1995 Ford Ranger Electrical System
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1995 FORD RANGER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CHIME BOX IN THE INSTRUMENTAL PANEL WOULD EMIT A VERY LOUD NOISE THAT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN OFF. THE FAILURE CAUSED THE OVERHEAD LIGHTS TO REMAIN ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED AND THEY WERE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE ONLY REMEDY WAS TO REPLACE THE CHIME BOX. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 175,000.
PURCHASED RANGER SPLASH IN 2001 WITH 74,000 MILES. IT STARTED DINGING AS IF THE DOOR WAS OPEN WITH THE KEY IN THE IGNITION NON-STOP WHILE I WAS DRIVING WITH THE DOOR SHUT. THIS IS A LOUD, PIERCING DING. I HAD THE SWITCH REPLACED AND 75,000 MILES LATER IT STARTED HAPPENING AGAIN. THE DOME LIGHT WILL NOT GO OFF UNLESS THE FUSE IS REMOVED. THE SPEEDOMETER INTERMITTENTLY STOPS WORKING. THE WIPERS OCCASIONALLY COME ON AT FULL SPEED AND SOMETIMES WILL NOT SHUT OFF. THE LIGHTS OCCASIONALLY STOP WORKING THEN START WORKING AGAIN ON THEIR OWN. THE PAINT PEELED OFF THE HOOD. THE OLD STARTERS WENT BAD CONSTANTLY. TRUCK WOULD START IN COLD WEATHER BUT NOT WARM WEATHER BECAUSE PIECES OF THE STARTER WOULD CHIP OFF. THE SWELLING IN THE HEAT MADE THESE CHIPS GET STUCK AND KEEP TRUCK FROM STARTING. AFTER SEVERAL STARTERS WERE REPLACED, THEY FINALLY DEVELOPED A NEW KIND. IT HAS SEVERAL ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS AS DESCRIBED ABOVE BUT IT HAS 180,000 MILES ON IT AND IS STILL RUNNING...WITH ITS OWN LITTLE PERSONALITY. *TR
IGNITION CHIMES WHILE DRIVING. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
MY PROBLEM IS WITH AN ELECTRONIC COMPONENT THAT CONTROLS THE DOOR CHIME, WINDSHIELD WIPERS, AND INTERIOR DOME LIGHT. THESE THREE ITEMS WILL TURN ON INTERMITENTLY. WINDSHIELD WIPERS WILL FOR NO APPARENT REASON BEGIN TO OPERATE. THE INTERIOR DOME LIGHT MAY OR MAY NOT TURN OFF WHEN ENTERING OR LEAVING THE VEHICLE, AND SOMETIMES IT STAYS ON FOR HOURS DRAINING MY BATTERY AFTER I HAVE LEFT THE VEHICLE OR WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT. THE DOOR CHIME IS THE WORST; IT REFUSES TO STOP RINGING (ESPECIALLY ON HOT DAYS). THE FORD DEALER HERE HAS TOLD ME THAT IT IS A FAULTY CHIP IN A CONTROL MODULE LOCATED DEEP INSIDE THE DASH BOARD. THEY HAVE A TSB ON IT. OKAY, BUT THEY WANT TO CHARGE ME 450.00 TO REPAIR. I THINK THAT IS UNFAIR. IT JUST DOESN'T SEEM RIGHT THAT I SHOULD PAY FOR A REPLACEMENT COMPONENT INSTALLED AT THE FACTORY THAT IS NOW BECOMING FAULTY. I THINK FORD SHOULD ACCEPT SOME RESPONSIBILITY FOR INSTALLING A FAULTY CHIP OR MODULE. I THINK IF THE CHIP WERE CONTROLLING OTHER IGNITION OR ELECTRICAL PARTS IT WOULD BE A HAZARD. RIGHT NOW THE DOOR CHIME IS DRIVING ME CRAZY.*AK
THERE IS AN INTERMITENT SHORT IN THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. WINDSHIELD WIPERS START WORKING BY THEMSELVES, AIR BAG LIGHT FLASHES ON AND OFF, AND FAULTY READINGS ON INSTRUMENT PANEL.
