1986 Ford Ranger XLT review from North America
"Not something I would recommend"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
The clutch went bad in the first month I owned it. This cost me over $400 including parts and service to fix.
The muffler and tailpipe needed to be replaced, but this didn't do much to quiet down the truck. There are many gaskets in the exhaust system and almost all of them leaked.
The cruise control didn't work. I could not find the cause of this problem, but didn't take it in to get it fixed as it wasn't of any importance to me.
The air conditioning didn't work either, but along with the cruise, I didn't get it fixed because it wasn't that important.
The shocks needed replacing which was relatively cheap and easy to do.
The front brake pads, lines and hoses all needed replacing.
The front side vent windows leaked.
The oxygen sensor needed replacing which proved to be difficult after it was rusted to the exhaust pipe.
The fuel filter needed replacing which took 4 hours to change and 3 O-ring gaskets.
The throttle position sensor needed changing.
General comments?
The front seats of the interior were very comfortable, but the seats in the extended cab are small and uncomfortable. These are best left to small children.
There was a lot of interior wind noise due to the poor sealing windows. The carpet also isn't very well insulated and lets in a lot of exterior noise.
The truck has very poor traction without 4x4 in the wet or snow.
The 2.9L engine has good performance up through the first 4 gears, but fifth gear lacks power.
The 2.9L isn't a very fuel efficient engine. I observed 18-20 miles per gallon on the highway and 15 if I was very lucky in the city.
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| 1986 Ford Ranger 4x4 SuperCab truck is the best truck on the market |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| Year of manufacture | 1986 |
| First year of ownership | 2001 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 1982 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.9 EFI Manual |
| Performance marks | 7 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 3 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 8 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 2 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 159000 kilometres |
| Most recent distance | 169000 kilometres |
| Previous car | Pontiac Firebird |
| Date of Entry | 25th February, 2002 |