1987 Ford Ranger from North America - Comments

Was your Tacoma bought used with 90000 miles and same price condition as the 87 you picked up? I have owned some 400 dollar imports real creampuffs they were more crap.

"Yet another person who buys a very used truck and blames the manufacturer when it breaks."

Very true. We've owned 17 domestic vehicles that were purchased brand new (not used and abused). Not a one from ANY of the Big Three auto makers ever required a single repair before 100,000 miles. I don't even KNOW anyone who has had problems with any new domestic in the past 10 years. If I don't get 200,000 miles out of any vehicle without a problem I don't buy another one of the brand. That is why I will NEVER buy another Honda (ours blew up at under 100,000 miles) or Mazda (totally fell apart by 150,000 miles) or VW (disintegrated at 85,000 miles). We did have a Toyota but it bored us to death and was sold at 100,000 miles. It wasn't one iota more reliable than the very worst of our domestics.

23:40 I bought all 3 of my Toyota's used also. Didn't have to blame anyone because they never broke. Just the Fords and Chevy's. See, if something is built right, someone else can use it, the YOU can buy it and it still works.

Two of my friends bought used Camrys because of all the false hype about imports being more reliable. One was out $2000 in repairs within 2 months, and the other had the transmission fail in 6 months and was told the car (which had 80,000 miles on it) wasn't worth the $3000+ to repair. He sold it for scrap and bought a 14-year-old Chevy Celebrity with over 200,000 miles for $400. It ran flawlessly for 5 years.

None of my Rangers EVER required one single repair. I'll stick with proven reliability instead of imports that break in half due to rusted out frames after 2 years. Not data supports the claims that imports are any more reliable. Even the biased Consumer Reports rates Ford and Toyota dead even and chooses the EXACT SAME PERCENTAGE (75%) of each makers models as "recommended buys". The Fusion outranks the Camry in predicted reliability by TWO FULL LEVELS.

OK... I have a 1987 Ford Ranger... this thing WILL NOT DIE! Piece of junk you say?? Mine I bought just 2 months ago (2009) and did a tune up, u-joints, and fuel filter... That's IT!!! And I wheel the hell out of this little truck, it is lifted 5" with 31's on it, and this thing goes almost everywhere in 2x4 and goes EVERYWHERE in 4x4. So you just got a bad noodle little buddy :)

I am having a problem with the tranny dipstick tube, it comes loose, leaks on the exhaust causing smoke, so it looks like I'm on fire...

I owned a 1985 Ford Ranger. It was trashed when I got it, but I put a freeze plug in it and a radiator, and it fired right up on the first try. Never leaked anything or used any oil.

I later traded it for a 1987 Ranger 4x4, and it's the best truck I have ever owned. I only had to replace the rearend once because I dropped the clutch several times, and with a poy traction rearend, something is going to give, but other than that, I love the Rangers, and Ford is all I will drive.

I have had my 87 Ford Ranger XLT 2 wheel drive. 5 speed. extended cab, since 01' I've had to do a lot of work with it in the first 16 months to get it to go. (the day I bought it I drove 82 miles with it) but it had been setting under a tree for 3 years. Not any more. LOL right now I am fixing the water pump for the second time. Other than catching up all the stuff that the previous owner did not maintain. its been a good little truck. (ole Trusty Rusty I call it) it starts every time. I am by far a Chevy man. But this little truck holds a special spot in my heart. We've had a lot of good times and bad.

It still needs repairs all the time, but I like it because I can do a lot of the work myself on it. And the parts are getting cheaper to buy... If you have a little bit of knowledge of motors and how things work, you'll be okay. And it give you a little bit of pride that hey I fixed that.

My brother owns a 1987 Ford Ranger; we both have beat that truck, loaded it with wood until we broke the rear leaf springs. He got the truck in the spring of 2009, he paid to much for it, but he learned his lesson. I can't say it's a bad truck, but it's costing him a lot of money to keep it running. But as I said, we put it through its paces. I won't say that there are better trucks than Fords, but I won't say Fords are the best. I think that when buying a truck, you should buy it for what you are planning use it for.

P.s I own a Toyota, and I completely believe that it would not have put up with the same abuse we put that Ford through.

And by the way, you never seen a Ford make it 300,000m + my brother's has 398,986m and still running strong (and he is 18).

I am a 22 year old that has owned 24 vehicles. I had 2 Ford trucks in the past 3 years, one a 84 F-250, which I personally took to the brink of destruction, ripping Toyota's out of snow banks and ditches in our lovely WI weather. When we got 13 inches of snow, I dragged a 2004 Toyota full size truck out of his own driveway! He could not even get anywhere once I got him out, and I had to drag him out of his subdivision until we got to the plowed roads.

If this truck, which was 20 years newer, could not handle a little snow, but my stock size Ford could stop hook up then drag him in the middle of the snow bank that once was a road, I think the FORD WON! I barely ever did anything to it but exhaust plugs and wires. Truck is still going strong to this day! Where are the 20 year old Toyotas? Did any of them last this long, or are they all stuck somewhere?

"I am a 22 year old that has owned 24 vehicles. I had 2 Ford trucks in the past 3 years, one a 84 F-250, which I personally took to the brink of destruction, ripping Toyota's out of snow banks and ditches in our lovely WI weather. When we got 13 inches of snow, I dragged a 2004 Toyota full size truck out of his own driveway! He could not even get anywhere once I got him out, and I had to drag him out of his subdivision until we got to the plowed roads.

If this truck, which was 20 years newer, could not handle a little snow, but my stock size Ford could stop hook up then drag him in the middle of the snow bank that once was a road, I think the FORD WON! I barely ever did anything to it but exhaust plugs and wires. Truck is still going strong to this day! Where are the 20 year old Toyotas? Did any of them last this long, or are they all stuck somewhere?"

24 trucks so far? Well I guess they aren't really lasting so long for YOU are they?

I have a 1987 Ford Ranger with 286,000 miles, and the engine is still running strong.

I live in the Coal Hills, and beat the crap out of my Ranger. I have pulled Chevys, Toyotas and Dodges out of the mud, and have had them pull me out of the mud too.

3 weeks ago, we were jumping our trucks, and my buddy took his Toyota off the same jump I always take my Ranger off of. It was his first time and he bent the frame, and his is a 2008.

You say you never saw a Ranger with that many miles. I can send you pics of the miles I have on mine.

After 22 years, I finally got a put a trans in mine. Other then that, I have never had any problems with my Ranger.

As for my friend and his Toy., he is getting a F350 now. Don't let one bad egg make you hate every Ford out there.