When looking at the Ford Ranger common problems, drivers need to know the most problematic model years. By preventing purchasing the 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, and 2008 years, car owners can prevent paying for hefty replacement and repairs that can only worsen over time.
⚠️ If It's Broken, Don't Fix It - Get Paid Cash for Your Vehicle ⚠️
Worst Years of the Ford Ranger
To get an idea of the Ford Ranger common problems, we need to know the most problematic model years. Overall, the worst problem category is the engine malfunctions and failure in the Range, with the 1999 model year having the most overall complaints.
Despite the high prevalence of use and owner complaints, 2002 is often regarded as the worst year due to the high repair cost, early onset of issues, and more problems occurring at lower mileage.
1999 Ford Ranger Common Problems
-
Electrical Category
The category with the most complaints focus on the electrical system, with owners reporting the wipers to turn on by themselves, the dome lights stay on while driving, the check engine light illuminates on the dashboard randomly, the auto theft system does not let the engine start, the lights on the instrument cluster turn off, and smoke emits from under the dashboard.
- To fix the windshield wiper coming on by itself, drivers will have to have a windshield rain sensor. The rain sensor gel pads h also have to be replaced, increasing the repair cost. The total price of replacing your windshield ranges from $185 to $1,000 to help remedy some of the Ford Ranger common problems.
-
Engine
The engine category’s main issues in the 1999 model year include the erratic temperature gauge, idling problems, hard starts, mass airflow sensor failure, oil pan gasket failure, engine failure, and backfiring.
- The erratic temperature gauge is often due to cracked cylinder heads, which can be replaced for around $500, including parts and labor.
- Replacing the mass airflow sensor is around $300, with the labor costing you around $60 for less than one hour of work and the parts costing you around $240.
- Replacing your oil pan gasket is between $100 and $350, with the parts costing between $40 and $150 and the labor depending on the extent of the other Ford Ranger common problems.
-
Interior Accessories Category
The final problem category in the 1999 Ford Ranger is the interior accessories, which include the dash light fading, the dome light remaining on during use, the cruise control button failing, and the fuel gauge showing an inaccurate reading.
- Replacing a dashboard typically costs between $2,118 and $2267, with the labor between $570 and $720 for between 8 and 12 hours of work.
2000 Ford Ranger Common Problems
-
Electrical
Owners report the electrical category’s main concerns involve the interior light staying on, the door ajar light going off and on intermittently, the radio battery falling, the windshield wipers turning on randomly, the dome light staying on, and the alternator draining the battery.
- Replacing the interior light in your car typically costs between $84 and $230 depending on the other Ford Ranger common problems’ severity.
- Replacing the car alternator is usually around $400 for a remanufactured option, while a new alternator can run between $500 and $1,000 to fix the Ford Ranger common problems.
-
Transmission
The most severe transmission issues in the 2000 Ford Ranger include delayed shifting, difficulty shifting, leaking transmission fluid, and a shift flare.
- Delayed shifting is usually due to valves sticking in the valve body.
- Replacing transmission valve bodies is usually around $200 to $500 for the parts, while the labor will be around $500. This procedure’s average price is around $700-$1,000, depending on the cause of the problem, whether it be a leak, electrical fault, or mechanical crack.
2001 Ford Ranger Common Problems
-
Transmission
The main concerns regarding the Ford Ranger common problems in the transmission category focus on the O/D light flashing, rough shifting, transmission failure, transmission surging, or rattling noises.
- The most common solutions for the O/D light flashing focus on getting a new transmission, replacing the faulty clutch drum, or replacing the shift solenoid for around $1,340 at 74,500 miles.
-
Interior Accessories
The main owner concerns regarding the interior accessories category are the seatback falling out, difficulty going into gear, the interior lights shutting off, the dashboard lights slowly going out, the gear shiftier breaking, and the odometer not working.
- Replacing your car odometer costs between $200 and $500 to fix the Ford Ranger common problems. If you have to replace other instrument cluster parts, you can expect the repair price to increase between $916 and $936 for the total procedure cost.
2002 Ford Ranger Common Problems
-
Transmission
Some of the most common transmission issues in the 2002 Ford Ranger focus on the rough shifting, overdrive light flashing, transmission failure, drive slipping, and the cover breaking off.
- The rough transmission shifting can be due to various reasons, like low fluid levels, dirty fluid, damaged gear synchronizers, worn gears, or a blown-out transmission.
- Fixing the rough shifting typically involves paying for a fluid change or fluid flush. The average price of a transmission flush is between $125 and $250, coming to approximately twice as much as a fluid change price due to the higher amount of fluid required to replace the debris-filled and contaminated fluid completely.
-
Engine
Owners complain about the Ford Ranger common problems in the engine category, like the car accelerating when pressing on the brakes, abnormal sounds from the engine, check engine light turning on, engine blowing out the spark plugs, and the oil pressure gauge no longer working.
