Ford Ranger 1993–1997
2nd generation · Ford Ranger (carryover chassis)
NHTSA data through 13 August 20262,323 complaints, 417 with mileageMethod
- Reports with mileage
- 417
- Median of reported failures
- 106,000 mi
- Most-reported system
- Hydraulic brake circuit (13.2%)
- Recalls
- 0
Before-you-buy checklist ↓Check this VIN — NHTSA ↗
On this generation, failures are spread across the mileage range, with the middle half between 75,000 and 146,000 miles.
Figure 1 · Ford Ranger 1993–1997 · 417 reports with mileage
Mileage at failure
Complaints per 10,000-mile bin, 0 to 200,000 miles, equal bins on a linear scale. Tallest bar = 35 complaints.
- Rest of the range
- Median
- 200,000+ — 35 complaints (8.4%), plotted separately
- 10%
- 50,734
- 25%
- 75,000
- Median
- 106,243
- 75%
- 146,000
- 90%
- 195,000
Show the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 0–10,000 | 8 | 1.9% |
| 10,000–20,000 | 7 | 1.7% |
| 20,000–30,000 | 3 | 0.7% |
| 30,000–40,000 | 3 | 0.7% |
| 40,000–50,000 | 14 | 3.4% |
| 50,000–60,000 | 24 | 5.8% |
| 60,000–70,000 | 21 | 5.0% |
| 70,000–80,000 | 34 | 8.2% |
| 80,000–90,000 | 31 | 7.4% |
| 90,000–100,000 | 35 | 8.4% |
| 100,000–110,000 | 35 | 8.4% |
| 110,000–120,000 | 22 | 5.3% |
| 120,000–130,000 | 25 | 6.0% |
| 130,000–140,000 | 32 | 7.7% |
| 140,000–150,000 | 26 | 6.2% |
| 150,000–160,000 | 17 | 4.1% |
| 160,000–170,000 | 12 | 2.9% |
| 170,000–180,000 | 13 | 3.1% |
| 180,000–190,000 | 9 | 2.2% |
| 190,000–200,000 | 11 | 2.6% |
| 200,000+ | 35 | 8.4% |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain. Complaint counts reflect what owners reported and are not a measure of failure rate per vehicle sold.
What this can and cannot tell you: these are complaints owners chose to file, not a failure rate. Popular models accumulate more of them simply by being common. How this is built.
Owners filed 2,323 complaints with NHTSA about the 1993–1997 Ford Ranger, and 417 of them record the mileage at which the failure happened. That is enough to show not just what fails, but when.
Failures are spread across the mileage range, with the middle half between 75,000 and 146,000 miles. The median is 106,243 miles.
The most-reported areas are the hydraulic brake circuit (13.2% of complaints, typically around 104,000 miles), the tyres (10.0% of complaints, typically around 110,000 miles), the fuel system (8.5% of complaints, typically around 104,000 miles).
If you arrived asking “is it reliable?” — this page answers the version of that question the data can support: which problems owners reported, and at what mileage.
How many miles does a 1993–1997 Ford Ranger last?
Half of the failure reports on the 1993–1997 Ford Ranger were filed by 106,000 miles and 90% by 195,000 miles — figures drawn from 417 NHTSA complaints that record an odometer reading, so they time reported failures, not the cars whose owners never filed one.
35 reports (8.4%) came in past 200,000 miles — each one proof a Ranger reached that mileage, not that it died there.
Before you buy a 1993–1997 Ranger: the 3-minute check
Generated from 417 mileage-tagged complaints, 2 documented problem areas. Print this page — the checklist survives print.
- Check transmission on 1993–1996 cars. A4LD 4-speed automatic durability — overdrive and forward clutch failure, and torque converter lockup faults, are the characteristic transmission failure of the pre-5R55E trucks.
- Check body on 1993–1997 cars. Salt-belt corrosion of the frame, cab corners and bed, typical of the era; late-life structural rust is a common ODI theme for these trucks.
- End with a pre-purchase inspection of this car. Aggregate data describes the population; the example in front of you has its own history.
For a buyer, failures on this generation are spread rather than concentrated: the middle half falls between 75,000 and 146,000 miles, with a median of 106,000. There is no single mileage threshold to watch, which means condition and maintenance records are more informative than the odometer.
On inspection, the hydraulic brake circuit and the tyres are where this generation's reports concentrate, so those are the areas worth a specific look. The hydraulic brake circuit in particular shows a median failure mileage of 104,000, which gives a concrete number to compare against the odometer of any car you are considering.
