1996 Ford Ranger VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 FORD RANGER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, SMOKE WAS EMITTED FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE VEHICLE WAS MERGED ONTO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD AND AS THE HOOD WAS RAISED FLAMES STARTED TO RISE. THE CONTACT EXTINGUISHED THE FLAMES AND NOTICED THAT THE WIRES FROM THE VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL STARTED THE FIRE. AS A RESULT, THE WIRES FOR THE MASTER CYLINDER SWITCH MELTED AND ALL OF THE BRAKE FLUID LEAKED OUT. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS NOT NOTIFIED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED HOME. THE DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 127,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 FORD RANGER. WHEN HE ENTERED HIS VEHICLE HE FOUND THAT THE CRUISE CONTROL OFF AND ON SWITCH MELTED. THE DEALER STATED THEY HAVE NEVER SEEN THIS OCCUR. RECALL 09V399000 REPAIR WAS PERFORMED; HOWEVER, THEY DID NOT REPAIR THE SWITCH. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 97,000.

CRUISE CONTROL FAILED TO OPERATE AND HAS NOT OPERATED SINCE. THIS FORD RANGER HAS THE SAME WIRING HARNESS AS THE RECALLED FORD F-150 WIRING HARNESS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 FORD RANGER. AS THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO ENGAGE THE CRUISE CONTROL, HE NOTICED THAT THE SWITCH WAS BURNED AND THE PLASTIC WAS MELTED. THE DEALER INFORMED HIM THAT HIS VEHICLE WAS NOT UNDER A RECALL. A NEW CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH WILL COST $50. THE MANUFACTURER COULD NOT INFORM HIM IF THE NEW SWITCH WOULD FAIL AND ADVISED HIM TO FILE A COMPLAINT WITH NHTSA. THE CONTACT WILL REPLACE THE SWITCH HIMSELF, BUT WILL INVESTIGATE TO SEE IF IT WILL BURN AGAIN. THE SPEED WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 210,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 209,000.

DT: 1996 FORD RANGER. THE SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH LEAKED. CONSUMER SAW HYDRAULIC FLUID UNDER THE VEHICLE. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP ON JULY 25, 2005. IT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY. CONSUMER PURCHASED THE SWITCH AND REPLACED IT HIMSELF. *AK *NM

ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO (I DON'T RECALL THE EXACT DATE) I HAD TAKEN MY 1996 FORD RANGER XLT INTO NORTH GATE FORD (PORT HURON/FT. GRATIOT, MI) FOR A TRACE ON ELECTRONICS?'CHECK ENGINE' LIGHT WAS ON. AFTER THEY HAD PLACED MY TRUCK ON THEIR COMPUTER THEY SAID THAT THEY HAD TO 'DOWNLOAD UPDATES' TO MY TRUCK, WHICH WOULD TAKE SOME TIME (3 BILLED HOURS!). EVER SINCE THEN MY CRUISE CONTROL WOULD 'ACT UP'. IT WILL INCREASE SPEED ABOVE THE SET SPEED BY 5-7 MPH, OCCASIONALLY UP TO 12 MPH, AND THEN THE THROTTLE WOULD RELEASE WITH A THUNK SOUND. USING THE BRAKE PEDAL, OR THE 'OFF' BUTTON WOULD WORK AFTER A COUPLE OF TRIES HOWEVER. ALSO, THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS NOT ALWAYS AVAILABLE?WOULD NOT TURN ON OR SET. I BELIEVE THAT THE FORD DEALER UNKNOWINGLY, OR MAYBE EVEN WILLINGLY, INSERTED A COMPUTER VIRUS OR CORRUPTED CODE INTO MY TRUCK'S ECM MODULE. I ATTEMPTED TO TAKE IT TO ANOTHER DEALER TO BE CHECKED, BUT IT WOULD HAVE COST ME MORE THAN I COULD AFFORD TO PUT IT BACK ON THE DIAGNOSTIC COMPUTER. I'M AFRAID THAT THIS WILL RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT?I HAVE MS AND RELY ON THE CRUISE CONTROL WHEN ON THE HIGHWAY. *JB

