The worst problem with this truck has been the clutch. In the 5 years I owned it it's had to be replaced 3 times. Even with a brand new clutch, it's rattled back and forth when in neutral or with the pedal down. I don't know if the first shop that did the clutch damaged my transmission or if it's an issue with the ranger.
The shocks/ball joints went squeaky after owning the car a year or so (~80k miles) This may have been from taking it off-roading. I never had money to replace them.
The tilt-back lever broke off both front seats.
The rear differential went out back in Dec 05. My guess it was at about 120k miles.
I had to replace the radiator (it had a leak for a while that slowly got worse) about 6 months ago (~155k miles) This was the least expensive repair.
A/C has been extremely weak for several months, even after adding refrigerant.
I've pretty much given up on it now (173k miles). The clutch lost pressure, clutch fluid all leaked out on the road and the mechanic said the transmission may be burnt.
Even with all of the repairs it's been fairly reliable. I've had many to list simple because of owning the car five years. The gas mileage was mediocre (~17mpg avg) even though it should be higher for this truck. The ride is somewhat bumpy, though the interior isn't bad. I got the inside really filthy working construction, but still was able to clean it up well a few months ago. I can't believe the original CD player and sound system still works (when you hear squeaks, just turn up the tunes!)
The engine seems to be the most reliable part of the ranger. Though it doesn't accelerate very fast, it gets decent torque. I've towed several cars with it.
I believe I got my money's worth out of it, paying originally about $9000 and getting 125k miles out of my ownership. In repairs I probably spent $2000-3000 over 5 years.
Sound like you might be a little too hard on it if your rear end went out and you are getting 17mpg. A rear end should last longer than the life of the vehicle, even with a decent amount of abuse.
My 2.5L is getting 24-25mpg going to work, and 27 on the highway. Even when I flog it I do not get less than 21mpg.
Note: A Comments RSS Feed is available. New comments appear in the Members Area before the main site