There are 47 owner-reported air bags & restraints complaints for the 2002 Ford Rangerin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
The contact owns a 2002 Ford Ranger. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the air bag warning light was illuminated. Neither the dealer nor the independent mechanic was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.
HARD FRONT END COLLISION WITH TELEPHONE POLE. ICE ON ROAD. TOTAL DAMAGE, VEHICLE STATUS IS SCRAP. DRIVER INJURY. HEAD AND JAW. AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. THIS IS SECOND FRONT COLLISION. FIRST COLLISION, VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. STRUCK BY WRONG WAY DRIVER. $3400 DAMAGE. AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. REPAIRS AT FORD DEALER, ST. LOUIS , MO.
THE SEAT BELT ON THE DRIVER SIDE DOES NOT LOCK, AND AS A RESULT IT'S CAUSING THE AIRBAG LIGHT TO GO OFF AND IT FLASHES CODE NUMBER 46 AS FOR THE SEAT BELT TENSIONER.
THE AIRBAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY IN A HEAD ON COLLISION TRAVELING 50 MPH
MY SON WAS DRIVING HIS FORD RANGER XL 2002 WHEN DUE TO A PEDESTRIAN, THE CAR IN FRONT OF HIM SLAMMED ON THEIR BRAKES CAUSING MY SON TO REAR END THEM. SNOWY WEATHER WAS A FACTOR. THE BRAKES DIDN'T CATCH AS THEY SHOULD HAVE. HIS AIRBAGS BLEW UP, NOT DEPLOY- BLEW UP AND CAUGHT FIRE! THE STEERING WHEEL BLEW UP! EXTENSIVE DAMAGE OCCURRED TO THE STEERING COLUMN STEERING WHEEL AND DASHBOARD COMPONENTS. THE STARTER WENT OUT AND THE TRUCK WOULD NOT START. INSURANCE DEEMED THE TRUCK TOTALED. OBVIOUSLY THE AIRBAGS WERE DEFECTIVE!! WAS THERE A RECALL CONCERNING ANY OF THESE COMPONENTS THAT WE WERE NEVER INFORMED OF? WHAT COMPENSATION IS AVAILABLE TO US FOR THIS OBVIOUS MANUFACTURERS DEFECT?...UPDATED 02-03-15 *BF
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD RANGER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE SEAT BELT WARNING LIGHT FLASHED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 64,000. UPDATED 6/11/15*CN
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD RANGER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT EQUIPPED WITH THE PROPER SEAT BELT IN ORDER TO SAFELY SECURE A CHILD SAFETY SEAT. THE CHILD SEAT MANUFACTURER NOTED IN THE WARNING SECTION OF THE OWNERS MANUAL THAT THE CHILD SAFETY SEAT CAN NOT BE SECURE UTILIZING THE DOOR MOUNTED SEAT BELTS. THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE ANCHOR TO ACCOMMODATE THE LATCH SYSTEM COULD BE RETRO FITTED IN ORDER TO PROPERLY SECURE THE CHILD SAFETY SEAT INTO THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN WAS NOT ABLE TO LOCATE THE PARTS THAT WOULD ALLOW THE LATCH SYSTEM TO BE RETRO FITTED INTO THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT INSTALLED THE CHILD SAFETY SEAT IN THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 151,500.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD RANGER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEATBELT WOULD UNLATCH ERRONEOUSLY WHILE DRIVING AND COULD NOT BE PROPERLY LATCHED AFTER TRYING TO SECURE IT AGAIN. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN INSPECTED BY A DEALER NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 50,000.
