1999 Ford Ranger Brake Problems

Which parts fail

• Antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip
  38
• Foundation components
  10
• Foundation components › Disc › Rotor
  8
• Foundation components › Disc
  6
• Foundation components › Disc › Caliper
  5
• Foundation components › Drum
  5

Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).

Mileage when the problem started

• Under 25k
  14%
• 25k–50k
  730%
• 50k–75k
  313%
• 75k–100k
  313%
• 100k–150k
  626%
• 150k+
  313%

Owner reports

Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1999 Ford Ranger owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).

On 20 January 2015, approx 11:30 pm while the vehicle was parked in the garage since the previous evening, the vehicle alarm went on it's own. I went and turned it of f and while trying to figure out why, I smelled something burning immediately there was smoke coming from under the hood. I went into action and got the hood open, I saw flames coming from the switch at the end of the master cylinder. I've noticed the switch before, I did not know what it did, I just thought it was part of the braking system. I managed to put out the fire at that point. The switch was completely burned out, the brake fluid reservoir was badly charred but did not burn through (that would have been disastrous). The following day I was searching for a replacement switch (f3ta-9f924-ca) and found out it was called: speed control deactivation switch and has to do with the cruise control system. …

I was stopping at a stop sign at the bottom of a hill behind another car and my brake pedal went to the floor and the brakes quit working. I hit the car causing approx. $1500 damage and bending my front bumper. I also got a ticket because the officer said the crash was due to driver failing to stop, he didn't even check the brakes. I towed it to 2 different shops before they determined it was a brake problem (the first shop crashed it into a car jack because of the brakes not working) and told me to take it to a Ford dealer. The Ford mechanic took it for a test drive trying to figure out what the problem was and the brakes gave out again causing him to run someone off the road. It is still at the Ford dealer and even though Ford doesn't really know what's wrong with it they quoted $800 to fix it. They think the ABS module is malfunctioning. …

1999 Ford Ranger....left rear tire blow out on freeway...when tire exploded it lifted the rear of the truck up and it started to spin counter clockwise when I tried to keep it straight by turning to the right it changed lanes immediately and I was in front of 2 semi trucks I went under one of them with the bed/rear of truck. I later learned the tire had also pulled the parking brake cable out of the backing plate causing the left wheel to lock completely...the park brake cables need enclosed somehow so the tire cannot apply the brakes.....the rear of the truck isn't heavy enough during a blow out to keep the rear end down..........I had seen this happen to a Ford explorer where the left rear tire blew and it lifted up 1 to 2 feet turned sideways changed lanes and was hit by a car t-boning it hard.......if nitrogen was used instead of air they May not explode like they do......my tires …

I was driving along and I came to a hill and at the bottom was a stop sign. I got allmost stopped behind the car in front of me and my brakes gave out causing me to crash into the car in front of me. I have heard of at least 25 different people that have the same model truck that I have that have either wrecked or almost wrecked because of this defect.

Dt*: the contact stated while driving at 22 MPH in the rain the antilock brakes failed without warning. This occurred under normal braking. The seatbelts were in use and no one was injured. The dealership and manufacturer were notified.

I have taken my 1999 Ford Ranger to both mullinax Ford in wickliffe, ohio and classic Ford in mentor, ohio complaining about abnormal ABS activity, the brakes do not engage at slow speeds and both dealers gave me a print out stating that that is normal ABS activity( the truck was still under warranty during this time) I recently took the truck to a non dealer shop and they determined that the ABS module was in fact bad and was reading 255 MPH at speeds below 50 MPH, I took this information to the dealer and they will not cover the repair cost even though this was the problem when the truck was still under warranty, this is a common problem with ABS modules with Ford trucks as well as chevys and should be part of a safety recall, it will only be a matter of time before someone is seriously injured as a result of Ford not addressing this issue, I know you have other individuals with this …

I lost air pressure in air shocks I had installed on the vehicle. Upon inspection, I discovered that the rear brake fluid lines had rubbed a hole in the bladder on the air shocks. The brake line was also damaged, and had worn almost through, with about 75 percent of the thickness gone. I then inspected all rear brake lines, and discovered that both rear brake lines were severely damaged from rubbing on the shock absorbers, and in one spot on the left side of the vehicle where the line passes through a hole in the frame, the line was almost completely cut through. I pulled the affected lines away from the shock absorbers, and secured them with plastic harnesses. I also put a 2 inch long piece of one half inch I.d. Pvc pipe on the line that passed through the frame. I have seen other trucks like mine, and all of the trucks I have seen have this problem. …

I have a 99 Ford Ranger xlt extended cab pickup truck. It has a 4.0l engine with ac. I just went over 58,000 miles and I have had to replace the brakes on my truck 3 times already. A comment made by more than one brake technician was that the brakes on this truck seam very under capacity for this size vehicle. They are like those on a small compact car. I am a very conservative driver. I don't run up to a stop light and slam on the brakes. When I see a light that is red ahead of me I take my foot off the gas and let the engine slow the truck down. I apply the brakes only when I have to come to a full stop. I had a previous Ranger that the 1st time I had to replace the breaks at 70,000 miles. I don't think brakes should be wearing out so fast.

While traveling within the posted speed limit and approaching a green light at an intersection, two vehicles traveling at a safe distance ahead of me decided to stop at the green light to allow a police car through the intersection traveling perpendicular to us. I braked to stop thinking I had plenty of time. The brakes did not function as I think they should. Everything locked up and I bumped into the car in front of me. It was not a hard hit as I almost stopped. The car was not damaged but my truck had the bumper ruined and other relatively minor damage. I feel the brakes did not work as designed and the gentelman at the body shop says he has heard similar complaints from numerous Ford Ranger owners. Is there a history of this reported?

I have a 1999 Ford Ranger and the ABS brakes seem to be malfunctioning. It only happens at slow speed like in a parkinglot or turning a corner. My ABS light does not come on but the truck will not come to a complete stop it seems to coast forward about 5 - 7 feet past where I want to stop. Mechanic checked it and says May be a faulty ABS control module and he pulled the ABS fuse until repairs can be made. Upon searching web this seems to be a common problem, also know someone who has a 2000 Ranger and has same issue. This seems to be a major issue and ai feel Ford should be recalling these vehicles and correcting the problem before someone gets killed or maybe they already have and we don't know it was caused by the brake systems.

Brake complaints in other Ranger years