Total Complaints
13 filings
FORD RANGER · model year
1983 FORD RANGER
13 NHTSA complaints. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
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.
The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 1983 RANGER is electrical system:ignition:switch with 5 filings, followed by fuel system, gasoline (1) and visibility:windshield (1). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.
NHTSA currently has 179 investigation files overlapping the 1983 RANGER, and 6 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.
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 6 Open
EA26004Engineering AnalysisOpen
Timing Belt Failure
DP26004Defect PetitionOpen
Anti-lock brake system (ABS) Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) illuminated
EA26001Engineering AnalysisOpen
Unintended Transmission Downshift and Rear Wheel Lock-up
PE25020Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Timing Belt Failure
DP25001Defect PetitionClosed
Underbody shields detachment
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 vintage: August 2026. 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.
Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 1983 FORD RANGER; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.