On or about 8/1/05 I parked my 2000 Ford Ranger XLT in my driveway and got out to open the gated parking space at my residence. Vehicle jumped into reverse and backed into the street. Managed to stop it but injured my knee. Found pin from shifter mechanism on the floor under steering column that had fallen out of shifter. Shifter would not stay in "park" afterwards but kept jumping into "neutral" and "reverse". spring tension of the shift indicator would pull it out of "park" as soon as the lever was released. Shifter would go into "neutral" and "reverse" at random. Had to shut off the vehicle and restart when I left car even briefly - not something drivers normally do. Vehicle popped into "neutral" about 75 to 100 times and into "reverse" about 50 times. Had to hold the lever in "park" to restart. About a week or so after the initial failure, I heard a loud "sproing" and a "snap" sound. Shift indicator went all the way to the right in "D1" position. It never worked again. Shift lever now stays weakly in "park" but pops into gear sometimes. Ford dealer had no interest in problem and merely referred me to manufacturer. Manufacturer referred me back to the dealer. Shifter mechanism is defectively designed and not fit for its intended use. Vehicle does not meet FMVSS because critical shifter mechanism is defective and will fail catastrophically. Gear shift ought to work without failure for the life of the vehicle. Ford and its dealers do not have any measures in place to address this failure and instead try to push off corrective action, leaving the vehicle owner with a hazardous condition. This failure has probably happened to others and is being underreported because of the actions of Ford and its dealers. If this defect is not corrected, it will ultimately kill somebody. NHTSA has a duty to call Ford and its dealers into account and require a recall to correct the defect.

- Phoenix, AZ, USA

When putting vehicle in 4 wheel drive at any speed there is a humming sound. When taking it out of 4 wheel drive vehicle will jerk. Dealer replaced transfer case on 1 June 2001.

- Thurman, IA, USA

Computer parts regulating the transmission, drive train, and engine have failed on four different occassions. The last incident, June 19, 2000, the truck switched from 2 wheel drive into four wheel drive while the vehicle was in motion rounding a corner. This sudden jolt caused the truck to tip onto two wheels and then slam back down. Both myself and my passenger were tossed around the truck causing head, neck, and back injuries. The truck had been in for similar problems atleast three times prior to this incident. My truck is only 40 days old and I am already scared to drive it due to fear of serious bodily injury. I can't possibly imagine that I am the only person who is experiencing these problems with the 2000 Ford Ranger.

- Scottsdale, AZ, USA