2004 FORD RANGER Power Train Problems

TRUCK SURGED FORWARD WHILE BRAKING AT RED LIGHT IF SOME ONE WAS IN FRONT OF ME I WOULD HAVE HIT THEM.

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.

Mileage: 144,000

TRANNY DROPPED DOWN CAUSING VIBRATION AND VEHICLE PULLED OFF ROAD AND TOWED. FOUND 2 CROSS SUPPORTS ROTTED AND SEPARATED ALSO.BODY OF TRUCK IS LIKE NEW. FRAME UNSAFE. TOYOTA RECALLED FOR THIS SAME REASON. FORD NEEDS TO BE HELD RESPONSIBLE ALSO. *TR

Mileage: 35,800

I WAS DRIVING AT THE SPEED LIMIT 60 MPH REQUIREMENT ON I35 NORTH WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE MY SPEED BEGIN TO ACCELERATE ON IT ON INCREASING UP TO 100 MPH. I WAS SCARE OUT OF MY SHOES NOT REALLY KNOWING WHAT WAS HAPPENING ARE KNOWING WHAT I SHOULD DO. I PRESSED ON MY BRAKES OVER, AND OVER AND IT STILL DIDN'T LOW DOWN. I WAS AFRAID FOR MY LIFE AND THE TRAFFIC AROUND ME. I FINALLY CAME UP ON AN ACCESS EXIT AND GOT OFF THE FREEWAY, BUT I ALMOST HIT SOMEONE BECAUSE THE TRAFFIC ON THE ACCESS ROAD WAS MERGING AND I WAS EXITING AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. I JUST STARTED BLOWING MY HORN REPEATEDLY. OTHER PEOPLE DRIVING AROUND ME HAD TO THINK I WAS LOSING MY MIND TO BE DRIVING THAT FAST AND EXITING OFF THE FREEWAY, BUT IT WAS OUT OF MY CONTROL. I TURNED MY TRUCK OFF, BUT IT STILL WAS MOVING FAST. WHEN I CAME TO A STOP SIGN I HAD TO ROLL RIGHT THOUGH IT BECAUSE THE TRUCK WOULD STOP. I PUMPED MY BREAKS AGAIN, AND AGAIN, IT SLOWED UP TO SOME DEGREE SO IT DID, I THEN HAD TO SHIFT IT INTO PARK TO GET IT TO STOP. IT ALMOST THROUGH ME OUT OF THE TRUCK BECAUSE OF ME HAVING TO SHIFT INTO PARK TO FORCE IT TO STOP. IT WAS A FRIGHTENING EXPERIENCE AND I COULD HAVE GOTTEN KILLED ARE KILLED SOMEONE. IT HAS PLACED FEAR IN ME WHEN I'M DRIVING IT AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, IT HAS AFFECT MY POWER TRAIN/TRANSMISSION DUE TO THIS INCIDENT. I FEEL FORD MOTORS SHOULD BE RESPONSIBILITY FOR GIVING ME ANOTHER TRUCK ARE REPLACING MY TRANSMISSION. CAN YOU PLEASE HELP ME? [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

Mileage: 89,000

WITH LESS THAN 70K MILES, THE 5 SPEED AUTO TRANSMISSION IN MY 2004 FORD RANGER (3.0 2WD) FREQUENTLY REFUSES TO ENGAGE GEARS WHEN COLD. WHEN IN DRIVE OR REVERSE, INCREASING ENGINE SPEED PRODUCES ENGAGEMENT WITH A HARSH THUNK. SHORTLY AFTER I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE NEW, FORD ISSUED A RECALL FOR WHICH THE DEALER PLACED AN ADDITIVE TO PREVENT HARSH SHIFTS AND PREVENT TRANSMISSION DAMAGE. I ASSUME THIS IS A STOPGAP MEASURE TO ALLOW THE VEHICLE TO EXCEED ITS WARRANTY PERIOD. INTERESTINGLY, AN AUTOPARTS STORE CASHIER ASKED ME IF I HAD A FORD RANGER BASED ON MY DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM. *TR

