I had a sweet deal on one of these V6'es, but I passed. mostly because the guy lugged around wrong gear alot and I had to listen to the rod bearings cry and I hate that
Here is a post of top 10 reasons not to buy one
10.Paint Quality: Within about 3 months the paint on my truck began to chip. This is hard to believe, I've heard of paint chipping on old vehicles but not new ones. This was not due to off roading or living out on a dirt road either.
9.Gas Mileage: I had a V6 and consistently got about 16-18 mpg doing mostly highway driving. I wasn't doing "jack rabbit starts" or driving over the posted speed limits either. Granted the term fuel economy and truck do not usually go hand in hand. However a full size Chevy with a V6 gets about 25 mpg doing the same sort of driving. To me there is no reason why a "compact" truck should not be able to get the same.
8.Rattles: After about 15,000 miles I started to notice rattling throughout the dash and inner cabin. Again this is something that one would think you would not start to hear until many years of use, if at all.
7.Recalls: Ford had 3 recalls on this truck. The first for the windshield wiper relay that if not corrected to could fail and short out the entire electrical system. The second for the Bridgestone tires that could blow out. And the third for the cruise control system, the system could malfunction causing the throttle cable to stick, i.e. you can't turn off the cruise control, or slow down the truck and you could crash.
6.Poor Craftsmanship: After having the truck for about 10 months, I started to notice this loud noise when I drove over 55 mph on the highway, the truck also started to shake. It was discovered at the dealership that a large bolt in the driveshaft assembly had snapped! Fixed under warranty, but it makes you feel real safe when you know bolts are breaking on the truck.
5.Outdated Styling: Ford has a habit of keeping the same style for far longer than some other car manufactures. They may change a few things here and there but overall the style remains the same. My Ranger was no exception to this.
4.Tire Quality: Long before the whole Bridgestone fiasco, faulty valve stems caused me to get a flat going only 40mph. Another example of how Ford contracts out to the lowest bidder, you get what you pay for.
3.Ugly: They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Looking back on this truck, I think it was ugly.
2.Resale Value: All vehicles depreciate, however some drop like a sack of potatoes while others fall like a bag full of feathers. Within 1.5 years, my Ranger had lost half its resale value.
1.Reliability: All of the previous 9 reasons lead to the top reason, reliability. With all the issues I had encountered over just the first 1.5 years, there was little doubt in my mind at least that this truck would not last and be a reliable vehicle over the long haul.
And there you have it, the top 10 reasons why you should not buy a Ford Ranger Pick Up Truck. It's hard to resist these trucks when Ford runs specials such as 0% financing or very large cash rebates. But as the saying goes, you get what you pay for. If you're looking for a truck for the long haul, I suggest you go with a Toyota, Honda, or Nissan.
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