- If your car accelerates when pressing the brake, this can be due to the accelerator pedal not working correctly. To replace the accelerator pedal, drivers have to pay around $130 and $200, with the labor between $70 and $90 for one hour of work.
-
Interior Accessories
The main concerns with the interior accessories in the 2002 Ford Ranger focus on the door ajar and door light staying on, the cruise control not working, the dashboard lights turning off, and the ignition switch not working correctly.
- Replacing the ignition switch in your vehicle typically costs between $125 and $275, with the labor around $60 for 45 minutes to 1 hour of work.
2003 Ford Ranger Common Problems
-
Engine
The first category of the Ford Ranger common problems is the engine. The most problematic concern is the engine’s clanking sound, excessive fuel consumption, ignition coil failure, and a loss of acceleration.
- Excessive fuel consumption can be due to multiple reasons, like intake manifold damage, EGR valve leak, damaged spark plugs, or dirty fuel injectors.
- Replacing the EGR valve costs between $147 and $548, with the valve costing between $70 and $490 depending on your car’s make and model.
- Replacing spark plugs costs between $16 and $100, with the labor for this procedure being between $40 and $150 for 30 minutes to 1.5 hours of work.
- Replacing fuel injectors is around $800 to $1,450 for a full replacement, with the parts alone costing between $600 and $1200 to fix the prevalent Ford Ranger common problems.
-
Transmission
The most common transmission issues in the 2003 Ford Ranger deal with the O/D light flashing, shifting concerns, and the transmission lines rusting through after minimal use.
- The main shifting problems are due to various issues, like dirty or low fluid, a problematic engine, damaged clutches, or valve body failure.
- Replacing the clutches in your car is between $1239 and $1402, with the labor between $715 and $741 for around 6-8 hours of work.
- Replacing the valve body in your transmission is usually around $200 to $500, with the labor being around $500 for between 6 and 8 hours of work.
-
Brakes
When looking at the Ford Ranger common problems, the prevalent brake concerns focus on the brake lines rusting through, the rear brakes not staying tight, the front brakes locking up, and premature brake wear.
Your braking system is usually made of rubber and steel hoses, check valves, pistons, and brake cylinders. These are usually connected and work together in order to slow down and stop your vehicle on time. The car’s master cylinder is in charge of the brake calipers and drums, which is where a lot of brake problems and brake fluid leaks originate that cause the Ford Ranger common problems.
- If you have a brake master cylinder leak, then the parts’ repair cost is between $100 and $200, and the labor cost is between $80 and $140. The brake master cylinder leak’s replacement cost has a parts cost of around $200 to $300, with the labor cost coming in between $40 and $80.
- The brake line fluid leak comes out to a total of $100 to $200 for the repair cost, while the brake caliper fluid leak has a repair cost on just one side of between $100 for $200 of just the parts, and the labor cost of between $80 and $100. The replacement price on one side of the brake caliper leak comes out to between $40 and $80 for the labor and $200 to $300 for the parts.
- The rear drum cylinder fluid leak has a repair price of between $10 and $20 for hte parts, while the labor cost is between $80 and $100. The total replacement price for the rear drum cylinder brake fluid leak comes out to between $25 and $40 for the parts and $40 to $80 for the labor costs to fix the Ford Ranger common problems.
2008 Ford Ranger Common Problems
-
AC/Heater
The Ford Ranger common problems in the AC/heater category focus on the air conditioner not shutting off, the heat control not working, the AC compressor constantly running, and outside debris getting inside of the AC system.
If you notice any of these signs, a culprit is causing the AC concerns – this is typically the AC compressor.
- Your car’s ac compressor is a key part of the air conditioning system. If the ac compressor fails or has a bad ac compressor, this can negatively affect the engine. The compressor is the air conditioning system’s power unit that puts the refrigerant under the correct amount of pressure before it flows into the condenser mechanism. It changed from a gas to a liquid.
- The component itself usually ranges from between $650 and $950, or even more in some cases. The labor costs will usually range between $150 and $200, meaning that the overall price will usually come in about $800 and $1,150 on average.
-
Body and Paint
The most frequent body and paint concerns in the 2008 Ranger focus on excessive rust, paint peeling, door rattling, and unknown clunking noises underneath the vehicle.
Certain paints, like pearl paints or those with luxury finishes, will require more labor work and more billed hours when repainting the exterior of your car. In this case, you can expect the car body repair cost to be much higher than vehicles with normal paint.
Depending on the scratches’ depth, severity, and location, repairing scratches could range from a quick DIY job to a complete refinishing. If there are dents and creases, this adds time and effort and increases the car body repair cost.
- Using a touch-up pen or a small repainting job can cost as little as $50 to fix one of the common Ford Ranger problems.
- However, professional refinishing may be needed depending on the length of the damage, the severity of the damage, the frequency of the scratches, and the type of paint used. In this case, you could spend up to $1,500.
The Bottom Line
When looking at the Ford Ranger common problems, drivers need to know the most problematic model years. By preventing purchasing the 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, and 2008 years, you can avoid expensive repairs and replacements.