430,625 miles
Quite a few of us won’t drive that far in a single lifetime. However two owners of a 1996 Ford Ranger decided to tag team their efforts and make this ride a true hauler.
This Ranger XLT was driven 210,212 miles before the second owner took the reins of this mini-beast.
Now normally, a truck like this one would last anywhere from 50k to perhaps another 75k with that second owner before succumbing to some type of wear related fatality.
A bad transmission. A blown head gasket. Maybe the onslaught of neglect, abuse and rust would have finally done her in.
Not this Ranger. The second owner from Frederick, Maryland (think Washington DC ex-urb) likely had a long commute and a high regard for a truck that truly deserved such a devoted owner.
That loyalty and dedication translated into another 200,000+ miles of travels. The Ranger’s basic mechanicals were definitely part of that question. The 2.3 Liter dates all the way back to the 80’s and the 5-speed in it was likely at a break even point back when Broncos and Aerostars were still on the new car showroom.
Special kudos should be given to the two owners who were able to make this truck’s two time 200,000 mile plus journey a reality. If anyone would like to share their experiences with a long mileage hauler, please feel free. The week is young!
A couple of years ago I had the joy of driving a 1999 U-Haul Ford F-350 V10 van. It had 472, 000 miles! I have a photo of it somewhere. Anyways it felt so decrepit and scary to drive, the transmission was matrix slow to shift, and I can almost remember that V10 howl! I bet you could find many a mileage champ at a local U-Haul, many vans are 20 years old and they still take a lickin and keep on tickin!
I have got a 1979 Peugeot 504 diesel with 489k miles(original)&still stock motor.afew clutches&waterpumps,two starters,4 alternators(yes,one owner car)&still going strong every day.but that is very impressive for a 4 cyl ford.kudos to the owner.have fun.
Actually its a 4 banger Mazda with Ford badges but carry on.
No, it’s a Ford. The B-Series trucks were badge cousins, but these were made and designed by Ford. The transmission in this was likely Mazda made.
True dat. Newer one’s (like mine) have a joint designed Ford-Mazda DOHC 4 banger (142 net hp); others had the Cologne V-6. R.I.P. after 2011.
This era Ranger would have the engine that started it’s life in the Pinto in the 70’s. Later Rangers got the engine that was co-designed and produced by both Ford and Mazda.
Bryce, the Ranger for our market was a unique vehicle. In fact, Mazda sold this Ranger here as the B2300.
And also the B3000 and B4000 with 3 and 4 liter V6s.
Negative, Bryce. These had the Ford (U.S. made) “Lima” 2.3L four; the Mazdas for North America were rebadged Fords made in New Jersey. Both are found all over Oahu (Honolulu County); very few in the used car lots – people hang onto these. I have a ’10 Ranger. Outstanding little work/play truck. I anticipate this one going well over 300K on it’s original drivetrain . . .
Now, that is impressive! And I could actually picture myself driving that amount in a Peugeot, at least a lot more than in a Ranger.
Why is it not rusted away?
I think of the Rangers as sort of a modern VW Beetle. Crude and ancient, yet usually easy and cheap to keep going.
The crucial decision: Would you rather seat 2 passengers for 300 miles in the back seat of a Beetle, or in the jump seats of a ext-cab Ranger?
Very impressive. Looks to be in very condition still as well.
My daily driver is a 2002 Ford F150 extended cab with 394,000 miles on it. The previous owner was a salesman for Landpride farm equipment and drove it til the crank sensor went bad and then left it in his yard for two years. Made me a strong believer in the 4.6 V8.
I had a part-time gig years ago driving a limo with my neighbor. We used a ’97 Lincoln Town Car up until 2006, by which time it had racked up 750,000 km on the original engine, and it still ran great. The original transmission was replaced at around 500,000 km. It was replaced by an off-lease 2006 Town Car. The ’97 carried on as a taxi – it was still in decent shape, but it was starting to show its age and you want something a little nicer for limo duty. Though the ’06 drove and handled pretty well for a big car, the interior seemed a little cheap compared to the ’97. Still, though, no complaints about the drivetrain. The 4.6 is a great motor whatever vehicle you drop it into.
