I bought this truck new, I have had transmission problems but now my frame is in bad, bad, bad rusting condition and my mechanic said it will not pass inspection. This truck only has 82,000 miles on it!!! Toyota stood behind their frames why isn't ford?
1998 Ford Ranger body problems
45 complaints (8% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 126,000. 1 crash reported.
- owner complaints
- 45
- of this car's complaints
- 8%
- typical mileage
- 126,000
- crashes
- 1
- recalls
- 0
Which part fails
- Body14
- Frame and members12
- Frame and members: underbody shields9
- Body: door6
- Body: door: hinge and attachments1
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
Ford Ranger body problems in other years
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
What 1998 Ford Ranger owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Rear frame excessive rusting. Spare tire carrier fell off while driving. One side of bumper fell off. Noticed when I stepped on it
The frame has rusted so severely that the rear suspension is detaching from frame and frame is almost rusted completely through and will separate soon. The spare tire and carrier have fallen off where is was attached to the frame due to the excessive rust and the bed mounts have rusted away and no longer attach to the frame leaving the bed with no solid mount. Spare tire and carrier fell off on interstate while driving.
Vehicle back bumper fell off due to excessive rust (while in motion). Ball joints, tie rods, upper and lower control arm brackets rusted out as well as holes in the frame (all identified while stationary).
Extremely rusted car frame
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 ford ranger. While driving various speeds, a knocking type noise was present coming from the bed of the vehicle when the brakes were applied. The contact indicated that the vehicle failed inspection due to rusting and corrosion of the subframe and cross members. The cause of the failures was not diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was not available. The manufacturer was not notified of the failures. The failure mileage was 169,000.
The rear frame of the truck has rotted away. The rear suspension and bumper are about to fall off. The body itself is in excellent condition. I didn't find out until I stepped on the rear bumper and it began sagging down and then realized that a large majority of the frames cross members were already gone!
Frame is rusting out even though the rest of the truck looks great . The truck has not been driven in winter because I have a work car with front wheel drive that I use for this and the frame on that vehicle is in better condition than my ranger. We have owned the truck since 2002 and it's a 1998 model.
The rear frame completely rusted off between the rear spring shackles and rear bumper, the spare tire mount if almost completely rusted away, and the gas tank cross member is also nearly rusted away,1/2 is missing on the passenger side. The rear springs detached when the shackled rusted away. The vehicle was stationary
I hit a deer while comming home from work at 45 MPH and bent bumper, dented left quarter panel,broke left turn signal lens and cracked plastic grile. Airbags did not apply or engage. I also have taken my truck to the local dealership 4 times to get my door alarm chip replaced @ 50 dollars each time. On last attempt my extended waranty had expired and they refused to honer the problem and promise to replace.even though it was an exsisting problem. This was prior to hitting the deer.
Questions about the 1998 Ford Ranger body
Does the 1998 Ford Ranger have body problems?
Owners have filed 45 complaints about the body of the 1998 Ford Ranger, 8% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 1998 Ford Ranger body problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 126,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 1998 Ford Ranger body?
There is no recall for this problem on this model year.
What year does the Ford Ranger have the most body problems?
The Ford Ranger model years with the most body complaints are 2001 (112 complaints), 2000 (105 complaints) and 1999 (89 complaints).
Other 1998 Ford Ranger problems
Tires 136Acceleration 71Brakes 61Transmission 59Engine 54Suspension 52Lights 35Airbags 32Electrical 29Steering 19Fuel system 18Visibility 16Seat belts 14Wheels 11Locks 7Seats 6
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