2007 Ford Ranger Problems

What owners report

Complaints for this model year are dominated by airbag inflator recalls: owners describe repeated notices and long waits for replacement parts, often with the recall not yet completed. A smaller but consistent group reports severe frame and underbody rust, and some note the spare tire carrier or frame sections giving way. Remaining reports are scattered across electrical, suspension, brakes and tires.

1. 1
   Air bags

   Airbag inflator recall not completed (parts unavailable)

   • 194 complaints (72%)
   • median 71,738 mi at 10.6 yrs old (30 state mileage)
   • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2007–2026

   Owners describe receiving recall notices for the frontal airbag inflators and then being told by dealers that replacement parts are not available, with no firm date given. Many say they were advised not to let anyone use the passenger seat or not to drive the vehicle, and that no loaner or rental was offered. A few report the repair was attempted and the airbag area made noise afterward, or that the warning light comes on intermittently. Reported across a wide mileage range, from vehicles with very low mileage to ones above 150,000 miles, mostly in notices filed between 2016 and 2021.

   Recall 21V158000Recall 21V081000Recall 17V024000 · DO NOT DRIVERecall 16V384000 · DO NOT DRIVE7 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask the dealer to confirm by VIN whether the driver and passenger inflator recalls were completed and whether any open campaigns remain. Request written confirmation of the completed remedy rather than relying on the recall notice.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I need to get a waiver from the national safety administration to have Ford disable my passenger side airbag until such time that they repair it. No passenger can ride in this truck without risking serious injury. I should be able to use my truck and carry passengers safely.there is no real date given by Ford as to when the repair is to be completed.”

   NHTSA complaint #11063223, filed 2018-01, 165,000 miles

   “Takata recall - received a notice from Ford that remedy parts for airbag inflator replacement will be delayed until spring of 2018. In the meantime, do not allow anyone to sit in the first row passenger seat. Big problem for us as this is our only vehicle and we must have a two-seater vehicle every day. Dealership refuses to provide a loaner or rental.”

   NHTSA complaint #11056790, filed 2017-12, 135,000 miles
2. 2
   Body and structure

   Frame and underbody rust, spare tire carrier failure

   Mentioned in 6 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners describe heavy corrosion of the frame, cross members and rear sections, in some cases with the spare tire carrier cable or bracket breaking so the spare drops onto the road. Others report rusted rear bumper mounts, shackles and bed mounting points found during inspection. Complaints say dealers and the manufacturer were not always contacted, and several owners note that used replacement frames are hard to find. Mostly reported between roughly 58,000 and 195,000 miles, generally on vehicles many years old and often in regions with road salt or coastal exposure.

   What to check: Inspect the frame rails, cross members, rear shackle mounts and spare tire carrier closely, ideally on a lift, and check for flaking or perforation rather than surface rust. Confirm the spare tire winch and cable hold the tire securely.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The frame on my ranger is so rust the spare tire came out from under the truck . I’ve tried to find a used one but no one has them because this is a problem I’ve come to find out with everyone’s. So if you can help me or tell me why these vehicles haven’t been recalled over this problem please get back in touch with me. Thanks”

   NHTSA complaint #11422063, filed 2021-06

   “Excessive frame rot,spare tire frame rotted out and broke,crossmember rotted out,rear shackle rotted out and broke,rear bumper frame attactment rotted out frame rot mid frame and cracked front of bed all rotted out, truck only has 70k miles on it”

   NHTSA complaint #11413110, filed 2021-04, 58,000 miles
3. 3
   Air bags

   Airbag warning light and airbag-area noise

   • 18 complaints (7%)
   • median 80,738 mi at 10.0 yrs old (8 state mileage, few)
   • 6 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2007–2023

   Owners report the airbag warning indicator lighting intermittently while driving, and one describes a loud ticking noise from behind the glovebox near the passenger airbag. In some cases the vehicle was not diagnosed because the owner did not want to pay for airbag-related repairs. Another complaint describes both airbags failing to deploy in a frontal impact. Reported from very low mileage up to about 200,000 miles, with several cases tied to vehicles awaiting recall parts.

   Recall 16V384000 · DO NOT DRIVE1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Watch for an airbag light during a test drive and after start-up, and ask whether the occupant classification sensor or inflator service has been performed. A scan for stored airbag codes is worthwhile before purchase.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The vehicle was in motion, I was driving along the highway when I heard a loud ticking noise coming from behind the glove box. I do not know if the ticking noise has anything to do with the air bags but the ticking noise is defintely coming from the passenger air bag location. I have not had a repair technician diagnose the trouble because I don't want to pay for repairs if it is an air bag issue.”

   NHTSA complaint #10969641, filed 2017-03, 40,000 miles

   “The contact owns a 2007 Ford Ranger. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced a loss of power steering assist. Additionally, the air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 245,000.”

   NHTSA complaint #11507483, filed 2023-02, 245,000 miles

Buying note. The most important check on this model year is recall status: confirm by VIN that the driver and passenger airbag inflator campaigns were completed, since many owners report long waits for parts. Also inspect the frame and spare tire carrier for corrosion before buying, especially on vehicles from salted-road regions.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.