when it was sold to me as new & just hoped i wouldn't notice. i am checking with a body shop to see if the truck has been hit or damaged & repainted. it has tape on the body where the paint is bad! my plan is | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - SPRINGS - TORSION BAR | |||
| 07/01/1998 | 2 | 03/19/1998 | |
| The front middle seatbelt malfunctions when the occupant moves to the right and seatbelt adjuster slides down, which will not protect the occupant in accident. also the torsion bar rubs against the brake line, causing a hole in the brake line, resulting in brake loss. *ak | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - WHEEL BEARING | |||
| 05/02/2006 | 58864 | 1 | |
| Dt*: the contact stated while driving at any speed a squeaking noise came from the front of the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the upper and lower control arms, tie rods and bearings were replaced. | |||
| 11/01/1997 | |||
| At 30000, the first serpentine belt was replaced. the dealer said there was nothing they could do because the belt was not covered under the warranty. the belt has been replaced twice more since then, and the vehicle only has 52000 miles. around 40000 miles, the front suspension started clunking every time you hit a bump. the mechanic who inspected the front end stated that the front suspension bushings are what is causing the clunk.*ak | |||
| 08/28/2001 | 1 | 07/01/2000 | |
| After reading other customer complaints regarding the ford ranger , i feel i must repair the front wheels on my truck. the front wheels started making loud noises when they turned left or right.. i was told the wheel bearings needed replacing. this is expensive. this car only has 27,000.00 miles on it and replacing the wheel bearings sound a little to major for a low mileage car. yet for my safety and others i need to have this done.*ak | |||
| SUSPENSION - REAR | |||
| 09/01/2009 | 80000 | 1 | |
| The rear bumper in my 1998 ford ranger (80k miles) is about to fall off, as the rear of the frame is rusted & broken. i have cables holding it on now. i found this out after the rear leaf spring shackle & bracket rusted off the frame and broke in two. the spare tire also looks like it is about to fall off from rusted brackets. i did an internet search and found that there are probably thousands of ford rangers in which the rear bumper actually did fall off, or the spare fell off while driving. this problem seems to be much worse that the toyota trucks. in fact someone said that the ford frames were bought at the same factory as the toyota's, but i do not know fore sure. everything else on my truck is in beautiful condition, not a speck of rust on the body, and it runs great. i bought it brand new. *tr | |||
| 07/24/2001 | 1 | ||
| The rear axle of the vehicle fell apart while the consumer was traveling, resulting in loss of control. *yh | |||
| 09/15/1997 | |||
| Rear end had repair. *slc | |||
| 07/01/1998 | |||
| Rear end (?) whines at various speeds,transmission slips. dealer rebuilt differential, problem persists, dealer now has vehicle installing a new transmission trying to fix problem. brake pedal pulses (not abs)and steerings wheel shudders (left/right) when brakes are applied at all speeds. (not reported to dealer, have since found out that this is a common problem with this vehicle). oil filter- to remove filter it must be wedged past the solenoid/starter. it come in contact with the exposed wires/lugs? on the starter. there is nothing protecting this exposed area. my dealer has been extremely courteous and understanding in dealing with the transmission/differential problem. i have not received any information from ford regarding these problems.through research on the internet i have come to believe that the problems described here are not limited to my experiences. thank you. *ak | |||
| 04/23/1999 | |||
| While driving at 25 mph back end hit some gravel in the road, causing the vehicle to spin around and rollover. consumer's child was sitting in the child seat in the rear, and the child safety seat buckle popped open,causing the child to be hanging out of seat. fire department had to cut the strip from around the child. *ak | |||
| 11/15/1998 | 1 | 10/01/1998 | |
| Brakes have been examined twice for squeakiness. dealer has stated that they cannot duplicate problem. noises have worsened since last exam on 12/15/98. there are several areas of rust on the underside of my truck and on the outtake manifold in the enginge. dealer has stated that's normal to repeated inquiries about this rust. i have already had throttle assembly piece, the butterfly valve replaced in nov of 1998. i now have sqeaky noises coming from the rear axle as well, which i will schedule for exam this week, 1/11/99. | |||
| SUSPENSION - REAR - SPRINGS - LEAF SPRING ASSEMBLY - LEAF | |||
| 05/27/2005 | 153500 | 2 | 12/23/1997 |
| At approximately 150,000 vehicle miles, the middle leaf on both rear springs has fractured just in front of the rear axle. discovered 5/27/2005 when the broken piece fell out of the left spring. subsequently discovered the identical piece was missing from the right side. recovered piece shows fatigue failure. | |||
| 12/07/2000 | 1 | 01/01/1998 | |
| Was at a stop sign & had heard a loud clunk & clang. then, there was a lot of rattling and it got worse as vehicle moved. then, something fell. pulled over. noticed leaf spring had partially broken. there was some rust on it. mechanic indicated entire rear left leaf spring needed to be replaced, had parts. *ak *slc | |||