The incomplete recall 26V238 is a concern. They say in the letter from Ford that it could be a fire issue. It seems the harness in the A pillar gets pinched and could short out causing the overhead lighting or mirror lighting to either cause a smoke issue or fire. BUT THE ANSWER IS NOT GOING TO BE AVAILABLE UNTIL LATE JULY MAYBE!! Why send a letter and state you have no answer yet or will have for a couple of months!!! Am I supposed to be happy that I will know why the fire breaks out? Some 1400 potential failures out of 140,000 is the prediction per a conversation with your [XXX] on the chat line. This is to me a lame response to an issue with a potential for a real safety issue and should have more response than "WE ARE WORKING ON THE ANSWER AND MAYBE END OF JULY" INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Ford Ranger headlights problems
77 of the 8,200 owner complaints about the Ford Ranger describe headlights failing or too dim, most of them for the 1996 model year.
- owner complaints
- 77
- worst model year
- 1996
- typical mileage
- 68,000
By model year
Often reported together
Wipers 16Fire or smoke 3Pulling 2ABS 2Won't start 1Stalling 1Spongy pedal 1Power steering loss 1
What owners say
The ACM (Audio Control Module) failed, causing a network failure in the CAN system. This caused a condition of no speedometer reading, no automatic braking, no adaptive cruise control, no fuel gauge reading, no blind spot monitoring, no forward collision, no rear cross traffic warning. Additionally, while the turn signals worked, there was no inside audio or visual confirmation that it was functioning. Also no high beam headlight indicator and no automatic high-low beams. Cost of repair was $739.00 and the dealer had to order the part.
High beam lights failed on, the hi-lo beam switch in turn, hazard, wiper combo switch later overheated, burn up, smoke in cabin causing complete loss of lamps, wipers at night in rain. Clearly a common issue based on web. If you are going to send full load current with no control relays force a higher standard on design margins and and mttf. You have (4) head lamps on a car no reason a design should be allowed to cause all (4) to failure. Force multiple relays, modules, and contacts, wiring circuits and fuses. Also fix the blinding headlight issues. I see almost no difference between lo and hi beams on new cars and see spots for 30 seconds after passing cars on lo. Set standards and force certs on every new head light design. Dot/the federal safety agency should be liable for any crashes related to being blinded with headlights
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Ranger. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 21V158000 (Air Bags) however, the dealer wanted to charge the contact to complete the repair because the air bag was deployed. The contact stated that prior to the recall appointment, he had a crash with a deer which deployed the driver's side front air bag. The contact stated that he was driving at approximately 20 MPH during the impact. The contact stated that the deer crashed into the passenger side of the vehicle and only cracked the passenger side front headlight. The contact stated that the dealer was unwilling to complete the recall. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 235,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Ranger. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the driver’s side headlight intermittently failed to operate as needed. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and the contact was informed that a defective wiring harness had caused the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 58,000.
Had someone driving behind me flag me over. I had no tail lights, brake lights, turn signals front or rear or hazzard lights in the front or back. There is only 15,000kms on this truck. Head light low beam and high beam work. trying to get in contact with ford canada and a ford dealership. was scanned at a shop and showed multiple body control module faults and looks like a module. but not touching the vehicle as it has the max warranty they sell this vehicle is in nova scotia, but came from the michigan plant. it will not accept my canadian address
Regular headlights are excessively bright. Oncoming traffic is constantly flashing their bright lights with implications that my Ford Ranger's lights are on bright and not normal setting. This seems to be dangerous to oncoming traffic. It happens repeatedly every morning I am driving in the dark (5:00am-6:30am) Dealer said that there is nothing they can do. No indications that the bright lights are on (bright light symbol not appearing)
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Ranger. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the air bag warning light illuminated. The contact also stated that the windshield wipers, the defroster, headlights low and high beams failed to work. The contact veered to the side of the road for a short while and then drove the vehicle to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the rodents had damaged the soy-based insulated wiring harnesses at the front of the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired however, the rear lights would fail to turn off. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the soy-based insulated wiring harnesses at the rear of the vehicle had sustained rodent damage. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 31,000.
I was driving down the road when I smelled smoke and saw flames coming out from under the hood and the power to the vehicle began to cut out making it difficult to move or steer the truck to safety I then exited the vehicle and flames were coming out of the front passenger side good and headlight. So I called the fire department and they came and sprayed the truck putting the flames out. And cutting the wires to the battery
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 ford ranger. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, the headlights, taillights, and horn became inoperable. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the failure was like the federal safety agency campaign number: 11v352000 (exterior lighting). The vehicle was not repaired. Washington ford located at 507 washington road, washington, pa 15301 and the manufacturer were contacted and informed of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 35,000.
Related recalls
Exterior lighting: tail lights
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2026 F-150, 2022-2026 F-250 SD, F-350 SD, F-450 SD, F-550 SD, Maverick, 2024-2026 Ranger, 2023-2026 F-600 SD, 2022-2027 Lincoln Navigator, Expedition, and 2026 E-Transit vehicles. When towing a trailer, the integrated trailer module (ITRM) may lose communication with the vehicle, possibly causing a loss of brake and turn signal lights, or a loss of brake function. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, " Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
- Risk
- Trailer lights or brakes that do not function can reduce the driver’s ability to control the trailer and decrease the trailers visibility to other road users, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- The integrated trailer module software will be updated by a dealer, or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 25, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26C10. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on beginning March 17, 2026.
Recall number 26V104000 · Recall details
Exterior lighting: tail lights
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2019 Ranger trucks. The inline electrical connector terminals for the rear lights may be misaligned or not properly seated, potentially causing the rear lights to function intermittently or not at all.
- Risk
- Intermittent or inoperative tail lamps can result in loss of stop, turn, rear position, and reverse lamp functions, which reduces the vehicle's visibility and may not fully alert other drivers that the vehicle is braking, turning, or reversing, increasing the risk of crash.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the inline connector for loose terminals and replace the connectors, if necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 5, 2020. A renotification was sent on July 10, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S43.
Recall number 19V839000 · Recall details
Exterior lighting: brake lights
- What is wrong
- Ford is recalling certain model year 2011 ranger trucks built from january 25, 2011, through april 25, 2011 at the twin cities assembly plant, and service parts distributed to dealers for certain 2004 through 2011 model year ranger trucks, 2002 through 2005 model year excursion vehicles, and 2002 through 2007 model year f-250, f-350, f-450, and f-550 trucks for failing to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment." the multi-function switch was shipped with a subcomponent (slider) that may experience deformation. A multi-function switch with a deformed slider may malfunction causing the turn signal, tail lights, hazard warning signal flashers and/or brake lights not to activate.
- Risk
- Non-functioning lights could increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the switches free of charge. The safety recall began on august 15, 2011. Owners may contact ford motor company customer relationship center at 1‑866‑436‑7332.
Recall number 11V352000 · Recall details
Questions about the Ford Ranger headlights
Which Ford Ranger years have headlights failing or too dim problems?
The model years with the most reports are 1996 (9 complaints), 1995 (8 complaints) and 1998 (8 complaints).
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