1990 Ford Ranger Recalls, Complaints & Specs

3 safety recalls list the 1990 Ford Ranger, and owners have filed 105 complaints with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.

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3 safety recalls for the 1990 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. Automatic transmission (power train)

   NHTSA 91V189000 Reported November 4, 1991 792,000 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

   When the automatic transmission shift lever is placed in the park position, the park pawl does not always abut or engage the park gear.

   Remedy: Repair the transmission with a new park pawl.

2. Vehicle speed control

   NHTSA 90V044000 Reported March 1, 1990 4,000 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

   Throttle lever may contact throttle body air inlet tube, with potential for throttle remaining open following release of the accelerator pedal.

   Remedy: Manufacturer will replace air inlet tube with newly designed replacement.

3. Vehicle speed control

   NHTSA 89V234000 Reported December 22, 1989 4,000 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

   Throttle lever may contact throttle body air inlet tube, with the potential for throttle remaining open following release of the accelerator pedal from the full-throttle postion in trucks with 4.0 l engines.

   Remedy: Manufacturer will replace air inlet tube with newly designed replacement with an increased throttle lever-to-inlet tube clearance.

105 owner complaints filed with NHTSA

Owners of the 1990 Ford Ranger have filed 105 complaints with NHTSA; 9 describe a crash and 15 describe a fire. Reports cite 4 injuries and 2 deaths. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 137,250 miles. Complaints peaked in 1996 with 19 filed that year.

Most-reported components

• Electrical system: switch11
• Visibility: exterior11
• Engine and engine cooling: engine8
• Vehicle speed control8
• Tires: tread/belt7
• Electrical system: front underhood6
• Tires6
• Unknown or other5

What owners are reporting

“When vehicle is either stationary or in motion the passenger head lamp melts, something is causing that one light to over heat and has melted the entire head unit. I have very little visibility with h”

Owner complaint to NHTSA, July 12, 2019 · Electrical system

“Soon after purchasing the truck in 1996 i noticed the driver's side safety belt didn't seem to lock well when manually jerked. It has been an on and off concern for many years since then. Retraction o”

Owner complaint to NHTSA, March 4, 2014 · Seat belts

Fuel economy and specs

EPA ratings for the 1990 Ford Ranger (Ranger Pickup 2WD, Ranger Pickup 4WD). Ranges cover every tested configuration.

Compare Ford Ranger model years

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

Checking a specific 1990 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.