1997 Ford Ranger

1997 FORD RANGER XLT EXTENDED CAB. WHEN I APPLIED MY BRAKES, INSTEAD OF STOPPING AT THIS "T" HWY INTERSECTION, I RAN PAST IT, AND HIT A 12" DIAMETER TREE HEAD ON. ICE ON THE ROAD. I WAS WEARING MY SEAT BELT. NEITHER THE DRIVER'S SIDE NOR THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE INDENTATION ON THE FRONT BUMPER WAS OVER TWO FEET DEEP. MY HEAD AND RIGHT SIDE OF MY BODY SMASHED AGAINST THE STEERING WHEEL, AND MY I BROKE MY LEFT COLLAR BONE, FRACTURED AND BRUISED SEVERAL RIBS ON MY RIGHT SIDE, BROKE MY RIGHT FOOT HEEL BONE, CUT MY NOSE, PLUS NUMEROUS OTHER MINOR CUTS, BRUISES AND ABRASIONS. AFTER ABOUT 45 SECONDS, A HUGE BALL OF FIRE ERUPTED FROM UNDER THE CRUMPLED HOOD. I FELT THE SUDDEN HEAT ON MY FACE, SINCE THE WINDSHIELD WAS GONE AND THERE WAS A HUGE GAP BETWEEN THE HOOD AND THE TRUCKS BODY. A LADY, AN ANGEL OF GOD REALLY, HELPED ME OUT OF THE TRUCK AND INTO THE BACK SEAT OF HER CAR. SHE DROVE ABOUT 100 YARDS TO WAIT FOR THE AMBULANCE TO ARRIVE. BEFORE WE CAME TO A STOP, I HEARD THE TWO FRONT TIRES OF MY TRUCK BLOW UP. ALL I COULD SEE WAS A BALL OF FIRE BURNING ABOUT 20 FEET HIGH. TWO THINGS SEEM TECHNICALLY WRONG: THE AIR BAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY, AND THE FUEL PUMP MUST HAVE KEPT PUMPING FUEL, FOR THE FIRE TO SPREAD SO RAPIDLY AND BURN THE FRONT OF THE TRUCK SO VERY COMPLETELY. THIS WOULD SEEM TO INDICATE THE POSSIBLE FAILURE OF THE AIR BAG CRASH SENSORS AND THE FUEL PUMP SAFETY CUTOFF SWITCH. MY TIRES WERE ONE MONTH OLD MICHELINS, SO THEY WEREN'T A FACTOR. THE TRUCK WAS IN EXCELLENT SHAPE AND IT WAS CAREFULLY MAINTAINED AND GARAGED. EVERYTHING WORKED ON IT AND NO MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LIGHTS OF ANY KIND WERE ON PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. I HAVE VERY GOOD MAINTENANCE RECORDS ON IT. I CONTACTED FORD BY TELEPHONE AND VIA E-MAIL, TO LET THEM KNOW OF WHAT I THOUGHT COULD BE A POTENTIAL COMPONENT DEFECT AFFECTING OTHERS ALSO. I ALSO CONTACTED THEIR LEGAL OFFICE VIA PHONE, AND THEY NEVER RETURNED MY CALL. *NLM

NO SUMMARY. DT

CONSUMER STATES THAT A COMPLAINT WAS MADE IN JUNE OF 2002 ABOUT A ROLLOVER ACCIDENT IN HER 1997 FORD RANGER AND WOULD LIKE AN INVESTIGATION OPEN. *NJ

ROOF SUPPORT/ VEHICLE HAS A TENDENCY TO BOUNCE ALL OVER THE ROAD BAD SUSPENSION! HIGHER CENTER GRAVITY! MORE ACCESSIBLE TO ROLL, NOT ONLY TO ROLL AND LOSE CONTROL THE ROOF SUPPORT IS NOTHING BUT THIN CHEAP METAL THAT CAN BE EASILY SMUSHED. I KNOW I BROKE MY NECK AND NOW I AM DISABLE....FORD RANGERS SHOULDN'T BE ON THE ROAD WITH A HIGHER CENTER OF GRAVITY...MAKE THEM SAFER....WIDER OR LOWER BUT NOT THE WAY THEY ARE NOW TRUCK IS A HAZARD A LIFE THREATENING HAZARD..MORE WAYS THAN ONE! *NM

THE CONSUMER VEHICLE LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND ROLLED OVER. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *JB

WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH VEHICLE LOST CONTROL AND ROLLED OVER. AS A RESULT, THE ROOF CRUSHED IN AND BROKE THE DRIVER'S NECK. VEHICLE WAS CONSIDERED A TOTAL LOSS. *AK

THERE WAS A THREE VEHICLE ACCIDENT AT 50 MPH. THE CONSUMER'S AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. *SC *TC *JB

VEHICLE WAS IN A VERY SEVERE FRONT/SIDE COLLISION. VEHICLE WAS TOTALED, BUT NONE OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED UPON IMPACT.*AK

WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE WAS T-BONED BY ANOTHER VEHICLE ON THE DRIVERS SIDE, THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY, THE DRIVER WAS INJURED AND THE VEHICLE WAS A TOTAL LOSS. NLM *YH

WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH AND APPLYING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, THE PEDAL COMPLETELY FELL OFF WHICH RESULTED IN LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. NLMCONSUMERS PASSENGER WAS INJURED RESULTING IN SURGERY TO THE KNEE. *JG

WHILE TRAVELING AT 35 MPH DRIVER HEARD A LOUD POP. THEN, LOST CONTROL AND HIT A CLIFF. FIRE DEPARTMENT STATED AXLE HAD BROKEN. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

MY FATHER WAS REAR-ENDED AT 55-65MPH. AS A RESULT OF THE ACCIDENT, MY FATHER'S SEAT BROKE CAUSING HIS SEAT TO FLY BACKWARDS AND THUS, HIS HEAD TO CRASHED THROUGH THE BACK WINDOW OF HIS PICKUP TRUCK. MY CONCERN IS THAT THIS SEAT SHOULD HAVE WITHSTOOD THIS KIND OF IMPACT. BECAUSE OF THE SEAT BREAKING, MY FATHER HAS SUSTAINED NUMEROUS LACERATIONS TO HIS FACE AND NECK, AND MASSIVE NECK INJURIES. MY FATHER'S INJURIES WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN SO SEVERE IF THE SEAT WITHSTOOD THE IMPACT. MY FATHER WAS WEARING HIS SEATBELT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. CAN YOU PLEASE PROVIDE ME WITH A LIST OF INSTANCES WHICH A FORD RANGER'S SEAT HAS BROKEN IN THE PAST? ALSO, WHO IS THE MANUFACTURER OF THE SEAT IN THE FORD RANGER PICKUP TRUCK? IF YOU COULD INVESTIGATE THIS MATTER, I WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE IT. MY FATHER WEIGHS APPROXIMATELY 180-190PDS AND IS 5'11" THANK YOU, [XXX]. *AK INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *JS *TR

WHILE TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 55 TO 60 MPH VEHICLE WAS STRUCK ON THE SIDE BY ANOTHER VEHICLE CHANGING LANES AND TRAVELING IN SAME DIRECTION. THIS IMPACT CAUSED DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG TO DEPLOY. DRIVER RECEIVED SEVERE FACIAL INJURIES AND BURNS. NO DETERMINATION HAS BEEN MADE AS TO WHY THE DRIVER'S AIR BAG DEPLOYED DURING A NON-FRONTAL CRASH. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION / DOCUMENTATION.*AK

WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH CONSUMER'S VEHICLE HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE. UPON IMPACT, NEITHER AIRBAG DEPLOYED. BOTH, DRIVER AND PASSENGER SUSTAINED INJURIES, INCLUDING BROKEN RIBS/ NECK INJURIES/ CUTS AND BRUISES. DRIVER HIT STEERING WHEEL WHILE PASSENGER HIT WINDSHIELD. VEHICLE WAS TOTALLED.*AK

WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH CONSUMER'S VEHICLE HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE . UPON IMPACT, BOTH SEATBELTS FAILED, RESULTING IN INJURIES; BROKEN RIB/ NECK INJURY, CUTS, AND BRUISES. DRIVER HIT STEERING WHEEL WHILE PASSENGER HIT WINDSHIELD. FRONT IMPACT, VEHICLE WAS TOTALLED.*AK

DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY, EVEN THOUGH THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A HEAD ON COLLISION WHERE THE DRIVER SIDE BAG OPENED. PASSENGER WAS HURT.*AK

HEADRESTS TO SHORT TO PREVENT HEAD AND NECK INJURY FOR A LARGE MAJORITY OF THE POPULATION. *AK

REAR BRAKES GRABBED CAUSING A LOSS OF CONTROL ON DAMP ROAD. VEHICAL WAS INSPECTED MAY 2000. GOOD BRAKE LINNING FRONT AND REAR. *AK

DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING NORTH ON A CLEAR DAY AND FAIRLY STRAIGHT TWO LANE ROAD FRONT TIRE BLEW AND CAUSED HER TO RUN OFF THE ROAD, AS SHE OVERCORRECTED SHE FLIPPED THE VEHICLE TWO OR THREE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED AND SHE BROKE HER PEVLIC BONE.*AK( DOT NUMBER: )

LOUD NOISE IN REAR RIGHT AXLE CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL AND WENT OFF I 35 INTO CENTER MEDIUM ROLLING THE PICKUP ACROSS THE UNCOMING LINE OF TRAFFIC ON TO THE OUTSIDE SHOLDER OF HYW, TOTAL LOSS OF PICKUP, WHEEL WITH TIRE ON IT WAS RECOVERED IN MEDIUM OF HYW , AXEL WAS BROKEN AT BRAKE DRUM, WHEEL AND TIRE STILL GOOD. ALL THREE OTHER WHEELS AND TIRES ARE BROKEN AND FLAT. *AK