My 87 Nissan truck was over 325k miles when it was parked. I had just had the auto shop at the high school rebuild a 2.4 liter four with a blown head gasket. Started driving it again and the engine froze at 1300 miles. No more letting kids play with my vehicles. A four cylinder with a five speed is a pretty good recipe for success no matter who built it.
I can imagine how quickly those miles piled up with the second owner. Around five years ago I was offered a job in Frederick, and though the pay was decent (more than I’d ever made before up to that point) it would have required me to commute at least 1.5 hours one-way to find semi-affordable housing.
To those not from the MD-PA-VA area, if you look at a US map and pick out MD, you’ll notice there’s one place where the state is incredibly pinched and only appears to be something like 10 miles from Mason-Dixon line to the Potomac. That’s Frederick.
It’s the dividing line between Baltimore/Washington/Annapolis and politically forgotten Maryland. The beginning of I-270, the technological corridor and road to hell (the Washington Beltway). And one nasty commute. If you’re doing it on a motorcycle, you immediately find another biker to team up with, so the two of you can actually claim a car sized space.
Yep, I was looking at apartments pretty deep into Pennsylvania. And the drive from BWI in afternoon rush hour was one of the very few times I’ve been genuinely apprehensive behind the wheel.
I take it the road to hell you are talking about is the “wonderful” road call 495? Every morning that dang road is clogged by stupid people that don’t know how to drive. Then there is the B/W Parkway(grrr!!!) would it hurt to have designed that damn road with a 3rd lane on each side
I was stationed at the Army biological warfare center at Fort Detrick in Frederick back in 1970. It was a nice little town then but sounds like things might have changed. It was the scene of my first gravel rash with my first bike. Found out the hard way about train track angles and roads. Harley shop there had a kid who raced a sprint 100cc bigger than mine.
Very pretty and great rides with the mountains in Hagerstown and the woods around Gettysburg. Sounds like it might be all houses now. I don’t recognize the roads you mention. The only game in town was the I-70 split into 70N and 70S.
The B/W Parkway(AKA 295 or Balt/Washington parkway) is a road that goes from Washington to Baltimore and is the way to get to BWI airport. It has been pissing off commuters since 1950.
495(the capital beltway(or should I say the Capital parking lot) ) has been causing motorists to pull hair out since 1958.
I have always found RT70 to be a peaceful drive from Howard County MD to Frederick. Once where you set the cruse control
My ex-wife had this same truck, 96 Ranger stepside with the 3.0 v6 and the 5 speed. And that truck went well north of 250K with no major mechanical issues at all, not even a clutch replacement. And this being the northeast, it was surprisingly rust resistant too. In fact, the only thing that killed the truck was hitting a large deer at highway speed. The drivetrain had lots of life left in it, and I’d say that may be the best one Ford produced in the 90’s. Terrible to drive (the rear end was quite ‘lively’ on rough surfaces, my knee would hit the directional stalk when shifting, no legroom, no A/C, etc) but that little truck would take you literally everywhere and back without a worry.
This gives me hope, as I’ve got an ’03 Ranger, 4.0 with automatic. And 65k on the clock. As it only gets used when I actually have something to haul, I expect this to be my last pickup truck.
Similar situation here. Got an ’03 Edge with the 3.slow and a 5-speed. 113K. Hoping that I can keep it as my HomeDepot truck once its daily-driving days are over.
With the mighty Vulcan engine and 5sp 300K is super easy.
Syke make sure you never let anyone put the 5-20 that is recommended for the other engines, use 5-30 or 10-30 only (preferably Motorcraft or other synthetic), and only Motorcraft oil filters should be used.
Eric, would you give the same advice for a 3.0 Fusion? The wife’s is starting to consume some oil at 92k, I was wondering if something heavier might help.
The fact that it has a less-likely-to-explode manual tranny in it might be a factor as to why it’s lasted this long….
Having spent time in numerous fleet Rangers, I know firsthand those cars are durable as all hell. I also know the regular cab models, such as the one pictured here, are uncomfortable as all hell. Would hate to spend 200k+ worth of long commute in one. I’d go for a V6 F-150 and take the mileage hit in heartbeat.
