1991 Ford Ranger problems & reliability
132 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1991 Ford Ranger. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
10 complaints report injuries (14 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1991 Ford Ranger vehicles were involved in 13 fatal crashes with 10 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 20 | 15% |
| Suspension | 17 | 13% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 16 | 12% |
| Structure | 13 | 10% |
| Tires | 13 | 10% |
| Visibility | 13 | 10% |
| Power Train | 12 | 9% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 11 | 8% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 5 | 4% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 4 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Tl* the contact owned a 1991 ford ranger. The contact stated that the vehicle was parked when it caught on fire. The fire department was notified and no injuries were reported at the scene. The vehicle was destroyed. The dealer was not notified. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure and current mileages were…”
Engine and Engine Cooling · filed Jul 23, 2012
“Tl* the contact owns a 1991 ford ranger. The contact noticed that the front passenger side of the vehicle had dropped approximately five inches from the regular position and the front fender was covering the top of the front passenger side tire. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer for diagnostics. An independent…”
Suspension · filed Jun 14, 2011
“Tl* the contact owns a 1991 ford ranger. The contact stated that the fuel tank strap became corroded and was partially fractured from the vehicle. The contact was concerned that it would cause the fuel tank to detach. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer who stated that the strap would need to be replaced…”
Fuel System, Gasoline · filed May 9, 2011
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- PARKING PAWL
Recall Query RQ97015 · opened Oct 29, 1997 · closed Apr 1, 1999 · led to recall 91V189000
- SEPARATION OF MASTER CYLINDER
Engineering Analysis EA95018 · opened Jun 19, 1995 · closed Apr 2, 1996 · led to recall 96V024002
- FRONT SEAT TRACK FAILURE
Preliminary Evaluation PE92084 · opened Oct 23, 1992 · closed Feb 26, 1993
- WHL SEPARATION/TORQUE LOSS
Preliminary Evaluation PE92029 · opened Mar 16, 1992 · closed Aug 31, 1992
Technical service bulletins
55 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1991 Ford Ranger. The 10 most recent:
Some vehicles equipped with an automatic transmission and a 4.0l ohv engine may exhibit a noise / vibration, no drive, unusual noise during cranking or a no crank condition. *tt
02142 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 22, 2002
Owner notification program supplement 7 revised information - regarding replacement of wilderness at tires. *tt
01B77 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 1, 2001
Some vehicles equipped with the 4.0l ohv engine may exhibit an engine noise which may be perceived by the customer as a piston / onnecting rod bearing knock. *tt
01197 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 1, 2001
Information regarding transmission fluid usage charts. *slc
01157 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 6, 2001
Some vehicles may exhibit heater core leaks. *slc
01156 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 6, 2001
On some vehicles, engine oil may continue to leak from the engine oil pan gasket area after an engine oil pan gasket repair has been performed. *tt
01124 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 25, 2001
Subject regarding contamination from prior transmission concerns or excess wear may be trapped in the transmission fluid cooling system. *tt
002310 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 13, 2000
Information regarding the new transmission cooler flusher- service tip. *mjs
0015 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 10, 2000
Some vehicles equipped with manual transmission may exhibit neutral gear rollover noise (a light metallic rattling sound from the transmission) which occurs at idle with transmission in neutral clutch engaged (clutch…
7366 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 1, 1999
Subject on a wire harness terminal repair kit available for repairing electrical wiring harnesses. *tt
99222 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 18, 1999
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1991 Ford Ranger in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1991 Ford Ranger?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.