2003 Ford Ranger problems
NHTSA has received 310 complaints about the 2003 Ford Ranger, and 14% of them involve body & structure. After that come cruise control (13%) and brakes (12%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 310 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Body & structure 14% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 51 and 14
- Injuries and deaths
- 57 and 1
- Typical mileage
- 58,000 miles 237 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 68 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 18 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 36 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 29 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 20 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 20 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 18 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 10 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 6 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 4 |
| 200k+ miles | 8 |
What the data shows
Among the 237 complaints that report mileage, the typical (median) problem appeared at about 58,000 miles. For body & structure specifically, the median reported mileage is about 86,000 miles (35 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 51 complaints mention a crash; 14 complaints mention a fire; 57 injuries reported; 1 death reported. Its complaints are more severe on average than those of 90% of model years in our database.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2003 ranks 14th most-complained-about out of 28 model years of the Ford Ranger with enough data (139 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 1 safety recall campaign.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
My uncle was driving 60 MPH when he swerved & loss control of his ford ranger. He crossed over the oncoming traffic lane going off the road hitting a sign, then hit an embankment, then flipped over several times. The airbags did not deploy & my uncle died as a result.
Dt: the contact was traveling at 45 MPH when the vehicle hit a patch of ice on the road. He lost control of the vehicle and hit a ditch. The vehicle then rolled and hit an embankment. The vehicle t busted in to flames. The occupants were able to get out of the vehicle before it exploded. The fire was extinguished by the fire department. Injuries were sustained. The vehicle has not been inspected at this time to determine what caused the vehicle to explode. The vehicle was totaled.
Engine stumbled an acceleration and surged, causing vehicle to hit another passenger car. Accelerator stuck on several occasions, nearly causing previous accidents. I took the truck to the dealership and stated the problems, even though they were unable to find the problem. They agreed that a problem could exist somewhere in the electronics. I am now serving 5yrs and 10months in prison for this accident. There was no evidence to support my plea, if it was a accident or deliberate act by the driver.
Difficulty in filling gasoline in 2003 ford ranger. It seems to be a systemic problem that many ranger owners experience. Not only is it a safety hazard because of the constant splash-back of gasoline when filling, but it's also an environmental hazard with all the spilled gasoline on the ground.
Chassis and suspension exhibits excessive corrosion for the year and miles. Very heavily corroded and pitted while the exterior is rust free. The truck is a 2003 with 90000 miles.