2002 Ford Ranger Problems

Last updated on April 6th, 2022 at 11:06 am

The 2002 Ford Ranger succeeded the 2001 model, and hence it was designed to solve all the problems that the 2001 Ford had. It is powered by a 4-liter V6 engine that drives comfortably on and off-road. The 2002 Ford comes in three different sizes with varying cab and bed lengths. The different types are regular cab pickups, Supercab pickups/extended cab, and short bed pickups.

Ford ranger is a great mid-size pickup, but like all other cars, it has the following problems:

• Steering wheel

According to the NHTSA, the 2002 Ford Ranger XLT steering wheel has an excessive amount of play, and it fails on many occasions. Some Ford owners said that the Ford would fail to control while driving. This failure can lead to an accident, and a safety recall should be done.

• Transmission failure

The Ranger XL transmission failure occurs regularly mostly when one makes a right turn, and when one tries to accelerate, the truck acted like it was in neutral instead of driving. The driver has to engage drive2 for the vehicle to move.

The manual transmission rattles with a funny sound when pulling to a stop. The Ford dealership has made multiple attempts to solve this problem with no success. Ford owners say that the Ford truck was built to produce that noise and so there was no need to do a safety recall.

• Fuel system

Car complaints say that the Ford Ranger edge has an issue with the fuel system. This was noted because the truck engine roared when it was about to stop. The moment the owner hits the brakes, the vehicle accelerates, and one has to engage the parking brake to stop. It was discovered that the fuel system was faulty. Car research suggests that the car should be lemon lawed because it can cause fatal accidents. Many Ranger owners tried to contact Ford, but they did not get the expected help. The fuel system lines leak and get rusty within a short time.

Rear brake

• The Ranger XLT rear brakes lock up whenever the driver tries to stop the truck. Mostly, the rear brakes lock when it’s raining hard, and the Ford owner tries to engage the brakes. Car complaints suggested a safety recall on this because it can lead to an accident.
• Ball joints

Car research indicates that the Ranger edge produces a popping noise in front of the vehicle while driving at 20 mph. The noise is also heard when making right and left turns. The Ford Company says that this noise is caused by excessive ply at the lower ball joints. This issue is sorted by replacing the ball joints at customers’ cost since Ford denied responsibility.

• Wheel drive

When cruising on an icy road, the Ford truck skittles, and there is a loud sound of spinning tires. This was due to a faulty wheel drive train, and it is solved by replacing the whole unit. Many Ford owners reported this fault to the company expecting a safety recall, but nothing happened.Timing chain

The 2002 Ford Ranger has timing chain rattle problems caused by poor design of the timing chain guides. This rattling noise is heard during a cold start, and it is loudest from 2400 to 3000rpm. The Ford Company has designed a good timing chain guide with engines produced after the 2002 model.

• Seat belts

The truck is not equipped with the required seat belt that can safely secure a child safety seat. This is very risky because the child cannot be carried safely in the vehicle. Car complaints show that the driver’s seat belt does not lock, which causes the airbag light to go off. Ford did a safety recall on it at all their dealerships. 

• Driver’s seat

The driver’s seatback is poorly connected to the 2002 Ford Ranger XLT truck and mostly falls without warning when reversing. Many Ford owners experience this and note that the bolts that should hold the back seat are usually broken.

• Warning light

When the door is opened, a dome light comes on and stays on for a long time. This light makes the driver unable to see the road because it’s so bright.

• Exterior lighting

The exterior lights switch off randomly for some time. This happens many times, even when driving. The tail light flashes on and off while driving and hence confuses other motorists in the freeway.

• Engine light

The engine light comes on without reason. Some Ford owners say that the check engine light comes on even after leaving the dealership. 

• Vehicle speed control

Ford did a recall for vehicle speed control, which was NHTSA campaign id: 07V336000. This was done because most customers reported that their trucks cruise control caught fire while driving above 40 mph speeds. The speed control system had to be replaced with a better version that was stable.

Conclusion

Despite the stated shortcomings of The 2002 Ford Ranger, it is a cost-friendly truck that is durable. Also The truck has high ratings compared to other trucks of its category. Ford has a very efficient gas mileage that customers can maintain. It is important to ensure a working 2002 Ford ranger PCM is in place, I would suggest it to any person looking for a cheap and powerful truck.  

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