2001 Ford Ranger Fuel System Problems

I PURCHASED A 2001 FORD RANGER ON FEBRUARY 3RD 2014 FROM COLUMBUS AUTO BODY RESALE. WE TOOK THE VEHICLE IN TO REPAIR THE TIRE TO FIND OUT THE GAS TANK WAS HANGING OFF THE TRUCK AND COULD NOT INSTALL THE GAS TANK STRAPS TO SECURE THE GAS TANK BECAUSE THE FRAME IS TO RUSTED. THE TRUCK IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. *TR

INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) I WAS DRIVING MY FORD RANGER, (2001 XLT AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION) IN AN ATTEMPT TO WARM UP THE TRUCK AS THE TRANSMISSION HAD BEEN ACTING UP AS IT WAS NOT SHIFTING AS WELL AS IT SHOULD INTO HIGHER GEARS. THE TRUCK WAS HAVING TROUBLE GOING PAST 10-15 MPH BEFORE SHIFTING GEARS AND WAS GOING MUCH SLOWER THAN NORMAL. AS I DROVE AROUND THE PARKING LOT WHERE I WORK TO WARM UP THE TRUCK, IT WAS NOT GOING AS FAST AS NORMAL AND IT WARMED UP IN ABOUT 20 MINUTES. I CHECKED THE TRANSMISSION FLUID AND IT WAS AT A NORMAL LEVEL. I TURNED OFF THE TRUCK AND CHECKED THE OIL WHICH WAS IN THE NORMAL RANGE. I PROCEEDED TO GO TO QT AND GET SOME GAS AND ON MY WAY BACK TO WORK, I WENT TO STOP AT A RED LIGHT AND WAS ALMOST STOPPED WHEN THE ENGINE STARTED REVVING UP AND TOOK OFF AT A VERY HIGH RATE OF SPEED WHILE MY FOOT WAS PUSHING THE BRAKE PEDAL DOWN AS HARD AS I COULD. I THEN COULD NOT SLOW IT DOWN AT THE NEXT LIGHT ENOUGH TO MAKE THE RIGHT TURN SAFELY. I HAD TO MAKE A U TURN WITH BOTH FEET ON THE BRAKES AND AFTER PUTTING THE TRUCK IN NEUTRAL AND PUSHING THE EMERGENCY BRAKE, I HAD TO PUT THE TRUCK INTO NEUTRAL AND CUT OFF THE ENGINE TO TURN INTO THE PARKING LOT WHERE I WORK. I THOUGHT MAYBE I HAD HIT THE ACCELERATOR BY ACCIDENT AND HAD A CO-WORKER WATCH AS I CRANKED UP THE TRUCK IN NEUTRAL. THE TIRES WERE SPINNING LIKE CRAZY AND THE RPMS WERE WAY UP. I HAD TO TURN THE CAR OFF QUICKLY AS WITH THE PARKING BRAKE ON AND BOTH FEET ON THE BRAKES, IT FELT LIKE THE TRUCK WAS GOING TO TAKE OFF AT ANY TIME. MY TRUCK IS PARKED WITH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON AND I AM SCARED TO GET NEAR THE [XXX] THING. I HAVE A CALL INTO MY MECHANIC NOW. *TR

WHEN TRYING TO FILL THE GAS TANK, THE OVERFLOW SYSTEM(?) DOESN'T WORK PROPERLY. YOU CANNOT HAVE HARDLY ANY PRESSURE OR, AS YOU FILL, THE GAS SPEWS OUT OF THE TANK BEFORE THE SAFETY FEATURE ON GAS PUMPS CAN TURN OFF. GAS SPEWS DOWN THE SIDE OF THE VEHICLE, OUT ONTO THE GROUND, ONTO MY HAND, ONTO MY FEET. THIS CREATES A COMBUSTION POSSIBILITY AT THE GAS TANK AS WELL AS THE GAS PUMP. THIS OCCURS ABOUT 99% OF THE TIME WHEN I TRY TO PUT GAS INTO THE TANK. IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW FULL THE TANK IS. THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM. I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT THE ONLY WAY THAT IT CAN BE FIXED IS BY DROPPING THE GAS TANK. I'VE ALSO BEEN TOLD IT IS OCCURRING IN OTHER, NEWER FORD PICKUPS. DUE TO THE POSSIBILITY OF FIRE, THIS SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED. THANK YOU. *TR

ON NOV. 22, 2008 MY SON JEREMIAH GOHN WAS KILLED AS A RESULT OF A FIRE IN THE CAB OF HIS TRUCK. *TR

MY 2001 FORD RANGER'S RPM'S DROP SUDDENLY WHEN SLOWING DOWN. ONCE I COME TO A COMPLETE STOP THE RPM WILL SURGE OR THE VEHICLE WILL QUIT. I HAVE TO PUT ONE FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND THE OTHER ON THE GAS TO KEEP THE CAR RUNNING AND STOP THE SURGING. *TR

