2000 Ford Ranger Reliability
The 2000 Ford Ranger has 677 owner complaints and 8 recall campaigns on file with NHTSA, most often about tires and body structure. Compared with nearby Ranger model years (1998–2002), it rates as a year to avoid: its complaint rate runs well above the Ranger's typical year.
By CarWhere Research · Updated 2026-11-04 · Source: NHTSA
677
NHTSA owner complaints
8
Recall campaigns
87
Complaints citing a crash
12
Complaints citing a fire
2000 Ford Ranger complaints by component
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2000 model year, filed between 1999 and 2022. A complaint can name more than one component.
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Tires | 140 | 21% |
| Body structure | 106 | 16% |
| Suspension | 73 | 11% |
| Service brakes | 73 | 11% |
| Powertrain / transmission | 70 | 10% |
| Air bags | 68 | 10% |
| Speed control / throttle | 55 | 8% |
| Engine & cooling | 38 | 6% |
2000 Ford Ranger recalls
8 recall campaigns on NHTSA record for the 2000 model year, by the date NHTSA received the manufacturer's report. Recall repairs are free at a dealer.
| NHTSA campaign | Date | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 00V094000 | Mar 28, 2000 | Engine & cooling — cooling system | Vehicle description: pickup trucks equipped with 2.5l ohc engines. Engine coolant circulation through the heater circuit is prevented because of a plugged heater return tube (water pump inlet tube) at the water pump. These vehicles do not comply with the… |
| 00V228001 | Aug 18, 2000 | Seat belts | Vehicle description: passenger vehicles, light duty trucks, sport utility vehicles, and mini vans equipped with trw seat belt buckle assemblies. The buckle base of these seat belt assemblies were not properly heat treated and therefore do not pass the load… |
| 00T005000 | Aug 21, 2000 | Tires — tread/belt | Tire description: firestone wilderness at, size p235/75r15, produced at the decatur, illinois tire plant and all firestone radial atx and radial atx ii tires, size p235/75r15. Operation of these tires at low inflation pressures, high speed, and in hot… |
| 01X001000 | May 22, 2001 | Tires — tread/belt | This is not a safety recall in accordance with the safety act. However, it is deemed a safety improvement campaign by the agency. Equipment description: Ford is replacing all firestone wilderness at 15, 16, and 17 inch tires mounted on Ford trucks and suvs.… |
| 06E026000 | Mar 23, 2006 | Exterior lighting | Certain pro-a motors corner lamps, turn signals, and headlights sold as replacement lamps for use on certain passenger vehicles listed above. Some combination lamps that are not equipped with amber side reflectors fail to conform to federal motor vehicle… |
| 07V336000 | Aug 3, 2007 | Speed control / throttle | On certain pickup trucks, passenger vehicles, sport utility vehicles, and motor homes chassis, the speed control deactivation switch may, under certain conditions, leak internally and then overheat, smoke, or burn. |
| 09E012000 | Apr 7, 2009 | Exterior lighting | Sabersport is recalling 16,270 combination corner and bumper lamp assemblies of various part numbers sold for use as aftermarket equipment for various passenger vehicles. These headlamps fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety… |
| 09E025000 | May 11, 2009 | Exterior lighting — headlights | Dope, inc. Is recalling 42,540 combination corner and bumper lamp assemblies of various part numbers sold for use as aftermarket equipment for various passenger vehicles. These headlamps fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety… |
How the 2000 compares with nearby Ranger years
Verdicts compare these Ranger model years with each other.
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls | Most-reported area | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 597 | 11 | Tires | Avoid |
| 1999 | 785 | 10 | Tires | Avoid |
| 2000 (this page) | 677 | 8 | Tires | Avoid |
| 2001 | 527 | 9 | Body structure | Avoid |
| 2002 | 346 | 7 | Powertrain / transmission | Avoid |
Complaints are unverified owner reports filed with NHTSA and are not adjusted for how many of each year were sold, so they compare years of the same model rather than different models.
What to check on a used 2000 Ford Ranger
- Tires: check tread depth and date codes, and look for uneven wear that points to alignment problems.
- Body: look under the car for rust or damaged subframe and rocker areas, and check panel gaps for signs of repair.
- Suspension: listen for clunks over bumps, look for leaking struts and uneven tire wear.
- Brakes: check pedal feel, pulling and grinding, and look at rotor and pad wear; ask when the brake fluid was last changed.
- Recalls: confirm each of the 8 campaigns above was completed on this VIN; open recalls are repaired free at a dealer.
- History: run the VIN for salvage, theft and odometer records, and have an independent mechanic inspect the car before you pay.
Check this exact car
Any 2000 Ford Ranger can be better or worse than its model year. The CarWhere Used Car Report checks one VIN for salvage records, salvage-auction records (with damage photos when the auction published them), stolen-vehicle records, the odometer trail and its listing and price history since 2015. Free preview first; the full report is $12.99, one time.
2000 Ford Ranger reliability FAQ
Is the 2000 Ford Ranger reliable?
The 2000 Ford Ranger has 677 owner complaints and 8 recall campaigns on file with NHTSA, most often about tires and body structure. Compared with nearby Ranger model years (1998–2002), it rates as a year to avoid: its complaint rate runs well above the Ranger's typical year.
What are the most common 2000 Ford Ranger problems?
The most-reported problem areas in NHTSA owner complaints for the 2000 Ford Ranger are tires (140), body structure (106), suspension (73), service brakes (73). One complaint can name more than one component.
Does the 2000 Ford Ranger have recalls?
NHTSA lists 8 recall campaigns for the 2000 Ford Ranger, including 00V094000 (engine & cooling — cooling system) and 00V228001 (seat belts). Recall repairs are free at a dealer, and whether one was done is tracked by VIN.
How does the 2000 Ford Ranger compare with the 1999 and 2001 models?
By NHTSA records, the 1999 has 785 complaints and 10 recalls (avoid); the 2001 has 527 complaints and 9 recalls (avoid). The 2000 has 677 complaints and 8 recalls.
How do I check a specific used 2000 Ford Ranger?
Run its VIN. The CarWhere Used Car Report checks one VIN for salvage records, salvage-auction records (with damage photos when the auction published them), stolen-vehicle records, the odometer trail and its listing and price history since 2015, with a free preview first and the full report at $12.99, one time. Pair it with an independent pre-purchase inspection.
More Ford Ranger research
Other Ford Ranger model years:
Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation owner complaints (all body-style listings for the 2000 Ranger, de-duplicated by complaint number) and NHTSA recall campaigns, retrieved 2026-11-04.