Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (struts, shocks, control arms, ball joints, springs).
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 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.
I had been noticing some squeaking form the rear of my 2003 Ford Ranger. I thought it was my breaks. It turned out that the mounts for the rear springs had rusted out. My mechanic also noticed a hole, in the frame, resulting from rust. The hole is located on the inside surface of the frame on the passenger side just forward of the passenger compartment. Since the hole was discovered I stopped using the Ranger due to safety concerns.
Tl* the contact owned a 2003 Ford Ranger. While driving at 35 MPH, the spindle on the driver side tire rod broke. As a result, the contact lost control of the vehicle. The vehicle swerved from lane to lane the vehicle went off the road. The vehicle became air born and crashed in a tree. The air bags did not deploy and the seat belts wouldn't buckle. The contact sustained a cut from their ear to their throat from the seat belt, the contact also had a burn mark from the seat belt. The contact sought medical attention. The contact's brother was in the vehicle was as well. They sustained an injury but didn't receive medical attention. The contact's brother sustained a cracked rib. The contact's vehicle was the only vehicle evolved in this crash. No other medical attention was needed. A police report was made. The vehicle was totaled. The dealer was not contacted. …
Spin out and fishtailing issue. I was turning a corner and I stepped down to get out of the way of oncoming traffic. The tires begin to spinout; I lost control of the truck, crashed into the curb, and blew out three new tires and bent 3 rims. I also had some small damage to the truck's body. This spinout has happen on more than one occasion. Most vehicles would burn rubber, however this truck spinouts and has some fishtailing which I consider a safety issue. I would like to know what to do to stop this from happening again and know if there are other Ford Ranger truck owners having the same issue.
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. …
Body, frame and suspension have all been rusted out. Bumper recently just fell off due to rust (while parked). Doors won't shut completely due to rust, which has LED to the interior light remaining on or periodically turning on throughout the day/night and killing the battery. Entire truck is one big pile of rust on wheels.
Entire frame rusted out. Won't pass inspection. Obviously an ongoing problem. Driver side behind cab to bumper very bad. It is actually allthe way into.we got it on a line of credit. We are out of 5000.00 . Rest of truck is really nice
Chassis rotting out. Lost spare tire carrier and rear frame support. Spring perch rotted off chassis. Other areas are beginning to rot out on frame rails! Things came apart in motion but was able to safely remove upon stopping
The vehicle was riding very rough as though some one was knocking on the engine with a hammer. I took it to the dealer ( gene evans Ford ) which is where I purchase it from, all I was told was that is what a truck suppose to sound like. I continue to complain about the roughness of the truck, no one was concern about my complaints. Now here it is September 2010, I take my truck for a oil change and tire rotation in new jersey and the repair shop writes up a invoice stating my rear axle needs an adjustment. The Ford dealerships has service my vehicle all this time and to me they made sure this would not be detected. I had an accident on January 4,2014 and my axel is now bent from a small impact because it was no good from the day I bought the truck. …
Tl contact owns a 2003 Ford Ranger. While driving approximately 35 MPH on normal road conditions, the contact heard a loud grinding noise when the brake pedal was depressed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for inspection. The failure was contributed to the manufacturer installing incorrect hubs on the vehicle. The service repair cost was estimated at $800. The front brake pads were replaced and the contact was advised to not drive the vehicle due to the potential safety hazard. The vehicle has not been repaired. The manufacturer was notified, but there were no resolutions. The failure and current mileages were 60,000.
Suspension complaints in other Ranger years
Frequently asked questions
How common are suspension problems on the 2003 Ford Ranger?
NHTSA has 23 complaints about the suspension of the 2003 Ford Ranger, 9% of the model year's 243 complaints. The component named most often is front (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2003 Ford Ranger suspension problems?
No. NHTSA lists no suspension 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 suspension problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 98,000 miles, and 12% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 0 fires and 2 injuries to suspension 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.