1983 Ford Ranger Recalls, Complaints & Specs

5 safety recalls list the 1983 Ford Ranger, and owners have filed 11 complaints with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.

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5 safety recalls for the 1983 Ford Ranger

Most recent first. Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. Click a recall for the full defect, consequence and remedy text.

1. Latch (latches/locks/linkages)

   NHTSA 84V111000 Reported September 25, 1984 460,918 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

   Secondary hood latch components may have been improperly positioned during assembly. If the hood is not closed tightly, or is inadvertently released, the secondary latch may not work and the hood may fly up without prior warning.

   Remedy: The hood assembly will be inspected and the hood and latch components will be adjusted, if necessary, without charge to the owner.

2. Hoses, lines/piping, and fittings (fuel system)

   NHTSA 84V112000 Reported September 25, 1984 192,742 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

   The flexible hose connecting the fuel pump to the carburetor fuel line may separate from the fuel pump.

   Remedy: The existing fuel hose will be replaced and two new hose clamps will be installed.

3. Filler pipe and cap (fuel system)

   NHTSA 84V082000 Reported July 9, 1984 302,500 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

   If truck is struck from the side, the cap on the fuel tank could become unsealed, allowing unsafe leakage of fuel. This is a failure to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard 301, "fuel system integrity". Leakage can be caused by an orange-colored plastic diesel fuel information ring which is found around…

   Remedy: Upon inspection, fuel cap tethers will be replaced or diesel fuel information rings will be removed.

4. Coil springs (suspension)

   NHTSA 83V032000 Reported March 22, 1983 1,102 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

   Some of the involved vehicles may have been built with improperly heat treated front suspension lower spring seat attaching studs. These studs could fracture during vehicle operation, allowing the lower spring seat to move and possibly slide off the axle.

   Remedy: The dealer will replace the lower spring seat studs on both the left and right sides of the vehicle at no charge to owners.

5. Manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe (engine and engine cooling)

   NHTSA 82V033000 Reported April 12, 1982 24 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

   On the involved vehicles, the muffler grass shields were inadvertently omitted during manufacture. Without the grass shield, and during certain operating conditions, the muffler surface temperatures could become hot enough to exceed specified standards and create the potential for igniting tall grasses if they were present beneath a…

   Remedy: Dealer will install grass shields on all affected vehicles at no cost to owner.

11 owner complaints filed with NHTSA

Owners of the 1983 Ford Ranger have filed 11 complaints with NHTSA; 2 describe a fire. Complaints peaked in 1996 with 3 filed that year.

Most-reported components

• Electrical system: switch5
• Engine and engine cooling1
• Equipment: air conditioner1
• Fuel system, gasoline1
• Power train: automatic transmission1
• Seat belts: anchorage1
• Service brakes, hydraulic: rotor1
• Structure: frame and members1

What owners are reporting

“When driving the vehicle at any speed, the vehicle would stall. This caused the driver to drift to the side of the road. The consumer had the vehicle towed to the dealer. The mechanic was unable to du”

Owner complaint to NHTSA, April 5, 2004 · Engine and engine cooling

“Transmission went out due to rubber seals not being reliable. Failure caused by the rubber seal used to hold fluid in the transmission--it is dry and cracks, allowing fluid to leak. Transmission repai”

Owner complaint to NHTSA, January 3, 2000 · Power train

Compare Ford Ranger model years

Recall and complaint counts for every Ford Ranger model year in NHTSA's database.

Checking a specific 1983 Ford Ranger

Other Ford models

• F-15037,961 complaints
• Explorer34,566 complaints
• Escape27,430 complaints
• Fusion22,405 complaints
• Focus22,096 complaints
• Taurus18,159 complaints
• Windstar14,158 complaints
• Edge14,065 complaints

Source: NHTSA recall and complaint databases and EPA fuel economy data, October 2026. Complaint counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. Recall counts are safety campaigns that list this model year; whether a particular car was already repaired depends on its VIN. How this data is compiled.