Problems with 2001 Ford Ranger STRUCTURE

Takata recall. my vehicle was stationary when i got to work i nothing my rear bumper fell off with no given warning and i didn't hear it hit the ground i got home and looked under the frame and noticed the whole frame was rotten away and is not safe to drive

I purchased a used 2001 ford ranger, went to have it inspected and there was severe rust underneath of the frame to the point the inspector said it was highly dangerous to be driving my vehicle around. would like to know if there was any recalls for the trucks frame underneath? will provide pictures if needed.

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 ford ranger. while driving 25 mph over a railroad track, the spare tire loosened from the vehicle without warning. the contact pulled the vehicle over to the shoulder of the road, looked underneath, and noticed nothing but rust where the frame for the spare tire was located. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the dealer and manufacturer were not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 136,092. *bf *tr

2001 ford ranger frame is rusted out bad. there should be a recall on this since so many people are having the same problem. ford should be ashamed of themselves for making a vehicle that the frame only lasts 15 to 17 years!

Body frame rusted to the point i noticed the bumper was hanging down on drivers side, as i looked under the truck in my driveway i had seen the shackle was broken and the plate over the spare tire was cracked which could have cause the tire to fall out from under the truck or bumper which was not connected on drivers side because of rust also frame had to be repaired these are the repairs i had done, replaced rear frame section from rear axle snubbers to bumper, replaced rear shackles-replaced right side rear frame shackle mount repaired crossmember for gas tank right side-repair right front frame rail round contro; arm to trans crossmember cost with labor $973.69

Frame is rusting away. both rear shock mounts. gas tank holding straps. both chasis rails are rusting away with big chunks of steel falling off. trans cross member rusting away

Frame is rusted badly at points where control arm connects to frame and cross members where holds gas tank. body is in perfect condition and only issue is in the frame . it's unsafe to drive any longer. if control arm breaks off the frame could cause serious injury or death to passengers and others on highway.

Frame has excessive rust/corrosion.

Back half of frame rust out crossmembers and gas tank bracket. becomes unsafe

Bought a used 2001 ford ranger after driving it for a month or so shocks were really bad looked underneath to find two clean cracks through from near back shocks not sure if bad shocks are to blame or weak frame

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 ford ranger. upon inspection, the contact was informed that the vehicle frame experienced severe corrosion. as a result, the vehicle was no longer operable. the dealer was not contacted and the manufacturer was not notified. the failure mileage was approximately 82,000. *tt *tr

Serious structural frame rust affecting areas related to suspension (shocks, brackets/shackles of leaf spring) while the rest of the truck, including the body is generally unaffected by any serious rust.

I took my ford ranger to be inspected and was told the rear bumper mount had to be fixed due to rust. i made an appointment to get that fixed and when the garage that i took the truck to went to fix the that problem they told me they couldn't fix it because the rear frame was rotted. i had been running the truck before this problem arrived so now i have a vehicle with only 169000 miles on it and it wont pass inspection. the rest of the truck is in good condition. i have a g m c pick-up with 230500 miles on it and the frame is still good. the consumer requested an update. updated 10/23/2017*js

Rusty frame,

Was changing a broken adjuster on rear brakes and noticed the frame at the rear shock mount has large cracks in it on both sides. the concern is the stress placed on the cracked frame as that is where most of the strain is placed. that portion of the frame has a bunch of rust causing the metal to pit and likely weaken. i'm speculating that the metal used was inferior or that the shock plate was mounted in wrong location. the frame will require welding which will not be as strong.

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 ford ranger. while servicing the vehicle, the contact noticed that the frame was corroded and fractured. in addition, the suspension was corroded. the vehicle was unsafe to drive. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 58,000.

I bought my ranger 12 months ago. 6 months ago i noticed the bed of the truck was starting to lean to the left. also the spare tire came up missing. i thought it was stlolen but upon inspection it had simply rusted the holder under the truck and fallen off. 3 months ago the truck started making a grinding noise upon braking. the right front a arm had rusted and broken off the frame. a mechanic had to weld a piece of metal to the frame because there was nothing to weld to. then i finally decided to look under the truck and was shocked at what i found. the bed floor was nearly non excistant. rusted almost completely gone. the spring shackle on the right which is attached to frame with a bracket were sticking up against the bed liner, the bracket completely gone. the tube that holds the right shock absorber is completely rusted off, the shock absorber just hanging there. mechanics have told me theres no way to repair because theres no viable metal left to weld to. its simply rusted away. so now im left with over 3 more years of car payments on a vehicle that's useless. i will upload pictures as soon as i can. thank you. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

To begin when i got the truck the air bag light would never go off when ever i turned them on and off. which made me wonder weather they were ever really off and considering you can't fit a car seat in the back seat i had to put it in the front seat. then when my wife was driving the spare tire fell off the truck while she was going down the road. here recently she was driving and some one stopped her to tell her that something fell off the truck about 2 foot long. she called me and said the truck was still running so i told her to just try and make it home and i would look at it because i didn't think it was that serious. once i started looking at it, a canister had come loose from the truck because the frame broke in half where the canister was connected to the truck because the truck was so rotted. she got the truck inspected in october. i feel that the dude that inspected it should have noticed the frame almost broke in half. i am very disappointed with this truck i have done nothing but put money into it.