I WAS DRIVING A FORD RANGER VIN [XXX] AT AROUND 40 MILES/HOUR IN A REGULAR STREET, THE TRUCK SUDDENLY START TO SPEED UP. IT DID NOT STOP EVEN WHEN I BRAKED VERY HARD. FINALLY I PUT THE VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL TO BE ABLE TO STOP. I WAS ALMOST KILLED OR VERY BAD INJURED. I CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER BUT THEY DO NOT WHAT TO TAKE ACTIONS WITH THIS PROBLEM. PLEASE BEFORE SOME ONE GETS KILLED. TAKE THE APPROPRIATE ACTIONS.*AK UPDATED 07/25/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

VBEHICLE SUDDENLY SURGED, THEN IT ACCELCERATED. CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE BY APPLYING THE BRAKES, AND VEHICLE ROLLED OVER. *AK

AFTER PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL TO GAIN SPEED, THE CONSUMER NOTICED THAT WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS RELEASED THE VEHICLE STAYED AT THE SAME SPEED OR ACCELERATED AT A HIGHER SPEED WITHOUT ANY FORCE. THE DEALERSHIP SERVICED THE VEHICLE AND DETERMINED THAT THE THROTTLE BODY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK *SC *JB

WHILE GOING UP A STEEP PASS VEHICLE STARTED TO ACCCELERATE WITHOUT WARNING. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND THEY SAID THAT COMPUTER SHOWED THAT ENGINE REVVED, BUT DIDN'T KNOW WHY. CONSUMER HAD THE SAME PROBLEM NEXT DAY. THEN, DEALER FOUND THAT THROTTLE CABLE WAS STUCK. *AK

ONGOING / INTERMITTENT PROBLEM WITH SUDDEN / UNEXPECTED ACCELERATION; WHENEVER GAS PEDAL IS APPLIED IN A SPEEDY WAY, IT CAUSES THE ENGINE TO OPEN UP AND TAKE OFF. THIS OCCURRED ON FOUR OCCASIONS, AND EACH TIME DEALER INFORMED CONSUMER THAT NOTHING COULD BE FOUNED. *AK

ACCELERATOR STICKS DUE TO FAILURE. *YC

WHEN ACCELERATOR WAS APPLIED VEHICLE WOULD NOT MOVE. CONSUMER APPLIED THE ACCELERATOR HARD AND THE ACCELERATOR CABLE STUCK,CAUSING VEHICLE TO RACE UP TO 55 MPH. CONSUMER HAD TO TURN THE VEHICLE OFF IN ORDER TO STOP . THE DEALER HAS REPAIRED THE VEHICLE. *AK

VEHICLE DOES NOT IDLE AS IT SHOULD UPON STARTING UP DUE TO A BAD IDLE AIR VAVLE. MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT FREEWAY SPEED, RELEASED THE GAS PEDAL TO SLOW DOWN, HOWEVER THE ACCELERATOR STUCK AND CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE TO 80 MPH WHICH RESULTED IN AN ACCIDENT AND NEAR FATALITY. *AK

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE HAD UNWANTED ACCELERATION WHICH CAUSED THE GAS PEDAL TO HIT THE FLOOR, COULD RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT. OWNER STATED THE PROBLEM OCCURRED 3 TIMES. DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE PROBLEM. *AK

IDLE CONTROL SPEED UNIT FAILED, SPEED VARIES WIDELY. *AK

ENGINE IDLES, RPMS RUN AT APPROXIMATELY 1100 AT ALL TIMES. ALSO, WITHOUT HITTING ACCELERATOR VEHICLE CAN ACCELERATE UP TO 40 MPH. HAS BEEN AT DEALER FOR 3 MONTHS AND THEY CANNOT FIX IT. *AK

FAILURE OF THE CRUISE CONTROL, WHILE DRIVING THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS ENGAGED AND APPLIED THE BRAKES TO DISENGAGE AND WOULD NOT RELEASE, OFF BUTTON WOULD NOT FUNCTION, TO STOP VEHICLE IGNITION WAS TURNED OFF. *AK

VEHICLE IDLES FAST.

ENGINE IDLES HIGH.

SUDDEN ACCELERATION PROBLEMS.

SPEED DECREASES WHEN CLIMBING HILLS, EVEN W/ACCELERATOR PEDAL FULLY DEPRESSED.

VEHICLE ACCELERATED UNCONTROLLABLY, CAUSING ACCIDENT/INJURY.

FAST IDLE. *SD