Total Complaints
310 filings
FORD RANGER · model year
310 NHTSA complaints, 51 crash reports, and 5 active recalls for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2003FORDRANGER carries 310 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 51 crashes, 14 fires, 57 injuries, and 1 fatality. 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 2003 RANGER is vehicle speed control with 31 filings, followed by structure:body (25) and suspension (21). 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. This model year has 5 active recall campaigns, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle, the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.
NHTSA currently has 177 investigation files overlapping the 2003 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.
Total Complaints
310 filings
Crashes Reported
51 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Above median complaint volume, review patterns below.
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 31 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY | 25 |
| SUSPENSION | 21 |
| AIR BAGS | 18 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | 17 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 14 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 12 |
| STRUCTURE | 9 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 9 |
| ENGINE | 9 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 7 |
| TIRES | 6 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 6 |
| AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | 6 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | 6 |
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
CERTAIN CK MOTORSPORTS COMBINATION HEADLIGHTS, CLEAR CORNER, BUMPER, AND SIDE MARKER LIGHTS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON THE PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
CERTAIN AJ MOTORSPORT COMBINATION LAMPS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON THE ABOVE LISTED PASSENGER VEHICLES. COMBINATION LAMPS NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIAT
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
FORD IS RECALLING MODEL YEARS 1995-2003 WINDSTAR, 2000-2003 EXCURSION DIESEL, 1993-1997 AND 1999-2003 F-250 SD THROUGH F-550 SD DIESEL, 1992-2003 E-150 THROUGH E-550, 1995-2002 EXPLORER, 1997 AND 2002 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER, 1995-1997 AND 2001-2003 RANGER, AND 1994 F53 VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE TEXAS
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
DOPE, INC. IS RECALLING 42,540 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
SABERSPORT IS RECALLING 16,270 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES
Ford knows about the problems with the dual clutch and they are refusing to fix them. I have been giving the run around om trying to get my car fixed. I am a disabled veteran and all I get is they can't help. I just found out about these cars have this problem and ford has know about his problem for years.. they need to fix this. They again to be held according selling bad products to the public.
Truck has no spare tire, totally missing the assembly and bracket originally used to hold the tire (have a junk one in the bed). The crossmember under the truck is about 50% intact is getting ready to fall off. Brake lines and rocker panals rotted out as well. Holes in the frame starting and a patch was already needed on the frame (drivers side rear). As well as a loose bed. The truck is very clean on top but underneath is rotting away like it has 200000 miles on it(truck is at 77,000). I want to remove the rust and coat it but im scared of punching through cause spots are brittle.
Truck has no spare tire, totally missing the assembly and bracket originally used to hold the tire (have a junk one in the bed). The crossmember under the truck is about 50% intact is getting ready to fall off. Brake lines and rocker panals rotted out as well. Holes in the frame starting and a patch was already needed on the frame (drivers side rear). As well as a loose bed. The truck is very clean on top but underneath is rotting away like it has 200000 miles on it(truck is at 77,000). I want to remove the rust and coat it but im scared of punching through cause spots are brittle.
Truck has no spare tire, totally missing the assembly and bracket originally used to hold the tire (have a junk one in the bed). The crossmember under the truck is about 50% intact is getting ready to fall off. Brake lines and rocker panals rotted out as well. Holes in the frame starting and a patch was already needed on the frame (drivers side rear). As well as a loose bed. The truck is very clean on top but underneath is rotting away like it has 200000 miles on it(truck is at 77,000). I want to remove the rust and coat it but im scared of punching through cause spots are brittle.
The frame of my truck has rotted through. The strap that holds the gas tank has nothing to connect to, i think the tank could fall to the ground under the right circumstances. The frame has a large whole in it and i fear it will break very soon. I had to remove the spare tire because i feared it would fall off the truck. I had to replace both connectors that held the leaf springs to the frame,and was told there wasn't much left to connect them to.
The frame of my truck has rotted through. The strap that holds the gas tank has nothing to connect to, i think the tank could fall to the ground under the right circumstances. The frame has a large whole in it and i fear it will break very soon. I had to remove the spare tire because i feared it would fall off the truck. I had to replace both connectors that held the leaf springs to the frame,and was told there wasn't much left to connect them to.
Airbag warning light always on.
Airbag warning light always on.
Airbag warning light always on.
The contact owns a 2003 Ford Ranger. The contact stated that while driving at 65 MPH, an abnormal, rattling noise began to emit from the rear of the vehicle without warning. Upon inspection, the contact discovered that the rear cross members had rotted out due to severe corrosion. The contact also stated that the fuel tank was no longer being supported due to the failure. An independent mechanic inspected the vehicle and deemed the vehicle unsafe to drive. The dealer nor the manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 79,000.
Mileage: 79,000
I had been noticing some squeaking form the rear of my 2003 Ford Ranger. I thought it was my breaks. It turned out that the mounts for the rear springs had rusted out. My mechanic also noticed a hole, in the frame, resulting from rust. The hole is located on the inside surface of the frame on the passenger side just forward of the passenger compartment. Since the hole was discovered I stopped using the Ranger due to safety concerns.
THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD RANGER. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE HER HUSBAND WAS DRIVING AT AN UNDISCLOSED SPEED, THE SPARE TIRE DETACHED FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN BACK TO THE RESIDENCE AND INSPECTED. THE DRIVER NOTICED THAT THE UNDERCARRIAGE AND SUB-FRAME WERE SEVERELY CORRODED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE LOCAL DEALER TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE SUB-FRAME HAD RUSTED OUT AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT YET REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 131,000
Mileage: 131,000
WHEN AT STOP LIGHT ENGINE RPMS GO UP HIGH WHERE IT IS HARD TO HOLD VEHICLE STILL WITH BRAKES.