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 ford ranger. while driving, one of the vehicle's spare tires and half of the rear bumper detached from the vehicle. upon further inspection, the contact noticed that the front frame was rotted. the contact stated that the vehicle was diagnosed by an independent mechanic who stated that the front frame needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the dealer was not contacted. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 80,000.

Went to have the truck inspected when they notice that where the spare tire went it was rusted through. this was all noticed when the truck was sitting still being inspected

Noted piece of metal dangling from rear of truck. took vehicle to my mechanic and was shown that driver side gas tank strap had rusted away from mounting bracket. toured underneath vehicle while it was on lift and was astonished to see the rust thru on all components of underbody. frame, fuel and brake lines, mounting brackets etc. mechanic unable to find a secure part of frame that would hold temporary repair. {auto body mechanic made temp repair}. the deterioration of this vehicle goes way beyond normal wear and tear. i have maintained this vehicle through its 80,000 miles and the body and paint look perfect. it is a life safety catastrophe waiting to happen. i babied this truck and planned on keeping it many more years. i can't even sell it now due to complete deterioration from premature rusting.

I had my truck serviced and the mechanic said the left front frame holding the suspension was rusted. *tr

My 2001 ford ranger xlt displays a rusting frame that is not in line with the mileage or condition of the vehicle. the bracket holding the rear leaf spring has rusted and broken loose, allowing the spring to rest against the bottom of the bed of the truck. this is the 2nd bracket to rust completely thru, and again, as stated, the frame shows signs of severe degradation. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 ford ranger. the contact stated that while inspecting the vehicle, it was discovered that the rear leaf spring shackles had rusted and separated from the sub frame and punctured through the bed of the truck. the cause of the failure was not diagnosed or repaired. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was indicated that the sub frame was so severely rusted it would not pass inspection. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 140,000.

Frame supporting spare tire carrier fell off causing spare to drag. also have in the past had both rear leaf spring mounts and shackles break off the frame to excessive rot. *tr

All 4 rear shackles have been replaced due to rusting away. also driverside rear shock where it attaches frame rusted off. the bed has rusted off of the front 2 bed mounts

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 ford ranger. the contact stated that there was an abnormal noise coming from the rear of the vehicle. after servicing the vehicle, the contact discovered that the rear driver side frame was rusted and cracked. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 190,389. updated 6/8/15*cn

The spare tire mounted under the bed rusted off and fell off unto the highway. *tr

The front cross frame has rusted to the point of being unsafe as has the rear

Front wheel driver's side just fell off the frame due to extensive rust. wheel is hanging by the spring only. inspection of the entire frame shows very extensive rust and it looks like swiss cheese. *tr

My frame has corroded to the point that it is unsafe to drive. mostly all of my undercarriage bolts and supports have rotted through the frame that there is not enough frame metal to make appropriate repairs> including gas tank filler pipe, gas tank support straps, shock supports,muffler mounts,side step ups, and side panel: brackets. this truck has not been abused and i feel a frame should last more than 13 years. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 ford ranger. the contact stated that he noticed that the driver's side sub frame behind the front bracket of the leaf spring was cracked and corroded. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 105,000. djr

Rear frame rails have rusted through in multiple areas. right rear shock mount to frame has broken off and left a large hole in the frame rail. right side rear frame rail has a large crack completely through it. *tr

Rear spring shackles rusted so bad they broke apart and started to come through the cargo bed. now the entire rear section of the frame is so rusted i am afraid to use the trailer hitch. front section is also severely rusted. this truck only has 55000 miles on it and i am afraid to drive it. i have owned fords all my life and have never had an issue like this before. i can understand some boy panel rust, but to have the frame completely disintegrate is totally unacceptable. ford needs to be required to fix these trucks or buy them back at a fair market value.

Frame in rear of truck rusted badly, rear shackle mount o pass side extremely bad with holes completely through the frame in multiple places. rear tire carrier completely unusable. *tr

Chassis is severely rusted. you can break chunks of metal off with bare hands.both rear shock mounts have rusted off. straps that hold gas tank have rusted through. cross member holding tranny is severely rusted. gas tank fill tube is severely rusted gas vapor return tube rusted off. whole chassis. the whole frame is so rusted i am afraid to drive the truck. truck only has 155,000 on it and has always been maintained (have all service records)

The rear leaf spring mounts, shackles and frame where it mounts have rotted through resulting in the leaf spring breaking loose from the frame. also, the front cross member of the frame is disintegrating and shows signs of imminent failure. *tr

I have a 2001 ford ranger 4x4. the frame is rusted and has rot all over it. the truck was just sitting in my driveway over night, i came out to go clean my truck and the spare tire was on the ground. i take such good care of my truck, but the rear end is just killing me. please help if you can. -thank you, [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Passenger side rear spring shackle bracket rusted and broke off of frame. frame, especially near rear of truck, is badly rusted. *tr

