Faults:
Transmission seals (removed Transmission and replaced seals)
Transfer case failure (servo motor replaced)
Front shocks replaced numerous times
Steering box leaking (replaced)
Head gasket failure (120000 miles)
Auto locking hubs failed (replaced with Warn hubs)
Lower ball joint failure (no grease fitting)
Emergency brake freeze-up in winter (replaced rear brake shoes)
Unable to properly bleed clutch, finally used Internet to do it properly.
Slow leak in AC refrigerant (R-134)
Water Pump (72000 miles), leaked since new.
General Comments:
This truck was a maintenance nightmare. If I did not have the factory service manual and the TSB's it would still be dead on the road. If I did not do the maintenance myself I would be broke.
The truck was comfortable and quiet to ride in. The seats were comfortable, but the passenger seat foam had been worn out by the time I sold it.
It averaged almost 20 mpg overall with a high of 26 mpg on a 60 mph trip at 1000 ft altitude.
It had plenty of power. Off road it was very good. It did the Poison Spider trail in Moab Utah with a few sneaks.
It seems pretty rust proof. Some rust on lower tailgate. Montana does not use salt though.
This truck was nothing like my Mazda RX-7. The RX was the most reliable car I have ever owned.
So much for a re-badged Ford Ranger.
The B4000 is gets a safe vehicle discount from State Farm insurance.
Overall, I would not touch another Ford product in the foreseeable future.
It was replaced by a Nissan Pathfinder.
6th Mar 2007, 12:03
I bought mine brand new in 1994 and I have had none of those problems. I have kept up with the routine maintenance and I have added a few of my own touches. It has a 3" body and a 4" suspension lift, 33" inch tires, Skyjacker shocks and I added 4:10 gears. I swapped out the automatic hubs with manual hubs, which is a must when doing a lot of offroading. It currently reads 128,000 on the odometer, but it's probably more like 150,000 due to the larger tires. It uses no oil, has had no leaks and has been one tough truck. I also replaced the clutch with a more reliable offroad clutch. Pretty much the only thing that I've had to replace was the light bulb in the dash and the front axle shaft, which was due to offroading. I have also owned 2 Ford Ranger pickups and they were also amazing little trucks as well. I guess they were having a bad day on the assembly line when they built your pickup.