2004 FORD RANGER Engine And Engine Cooling Problems

I WAS APPROACHING A INTERSECTION WITH THIS VEHICLE AND I ATTEMPTED TO STOP. AS I WAS BRAKING THE TRUCK SUDDENLY ACCELERATED, WHILE MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE PEDAL.THE RPMS INCREASED,AND THE ONLY THING I COULD DO WAS TO MAINTAIN PRESSURE ON THE BRAKE AND TO KEEP MY HANDS ON THE STEERING WHEEL. THE TRUCK PUSHED ANOTHER VEHICLE INTO THE INTERSECTION,AS I WAS BRAKING. I DID NOT RECEIVE A TICKET,AND A POLICE OFFICER CONFIRMED WHAT I DESCRIBED. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD RANGER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN MAKING A NOISE. THE VEHICLE THEN LOST ALL POWER AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT FLASHED. THE CONTACT TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF AND RESTARTED IT; THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP. THE MECHANIC REBUILT CYLINDER ONE. 36,000 MILES LATER, THE FAILURE OCCURRED AGAIN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT CYLINDER ONE FAILED AGAIN. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED AGAIN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 90,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 126,000.

RECENTLY I ENCOUNTERED A PROBLEM WITH MY 2004 FORD RANGER. THE HARMONIC BALANCE PULLEY CAME APART. THE WEBSITE CARCOMPLAINTS.COM HAS AT LEAST 14 INCIDENCE OF HARMONIC BALANCE FAILURE ON OTHER FORD MODELS. CAN YOU INVESTIGATE THIS ISSUE AND VERIFY MY FINDINGS? IN MY OPINION, THE PROBLEM HAS SERIOUS SAFETY RAMIFICATIONS BECAUSE OF THE SYSTEMS INVOLVED. THE HARMONIC BALANCE PULLEY DRIVING THE SERPENTINE BELT THAT POWER THE STEERING AND BRAKE PUMPS. THE LOSS OF BOTH PUMPS HAS THE POTENTIAL OF CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. THE LOSS OF THE SERPENTINE BELT WILL ALSO CAUSE OVER HEATING. I BELIEVE FORD SHOULD INSPECT AND MAKE REPAIRS TO THIS COMPONENT ON ITS VEHICLES WITHOUT CHARGE TO THE CUSTOMER. *TR

COMPLAINT RELATED TO 2004 FORD RANGER 4.0L V6 SOHC ENGINE WITH 81,000 MILES. ON SEPTEMBER 15TH 2010, I STARTED EXPERIENCING A SQUEAK FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT ON MY 2004 FORD RANGER. I CHANGED THE PULLEYS THAT HAD BEARINGS THAT COULD CONTRIBUTE TO THE NOISE BUT THE NOISE PERSISTED. I THEN CHANGED THE BELT AND THE SQUEAK WENT AWAY FOR A WHILE. AFTER ANOTHER 1500 MILES THE SQUEAK WAS BACK AND MORE PRONOUNCED. I INVESTIGATED THIS INCIDENCE AND FOUND THAT THE PULLEY SEPARATED FROM THE HARMONIC BALANCE AND SLID TOWARDS THE TIMING CHAIN CASE. THE BELT WAS NOW RIDING ON THE RUBBER HUB OF THE CRANKSHAFT PART OF THE HARMONIC BALANCE. THE SQUEAK WAS COMING FROM THE BELT RUBBING ON THE SIDE OF THE PULLEY REPLACED HARMONIC BALANCE WITH AFTER MARKET MODEL. OLD PART AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD RANGER. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL SCRAPING SOUND COMING FROM THE ENGINE AND THEN THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S HOME WHERE IT WAS INSPECTED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE MECHANIC ADVISED THAT A VALVE SPRING HAD FRACTURED AND AS A RESULT, A PISTON FRACTURED INTO THE CYLINDER CAUSING THE ENGINE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED THERE WAS NO RECALL FOR THE FAILURE AND THE CONTACT WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY REPAIRS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 39,304.

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON...CALLED THE FORD HOTLINE NO HELP THERE THEY SAID WE WHERE A FEW MILES OVER THE WARRANTY TO COVER THAT PART. SO WE TOOK IT TO OUR MECHANIC AND HE NEW IN FIVE MINUTES WHAT WAS WRONG WE HAD PAPERWORK SHOWING THE PROBLEMS FORD WAS HAVING WITH THESES TRUCKS. SO I CALLED THE NEAREST FOR DEALER AND ASKED THEM ABOUT IT AND THEY WANTED TO CHARGE US SO MUCH TO SEE IF THEY CAN FIND THE PROBLEM WE TOLD THEM WE KNOW THE PROBLEM. THEY WANTED TO CHARGE US OVER 2000 DOLLARS TO REPAIR THE TRUCK.SO WE HAD TO HOLD OFF DUE TO THE ECONOMY SO BAD. SO WE TOOK IT 1 WEEK AGO TO OUR MECHANIC FIXED THE PROBLEM COST US 1900 FOR EVERYTHING THEY WHERE DEFECTIVE HEADS VALUES WHERE SINKING INTO THE HEADS CYLINDERS HAD NO COMPRESSION ,SO KNOW WE ARE OUT 1900 TO...

WHILE DRIVING WITH PASSENGER, THE INERTIA SWITCH CAN BE EASILY UNATTACHED OR LOOSENED. THIS CAUSES THE TRUCK TO RANDOMLY DIE. IF THE MANUAL VEHICLE DIES WHILE DRIVING AT HIGH SPEED, IN BAD TRAFFIC, OR TURNS REQUIRING POWER STEERING, THE VEHICLE CAN BE DANGEROUS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD RANGER. WHILE DRIVING LESS THAN 40 MPH, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE SEEMED TO BE WATER IN THE FUEL TANK. HE HEARD A RATTLING NOISE AND THE ENGINE FAILED. THE DEALER COULD NOT ASSIST AND THERE WERE NO RECALLS ON THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE LESS THAN 62,000. UPDATED 12/11/08 *BF THE VALVE SPRING CAME OUT OF THE PLASTIC VALVE COVER. UPDATED 12/11/08. *JB

CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT A STARTING PROBLEM. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. DEALER REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP, BUT PROBLEM RECURRED.*AK

WHILE DRIVING UP AN INCLINE VEHICLE MADE NOISE AND LOST POWER. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS, BUT PROBLEM RECURRED. *AK