2002 Ford Ranger Edge review from North America

Serpentine belt squealed from day one.

Airbag warning light comes on frequently (usually in damp weather).

CD player failed at around 55,000 miles.

Check engine light came on at around 63,000 miles.

Difficult, if not outright impossible to keep wheels in alignment. New tires at around 55,000 miles.

I've owned a bunch of cars, and a few of them have been Fords, and, I have to admit, while they're not very sexy, they've been good vehicles, I've just never been able to get excited about them like I did my 300zx, BMW, or even my old death-mobile Bug.

This truck is just like the other Fords I've had: unsexy in the extreme, rather boring, but reliable and bullet proof. Like the other Fords I've had, it's the little things that go wrong, like the CD player dying, and the belt tensioner (almost every Ranger I see on the road chirps and sings the same way mine did, I put on an after market tensioner and never had another problem with noisy parts). One thing I've learned from Ford is that it is the laziest car company in the world, and if something doesn't work for 20 years they're damned if they're going to bother re-engineering it.

That being said, I'm setting at nearly 70,000 miles and I haven't had any major problems. I've yet to get the airbag warning light fixed (probably will before I sell it), the check engine light was for exactly what I thought it would be for: a dirty mass air-flow sensor (no big deal). Changing the tensioner, idler pully and serpentine belt took less than an hour. I change the oil at every 3,000 miles and try not to drive like a maniac, which you can't really do anyway because of the underpowered engine and weak brakes (another typical Ford "feature").

The Edge model looks better than the standard Ranger, as it's raised higher and has a "4x4" look, I've driven it all over some pretty harsh desert "roads" and have only ever been badly stuck once. That said, the ride is very, very harsh. Strong spinal cords and neck muscles are recommended. I've never been able to figure out the alignment problem with this truck. You get the wheels aligned and it still pulls to one side. You get equal air pressure in every tire and it pulls to one side. I don't know if there is something defective here (though I wouldn't doubt it) or if there's something I'm doing wrong. Expect to go through tires at least every year or two ($500 for four good, name-brand tires).

Gas mileage is pretty poor, I get about 220 miles on a full tank, though I once went over 300 (all highway) miles, so don't believe the Ford propaganda about the Ranger being the most "fuel efficient truck", that phrase is an oxymoron anyway.

Interior is nice, I like the vinyl floor (easy to clean all the gunk I tend to track around in) and the "Supercab" is a nice option (though really more for storage than for people).

Overall this is a pretty solid truck. Not overpriced like the F-150, but they seem to keep their value pretty well and you can get a good deal on a used one (unlike, say, Tacomas, which are ridiculously over-valued).