DRIVERS SEAT BELT RELEASES ON IT'S OWN WHILE DRIVING. HAPPENS AT LEAST 5-6 TIMES WHILE DRIVING. CAN HAPPEN RIGHT AFTER ENGAGING OR ANY TIME AFTER ENGAGING. DOES NOT MATTER IF DRIVING ON SMOOTH OR BUMPY ROADS, IT WILL POP OFF. IT HAPPENS EVERYTIME I DRIVE. HAVE ALMOST BEEN INJURED FROM HAVING TO STOP FAST AND WAS NOT HELD IN THE SEAT BECAUSE IT CAME LOOSE. PART IS GOING TO BE REPLACED WHEN I CAN GET ONE. *TR
WAS IN AN ACCIDENT AND THE AIRBAG DIDN'T DEPLOY DID SOME RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND OUT THERE IS A WIRE UNDER THE DRIVER'S SEAT THAT IS TOO SHORT. IF SOMEONE TALL LIKE ME PUSHES THE SEAT BACK ALL THE WAY IT STRETCHES THE WIRE AND CAUSES THE SAFETY SYSTEM TO ERROR AND SHUT OFF. AN AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT LIGHTS UP ON THE DASHBOARD. FORD ISSUED A BULLETIN TO THE DEALERS AND ARE WELL AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. I'VE READ CASES OF PEOPLE BEING CHARGED $600 TO FIX IT. *TR
VEHICLE WAS HIT IN DRIVER SIDE IN APRIL 2005. AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOYED THEN. TOOK TRUCK FOR INSPECTION IN JAN 08 AND WAS REJECTED FOR AIR BAG LIGHT ON. COULD BE AIR BAG MODULE DEFECTED. *TR
AFTER MY 2002 FORD RANGER WAS RECALLED FOR A CRUISE CONTROL ISSUE, I KEPT BLOWING FUSES. IN TAKING IT IN TO MY FORD DEALER THEY INDICATED A SHORT WITHIN THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT SYSTEM. WENT THROUGH ABOUT 20 - 10 AMP FUSES BEFORE I COULD TAKE IT IN. FAILURE OF A SAFETY ITEM LIKE THE AIRBAG SHOULD NOT HAPPEN ESPECIALLY WITH LESS THAT 70,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE. *TR
DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT WON'T STAY BUCKLED. VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY DUE TO MILEAGE. *JB
AS I WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE GOING ABOUT 60 MPH, MY SEAT BELT (DRIVER'S SIDE) CAME UNBUCKLED. AS I ATTEMPTED TO BUCKLE IT AGAIN, I WAS UNABLE TO GET IT TO STAY BUCKLED. I CONTACTED THE LOCAL CAR DEALER WHO ASKED ME TO BRING THE VEHICLE IN FOR THEM TO INSPECT. UPON INSPECTION BY THE DEALER WHERE I BOUGHT THE TRUCK, I WAS INFORMED OF THE NEED TO HAVE THE SEAT BELT CONNECTOR UNIT REPLACED. THIS WAS DONE THE NEXT DAY, AND I HAVE RETAINED THE REPLACED PART. *JB
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 55MPH WITHOUT WARNING THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT ANCHORAGE CAME LOOSE FROM THE VEHICLE FLOOR. UPON INSPECTION THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THE ANCHORAGE WIRE CABLE FRAYED. THE SEAT BELT ANCHORAGE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.
I WAS GOING HOME FROM WORK AT ABOUT 15:45 ON COLORADO HIGHWAY. 66. I WAS TRAVELING EAST BOUND AT 65 MPH WHEN THE AIRBAGS WENT OFF IN MY 2002 FORD RANGER. BECAUSE OF THIS I ENDED UP CROSSING THE OPPOSING LANE OF TRAFFIC AND INTO THE DITCH. THIS CAUSED THE FRONT END SUSPENSION TO BE DAMAGED. I CONTACTED FORD ABOUT THIS AND WAS BASICALLY GIVEN A RUN AROUND FOR 9 WEEKS. ON APRIL 13, 2006 FORD CONTACTED ME AND SAID THAT THEIR ENGINEERS HAD DETERMINED THAT THE AIRBAGS WENT OFF BECAUSE I WENT INTO THE DITCH NOT BEFORE. SO THEY ARE NOT GOING TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT THIS. FORTUNATELY THERE WERE NO FATALITIES OR ACCIDENTS. *JB
DT: CONTACT STATES DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT WILL NOT LATCH. THIS COMPONENT IS NOT COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY. THE SERVICE DEALER STATED THE BUCKLE ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.*AK
TRUCK HYDROPLAINED AND HIT THE MEDIAN WALL AT 50 MPH. NEITHER AIRBAG DEPLOYED.
2002 FORD RANGER, SEAT BELT COME UNDONE WHILE DRIVING. EVERY TIME I DRIVE THE CAR, IT COMES UNDONE AT LEASED 5 TIMES A DAY WHILE DRIVING EVERY DAY SINCE I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE. WENT TO FORD AND THEY WOULDN'T EVEN LOOK AT IT. JUST TOLD ME TO BUY A NEW ONE....WHICH I COULDN'T AFFORD, ALSO THE PLASTIC HANDLE ON THE TAILGATE BREAKS OFF EVERY COUPLE OF YEARS, AND I HAVE TO REPLACE IT. *TR
AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON.DEALER SAID HARNESS UNDER FRONT PASSENGER SEAT CAME UNDONE FROM MOVING SEAT BACK AND FORTH WHEN ENTERING REAR SEAT OF VEHICLE.THEY RECONNECTED HARNESS AND CLEARED COMPUTER LIGHTCOST $162.50 TO RECONNECT HARNESS . WOULD LIKE REFUND FROM FORD FOR DEFECT IN WIRING HARNESS.NO NEW PARTS INVOLVED IN FIXING PROBLEM WITH HARNESS. I HAD 48,678 MILES GUARANTEED FOR 50,000 MILES. *AK
Showing 1–20 of 47 complaints
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026