What breaks most · 1990 to 2019 model years
Ford Ranger problems by year
Owners have filed 7,184 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Ford Ranger across model years 1990 to 2019. Three years stand out: 1999 for tires complaints, 2000 for tires complaints and 1998 for tires complaints. The quietest years are 2014, 2016 and 1990.
- Years to check closely: 1999, 2000, 1998
- Fewest complaints: 2014, 2016, 1990
- Complaints on file
- 71841990 to 2019, all trims
- Worst year
- 1999747 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 701228 fires · 561 injuries · 37 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 77kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 191Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 104 | 9 | 5 | Electrical system (19) | |
| 132 | 9 | 6 | Electrical system (20) | |
| 189 | 13 | 6 | Electrical system (41) | |
| 231 | 31 | 10 | Brakes (hydraulic) (41) | |
| 437 | 53 | 11 | Brakes (hydraulic) (66) | |
| 319 | 25 | 7 | Visibility (63) | |
| 408 | 41 | 8 | Brakes (hydraulic) (60) | |
| 409 | 40 | 7 | Tires (57) | |
| 570 | 66 | 11 | Tires (136) | |
| 747 | 96 | 10 | Tires (178) | |
| 654 | 86 | 8 | Tires (138) | |
| 488 | 62 | 9 | Body and structure (102) | |
| 333 | 40 | 7 | Powertrain and transmission (61) | |
| 227 | 36 | 5 | Speed control and throttle (40) | |
| 364 | 36 | 12 | Air bags (174) | |
| 263 | 17 | 11 | Air bags (123) | |
| 247 | 9 | 12 | Air bags (169) | |
| 256 | 10 | 6 | Air bags (228) | |
| 307 | 7 | 6 | Air bags (285) | |
| 158 | 2 | 8 | Air bags (135) | |
| 138 | 5 | 9 | Air bags (117) | |
| 196 | 6 | 6 | Air bags (168) | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Air bags (1) | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Air bags (1) | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Air bags (1) | |
| 4 | 2 | 11 | Brakes (3) |
What fails on the 1999 Ford Ranger
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tires | 24% |
178 | 13 | — |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 12% |
86 | 0 | Shop body and structure parts for the 1999 Ford Ranger |
| Brakes (hydraulic)Brake pads, rotors and calipers | 11% |
80 | 11 | Shop brakes (hydraulic) parts for the 1999 Ford Ranger |
| Air bags | 11% |
79 | 60 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| VisibilityMirrors and glass | 10% |
73 | 0 | Shop visibility parts for the 1999 Ford Ranger |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 9% |
67 | 6 | Shop powertrain and transmission parts for the 1999 Ford Ranger |
| SuspensionStruts, springs and control arms | 9% |
64 | 1 | Shop suspension parts for the 1999 Ford Ranger |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 7% |
54 | 1 | Shop speed control and throttle parts for the 1999 Ford Ranger |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
I have a 1999 FORD ranger and the frame is shot starting to crack it's so thin and like post i can almost bend it with my hands .
-
Massive amounts of rust on frame, front and rear bumper, leaf spring shackle brackets, bracket holding body to frame., and radiator support.
-
My fuse #27 for backup lights and the o/d keeps blowing out and now the o/d light flashes sometimes i pulled the cover off of the steering column but the o/d cord wasn't pinched or damaged also no appearance of any wire touching anything
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 30, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Ford Ranger years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 1999, 2000, 1998 carry the most filings on the Ford Ranger. The 1999 alone has 747 complaints, led by tires.
What is the most common Ford Ranger problem?
On the 1999 model year, the most-reported component is tires with 178 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Ford Ranger problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Ford Ranger complaints that include mileage is about 77,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.