None of this is a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on the individual car. Aggregate patterns describe a population; the example in front of you has its own history.
What fails, and when
Figure 2 · Ford Ranger 1993–1997
When each system fails
Bar spans the middle half of reports; the notch inside each bar is the median. Miles at failure on a proportional scale — equal distances are equal ratios, not equal miles.
- Transmission and driveline171 reports96,00059,000–148,000Transmission and driveline: 171 reports, median 96,000 miles, middle half 59,000 to 148,000 miles.
- Electrical system143 reports100,00060,000–148,000Electrical system: 143 reports, median 100,000 miles, middle half 60,000 to 148,000 miles.
- Hydraulic brake circuit307 reports104,00048,000–171,000Hydraulic brake circuit: 307 reports, median 104,000 miles, middle half 48,000 to 171,000 miles.
- Fuel system198 reports104,00075,000–130,000Fuel system: 198 reports, median 104,000 miles, middle half 75,000 to 130,000 miles.
- Tyres233 reports110,00055,000–163,000Tyres: 233 reports, median 110,000 miles, middle half 55,000 to 163,000 miles.
- Throttle and speed control129 reports127,00078,000–146,000Throttle and speed control: 129 reports, median 127,000 miles, middle half 78,000 to 146,000 miles.
- Suspension122 reports134,000100,000–193,000Suspension: 122 reports, median 134,000 miles, middle half 100,000 to 193,000 miles.
- Your odometer — appears after you enter it in “Where your car sits”
Ordered by median mileage, earliest first. The first 12,000 miles are shaded: that is the boundary this site uses between a manufacturing defect and ordinary wear, not a property of the world.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain.
| System | Complaints | Share | Median | 25–75% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hydraulic brake circuit | 307 | 13.2% | 104,000 | 48,000–171,000 |
| Tyres | 233 | 10.0% | 110,000 | 55,000–163,000 |
| Fuel system | 198 | 8.5% | 104,000 | 75,000–130,000 |
| Visibility equipment | 176 | 7.6% | — | — |
| Transmission and driveline | 171 | 7.4% | 96,000 | 59,000–148,000 |
| Electrical system | 143 | 6.2% | 100,000 | 60,000–148,000 |
| Throttle and speed control | 129 | 5.6% | 127,000 | 78,000–146,000 |
| Suspension | 122 | 5.3% | 134,000 | 100,000–193,000 |
| Engine and its cooling system | 105 | 4.5% | 79,000 | 59,000–84,000 |
| Body structure | 88 | 3.8% | 131,000 | 84,000–160,000 |
Where your car sits
Failure reports by the odometer reading they were filed at. Pick the anchor nearest your car — or type the exact mileage: your marker lands on this curve and on the timing chart above.
Figure 3 · Ford Ranger 1993–1997 · 417 reports with mileage
Share of reports below each mileage
Share of mileage-tagged reports filed at or below each odometer reading. Steps rise only at bin edges, by exact counted shares.
- 60,000 mi — 14% of reports below
- 90,000 mi — 35% of reports below
- 120,000 mi — 57% of reports below
- Median — the staircase crosses the 50% line here
- Your odometer — appears after you enter it below
The staircase tops out at 92%: the remaining 8.4% of reports (35) came above 200,000 miles.
Nothing is smoothed or interpolated. Linear axis, same as Figure 1.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain.
At 60,000 miles
14% of the failure reports on this generation came below this mileage. That describes reports, not your odds.
In the reporting window
- Hydraulic brake circuit — middle half 48,000–171,000 mi
- Tyres — middle half 55,000–163,000 mi
- Transmission and driveline — middle half 59,000–148,000 mi
- Electrical system — middle half 60,000–148,000 mi
Mostly reported later
- Fuel system — middle half 75,000–130,000 mi
- Throttle and speed control — middle half 78,000–146,000 mi
- Suspension — middle half 100,000–193,000 mi
At 90,000 miles
35% of the failure reports on this generation came below this mileage. That describes reports, not your odds.
In the reporting window
- Hydraulic brake circuit — middle half 48,000–171,000 mi
- Tyres — middle half 55,000–163,000 mi
- Fuel system — middle half 75,000–130,000 mi
- Transmission and driveline — middle half 59,000–148,000 mi
- Electrical system — middle half 60,000–148,000 mi
- Throttle and speed control — middle half 78,000–146,000 mi
Mostly reported later
- Suspension — middle half 100,000–193,000 mi
At 120,000 miles
57% of the failure reports on this generation came below this mileage. That describes reports, not your odds.
