Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1996 Ford Ranger owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The control clusters on the steering wheel have been at a sufficiently high temperature that the plastic covering over the micro switches has deformed and on occasion it will stick to your fingers. The center button on the left side has disintegrated to the point that the actual micro button is now operated directly through the missing portion of the original covering. One of the micro buttons on the right side is in the same condition and both control clusters have broken loose from the steering wheel. With the problems Ford has had with fires I thought they would offer some assistance in repairing this defect but both the local dealers I have taken it to have indicated no assistance is available, I guess we will wait for the fire that spreads through the garage and takes down the whole house. …
Upon entering the veh to go to work we found that one side of the steering column had melted and a burnt odor was detected in the veh. This occurred on the side of the steering column that the cruise feature is located. We talked with another owner of a Ranger and he advised us there had been a recall on the Ranger truck. We have not received any notification as to the recall and we bought the veh new in 1995. It is a 1996 model. This veh was in good condition before this happened and I would like to know if this can be fixed and what steps to take in order to take care of this problem.
Overnight the truck caught fire while parked outside without the key in the ignition. Damage from the fire was contained to under the dash throughout the electrical components as well as ductwork. It re-ignited and burned after being put out once then after the battery was successfully disconnected, did not catch fire again.
Dt: on 7/8/05 after driving the vehicle for about 20 minutes , vehicle was parked when owner noticed the tire had blown out, and a boom was heard. The owner ran outside and vehicle was in flames. The flames were noticed under hood of truck. The flames went into cab. The fire lasted about 30 or 35 minutes before it was put out. The fire was put out by fire department. The fire department never gave indication of what caused fire. There was a police report filed. No indication from the police department as to what caused the fire. There is a recall on 1996 extended cab Ranger regarding the pressure break switch. But owner doesn't have the recall number. Work tools were inside the vehicle when it burned. There were no lights inside the vehicle or warnings of a problem prior to the fire. There were no other major problems with vehicle. The fire has not been reported to insurance company.
Tl contact owns a 1996 Ford Ranger. The contact stated that the windshield wipers would activate intermittently while driving obstructing his view. Also, the interior dome light door ajar alarm would continue to illuminate when the door was been closed intermittently. He also noticed that the electronic overdrive light would illuminate intermittently. All three electrical failures began September 2010. The dealer and manufacturer informed the contact that the vehicle was not included in any recalls. The vehicle had not been inspected or repaired. The current mileage was 107,000 and the failure mileage was 100,000.
Tl contact owns a 1996 Ford Ranger. While activating the right turn signal, the contact heard an electrical crackling sound in the dashboard. The failure has been occurring daily for the last nine months. The failure mileage was 130,000 and current mileage was 164,000. Updated 04/08/08. The right turn signals and emergency flashers did not work. The consumer also stated the cruise control was a problem as well. Updated
Part replaced with used parts. Total cost $379.18, took 10 days to get repaired at bay Ford, port orchard, wa, 98366. This failure caused a small fire within the steering column and filled the cab with smoke. This incident endangered the life of my 17 year old daughter. Neither bay Ford (repair facility ) nor Ford customer service would handle this under warranty.
Had noticed smoke filling gauges & then turned black. Had stopped vehicle & smelled smoke. Checked vehicle & dashboard twice before it caught fire. The fire occurred from under the steering wheel/dashboard area.
Windshield wipers come on intermittently, vehicle has not been examined by dealer. The lights on the dash went out. Consumer found soot everywhere. Consumers husband checked to see if a fuse had blown. They noticed that in the power distribution box the fuses used were higher than what the manual stated. These had 50 amp fuses. The manual calls for 30 amps. Consumer feels this overage in power could have resulted in fire to the vehicle and that this May be the underlying problem with the windshield wipers.
Consumer has been experiencing ongoing problem concerning vehicle shutting down while driving at random. Vehicle been in/out of dealer shop. Consumer feels that the dealer put more miles on vehicle then the consumer for test driving. But yet the condition cannot be corrected. All costs still go to the consumer.
Electrical complaints in other Ranger years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 1996 Ford Ranger?
NHTSA has 38 complaints about the electrical system of the 1996 Ford Ranger, 9% of the model year's 413 complaints. The component named most often is wiring (8 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1996 Ford Ranger electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 1996 Ford Ranger, though it has 2 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 1996 Ford Ranger electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 130,000 miles, and 25% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 10 fires and 0 injuries to electrical system problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.