I took my truck in for tire repair and service technician found severe rotting where leaf springs are supposed to be connected to the frame. there was a total disconnect at this location which explains the loud banging that i've been hearing. this is on the drivers side. he advised me that on the passenger side, it was the same situation but it wasn't disconnected yet. he advised me ford rangers have a problem with this. i went online and discovered a huge volume of complaints regarding this same issue. some complaints said that they were driving when their truck bed gave way and collapsed while in the truck was in motion. this truck was handed down with low mileage and little reason for all that rust/rotting in the frame of the truck. i was advised that had i been carrying a medium or heavy load the bed could have given way, and that could have been in motion. *tr

The frame on my 2001 ford ranger has completely rusted through just in front of the rear springs on the drivers side. the truck only has 80,000 miles on it and is otherwise in excellent shape. there is no rust on the body. it is now unsafe to drive. *tt

Failed component 2: frame ahead of leaf spring shackles on both sides. left was completely fractured and right was 1/2 fractured. right shock strut mount broken. driving around town hit several bumps in road due to road construction. when i parked the truck i noticed the truck bed was leaning to the right. further inspection revealed a cracked frame. took it to the shop and they said it wasn't safe to drive. they removed the bed and noticed extreme rust and a 'paper thin' frame.. said it would be difficult to find good metal to weld to. i noticed that ford had a recall on the 2004 ranger frame. *tr

This vehicle has less than 100k miles on it and i've already had to repair the frame multiple times. the first incident was the cross members in the rear rusting off. the next incident was the frame breaking behind the drivers side bed between the shackles. i could literally flex the frame 4 inches up and down at the pivot point. i found this break while parked but had to miss class because of the severity of the frame. my trip to school has many sharp off ramps where high speed traffic and braking occurs. i'm certain if i had driven to school that day i could have been killed. while repairing this break i found where previous owners had fixed the rear bumper mounts and rear cross member. after taking my truck in to replace the tires, i was informed of yet another major frame issue. underneath the drivers seat on the frame is a huge rusted hole with a crack starting to form down the center of the rail. this will need repairing immediately. this being my first ford vehicle, i am extremely reluctant to buy a ford ever again. i could understand if the truck had 150k+ miles but it still has less than 100k miles. i owned a 1992 chevy s10 five years ago and it had almost no rust on the frame even though it was an out door truck. ford needs to do something about this before someone is killed. *tr

Severely rusted frame rails, rear bumper in danger of falling off of vehicle!! i just arrived back in massachussetts from winter in south carolina, started to prepare my ford ranger to go back on the road, observed that the rear bumper appeared to be hanging lower than normal. i tugged on the rear bumper and found that i could easily move it up or down, crawled under the vehicle and observed that the rear frame rails were so rusted that the bumper is in danger of falling off of the vehicle, spare wheel well and lifting mechanism are severely rusted as well. *tr

I bought this truck used. this is the first vehicle that i've had the frame rust out. i just had some work done to the truck and my mechanic said that a chunk of the frame fell off when he lifted the truck to do work to the brake lines. i've already had welding work done to the truck right after i bought it because it wasn't disclosed that the frame was rusting out. this has been an on going issue. the attached image is from when i had the welding work done the first time.

I bought this 2001 ford ranger edge, regular cab from a dealer in connecticut. the exterior body panels themselves looks immaculate not a spot of rust anywhere, however, after i had driven home the vehicle and had my family mechanic look it over he discovered there are two locations where the frame has completely rusted/ rotted through (over 2 inches in diameter) on the driver side of the vehicle just in front of the rear axle, adjacent to the gas tank. this vehicle only has 89,000 miles on it and was very well cared for. this mechanic then told me that this will eventually lead to this vehicle being unsafe to drive and that the vehicle is borderline unsafe to drive in its current condition. *tr

Spare tire assembly rusted completely tire and full assembly fell off on on highway created a hazard and almost an accident. the truck was in motion doing about 50 mph.

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 ford ranger. the contact stated that upon inspection, it was found that the frame was severely rusted. the vehicle was taken to a private mechanic who confirmed that the frame was perforated due to rust. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure mileage was 151,238.

2001 ford ranger. consumer writes in regards to defective tire mount. *smd the consumer stated the full sized spare tire on the truck, was mounted under the cargo bed. it was being held in place by a stranded steel cable, one end of which was attached to a swaged steel fitting which went through the central hole of the spare, the other end to a winch which lowered and raised the spare. recently while driving, the consumer heard a thump and saw the spare tire had fallen out of its storage place and was sitting in the roadway behind him. when he inspected the mechanism, he found the swaged joint between the steel fitting and the cable had corroded and failed. fortunately, when the failure occurred he was driving at a slow speed through a parking lot and no damage was done.

I attached a yard trailer to the receiver hitch and as i pulled out of the yard the hitch pulled right off the back of the truck. i looked under the truck and saw about a foot of the rear frame rails were completely rusted away on both sides. both rear leaf spring mounts were broken away and the springs were pushed up onto the bed of the truck. this truck has less than 60,000 miles on it and no apparent rust. if this had happened on the highway the trailer would have gone sailing down the highway possibly causing an accident. both rear springs detached from the frame and if i had been on the highway, there is a good chance i would have lost control of the truck. *tr