13th Oct 2003, 15:25

I own a 1993 V6 extended cab, and although I have had little problems with it in the past year or so, a big problem occurred when the fuel regulator failed. This little wonderful piece of machinery filled my oil with over a quart of gasoline in less than a minute, and caused one cylinder to seize, which effectively detonated my new starting motor when the service shop attempted to turn the motor over. The catalytic converter was plugged, both O2 sensors went out, and the front hubs are grinding. This truck is never taken off road, and is only driven a few miles back and forth to work.

I will not buy a Ranger again, the small parts failures cause too much damage in a very short period of time.

16th Mar 2004, 06:13

I have a '96 ranger and have had only a few problems with it. The automatic four wheel drive was awful and was replaced with warn manual hubs and they are excellent. I am beginning to notice a clicking noise in the engine when I accelerate. I am new to trucks and wondered if anyone had any suggestions on what it might be. overall a great truck.

12th Jan 2005, 16:02

Yesterday, I left my keys in my 1996 Ranger and as a result the battery went dead. I jump-started the car and everything seemed to work as before except: The dome light no longer worked and the wipers would no longer turn on. I did the obvious thing and checked the fuses, but they were good. It seems that this is a common thread on-line: dome light and wipers (and power windows if you have them) failing simultaneously.

11th Mar 2005, 18:48

I'm the original owner of a 1996 Ford Ranger XLT 5-speed,4.0 liter. I curently have over 300,000 miles (mostly highway) and have enjoyed driving this truck over the years.

At 268,000 miles, I finally had to replace the engine. I've always had problems with the brakes, especially the emergency cable. First gear has a tendency to be difficult to engage. Some of the repair work I've done are:

- Replaced upper/lower ball joints

- Bearings all the way around

- Brakes (at least 4 times)

- Water pump

- New clutch

- Gasket at lower intake.

(other than the engine replacement, all of the work was performed by me... Too cheap to have someone else do it)

From a design standpoint, I was disappointed in the design of the windshield. It sits too upright and is a magnet for rocks and other debris. Most of the cracks appear at the lower half of the windshield.

Lately, I have been experiencing electrical problems. The originally installed cassette player and dash lights turn off and on at will. The exterior (driver-side) door latch has lost its spring, but still functions to open the door. The AC is on the fritz, but I normally don't use it anyway.

I like the vehicle because it's good for utility and is PAID FOR.

Will continue to drive it until it falls completely apart.

15th Oct 2005, 20:59

I have a 96 Ford Ranger Extended Cab V6. The engine, with regular maintenance has ran flawlessly for 137,000 miles.

On the other hand I have had to change out the carrier bearing three times. I have the same problems everyone else has with the windshield wipers coming on by themselves. I am currently having problems with the ABS system.

7th Mar 2006, 20:11

I am 16 and own a beautiful Red Ranger STX Supercab from 1992. It has 149,000 miles and, aside from the modifications I've made, is all original. I am extremely pleased with the build quality of this truck. The paint has held up nicely, and it has no rust. My 3.0 liter engine is bullet-proof. I am a lead-foot and drive the crap out of it, and it doesn't give me any grief. My 5-speed manual transmission is also bullet-proof. I'm still on my original clutch, and it shows no signs of wearing down (even after painfully learning how to do drive a stick). This truck won't die, and I plan on keeping it for many more years. This truck has made me a Ford follower.

29th Apr 2008, 15:44

I bought my 96 Ford Ranger XLT new, and from the day I drove it off the lot, the wipers would come on all crazy when ever they wanted to. No one believed me, because of course, it never happened when I was trying to show anyone about it! I had to replace my transmission at 54,000 miles. I am now at 95,000, and it is slipping again. We replaced the filter and fluid, it is better but not perfect. Someone suggested replacing the filter and fluid a second time. Has anyone had any luck with that? This is my 2nd Ranger, after reading all these reviews, and seeing that my problems were not isolated ones (which I was told they were at the time) Not so sure I'll buy a 3rd Ranger. Too bad, I like it.

20th May 2008, 17:49

My 1995 Ford Ranger, extended cab (4.0L) just past 200K miles and it has treated me well. I have owned it since 48K miles and have only needed to do minor repairs. Thus far, excluding normal maintenance (i.e. brakes, tune-ups, oil, AC re-charge, belts, filters, etc..), I have had to replace my heater core, fan clutch, and radiator (the radiator was my fault because I postponed replacing my fan clutch and the truck overheated one too many times and cracked the radiator). My most recent problem I just found out this week is a clogged catalytic converter, which will probably be the most expensive repair done to the truck.

This truck has been very good to me and I have nothing negative to say, well maybe one thing, the gas mileage is crappie.

27th May 2008, 21:26

You can order a catalytic converter and install it yourself for a very reasonable price. The Rangers sit so high you can probably replace it without having to raise the truck. I've replaced 2 catalytic converters on my Fords, and the most expensive one was just under $200.

8th Oct 2008, 01:56

Hello fellow Ford enthusiasts. Go to www.ford-trucks.com, it's a Ford forum and addresses most issues about your Fords. Most if not all of the problems addressed on www.carsurvey.org can be answered by users and technicians alike that have came across the same problems you've encountered, and they offer you recommendations and fixes, and best of all, it's free.

25th Feb 2009, 14:29

I just bought my 96 Ranger (5spd, 3.0 liter) around Christmas and I am the 3rd owner. I got the truck with 56k and the person who had it before me got the truck stuck at a beach and in a mud hole. The U-joints on the 4 wheel drive make a noise, and when I make a turn, it makes squeaking noises because it wasn't taken care of.

Since I've gotten the truck I've made repairs, but the most annoying thing is getting at the oil filter; It's such a pain!!! It's too tight in there!!

It is the most fun truck I have ever driven. The clutch on this truck is so easy, I've had experience on F-150. No comparison to the F-150 clutch. I have not had much chance to drive it, but it has been good so far.