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS MANEUVERED OFF THE ROAD. THIS OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP. UPDATED 11/30/06. *JB

WHILE STARTING VEHICLE MY WIFE WAS NOTIFIED BY HER CO-WORKER THAT GAS WAS LEAKING ONTO THE PAVEMENT UNDER THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO OUR DEALER WHERE WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. WE WERE TOLD BY THE SERVICE MANAGER THE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL LINE WAS DAMAGED POSSIBLY BY ROAD DEBRIS, WHICH WE HAD REPLACED BY THE DEALER. HOWEVER BEING THE VEHICLE IS A 2001 FORD RANGER PICKUP TRUCK WITH 42,523 MILES I FEEL THIS SHOULD BE A SAFETY CONCERN DUE IN PART THAT IF MY WIFE'S CO-WORKER DID NOT SEE THE PROBLEM AND MY WIFE CONTINUED DRIVING THE VEHICLE CERTAINLY A FIRE AND POSSIBLY SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH COULD HAVE OCCURRED. *NM

I SMELLED GAS WHILE DRIVING. I CHECKED UNDER THE HOOD AND GAS WAS SPRAYING FROM A LEAK. THE LEAK WAS CAUSED BY ABRASION WHERE THE LINE CONTACTED A HARD PLASTIC "PROTECTIVE COVER". IT COULD HAVE BLOWN UP! THIS APPEARS TO BE A DEFECT.*AK

FUEL PUMP CRACKED. AS A RESULT, FUEL POURED ONTO THE MUFFLER. CONSUMER IWASCONCERNED THAT THE VEHICLE WILL CATCH ON FIRE. *AK

FUEL LEAK FROM TOP OF FUEL TANK. (HIGH PRESSURE FUEL OUTLET NIPPLE LEAKING ON FUEL TANK MODULE). *LA

FUEL PUMP AND MECHANISMS TO SUPPORT CORRECT OPERATION FAILED UPON IGNITION IN DRIVEWAY. IT IS SECOND REPORT GIVEN TO THE NHTSA AND IT IS POSSIBLE IF VEHICLE IS HOT EXPLOSION COULD OCCUR. *NM

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE FUEL PUMP FAILED AT SPEED OF 35-50 MPH AND EMPTIED 3/4 OF A TANK OF GAS UNTO ROADWAYS. WEATER WAS DAMP AND WET,HOT WEATHER OR DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES COULD OF CAUSED INJURY. *CB

CONSUMER CALLED COMPLAINING ABOUT HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE GAS INTAKE. ALSO STATED THAT WAS INVOLVED IN A COLLISION WERE HE WAS HIT WHERE THE GAS INTAKE IS LOCATED AND STARTED LEAKING GAS. DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED AT THE TIME OF THIS CALLED. TS

THE VEHICLE SHOOK AND THE ENGINE FAILED COMPLETELY WHEN THE CONSUMER ACCELERATED TO A SPEED OF 89-90 MPH. THE DEALER INDICATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS EQUIPPED WITH A FUEL CUT OFF DEVICE WHICH COULD CUT OFF FUEL AT A SPEED OVER 85 MPH. *YH

FUEL GUAGE NOT READING PROPERLY, READING EMPTY, IT TAKE 12 GALS. TO FILL THE 19.5 GAL TANK, ALSO MOVING OFF FULL AFTER 20 - 30 MILES AFTER FILL UP, DEALER SAYS THIS IS NORMAL, PLEASE ADVISE. *AK

FUEL TANK OVER FLOWS WHEN FILLED, CAUSING GAS TO RUN ONTO THE GROUND. THIS. IN TURN, CREATES A SERIOUS FIRE HAZARD. *AK

FUEL TANK LEVEL SENSOR DOES NOT ACCURATELY INDICATE LEVEL. FORD CLAIMS THEY KNOW ABOUT THIS PROBLEM BUT CANNOT TELL ME WHEN THEY WILL PROVIDE A REPLACEMENT PART AND FIX THE VEHICLE. *AK

ENGINE CHECK LIGHT ILLUMINATED INDICATING A MALFUNCTION WITH THE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL SYSTEM. AFTER INSPECTION IT HAS BEEN DETERMINED FUEL WAS LEAKING FROM THE TOP OF FUEL TANK. DEALER REPLACED FUEL TANK SEAL. *AK LEAKING WAS APPROX 1 FT FROM CATALIC CONVERTER. *YD