1998 Ford Ranger Power Train

CLUTCH PEDAL ABOUT 1 1/2" FREE PLAY. WARRANTY WORK PERFORMED @ AIRPORT MARINA FORD ON 05/16/00, 05/22/00,08/16/00, 08/24/00.CLUTCH PEDAL NOW FEELS SPONGY. ACCORDING TO PAPERWORK, SLAVE CYLINDER, MASTER CYLINDER, BLEED, SLAVE CYLINDER REPLACEMENT. *AK

I ASKED THE MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AND FIXED IT WHAT THE POSSIBLE CAUSE COULD BE, AND THE ANSWER GIVEN WAS "NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR." THIS DOES NOT SEEM REASONABLE SINCE THIS TRUCK HAS BEEN CAREFULLY MAINTAINED BY THIS DEALERSHIP SINCE NEW, AND HAS NO SEVERE USE, OR UNUSUAL OPERATING CONDITIONS. MOST MILEAGE HAS BEEN AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, WITH NO APPRECIABLE LOAD. THE INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE HAS APPROXIMATELY 150 OF THESE MACHINES ON A LONG TERM LEASE WHICH WILL EXPIRE AT APPROXIMATELLY FEB 2001. *AK

CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS IN PARK OUTSIDE OF STORE . PARKING EMERGENCY BRAKE WASN'T ON, AND VEHICLE WAS IN FIRST GEAR. VEHICLE ROOLED OUT OF THE PARKING LOT INTO THE STREET. THEN ROLLED BACK TO THE SAME STREET AND THEN RAN INTO A 12FOOT DRAINAGE DITCH. NO INJURIES REPORTED. *AK

CLUTCH WOULD NOT FULLY DISENGAGE WHILE DRIVING, AND TRANSMISSION WOULD SLIP. DEALER REPRESENTATIVE STATED CLUTCH ASSEMBLY FAILED, DUE TO WAY I DRIVE, WHICH IS A WEAR ITEM AND NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY, AND $623.00 TO REPAIR. TRUCK HAS ONLY 32,000 MILES ON IT. PREVIOUS TWO TRUCKS I OWNED HAD MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS AND OVER 140,000 MILES ON THEM WHEN I SOLD THEM AND BOTH HAD ORIGINAL CLUTCHES. I HAVE NOT CHANGED WAY I DRIVE, AND I DRIVE IN SAME AREA. BROUGHT TO AAMCO FOR SECOND OPINION AND WAS TOLD PRESSURE PLATE AND CLUTCH FAILURE. WAS TOLD BY AAMCO IT WAS PROBABLY DESIGN DEFECT DUE TO ONLY 32,000 MILES AND PRESSURE PLATE FAILURE. ALSO, AAMCO REP. STATED NEW FORD RANGER AND F-150 MANUAL TRANSMISSION USES AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FLUID, AND HAS 3 RUBBER PLUGS IN TRANSMISSION HOUSING. AUTO TRANS. FLUID EATS AWAY RUBBER PLUGS, WHICH ALLOWS DIRT IN AND FLUID OUT, ANOTHER DESIGN DEFECT.

GRINDING NOISE WHEN SHIFTING BETWEEN 2, 3. AND 4. REBUILT TRANSMISSION. VEHICLE LOST 1ST & 2ND GEAR. TOWED. DEALER SAID NOTHING WRONG WITH TRANSMISSION. HAPPENED AGAIN. DEALER REPLACED TRANSMISSION. FAILURE HAPPENED AGAIN. DEALER SAID IT WAS THE DRIVER NOT THE TRANSMISSION. FAILURE PART IS THE MAIN BLOCKER RING. BREAKS AND CAUSES DAMAGE IN TRANSMISSION. FORD SAY'S IT'S ONLY MY VEHICLE THAT IS HAVING THIS PROBLEM. THAT IS A LIE. PLEASE CHECK OUT WWW.FORDRANGER.COM. WEBSITE FOR RANGER OWNERS. GO TO MAIN TECH BOAARD. SEE HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM I'M HAVING. IT TOOK ME 8 MONTHS JUST TO GET A NEW TRANSMISSION. THE DID NOT HAVE A TRANSMISSION FOR MY TRUCK IN THE US FROM SEPT 98 UNTIL MAY 99. THAT IS RIDICULUS. PLEASE ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM. THE SAME PROBLEM IS EVIDENT IN 99 RANGERS ALSO. THANK YOU.

