Total Complaints
12 filings
FORD RANGER · model year
1984 FORD RANGER
12 NHTSA complaints, 2 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1984FORDRANGER carries 12 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 2 crashes, 6 fires, 5 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 1984 RANGER is engine and engine cooling:engine with 2 filings, followed by electrical system:ignition:switch (1) and electrical system:wiring (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 1984 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.
12
Complaints
2
Crashes
6
Fires
5
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
2 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 |
|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 2 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING | 1 |
| PARKING BRAKE:CONVENTIONAL | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | 1 |
| TRAILER HITCHES | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:HEATER CORE | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP | 1 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20030410ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. *JB
Mileage: 135,000
20001020UNKNOWN OR OTHER
NO SUMMARY
20000519CrashSERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
19990223FireVISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM
NOTICED IN LOCAL PAPER CONCERN OVER FIRES IN HEATING/VENTILATING SYSTEM OF FORD VEHICLES. BURNING OF LEAVES CAUGHT IN HEATER DUCTING WHICH WAS IGNITED BY HEATER MOTOR SPEED CONTROL RESISTANCE COILS LOCATED IN HEATER DUCTWORK HAS HAPPENED TWO TIMES ON MY 1984 FORD RANGER PICKUP. THE FIRST TIME WAS IN THE LATE 1980'S IN OCTOBER OR NOVEMBER AND THE LATEST INCIDENT WAS OCTOBER OF 1997. HORTOCULTURIST AT BOTANICAL GARDEN WHERE I VOLUNTEER HAD A SIMILAR FIRE IN JANUARY OF 1999 IN A 1980'S FULL SIZED FORD PICKUP (DON'T KNOW EXACT YEAR). ALTHOUGH THIS TYPE OF FIRE IS SHORT AND DOES NOT APPEAR TO DO A GREAT AMOUNT OF DAMAGE; IT IS VERY DISTURBING AT THE TIME. YOUR VISIBILITY IS CLOUDED, YOU IMMEDIATELY GET OFF OF ROAD TO GET OUT OF 'BURNING' VEHICLE AND FOR SOME TIME VEHICLE HAS ASHES BLOWING FROM VENT SYSTEM AND ODOR OF SMOLDERING LEAVES LEFT IN VEHICLE. THIS COULD BE A SIGNIFICANT TRAFFIC SAFETY OCCURANCE IF TRAFFIC WAS HEAVY AND CONTROL OF VEHICLE WAS LOST OR ONCOMING TRAFFIC HIT VEHICL
19981222FireVISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:HEATER CORE
THE DESIGN AND LOCATION OF THE OPEN WIRE WOUND MOTOR SPEED CONTROL RESISTOR BLOCK ALLOWS FOR DEBRIS TO COLLECT RESULTING IN VEHICLE FIRE AND INJURY TO CONSUMER. (ATTORNRY FOR CONSUMER).
19970821TRAILER HITCHES
TRAILER HITCH SNAPPED, DISCONNECTING TRAILER, RESULTING IN ACCIDENT. (OHIO STATE POLICE REPORT)
19970505FireFUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
STARTED SMOKING FIRST AND THEN CAUGHT ON FIRE UNDER HOOD BECAUSE OF A GAS LEAKAGE. VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. *AK
19961217CrashSEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
TRAVELING ON WILLOW GROVE ROAD, SWERVED TO AVOID AN ONCOMING VEHICLE, CROSSED CENTER LINE AND LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE, SEAT BELTS FAILED TO RESPOND, ALLOWING DRIVER TO BE PARTIALLY EJECTED FROM VEHICLE. BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER SUFFERED INJURIES. *AK
19960815FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE. *SD
19960503PARKING BRAKE:CONVENTIONAL
FAILURE OF THE EMERGENCY PARKING BRAKE, ALLOWING THE VEHICLE TO ROLL FREELY. *AK
19960425FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
THE VEHICLE HAD AN ELECTRICAL FIRE AND THE SOURCE IS UNKWON. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK
19960214FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
FIRE DEVELOPED IN THE IGNITION SWITCH. PLEASE EXPLAIN IN MORE DETAIL. TT
Compare 1984FORDRANGER 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 1984 FORD RANGER have?▼
The 1984 FORD RANGER has 12 NHTSA complaints, 2 crashes, 6 fires, 5 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1984 FORD RANGER?▼
The most-complained component for the 1984 FORD RANGER is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH and ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING.
Is the 1984 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.