no report yet
Vehicle speed control
Risk. A VEHICLE FIRE COULD OCCUR WITH OR WITHOUT THE ENGINE RUNNING.
2003 Ford RangerProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 243 owner complaints about the 2003 Ford Ranger, most often about the structure. It is covered by 1 safety recall.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through July 15, 2025. Updated daily. Photo: Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA, CC BY 2.0.
Complaints by system
Where the 2003 Ford Ranger has problems
243 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
43Structure5 crash/fire/injury
40Vehicle speed control12 crash/fire/injury
29Service brakes, hydraulic5 crash/fire/injury
25Air bags11 crash/fire/injury
23Suspension3 crash/fire/injury
18Engine and engine cooling1 crash/fire/injury
17Electrical system
16Power train
10Tires
7315 other systems18 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Structure | 43 | 5 |
| Vehicle speed control | 40 | 12 |
| Service brakes, hydraulic | 29 | 5 |
| Air bags | 25 | 11 |
| Suspension | 23 | 3 |
| Engine and engine cooling | 18 | 1 |
| Electrical system | 17 | 6 |
| Power train | 16 | 2 |
| Tires | 10 | 1 |
| 15 other systems | 73 | 18 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
1 recall
2003 Ford Ranger recalls and how many were fixed
Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Ford.
Mileage at failure
When do structure problems start?
86kmiles, median
Based on the odometer reading in 35 structure complaints. 63% were reported before 100,000 miles.
3under 30k miles22under 100k miles13100k miles or more
Best & worst years
2003 vs. every other Ranger year
Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Ranger median. How we score
11122735508973105132189232438321413411576755670515346243405289272270326169156235111272131119391999469
'83'84'85'86'87'88'89'90'91'92'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'14'16'17'19'20'21'22'23'24'25'26
- Avoid
- Caution
- Solid
- Best
- Not rated
NHTSA crash tests
2003 Ford Ranger safety ratings
2003 Ford Ranger Regular Cab in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.
Side barrierNot rated
- Rollover: 2 stars (0.0% risk)
- Stability control: No
- Forward collision warning: No
- Lane departure warning: No
1 investigation
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal investigations that included the 2003 Ford Ranger, and the recalls they led to.
- BRAKE LIGHTS INOPERATIVENo recall
In owners' words
What Ranger owners report
Recent structure complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
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…
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…
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…
Own a 2003 Ranger?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.