Mileage: 65,000

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD TO WORK ON THE INTERSTATE. I LOOKED DOWN AND MY O/D ( OVERDRIVE ) LIGHT WAS FLASHING. THE TRUCK WAS RIDING FINE AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN IT GOES INTO GEAR REAL HARD. I AM NOW DRIVING WITH THE O/D OFF WHICH SEEMS TO CONTROL THIS BUT IT IS USING A LOT OF FUEL. *TR

Mileage: 140,000

"O/D OFF" LIGHT FLASHING. WHEN SLOWING DOWN AT TOLL BOOTH TRANSMISSION DOWN SHIFTED BUT RPM REMAINED HIGH. HAD TO STAND ON BRAKES TO GET VEHICLE TO STOP. SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL RPM DROPPED SLOWLY. SHIFTED BACK INTO DRIVE AND VEHICLE LEAPED FORWARD. FOUND HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS ON INTERNET REGARDING TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS WITH FORD RANGERS AND EXPLORERS BETWEEN 2002 AND 2004. *TR

Mileage: 69,350

I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO HAVE THE DIAGNOSTICS CHECKED ON IT , BECAUSE MY ENGINE LIGHT KEPT COMING ON , AFTER HAVING THE PLUGS CHANGED. THE DIAGNOSTICS SAID IT WAS A FIX IT PROBLEM, WITH THE VALVES, I THEN CALLED THE DEALERSHIP, IT SEEMS THE WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED BECAUSE OF THE MI. BEING 66,000 MY WIFE AND I WERE PLANNING TO GO OUT OF TOWN TO VISIT OUR GRANDCHILDREN, BUT CANNOT NOW. THE DEALERSHIP SAYS THEY ARE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM BUT SAYS THERE ARE NOT ENOUGH COMPLAINTS TO MAKE A RECALL. I WILL BE CONTACTING EVERYONE ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, PLEASE HELP US BY TELLING EVERYONE YOU KNOW!! MERRY CHRISTMAS ! WHO STOLE OUR CHRISTMAS FORD ! CALL YOUR GOV, OFFICIALS HELP MAKE THIS A RECALL NOT A FAIR WARRANTY 3YRS OR 36000 MI. BUY A FOREIGN CAR FROM NOW ON. *TR

Mileage: 66,000

MIL ON WITH VARIOUS MISFIRE RELATED DTC'S PO300-PO306 AND PO316 - 3.0L-2V VULCAN ENGINE. *TR

Mileage: 66,016

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD RANGER. WHEN THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO PLACE THE VEHICLE INTO GEAR, THE ENGINE REVVED UNCONTROLLABLY. HE HAD TO DEPRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL TO PREVENT THE VEHICLE FROM MOVING. ONCE THE VEHICLE WAS IN GEAR, THE GEAR SHIFT LEVER WOULD NOT RETURN TO THE PARK POSITION. HE HAD TO SHUT OFF THE VEHICLE AND REMOVE THE KEY. THE FAILURE OCCURRED TWICE AND ONCE THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF, IT COULD BE RESTARTED WITHOUT ANY FURTHER FAILURES. THE FAILURE ONLY OCCURRED DURING COLD STARTS. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 32,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 32,700. UPDATED 09/15/08 *BF UPDATED 09/17/08. *JB

Mileage: 32,000

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD RANGER. THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO ROLL BACKWARDS. THE CONTACT TURNED OFF THE ENGINE AND PLACED THE VEHICLE IN PARK. THE VEHICLE DROVE OVER A WOOD SPLINTER, WHICH DAMAGED THE TIRE, ALUMINUM WHEEL, BUMPER, AND TAILGATE. THE REPAIR SHOP STATED THAT THERE WAS A VACUUM LEAK IN THE 4 WHEEL DRIVE THAT CAUSED THE GEAR TO SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 26,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE IS 36,000. UPDATED 01/08/08 *BF

