1988 Ford Ranger STX 2.9 Liter

Summary:

Strong reliable light 4x4 (Good first truck!)

Faults:

Fuel pump got weak.

Fuel Injectors got dirty (cleaned em and they were fine).

Rear differential spider gear shattered.

Left front wheel bearings burned up and caused my 4x4 hub to break off. (Should have been made of steel).

Keep in mind that my truck gets driven HARD.

General Comments:

This truck appeared to be in realy bad condition when I first got it. It had been crashed by it's second owner. After wrecking it they got scared parked it and left it for years.

I got the truck and replaced the majority of the body panels and the weak fuel pump and to my surprise the engine and suspention were in perfect condition.

This is my first truck so it went through the trials and errors of my being it's third learned driver including being driven through a deep ditch at 30 miles an hour. It has been a realy tough truck and still goes good.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 1st May, 2003

1988 Ford Ranger STX 2.9L fuel injected

Summary:

Good truck when maintained

Faults:

So far I have replaced:

The alternator at 140,000 miles.

The thermostat (to be expected).

The air conditioner.

The coil.

The distributor cap and rotor.

The ignition module.

The exhaust manifold.

Two fuel injectors.

Headlight wiring.

Blinker switch (headlights won't work without the blinker switch).

Fuel pump at 110,000 miles.

And the inertia switch.

Now that every component is new, I would be crazy to get rid of this truck. Unfortunately, the cab is too small to be entirely comfortable because it doesn't allow enough space to recline or adjust the seats.

Although many of the parts have been replaced, I have still given this vehicle good marks because it is dependable, and when it does break, parts are cheap.

I hope you never have to pull the distributor.

General Comments:

This vehicle is way underpowered. It has a 2.9L V6. It is difficult to maintain 70 miles per hour on the interstate, especially with any weight or a trailer.

I had 2.8 liter in a 1985 Chevy station wagon with more power.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 8th April, 2003

28th Apr 2003, 17:56

I own an '88 Ranger Supercab and I can say that the reason our trucks have trouble above 70 is not because of the engine! The engine has plenty of power. It's just that the truck is "Aerodynamicly Chalenged"! At 55 and above the air resistance gets realy bad. There isn't realy any way to fix it, but try putting your tailgate down while on the highway.

27th Sep 2005, 03:49

I bought my 88 Ranger new and have found it to very reliable. I have no problem maintaining speeds in excess of 70 mph on the highway-with or without a load. Of note, the engine (2.9l V-6) is rated at 140 hp, while the 2.8 l V-6 in a Chevy/GMC p/u of the same vintage is rated at 120 hp. I researched all the small pickups available at the time (Japanese and American), and the Ford had the most horsepower and torque available.

20th Jul 2006, 20:23

I also have a 1988 ford ranger extended cab. I have had the same tires on for 17 years. The suspension broke 3.5 times, I used zip ties to support it (last night one broke when I jumped the rocky mountains). Don't worry, I carry extra. My wheels have holes in them, they also have an orange brown color for some odd reason. Anyone heard of this? My ford logos fell off and now it spells "F". This puppy will be in my family for a long time to come. You should hear the beefy sound after I filled the the cylinders with sand. It rocks, you would think you were driving a 1920 diesel with 4 on the floor. Way to go Ford, you always do things right the first time. Ye-haw.