Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2003 Ford Ranger owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2003 Ford Ranger. The contact stated that while driving at 65 MPH, an abnormal, rattling noise began to emit from the rear of the vehicle without warning. Upon inspection, the contact discovered that the rear cross members had rotted out due to severe corrosion. The contact also stated that the fuel tank was no longer being supported due to the failure. An independent mechanic inspected the vehicle and deemed the vehicle unsafe to drive. The dealer nor the manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 79,000.
Truck has no spare tire, totally missing the assembly and bracket originally used to hold the tire (have a junk one in the bed). The crossmember under the truck is about 50% intact is getting ready to fall off. Brake lines and rocker panals rotted out as well. Holes in the frame starting and a patch was already needed on the frame (drivers side rear). As well as a loose bed. The truck is very clean on top but underneath is rotting away like it has 200000 miles on it(truck is at 77,000). I want to remove the rust and coat it but im scared of punching through cause spots are brittle.
The frame of my truck has rotted through. The strap that holds the gas tank has nothing to connect to, i think the tank could fall to the ground under the right circumstances. The frame has a large whole in it and i fear it will break very soon. I had to remove the spare tire because i feared it would fall off the truck. I had to replace both connectors that held the leaf springs to the frame,and was told there wasn't much left to connect them to.
2003 Ford Ranger suddenly accelerated upon attempting to park. I was pulling into my parking spot while apply the brakes when my vehicle suddenly accelerated, jumped a snow bank and hit a light pole. Independent witness reported the vehicle just took off, rear wheels rapidly started turning. I contacted Ford motor co. Who did not seem too concerned about the incident and had no interest to inspect the vehicle.
A few weeks ago my spare tire fell off my truck while driving on lakeshore drive in hewitt, nj 07421. Thankfully it rolled off onto the side of the road so no one else hit it. Yesterday I noticed the back end of the truck looked twisted only to find that the rear passenger side frame is completely snapped. Only to further discover the entire frame, suspension, and various other components are rotting horribly. My vehicle has under 70,000 miles. I had an older Toyota tacoma a few years ago that was recalled due to frame rust and it was fully handled. However, the rust and rot on this Ford Ranger make the 1997 tacoma frame look nearly new. I can no longer drive this vehicle as it is not safe. Ironically, it seem that this is or has happened to nearly every Ford Ranger from the early 2000s. …
The entire front of the bed rusted apart and now has a three to five inch gap between front bed wall and bed floor. Needless to say the front bolts that attach the bed are no longer doing anything to hold the bed down. This results in the entire front of the bed flopping around and bouncing when driving. To add insult to injury the rear portion of the frame when the leaf spring shackles mount are rusted through with several holes visible, and the entire passenger side leaf spring shackle rusted apart and busted off the frame the other day while driving on a state highway at highway speeds. It took me 11 hours to grind off the old rivets and replace the shackle but am unsure if the frame will hold up due to the severe perforation's from rusting. The other side has not compromised yet but it is in really bad shape and will be falling apart in the next few months. …
Two years ago, a crunching noise while turning was determined to be that both rear spring brackets had rusted through and broken, leaving the rear of the leaf springs unattached to the frame. Both were replaced without incident. This week, while doing routine maintenance, I noticed the front fuel tank hanger was out of place. Upon examination, one side of the fuel tank hanger was completely disconnected from the frame. The cross member and the hanger for the fuel tank bracket is completely rusted away. The frame has no structural support in that area and nothing is supporting the front of the fuel tank. It is unacceptable that Ford is allowed to produce frames that rust away right under the vehicle so quickly. This truck body looks fine, however, the bed is rusted away in two places and this frame cross member is completely gone.
My wife got a 2003 Ford Ranger fx4 last year. As we looked it over we notice some bubbling rust under the paint. The dealer said he would paint it if we got the truck. OK so he did and it looked good. A few months later I started to notice more bubbling. Last week I was driving it and I heard something like a thump, I looked in the mirror and saw the spare tire in the middle of the road. I pulled over and put the spare in the bed. When I got home I looked under the truck and noticed the spain tier area was totally rotted out. Yesterday I pulled into the driveway and hear a squeaking noise. I looked around and noticed that the front passenger corner of the bed was hanging. I looked at the area and what held the bed up was totally rotted out. We are now afraid to drive the truck!!! What can we do?
The fuel tank strap bracket on the frame rotted out and the strap is now hanging loose. The strap looks to be rusty but wasn't the issue it is where the t-shape end on the strap hooks to the frame/bracket that is the problem if the other straps are taking up all the weight and were to break this could cause the gas tank to fall out. This May have happened while driving on city streets. Salt spread throughout the winter and wet conditions would be the best cause for this to happen resulting in rust and corrosion. Also common for the leaf spring shackles and mounts to rot out and come apart this is also another safety issue in itself. This also applies to the Mazda b2300 through the b4000 series pick ups since they use the same Ranger frames.
I own a 2003 Ford Ranger I bought new. On November 26 2010 I pulled into the parking lot @ work and my clutch and brake pedals fell to the floor causing a minor crash. The pivot bracket that holds the steel pedals is made from cast aluminum. I have been a aluminum welder for over 10 years and in my opinion this bracket is very substandard. I searched the web and found that other people had the same thing happen on rangers and other trucks and Ford cars. If I was on the road this could have been much worse. I sent pictures and a piece of the bracket to a recall investigator. He said its not a common failure since he cant find any complaints.
Body complaints in other Ranger years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2003 Ford Ranger?
NHTSA has 43 complaints about the body & structure of the 2003 Ford Ranger, 18% of the model year's 243 complaints. The component named most often is body (25 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2003 Ford Ranger body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 2003 Ford Ranger, though it has 1 recall 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 2003 Ford Ranger body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 86,000 miles, and 9% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 4 crashes, 0 fires and 6 injuries to body & structure 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.