Total Complaints
13 filings
FORD RANGER · model year
1983 FORD RANGER
13 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1983FORDRANGER carries 13 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 2 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1983 RANGER is electrical system:ignition:switch with 5 filings, followed by fuel system, gasoline (1) and visibility:windshield (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 177 investigation files overlapping the 1983 RANGER, and 8 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
13
Complaints
0
Crashes
2
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH | 5 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR | 1 |
| STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS | 1 |
| EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20040405ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
WHEN DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT ANY SPEED, THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL. THIS CAUSED THE DRIVER TO DRIFT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *JB
20000103POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
TRANSMISSION WENT OUT DUE TO RUBBER SEALS NOT BEING RELIABLE. FAILURE CAUSED BY THE RUBBER SEAL USED TO HOLD FLUID IN THE TRANSMISSION--IT IS DRY AND CRACKS, ALLOWING FLUID TO LEAK. TRANSMISSION REPAIRED AT OWNER'S COST. *AK *ML
19990622FireEQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
BOTH FIRES OCCURRED WITHIN THE AIR CONDITIONER EVAPORATOR CORE UPPER HOUSING. BOTH APPEARED TO RESULT FROM THE AIR CONDITIONER BLOWER MOTOR RESISTOR ASSEMBLY IGNITING LEAVES WHICH HAVE BEN SUCKED INTO THE SYSTEM. *AK
19990113STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS
THERE IS BAD PRIMER ON THE CARS ALL OVER. *AK
19980430SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR
BRAKE ROTORS FAILED.
19970414SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE
DRIVER'S SHOULDER/LAP BELTS INOPERATIVE, MALE WON'T CONNECT WITH FEMALE PORTION. *AK
19960531ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE SAW SMOKE COMING UNDER THE DASH, TURN SIGNAL FAILED, TUNRED IGNITION OFF AND VEHICLE COMPLETELY BURNED, ELECTRICAL SHORT. *AK
19960430ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
ELECTRICAL SHORT IN THE IGNITION SWITCH, SMOKE IS COMING FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. *AK
19960430ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
ELECTRICAL SHORT IN THE IGNITION SWITCH,CAUSING SMOKE IS COMING FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. *AK
19960429ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
WHILE DRIVING, NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM IGNITION SWITCH, NO FIRE. *AK
19960429ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
WHILE DRIVING, NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM IGNITION SWITCH, NO FIRE. *AK
19950516VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD
PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW SHATTERED. TT
19950509FireFUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
PARKED VEHICLE, THREE MINUTES LATER IT WAS ON FIRE. BURNED SO BAD, COULD NOT TELL WHAT STARTED IT. TT
Compare 1983FORDRANGER to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 8 Open
EA26001Engineering AnalysisOpen
Unintended Transmission Downshift and Rear Wheel Lock-up
PE25020Preliminary EvaluationOpen
Timing Belt Failure
DP25001Defect PetitionOpen
Underbody shields detachment
PE25007Preliminary EvaluationOpen
B-Pillar Trim Detachment
PE25002Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Unintended Transmission Downshift and Rear Wheel Lock-up
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1983 FORD RANGER have?▼
The 1983 FORD RANGER has 13 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 2 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1983 FORD RANGER?▼
The most-complained component for the 1983 FORD RANGER is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH with 5 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE and VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD.
Is the 1983 FORD RANGER safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.