2003 Ford Ranger problems and complaints
Owners have filed 243 complaints with NHTSA about the 2003 Ford Ranger. The most-reported areas: Structure (43), Vehicle Speed Control (40), Service Brakes (34).
Key takeaways
- 243 owner complaints on file with NHTSA.
- 37 involve a crash, 11 a fire, 43 reported injuries.
- Complaints are unverified owner reports; recalls are confirmed defects.
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Structure | 43 | 18% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 40 | 16% |
| Service Brakes | 34 | 14% |
| Hydraulic | 29 | 12% |
| Air Bags | 25 | 10% |
| Suspension | 23 | 9% |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 18 | 7% |
| Electrical System | 17 | 7% |
| Power Train | 16 | 7% |
| Fuel System | 13 | 5% |
| Unknown Or Other | 12 | 5% |
| Tires | 10 | 4% |
One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
| Version | Overall | Front | Side | Rollover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 Ford Ranger Regular Cab | Not rated | Not rated | Not rated | 2/5 |
| 2003 Ford Ranger Supercab | Not rated | Not rated | Not rated | 2/5 |
Latest complaints, as filed
Owner-written and unverified by NHTSA.
Power Train - filed 2025-07-15
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...
Structure,wheels,service Brakes - filed 2023-06-18
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...
Suspension,structure - filed 2023-04-14
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 truc...
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More for the 2003 Ford Ranger
Complaints are reports filed by owners with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. NHTSA publishes them without verifying them, and counts rise with how many cars were sold, so compare years of the same model rather than different models. Crash ratings are NHTSA's own 5-Star Safety Ratings results.