2001 Ford Ranger Power Train

THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION PERFORMED ERRATICLY. TRANSMISSION HAD A TENDENCY TO NOT SHIFT INTO OVERDRIVE UPON COLD A START. AFTER SEVERAL MINUTES OF OPERATION, THE TRANSMISSIONS PERFORMED NORMAL. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *PH

I'M DRIVING A LEMON THAT I PURCHASED FROM CRAIN FORD IN BENTON AR. AFTER 20 MONTHS OF HASSLES FROM CRAIN AND FORD MOTOR, I AM STILL DRIVING A FAULTY VEHICLE THAT THE MAKER CAN'T DIAGNOSE, YET I'M TOLD THAT IT IS SAFE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. FORD CLOSED MY CASE AND NEITHER PARTY HAS BEEN HELPFUL AT ALL.

THIS COMPLAINT IS ABOUT A FORD RANGER EDGE SUPERCAB 4X4. I HAVE HAD THIS TRUCK BARELY OVER 2 YEARS AND IT HAS 45,000 MILES ON IT. ABOUT ONE YEAR AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE I STARTED HAVING TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS, THE "OVERDRIVE OFF" LIGHT FLASHING AND FUNNY SHIFTS FROM FIRST INTO SECOND AS WELL AS A HESITANT ACCELERATION FOLLOWED BY A SMALL JERK. I TOOK IT IN TO HAVE IT FIXED AND APPARENTLY IT WAS. ABOUT 3 MONTHS LATER THE TRANSMISSION STARTED ACTING UP AGAIN IN THE SAME FASHION. I TOOK IT IN AND ONCE AGAIN THOUGHT IT WAS FIXED UNTIL A FEW MONTHS LATER IT STARTED DOING THE SAME THING. BY THIS TIME SINCE I THOUGHT THE TRUCK WAS FINALLY FIXED I DECIDED TO ADD A 4" SUSPENSION LIFT AND 33" TIRES. WHEN I TOOK IT IN THEY TOLD ME I NEED EITHER A NEW TRANSMISSION OR TO HAVE THIS ONE REBUILT AND THAT THE WARRANTY WOULD COVER THE COST. AFTER ABOUT A WEEK IN THE SHOP AND TORN APART THEY CALLED AND TOLD ME THE WARRANTY CO. DID NOT WANT TO PAY FOR THE REBUILT TRANSMISSION BECAUSE OF THE "EXTENSIVE SUSPENSION MODS" AND LARGER TIRES. LET ME REMIND YOU, I HAD IT IN 2 TIMES BEFORE THE LIFT WAS PUT ON FOR THIS SAME PROBLEM THAT HAS NOT YET BEEN FIXED. AFTER A BIT OF ARGUING I DECIDED THAT I WASN'T GOING TO WIN AND THAT I NEED A TRUCK. SO I AM NOW PAYING $150 A MONTH FOR THE $3000+ FOR THE WORK AND REBUILT TRANSMISSION. NOW, AFTER ABOUT 4 MONTHS AFTER THE WORK, I AM EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM YET AGAIN...CAN SOMEONE PLEASE ADVISE ME ON HOW TO TAKE CARE OF THIS PROBLEM ??? THANKS, AARON. *NLM

THE SHIFT KNOB OF MY STICK SHIFT SLIPS OFF LEAVING ME IN NEUTRAL AS I SHIFT FROM 1ST TO 2ND OR 3RD TO 4TH GEARS. THIS HAS NEARLY CAUSED 2 ACCIDENTS WHERE I WAS ALMOST REAR-ENDED AS THE KNOB CAME OFF WHILE I WAS TRYING TO ACCELERATE INTO TRAFFIC. THIS PREVENTED ME FROM ACCELERATING INTO THE TRAFFIC FLOW. BECAUSE I WAS STUCK IN NEUTRAL I HAD TO COAST (ONE TIME WHILE MERGING ONTO A FREEWAY) UNTIL I COULD GET THE KNOB BACK ON AND COMPLETE THE SHIFT INTO A GEAR. *JB

CONSUMER STATES WHILE DRIVING CLUTCH PEDAL FELL TO THE FLOOR, AND WOULD NOT COME BACK UP. TOOK TO DEALER AND THEY STATED THE PIN ON MASTER CYLINDER FELL OUT. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. TS

WHILE TRYING TO SHIFT FROM SECOND TO THIRD GEAR CLUTCH PEDAL MOVED FREELY, CONSUMER UNABLE TO USE CLUTCH TO SHIFT. GEAR LEVER HAD TO BE FORCED INTO GEAR. PLEASE ADD FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

THE CLUTCH WOULD NOT GO INTO GEAR WHEN IT SAT FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER TWICE BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO FIND THE PROBLEM. *MJ *NLM