THE ELECTRICAL PROBLEM AFFECTS THREE AREAS OF OPERATION: THE WINDSHIELD WASHER, THE RADIO, AND THE DOME LIGHT AND CHIME. THE MOST DANGEROUS IS THE WINDSHIELD WASHER. WHILE DRIVING IT WILL TURN ITSELF ON AND BLIND MY VISION FOR 15 SECONDS WHILE IT SPRAYS WASHER FLUID ON THE WINDSHIELD AND THEN WIPES IT OFF. UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES IT IS ONLY AN ANNOYANCE BUT IF I AM CHANGING LANES OR IN BRIGHT SUNLIGHT OR ON CURVES IT BECOMES A POTENTIAL DISASTER. IT STARTED DOING IT THE FIRST MONTH I BOUGHT IT FROM A FRIEND (01/98) AND HAS LASTED TILL THE PRESENT DATE(06/00. THE PREVIOUS OWNER WARNED ME OF THE ELECTRICAL PROBLEM SO IT HAS BEEN AN ON GOING SITUATION. THE SECOND PROBLEM IS ELECTRICAL IN NATURE ALSO. IT INVOLVES THE FACTORY RADIO/ TAPE DECK. THE RADIO WORKS GREAT BUT THE TAPE DECK WONT WORK AFTER BEING REPACED ONCE AND WORKED ON BY FORD FOUR TIMES. THE LAST ISSUE IS WITH THE DOME LIGHT AND CHIME SOUND. THE LIGHT REMAINS ON AND THE CHIME CONTINUES TO SOUND FOR UP TO TWO MINUTES AFTER THE DOOR IS CLOSED AND ALL THE SEAT BELTS HAVE BEEN FASTENED. I DONT KNOW IF THE THREE ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS ARE RELATED BUT I DO KNOW THAT THEY ALL THREE ORIGINATE IN THE ELECTRICAL WIRING BEHIND THE DASH BOARD. MY MAIN CONCERN IS THE WIPER AND WASHER TURNING THEMSELVES ON WHILE I AM DRIVING . IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THIS CAUSES AN ACCIDENT SINCE IT HAPPENS AT LEAST TWICE A WEEK. MY FRUSTRATION LIES IN THE FACT THAT NEARLY ALL 1995 RANGERS HAVE THIS SAME PROBLEM (ACCORDING TO CONSUMER REPORTS AND EVERY INDIVIDUAL I MEET WHO OWNS THIS SAME YEAR OF TRUCK) AND YET FORD STILL HAS NOT ISSUED A STATEMENT OR A RECALL THAT I AM AWARE OF AT THIS TIME. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME . TONY FILLEY. (*AK
DOOR AJAR WARNING LIGHT AND/OR WARNING CHIME COMES ON RANDOMLY. ALSO, DOME LIGHT DOES NOT SHUT OFF AFTER SHUTDOWN, EXITING AND LOCKING VEHICLE. AS REPAIR, DEALER REPLACED DOOR SWITCHES ON THREE OCCASIONS, BUT THE REPAIR DID NOT LAST. RECENT REPAIR BY ANOTHER DEALER CAME UP WITH THE IGNITION SWITCH AS FAULTY. THIS WAS REPLACED BUT THIS REPAIR DID NOT EVN LAST 24 HOURS. I SUSPECT THE ELECTRONIC MODULE (GEM), BUT THE DEALERS SEEM RELUCTANT TO TRY REMOVE & REPLACE OF IT. DO I JUST HAVE A LEMON, OR HAVE THERE BEEN OTHER COMPLAINTS AND.OR TSBS. I FOUND SOME IN THE DATA BASE; NHTSA ITEMS SB051878, SB051590 AND SB 051449; ALONG WITH ODI'S 852639,983634.*AK
OUR DOME AND CHIMES STAY ON ALL THE TIME EVEN AFTER YOU TAKE OUT THE FUSE THE DOME LIGHT GOES OUT BUT THE CHIMES STILL GOES OFF, THIS HAS BEEN FIX ED 5 TIMES BY THE DEALER, BUT THE PROBLEM STILL EXIST AND NOW WE WILL BE CHARGE FOR THIS PROBLEM , WE HAVE SPOKEN TO MY OTHER WHO HAS THE SAME VEHICLE AND THEY HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM, THIS CAN CAUSE A FIRE, WE KNOW CAUSE OUR DOME LIGHT GOT REAL HOT AND STATED TO SMOKE. WE TOOK OUT OUR LIGHT BULB AND FUSE. PLESE CORRECT THIS PROBLEM, IT SEEMS FORD DOES NOT WANT TO RECONIZE THAT THEY HAVE A PROBLEM.
MY FORD RANGER HAS SOME MAJOR ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS, THE INTERIOR LIGHT JUST COMES ON SOMETIMES, AND THE DOOR BUZZER JUST DINGS ALL OF THE TIME, SOMETIMES THE PARKING LIGHTS WILL STAY ON AFTER I TURN THE LIGHTS AND IGNITION OFF, AND SOMETIMES I WILL BE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND MY WINDSHIELD WIPERS WILL JUST COME ON BY THEMSELVES AND THEN STOP. I HAVE ANOTHER FRIEND THAT HAS A FORD RANGER TOO, AND HERS HAS THE SAME PROBLEMS. COINCIDENCE??? I DONT THINK SO!!!
THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILED. THE RADIO FAILED FIRST THEN BECAME PROGESSIVELY WORSE INCLUDING THE DOME LIGHT, EXTERIOR DOME LIGHT, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, WINDSHIELD WIPERS AND WASHERS COMING ON WITHOUT PROMPT OR NOTICE, DOOR CHIME STAYING ON WHEN DOOR IS CLOSED AND ABS LOCKS UP, ETC.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM PROBLEMS, CAUSING LIGHTS TO COME ON/OFF, RADIO MALFUNCTIONING AND OTHER ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS.
ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS, CAUSING THE HEADLIGHTS/WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR, AND INTERIOR LAMP TO COME ON UNEXPECTEDLY. *AK
INTERIOR LIGHTS STAY ON INTERMITTENTLY DUE TO GROUNDED DOOR AJAR SWITHCES.
WHILE DRIVING, NOTICED SMOKE THEN FLAMES UNDER DASH. *AK
ELECTRICAL SHORT. *SD
WHILE TRUCK WAS IN THE DRIVEWAY WITH ENGINE ON TRUCK CAUGHT ON FIRE UNDER THE HOOD. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. TT
ELECTRICAL WIRING MALFUNCTIONED CAUSED FAILURE OF ALARM/POWER DOOR LOCKS. *SD
WHILE GOING UP HILL AT 50MPH VEHICLE DROPPED IN SPEED TO 35MPH, ALMOST RESULTING IN REAREND COLLISION. TT
Trend Over Time
Complaints by year
Other Issues
Common problems reported
Quick Summary
The 1995 Ford Ranger has 18 Electrical System complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.