1997 Ford Ranger XLT review from North America
"A solid buy for a small truck"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Cruise control went out about 24,000 miles. Dealer fixed it for free.
Auto transmission jerks going into and out of 1st gear. Currently being looked at by dealer. - 57,200 miles.
General comments?
This is a great truck. Engine power is good. The truck came loaded and all the gadgets are working fine. Cloth seats are still in great shape. 4x4 has always worked well. It helped me pull a Chevy full-size truck and his boat out of the sand when his 4x4 gave out.
Visibility out of the cab is not good though. The roofline on the windshield is lower than on my Nissan PU and the side columns are wide. With the larger tires, the higher center-of-gravity causes the truck to rock violently when going over bumps.
Besides the work by the dealer listed above, only routine filter and fluid changes have been done. Reliability has been impressive.
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| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| First year of ownership | 1997 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2003 |
| Engine and transmission | 4.0L 6 cylinder Automatic |
| Performance marks | 8/10 |
| Reliability marks | 9/10 |
| Comfort marks | 8/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 6/10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 7/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 280 miles |
| Most recent distance | 57200 miles |
| Previous car | Nissan Hardbody Pickup |
| Date of Entry | 3rd January, 2003 |