Well, how about an '06?

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Well, I know there are a lot of non-mechanical whiners out there who blame everything on Ford. One guy blamed Ford because he had dry-rotted tires, which blew out causing an accident. I can't make this stuff up. But the inertia switch thing was mentioed by a dozen different people, most of whom's trucks just shut off. I hate it when that happens!! Anyway, I am cutting and pasting this qoute, which sums up the trend the best of what I read:

THE FIRST INCIDENT I WAS DROPPING MY GRANDDAUGHTER OFF AT SCHOOL WENT OVER A SPEED BUMP AND THE TRUCK STALLED OUT HAD IT TOWED HOME AND IT STARTED ONCE OFF THE TOW TRUCK.THIE SECOND INCIDENT I WAS GOING THROUGH A PARKING LOT AND WENT OVER A SPEED BUMP AND THE TRUCK STALLED OUT, HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED AND THEY REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP. THE NEXT INCIDENT I WAS IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC ON A FEEDER ROAD AND IT STALLED WAS NEXT TO THE SERVICE STATION WHERE IT WAS PREVIOUSLY FIXED AND AFTER APOLICEMAN STOPPED TRAFFIC AND HAD ME PUSHED TO THE SERVICE STATION WAS TOLD BY A SENIOR TECHNICIAN THAT THIS WAS A KNOWN ISSUE ON THE RANGER AND TO PUSH THIS BUTTON WHENEVER IT HAPPENED. I HAVE BEEN DOING THIS A LOT SINCE THIS TIME AND HAVE HAD SOME VERY CLOSE CALLS DUE TO THE STALLING, WITH THE LATEST ALMOST CAUSING A MAJOR ACCIDENT DUE TO OCCURRING A HIGH SPEED AFTER HITTING A ROAD BUMP. THE INERTIA SWITCH ON FORD RANGER?S 2003 THROUGH 2006 ARE DEFECTIVE IN THREE MANNERS ONE THE CONNECTORS BURN DUE TO A HIGH CURRENT DRAW, THE SWITCH ACTIVATES WITHOUT WARNING, AND DUE TO NO KICKPLATE PASSENGERS CAN ACTIVATE THE SWITCH. THIS SWITCH IS USED TO CUT THE FUEL OFF DURING A ROLL OVER CRASH SCENARIO. THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET IN REGARD TO THE FIRE AND SAFETY ISSUES THIS DEFECTIVE PART HAS CAUSED. TO DATE FORD HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL, OR NOTIFIED THE CONSUMER BASE OF THE POTENTIAL HAZARDS SURROUNDING THIS ISSUE, BUT HAS ISSUED A REDESIGNED SWITCH THAT NOW COMES WITH A COVER AND UPDATED CONNECTOR FOR PURCHASE WHEN REPLACING THE OLD SWITCH. PLEASE INVESTIGATE SINCE PEOPLE'S LIVES ARE BEING IMPACTED DUE TO THE MULTIPLE SAFETY ISSUES AND ALSO DUE TO THE COST ASSOCIATED WITH DIAGNOSING THIS ISSUE. MY COST TO DATE IS IN EXCESS OF $1300.00, AND I AM IN THE PROCESS OF REPLACING IT MYSELF DUE TO MY CONCERNS.

I will check it out as best I can, to be safe. Sounds like it shouldn't be TO hard to see....

I know it happens, I'm just saying I've never seen one in person.

I like to point out that this kind of thing should always be taken with a grain of salt too. Me saying I've never seen it isn't too representative since we don't have a lot of Rangers that come in at my shop.

On the other hand, you found 12 guys saying the switch went bad on them, out of how many owners. How many people do you think get on and post "Well, my inertia switch never went bad"?


The internet can tell you what to watch out for, but it can't tell you what to worry about.


And frankly I have little sympathy for that guy since he kept driving it once he knew what the problem was but seems to have made no move to fix it himself despite his own sense that it was unsafe to drive.