Mileage: 26,000

2004 RANGER 4X4 AOD TRANS SLIPPED AND MISSED SHIFTS WHILE UNDER WARRANTY. TOOK TO WINNER FORD NEWARK DE, WAS TOLD "NO CODES CAME UP, IT'S OK". SLIPPING CONTINUED, GOT WORSE, NOW, WITH 40,000 MILES TRANS WILL SHIFT LATE TO 2ND, MAKES THE SHIFT VERY ROUGHLY, THEN O/D LIGHT FLASHES AND TRANS WILL NOT SHIFT INTO OD. THESE SYMPTOMS ARE THE SAME AS MANY OF THE COMPLAINTS WITH 2003 EXPLORER AUTO TRANS. NHTSA SHOULD HOLD MANUFACTURER ACCOUNTABLE. *JB

Mileage: 36,000

NOISE AT TIMES. FELT LIKE IT WAS SLIPPING. *JB

Mileage: 1,449

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS THE REAR END DIFFERENTIAL LOCKED UP. THE DIFFERENTIAL UNLOCKED AFTER ROCKING THE VEHICLE BACK AND FORTH. THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THE VEHICLE WAS WITHIN FACTORY SPECIFICATIONS.

Mileage: 18,083

2004 RANGER MADE A SCRAPING NOISE WHEN IN 2ND GEAR. WHEN CLUTCH IS DEPRESSED TO DISENGAGE GEARS OR SHIFT, THE ENGINE IDLE SPEED INCREASES. *TS THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THE IDLE HAD BEEN RESET, HOWEVER THE TRANSMISSION COULD NOT BE FIXED BECAUSE IT WAS A DESIGN FLAW. THE NOISE BECAME WORSE OVER TIME AND EVENTUALLY IT STARTED TO AFFECT THE 4TH AND 5TH GEARS. THE GEAR SHIFTER WAS REPLACED AND THE SHIFT PATTERN HAD A LOT OF PLAY. *JB

2004 FORD RANGER FIRE STARTED UNDER HOOD. *TS THE CONSUMER WAS ADVISED THAT THE CAUSE OF FIRE WAS DUE TO A TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAK WHICH LEAKED ONTO THE WIRES AND IGNITED. *JB *NM

Mileage: 5,467

2004 FORD RANGER CAUGHT ON FIRE.***NO ANSWER REQUIRED***.*MR WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY BEGAN TO VIBRATE. THE DRIVER LOOKED OUT OF THE REAR VIEW MIRROR AND SAW SPARKS COMING FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY LOST ALL POWER AND THE DRIVER HAD TO COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. AT THAT TIME A BYSTANDER INFORMED THE DRIVER THAT THE VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE AND EXTINGUISHED IT WITH A FIRE EXTINGUISHER. WHEN THE CLUTCH PLATE EXPLODED IT FLEW INTO A PARKED CAR CATCHING IT ON FIRE AS WELL. THE VEHICLE WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY BUT THE MANUFACTURER REFUSED RELIEF UNDER THE WARRANTY STATING THAT THE TRANSMISSION HAD BEEN ABUSED. THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN DRIVEN UNDER 700 MILES AND ONLY FRO A MONTH AN A HALF. *NM

2004 FORD RANGER FX4. AUTO TRANSMISSION SLIPS FREQUENTLY, AND ALSO SEEMS TO "FLOAT" GEARS EVEN AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. TRANSMISSION CANNOT SEEM TO FIND RIGHT GEAR AT TIMES AND OFTEN GOES INTO EITHER TOO LOW OR TOO HIGH OF A GEAR. TRANSMISSION MAKES SCRAPING NOISE WHEN PUT INTO REVERSE. WHEN SHIFTING FROM ONE GHEAR TO THE NEXT, (APPLICABLE TO ALL GEARS) IT OFTEN "JOLTS" THE VEHICLE AS OPPOSED TO MAKING A SMOOTH TRANSITION. VISITED DEALER ON THREE OCCASIONS, NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE BECAUSE "NO CODE COMES UP ON THE OBD COMPUTER". PROBLEM STILL OCCURING. DATE GIVEN IS DATE AT WHICH PROBLEM BEGAN.