In the reporting window
- Hydraulic brake circuit — middle half 48,000–171,000 mi
- Tyres — middle half 55,000–163,000 mi
- Fuel system — middle half 75,000–130,000 mi
- Transmission and driveline — middle half 59,000–148,000 mi
- Electrical system — middle half 60,000–148,000 mi
- Throttle and speed control — middle half 78,000–146,000 mi
- Suspension — middle half 100,000–193,000 mi
Which systems, and when
Complaints about this generation are not spread evenly across the vehicle, and the systems that generate the most of them do not all fail at the same point in a car's life. The median failure across all systems here is 106,243 miles; the figures below show which parts of the car run ahead of that and which run behind.
The hydraulic brake circuit accounts for 13.2% of complaints (307 reports, 10 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 104,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 48,000 and 171,000 miles.
The tyres account for 10.0% of complaints (233 reports, 20 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 110,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 55,000 and 163,000 miles.
The fuel system accounts for 8.5% of complaints (198 reports, 107 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 104,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 75,000 and 130,000 miles.
The transmission and driveline accounts for 7.4% of complaints (171 reports, 14 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 96,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 59,000 and 148,000 miles.
The electrical system accounts for 6.2% of complaints (143 reports, 25 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 100,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 60,000 and 148,000 miles.
Throttle and speed control accounts for 5.6% of complaints (129 reports, 27 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 127,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 78,000 and 146,000 miles.
Differences between model years
Within this generation, complaint volume is not constant across model years. The 1997 model year drew the most — 536 complaints — while 1993 drew the fewest at 272. The median year sits at 531.
Recalls and what they cover
No recall campaigns covering this generation appear in NHTSA's post-2010 recall file. That is not the same as an absence of problems — recalls address safety defects specifically, and many of the complaints above concern faults that are expensive or annoying without meeting that threshold.
Reported severity
What owners reported alongside the failure itself, out of 2,323 complaints against this generation:
- Crashes
- 227 (9.8%)
- Fires
- 79
- Injury reports
- 134
- Fatality reports
- 8
These flags are self-reported by complainants and unverified by NHTSA; one report can carry several flags, so the counts overlap and do not sum to a total. They are not adjusted for how many of these vehicles are on the road. No chart is drawn here on purpose: overlapping counts spanning very different magnitudes cannot be honestly encoded as lengths.
Documented problems
Transmission 1993–1996
A4LD 4-speed automatic durability — overdrive and forward clutch failure, and torque converter lockup faults, are the characteristic transmission failure of the pre-5R55E trucks.
Body 1993–1997
Salt-belt corrosion of the frame, cab corners and bed, typical of the era; late-life structural rust is a common ODI theme for these trucks.
By model year
| Year | Complaints | With mileage |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | 272 | 45 |
| 1994 | 531 | 80 |
| 1995 | 451 | 59 |
| 1996 | 533 | 93 |
| 1997 | 536 | 140 |
What owners reported
The rear brake cable goes though a oblong hole in the frame. In my 1993 Ford Ranger the oblong hole edge is now razor sharpe. This can cause a fatique crack leading to frame failure. I used rtv to try to keep the cable away from the edge of the hole. The frame hole is now too sharp for me to mess with. I do not want…
1993 · 11 miles · Parking brake
The governor for the 90 MPH governor was recalled by the consumer agency responsible for recalls. The problem was that it was a potential fire hazard. I called upon Ford several times over a period of years, as well as went by the Ford shop and was told that it was not pertaining to my 1993 Ford Ranger. Not until…
1993 · 57,000 miles · Throttle and speed control
Unexpected fire under hood after turning the defroster switch on. While driving in a parking garage my nephew who was driving at the time turned the defroster switch on and all of a sudden there was smoke bellowing out of the vents into the Ford Ranger pk/u cab. He pulled over to the side of the lot and someone ran up…
1993 · 80,000 miles · Visibility equipment
- the contact's 1993 Ford Ranger caught on fire. There were no warnings prior to the incident. The contact was traveling approximately 65 MPH with an odometer reading of 84000 at the time of the failure. The contact purchased the vehicle on 11/7/06 from a private owner. The throw-out bearing was replaced on 11/9/06.…
1993 · 84,000 miles · Engine and its cooling system
Built from 417 NHTSA complaints with mileage · snapshot 2026-08-18 · open data · reproduce this page