Ditto. Penalty box.
Worked at a Ford dealer that had one as a parts chaser and drove it a couple of times. The pre-’98 Ranger regular cabs were definitely NOT designed for anyone over 5’6″ or so, especially if it has a stick.
I had a ’93 Mazda B3000 regular cab with 5 speed (same as Ranger) that I drove 900 miles in one day and survived. My legs are short though and I had the seat all the way back against the rear glass. I can see how you taller guys would be miserable.
Owning a 1996 Ranger short-bed, standard cab XLT 4 cyl. 5 speed for 6 years, I can’t imagine spending that many miles in one.
My commute at the time was an easy 25 minutes on back roads, but even though that little truck just wouldn’t ever even get “sick”, my back said otherwise, and in 2004 I bought my 2004 Impala. My back thanked me in spades!
I’m sure that little red truck is still out there, somewhere.
The only things showing wear seem to be the clutch and brake pedals which are missing their rubber pads.
My highest miler was a ’93 Chevy K1500 Work Truck, 4.3, 4 spd auto. It had 340,000 miles when I sold it for $900. And by the looks of the truck, it wasn’t an easy 340k. Rust through on most panels, ran rough and stalled occasionally, front CV joints were on their last legs (but the 4wd worked!), gas tank leaked from the top. I used it for the first couple years of my house renovation for the really dirty stuff and it never complained. It was even immortalized on Google Street view!
Even with the longer regular cab of the later models I can’t see spending anywhere near that many miles in a standard cab Ranger. I guess the owners may have been on the shorter side. My Ranger was a good truck but just way too cramped, now I wonder why I ever bought one in the first place and why we actually took it on more than a couple 1-2K mile trips.
Talked to a guy in a brand new Ranger last week he was fueling his ute next to me and saw my hatch sucking on the black side he loves his 5 cylinder Diesel ute its got a 6speed auto and pulls like a champ it has 4×4 and he traded a F250 4×4 on it and much prefers the Ford from Thailand even though its smaller its far more capable as a work vehicle. Very few buyers here opt for a Falcon now, these are weapon of choice and they are everywhere.
We used to regularly get 1,000,000 km or more on the Oldsmobile 307’s we used as taxis. These engines were understressed to begin with and converting them to LPG made them last longer than the rest of the car.
However, at one million km the car would most probably be on its third transmission and rear end. The tranny was easy and cheap to replace but the rear end was not!
Yeah…taxi duty. I worked at a smallish suburban cab company in the early ’80s…their car of choice was, Ford Granadas. With 250 sixes.
Now…as cab-connected readers know, taxicab companies typically LEASE the cars to their drivers. When they “hire” a driver, they’re recruiting a LESSOR. Daily lease; including radio service. Make the “nut” (the lease payment) and the rest is yours.
Twelve hour shifts. Recruit as many drivers as there are cabs. The night guy is waiting, toe-tapping, when you come in.
That car is NEVER shut down for an extended period – except for breakdowns or the Christmas holiday, where most drivers find other things to do.
What that means, is, hardly ever is there a cold start.
And what that translated to, mileage wise, was typically upward of 400,000 miles on a cab before something major let go. Usually it was corrosion related; since the company would cannibalize wrecks and dead cabs for driveline and other components.
But…yeah. No cold starts, and a car can last five or more times as long as typical.
Same thing for the Ford Falcons used out here for taxis, also running LPG. Since 2000 the transmissions have been a lot more reliable and might be down to 2 or even one trans to it the million km. Diffs usually make a bit of noise but last too.
My work truck is a 2011 Ranger, 4.0, automatic, 2 door supercab. It’s on it’s 2nd rear end and had one rear transmission seal in 239000 miles. And even though my personal choice is a GM, I’d go anywhere in it.
How’d you manage to put on that many miles in just two and a half years?
Delivering nuclear medicine to hospitals and clinics.
Drove a ’96 Ranger XL with a vinyl bench, 5 speed, no a/c with around 480,000 mikes on the original four cylinder back in 2002. Used for courier work so I was cramped on that little cab 9 hours a day. A real tough mother, considering it ran two routes a day, 20 hours a day. I didn’t like, but I respected its tenacity, even though the other driver beat it daily.