Mileage: 30,000

DT: 2004, FORD, RANGER XLT, FRONT BRAKES ON DRIVER'S SIDE ARE GRABBING. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN REPAIR SHOP TWICE. CONSUMER CAN MASH THE BRAKES DOWN, AND HEARS A GRINDING SOUND. DEALERSHIP HAS LOOKED AT THE TRUCK, AND THEY COULD NOT FIND ANY PROBLEMS. WHEN THE WEATHER IS COOL THE BRAKES FEEL LIKE THEY ARE FREEZING UP. ALSO, HAS BEEN INSPECTED BY THE DEALERSHIP, WHO STILL COULD NOT FIND THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. IN ADDITION, THE FRONT SEAL ON THE TRANSMISSION WAS DEFECTIVE. THE TRUCK WAS HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE SEAL WHEN IT WAS TAKEN TO DEALER FOR BRAKE PROBLEMS. THE OWNER TOLD THE DEALERSHIP TO FIX WHAT EVER NECESSARY, AND THE SEAL WAS NOT FIXED. THE VEHICLE HAS 40,000 MILES.

Mileage: 12,000

WHILE BRAKING ANY SPEED CONSUMER HEARD A CLUNKING NOISE. DEALERSHIP INFORMED THE CONSUMER OF THE DRIVETRAIN FAILURE. THE PROBLEM WAS NOT RESOLVED. *AK

Mileage: 90,000

FORD RANGER 2004 SPEED STANDARD TRANSMISSION, LOSS OF POWER AND STALLING DURING STANDARD OPERATION, KNOWN BY FORD SINCE 1997 FOR THAT TYPE OF ENGINE.*AK

TRUCK HAS BEEN SENT TO THE SHOP THREE TIMES ALREADY; 1. TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS, BACK WINDOW POPPED OUT, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT REMAINED ON-----PUT IN NEW VALVE BODY IN, PUT WINDOW IN AND RESET CHECK ENGINE LIGHT.*AK 2. TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON------NEW PURGE VALVE CANISTER IN ENGINE, FUEL PUMP, NEW FUEL TANK. 3. TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS(TRANSMISSION SLIPS), REAR WINDOW OUT AGAIN. 2. TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS, CHECK ENGI

Mileage: 22,184

2004 FORD RANGER 3.0L 5SPD AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION CHANGES GEARS IN AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT WHEN INCLINING OVER THE SLIGHTEST HILL (EG 5TH TO 4TH TO 3RD TO 4TH TO 3RD). IS NOT HEALTHY FOR A TRANSMISSION TO ACT THIS WAY WHEN NOT UNDER STRAIN.*AK

Mileage: 2,000

WHILE DRIVING IT FELT AS IF THE GEARS WERE GOING TO JUMP. CONSUMER WENT OUT TO START THE VEHICLE, AND WENT BACK INTO THE HOUSE, AND GEARS JUMPED FROM PARK INTO REVERSE, CAUSING A COLLISION. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER SEVERAL TIMES FOR THIS PROBLEM, AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. *AK *NM

DRIVELINE "THUMP/CLUNK", 5 SPEED MANUAL, 4X4 4.0L V6. 2004 RANGER SUPERCAB. LOUD CLUNK FROM DRIVELINE WHILE DEPRESSING CLUTCH TO SHIFT GEARS. ALSO CLUNKS WHILE RELEASING CLUTCH AFTER GEAR SELECT. DEALER DEFINED AS "TYPICAL" EXPECTED DRIVELINE NOISE. REFUSED TO CORRECT OR APPLY A FIX, CLAIMED NO TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN EXISTED FOR THE 2004 MODEL YEAR. I WILL FOLLOW UP WITH ANOTHER DEALER. *NM

Mileage: 135

CONSUMER WAS ACCELERATING FROM A STOP SIGN AND WITHOUT WARNING TRANSMISSION DOWN SHIFTED ON ITS OWN. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO SHIFT THE GEAR FROM PARK TO DRIVE AFTER FIVE MINUTES. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK.

WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH THE REAR END OF THE VEHICLE FISH-TAILED AND CAUSED THE DRIVER TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A DITCH AND FLIPPED ON IT'S LEFT SIDE. THE DRIVER RECEIVED MINOR SCRAPES AND BRUISES. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC DETERMINED THE DRIVE SHAFT ON THE REAR END WAS THE CAUSE OF THE CRASH. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *NLM

Mileage: 200