1992 Ford Ranger XLT from North America - Comments

Exhaust has been replaced 4 times and needs to be done again.

3 complete brake jobs since I've had it.

Head gasket blew at 45000 miles.

Air conditioning went out at about 60,000 miles - probably from no use.

"Automatic" (electric) front hubs went out at 70000 miles. Replaced with aftermarket manual hubs.

Rear brake line rusted through at 85000 miles.

Rear bumper has major rust issue.

Some paint peeling on the rocker panels and wheel-wells.

4-wheel drive actuator switch (electric) replaced at 110000 miles.

Overall this has been a solid and dependable vehicle. Repairs have been within my expectations for a 4x4 vehicle used daily in a wet coastal environment. The 4.0 L engine has good performance with (I'm told) comparable gas mileage to the smaller V6s.

First thing I did was put two stage leaf springs and shocks in the rear so I could tow a 3500 lb boat - I did that for several years, but would not recommend it. Along with many highway miles, this truck has also hauled many cords of firewood, towed a 17 foot travel trailer up to 5500 feet, and spent a good deal of time off-road, yet still looks surprisingly good.

The ride has always been good (car-like) with plenty of room in front for my 6' 2" 240 lb frame. I have the 60/40 seat, so 3 close friends can and have traveled in front. Back "seat" is OK for small kids, groceries, and dogs - but not recommended for adults or teens en route to football practice.

I just bought a 1991 Ford Ranger STX 4.0L 4x4 from a friend.

The first thing I did was I went up to my normal mechanic to check all the liquids and do an oil change, and he said he wasn't sure why, but the radiator was completely dry. So he refilled it and I went on my way. Well it worked fine for about 3 weeks; when I checked the radiator myself again and it was bone dry, only it wasn't leaking anywhere, so I refilled it and then went on my way.

Then about 2 weeks after that I was on my way to church and the motor blew, so I stopped in a parking lot and saw that I had blown a rod through the side of the block. So I had my dad tow me back up to my mechanic, and after about 2 days he called me and said there was a crack in the block, which was allowing the radiator fluid go into the oil pan, which flooded the motor, making it so that I had no compression. So I had to pay $400 to get the same motor out of the junkyard, and $1,200 for my mechanic to order all the other parts and to put it in.

So I'm extremely dissatisfied with my Ranger so far.