1998 Ford Ranger XLT, Stepside review from North America
"The Ford Ranger is an excellent truck, for all purposes."
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Faulty switch for the dome light, around 90,000 miles. Disconnected the bulbs for the time being, but had a replacement switch on the way.
Stock CD player would make a chafing sound when playing brand new discs, worked just fine playing burned ones.
General comments?
This truck handled wonderfully.
With the right weight in the back for winter, 2WD does just fine.
Stock CD player was more than enough after I replaced it with an identical one I bought off Ebay, speakers put out decent sound.
Bottom line, my Ranger saved my life. Bad weather caused a crash (10/25/05), full end over end flip, and although the truck is totaled the cab held up well enough that I could walk away from it; airbags and seat belts worked excellently. So, in that aspect, it receives a pretty high safety rating from me. I'm not sure I'd have survived in anything else.
Recommended Reviews:
  | Does it all, but not like a full size truck will. |
| 1997 - Ranger XLT, 2WD 3.0L V6 A great work truck |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Model Year | 1998 |
| First year of ownership | 2004 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2005 |
| Engine and transmission | 3.0 Manual |
| Performance marks | |
| Reliability marks | |
| Comfort marks | |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | |
| Distance when acquired | 74000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 90500 miles |
| Previous car | Mercury Cougar |
| Date of Entry | 3rd November, 2005 |