Mileage: 11,200
WHEN AT STOP LIGHT ENGINE RPMS GO UP HIGH WHERE IT IS HARD TO HOLD VEHICLE STILL WITH BRAKES.
Mileage: 11,200
BODY, FRAME AND SUSPENSION HAVE ALL BEEN RUSTED OUT. BUMPER RECENTLY JUST FELL OFF DUE TO RUST (WHILE PARKED). DOORS WON'T SHUT COMPLETELY DUE TO RUST, WHICH HAS LED TO THE INTERIOR LIGHT REMAINING ON OR PERIODICALLY TURNING ON THROUGHOUT THE DAY/NIGHT AND KILLING THE BATTERY. ENTIRE TRUCK IS ONE BIG PILE OF RUST ON WHEELS.
Mileage: 128,000
BODY, FRAME AND SUSPENSION HAVE ALL BEEN RUSTED OUT. BUMPER RECENTLY JUST FELL OFF DUE TO RUST (WHILE PARKED). DOORS WON'T SHUT COMPLETELY DUE TO RUST, WHICH HAS LED TO THE INTERIOR LIGHT REMAINING ON OR PERIODICALLY TURNING ON THROUGHOUT THE DAY/NIGHT AND KILLING THE BATTERY. ENTIRE TRUCK IS ONE BIG PILE OF RUST ON WHEELS.
Mileage: 128,000
BODY, FRAME AND SUSPENSION HAVE ALL BEEN RUSTED OUT. BUMPER RECENTLY JUST FELL OFF DUE TO RUST (WHILE PARKED). DOORS WON'T SHUT COMPLETELY DUE TO RUST, WHICH HAS LED TO THE INTERIOR LIGHT REMAINING ON OR PERIODICALLY TURNING ON THROUGHOUT THE DAY/NIGHT AND KILLING THE BATTERY. ENTIRE TRUCK IS ONE BIG PILE OF RUST ON WHEELS.
Mileage: 128,000
CHASSIS ROTTING OUT. LOST SPARE TIRE CARRIER AND REAR FRAME SUPPORT. SPRING PERCH ROTTED OFF CHASSIS. OTHER AREAS ARE BEGINNING TO ROT OUT ON FRAME RAILS! THINGS CAME APART IN MOTION BUT WAS ABLE TO SAFELY REMOVE UPON STOPPING
Mileage: 230,000
TWO YEARS AGO, A CRUNCHING NOISE WHILE TURNING WAS DETERMINED TO BE THAT BOTH REAR SPRING BRACKETS HAD RUSTED THROUGH AND BROKEN, LEAVING THE REAR OF THE LEAF SPRINGS UNATTACHED TO THE FRAME. BOTH WERE REPLACED WITHOUT INCIDENT. THIS WEEK, WHILE DOING ROUTINE MAINTENANCE, I NOTICED THE FRONT FUEL TANK HANGER WAS OUT OF PLACE. UPON EXAMINATION, ONE SIDE OF THE FUEL TANK HANGER WAS COMPLETELY DISCONNECTED FROM THE FRAME. THE CROSS MEMBER AND THE HANGER FOR THE FUEL TANK BRACKET IS COMPLETELY RUSTED AWAY. THE FRAME HAS NO STRUCTURAL SUPPORT IN THAT AREA AND NOTHING IS SUPPORTING THE FRONT OF THE FUEL TANK. IT IS UNACCEPTABLE THAT FORD IS ALLOWED TO PRODUCE FRAMES THAT RUST AWAY RIGHT UNDER THE VEHICLE SO QUICKLY. THIS TRUCK BODY LOOKS FINE, HOWEVER, THE BED IS RUSTED AWAY IN TWO PLACES AND THIS FRAME CROSS MEMBER IS COMPLETELY GONE.
Mileage: 120,000
THE FUEL TANK STRAP BRACKET ON THE FRAME ROTTED OUT AND THE STRAP IS NOW HANGING LOOSE. THE STRAP LOOKS TO BE RUSTY BUT WASN'T THE ISSUE IT IS WHERE THE T-SHAPE END ON THE STRAP HOOKS TO THE FRAME/BRACKET THAT IS THE PROBLEM IF THE OTHER STRAPS ARE TAKING UP ALL THE WEIGHT AND WERE TO BREAK THIS COULD CAUSE THE GAS TANK TO FALL OUT. THIS MAY HAVE HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING ON CITY STREETS. SALT SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE WINTER AND WET CONDITIONS WOULD BE THE BEST CAUSE FOR THIS TO HAPPEN RESULTING IN RUST AND CORROSION. ALSO COMMON FOR THE LEAF SPRING SHACKLES AND MOUNTS TO ROT OUT AND COME APART THIS IS ALSO ANOTHER SAFETY ISSUE IN ITSELF. THIS ALSO APPLIES TO THE MAZDA B2300 THROUGH THE B4000 SERIES PICK UPS SINCE THEY USE THE SAME RANGER FRAMES. *TR
Mileage: 141,000
Unintended Transmission Downshift and Rear Wheel Lock-up
Timing Belt Failure
Underbody shields detachment
B-Pillar Trim Detachment
Unintended Transmission Downshift and Rear Wheel Lock-up
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.