CONSUMER STATES THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. *SLC

DRIVESHAFT SHEARED OFF AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL. REAR END LOCKED UP. THERE ARE ALOT OF FORD RANGERS OUT THERE AND THIS COULD HAPPEN TO SOMEONE ELSE. OUR DEALER SAID THEY HAD NEVER HEARD OR SEEN THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM BEFORE. WE THOUGHT THIS PROBLEM NEEDED TO BE REPORTED.*AK

VEHICLE JUMPED FROM PARK TO REVERSE WHILE ENGINE WAS NOT RUNNING AND BRAKES WERE NOT DEPRESSED. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

VEHICLE HAS A CONSTANT VIBRATION, AND A VERY HEAVY VIBRATION AT 65MPH. IT COMES UP THROUGH THE SEAT AND THE STEERING WHEEL. I HAVE HAD SEVERAL PEOPLE TELL ME IT SOUNDS LIKE THE DRIVE SHAFT. DEALERSHIP SAYS IT HAS A HARMONIC IMBALANCE IN THE ENGINE, AND FORD DOES NOT HAVE A FIX FOR IT YET. I WAS TOLD I HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL THEY DO, OR JUST START THROWING PARTS AT IT TRYING TO FIND A FIX. I WAS TOLD "THEIR ENGINEERS ARE WORKING ON IT". HAVE INQUIRED SINCE AND FOUND THEY STILL HAVE NO ANSWER. IF IT IS THE SHAFT THEN I COULD END UP CATAPULTING MYSELF AND MY VEHICLE. IT HAS AN ALUMINUM SHAFT (FROM WHAT I HAVE BEEN TOLD), NOT SURE IF THAT HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE PROBLEM. I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT MY SAFETY AND THE SAFETY OF THOSE AROUND ME. I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THE PROBLEM FIXED. PLEASE HELP ME FORCE THE MANUFACTURER TO RESEARCH AND RESOLVE THIS PROBLEM AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. THANK YOU, SINCERELY, [XXX]. *AK PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN MY JOB IN BUFFALO, NY, AND MY HOME IN LEXINGTON, OH, I SUFFERED A COMPLETE TRANSMISSION FAILURE AND WAS FORCED TO LIMP INTO A LOCAL FORD TRUCK SALES PLACE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT ANY ADVANCED WARNING AND LEFT ME LIMPING ALONG AT ABOUT 35-40 MPH ON THE I-90 THRUWAY DURING RUSH HOUR WITH HEAVY TRAFFIC TRAVELING 65-70 MPH. BY THE TIME I TRAVELED THE APPROXIMATE 10 MILES, I HAD TOTALLY LOST REVERSE GEAR AND HAD SUBSTANTIAL SLIPPAGE OCCURING IN FORWARD GEARS. MECHANICS INSPECTED THE TRANSMISSION AND DISCOVERED SEVERE DAMAGE TO THE TRANSMISSION REQUIRING IT TO BE REPLACED. FORD TECH CONSULTANTS REVEALED THAT THIS IS HAPPENING TO MANY FORD RANGERS, BUT NO RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED. APPARENTLY, THE TORQUE ON THE TRANSMISSION WAS INCREASED WITHOUT REDESIGNING THE TRANSMISSION OR SEALS TO BE ABLE TO WITHSTAND THE HIGHER TORQUE. THEREFORE, TRANSMISSION SEALS ARE FAILING UNDER USE, LEADING TO SEVERE DAMAGE OF THE TRANSMISSION. FURTHERMORE, FORD HAS NO REPLACEMENT PARTS AVAILABLE --- EVEN THOUGH THE DAMAGE OCCURRED ON 4/11/01, A NEW REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSION WON'T BE AVAILABLE UNTIL AT LEAST 4/20/01, AN UNACCEPTABLE SITUATION. APPARENTLY MY TRUCK WON'T BE ABLE TO BE RETURNED TO ME FOR SEVERAL WEEKS. FORD TECH CONSULTANTS REVEALED THAT THEY ARE THINKING ABOUT A RECALL, BUT HAVEN'T DECIDED YET. MY TRUCK ONLY HAS 9,200 MILES ON IT --- I HAVE HAD IT LESS THAN 4 MONTHS. PLEASE INVESTIGATE AND REQUIRE FORD TO ASSUME ITS RESPONSIBILITIES BY REQUIRING A RECALL, BY REQUIRING TIMELY REPAIRS, AND BY ASSUMING FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY. I CANNOT PROVIDE THE VIN NUMBER CURRENTLY BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE THE VEHICLE, ALTHOUGH IT SHOULD BE ABLE TO BE RETRIEVED FROM HUNTER ERIE FORD TRUCK SALES OF ERIE, PA OR MARK FORD OF BELLVILE, OH. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE.*AK

VEHICLE HAS NO SECOND GEAR. CONSUMER QUESTIONED DEALER, WHO INFORMED HIM THAT WAS HOW VEHICLE WAS DESIGNED.*AK