REAR DRIVESHAFT EXHIBITS A CLUNKING NOISE/FEELING UPON ACCELERATION FROM STOP. BEGINS AT AROUND 10,000 MILES ON NEW VEHICLE.

LOAD SQEAL HEARD WHEN STARTING OUT FROM A STOP AND I THINK I CAN HEAR IT IN SECOND AND THIRD GEAR, BUT NOT CERTAIN AS THE ENGINE NOISE COVERS THE SOUND. IN SEARCHING THE INTERNET I DID FIND ANOTHER CUSTOMER COMPLAIN SIMILAR TO MINE. ALSO I FOUND A SERVICE BULLITEN #2521 THAT STATES THAT THE PARTS CATALOG BOOK REFERENCES AN INCORRECT CLUTCH PART NUMBER FOR SOME VEHICLES WITH THE 3.0L ENGINES. IS IT POSSIBLE THAT MY TRUCK HAD THE WRONG PART IN IT ORIGINALLY OR THEY PUT THE WRONG PART IN ( THROUGOUT BEARING REPLACED JULY 1999) WHEN THEY FIXED IT. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THAT I AM HAVING THIS PROBLEM AND I WILL BE CONTACTING ANOTHER DEALER WITH THIS PROBLEM, AS I WAS NOT COMPLETELY SATISFIED WITH THE SERVICE THAT I GOT FROM THE DEALER THAT I BOUGHT THE TRUCK FROM. PLEASE ADVISE. THANKS, JAY GROVER

VEHICLE HAD BEEN OFF FOR 5 HOURS AND SUDDENLY STARTED UP BY ITSELF. THEN TOOK OFF AND HIT A GARAGE. OWNER HAD TO JUMP IN VEHICLE AND AND TAKE CAR OUT OF FIRST GEAR. *AK

WHILE SHIFTING FROM 2ND TO 3RD GEAR THERE IS A GRINDING NOISE. *AK

DRIVING ON I90 WEST WITH NO PROBLEMS NOR WARNING THE REAR END SUDDENLY LOCKED UP COMPLETELY, SEVERING THE DRIVESHAFT AND ROTATING THE DIFFERENTIAL SO THAT IT EMBEDED ITSELF IN THE SPARE TIRE (MOUNTED UNDER THE VEHICLE). RESULT WAS AN IMMEDIATE LOSS OF CONTROL, VEHICLE SWERVED TO THE LEFT AND RAN OFF THE FREEWAY INTO THE MEDIAN. REAR WHEELS WERE COMPLETELY LOCKED UP AND UN-MOVABLE. INVESTIGATED BY WSP (REPORT # 0570977). CLEARLY AN EXTREMELY UNSAFE VEHICLE DEFECT. FORD DEALERSHIP (EVERGREEN IN ISSAQUAH, WA) MECHANICS ALL CONCURRED THEY HAD NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT.

TRANSMISSION GEARS FAILED. MJS

WHEEL BEARINGS FAILED. *YC

VEHICLE ROLLED BACKWARD WHILE PARKED HITTING ANOTHER VEHICLE. MJS

REAR DIFFERENTIAL LOCKED UP AT 50MPH, CAUSING VEHICLE TO SKID AND THROW IT OFF ROAD DOWN INTO AN EMBANKMENT. ONE OCCUPANT WAS INJURED. VEHICLE WAS TOTALLED. DEALER CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK

DRIVE SHAFT FAILURE.

STANDARD TRANSMISSION MODEL IS PARKED ON A SLIGHT GRADE THE VEHICLE WILL ROLL, NEITHER THE TRANSMISSION NOR THE ENGINE WILL HOLD THE VEHICLE

CONSUMER SAID THAT HIS TRUCK IS ALL MESSED UP DUE TO TRANSAXLE FAILURE. *AK