And it was better than the ’93 Isuzu pickup it replaced. That one didn’t even have power steering and getting it to 60 mph and keeping it there took time and energy.
I always thought these Rangers were good trucks. I’ve driven many of these from the repo lot to ADESA auction and they all performed well, especially considering the abuse these probably received from a majority of their non-paying “owners”. As much as I’m an “old” GM hugger, I’d take one of these over a comparable S10 as a DD.
The repo truck I used to drive was a ’95 C2500 with 350/4L80E drivetrain. It had over 275K on it when I got fired :): half of those 275K miles were spent towing vehicles. It still looked an ran excellent despite its rough job.
My wife’s ’96 Odyssey van was purchased with 134K on it and now has about 242K on its original drivetrain. This vehicle has been on several long interstate trips carrying 5-7 people and their respective crap and has yet to fail. Keep in mind this is a 4-cylinder vehicle that has not been maintained particularly well. It just got its second timing belt under our ownership & appears to be ready for the next 90K.
The ’89 Camaro in the basement has 183K on its original engine, clutch, starter, etc. & would likely keep on going if I’d start driving it again. It’s been relatively trouble-free other than a cracked radiator tank, the usual water pumps and alternators, and a $6 throttle-body gasket…part of which broke off & got injested by a rather hungry 305.
An abused ’89 CRX with 260K sits in the barn: nothing odd there. I once checked out an ’89 HF that the seller had bought new — it had a few rust spots but 360K on its completely original drivetrain. These are fantastic cars!
Notice the common denominator here is FUEL INJECTION. Other than my S-10 (310K!), none of my carb’d vehicles has proved to be as reliable.
Fuel injection is a huge reason that modern cars last so much longer.
What is it about fuel injection that improves longevity?
The key thing is the warm up enrichment cycle that does away with excess fuel that washes down the cylinder walls and dilutes the oil degrading its lubricating qualities. It also tends to lessen the carbon build up on intake valves both due to delaying the onset of blow by caused by the washed down cyl walls and the lack of fuel puddling in the intake and then turning into gum on the intake wall. Carbon’ed up intake valves choke the power and MPG potential making the engine feel “worn out”. It also reduces the carbon particulates that build up on the piston and/or make it into the engine to gum up the rings or pass by them into the oil. Carbon build up on the piston can lead to engine damaging detonation. The fact that injectors in general can last many miles w/o any maintenance vs a carb that needs periodic adjustment at the minimum to account for its wear, which was often neglected, also helps.
Absolutely correct – at least as my wrench explained it to me fourteen years ago. I had just bought an older, California Jeep…high mileage but ran like a top. With the four.
I asked him how long the engine would be good for…thinking, rings or valve seals, soon, soon.
When he told me they typically can make 200k, and were usually good when the body rusted out, I was – to say the least – surprised. It was there when he took five minutes to tell me how much of an advantage direct fuel injection was in engine longevity.
Now…I’m not a big van of emissions standards or other regulations; but I’ve got to say: the laws that forced the standards that brought the manufacturers to EFI and digital electronic engine controls…ushered in a New Golden Era of performance, smooth operation and long life.
You are correct that the ever increasing emissions standards are what forced the advancement in engine control technology that has given us the power, economy and longevity that we enjoy in modern cars. The fact is that power, economy, and low emissions actually go hand in hand, at least when you have the computing power to get almost everything perfect almost all of the time. The added bonus of course is that added longevity.
New owner will have to fix the gearbox in the near future. The forks on that M5OD may be shot or almost there.
I’m on my fifth Ranger…..having owned an 85, 89, 93, 95, and now an ’02 Supercab with 4.0 automatic. It just rolled past 300k and still runs and drives like it has 85k miles. I’ve replaced the alternator. serpentine belt, thermostat housing, fuel pump, one ball joint, lots of brake pads (I tailgate) and sets of tires. It’s the perfect size for me, and will tow up to 6000 pounds. Why Ford gave up in this segment baffles me – big mistake imho. Not everyone wants an F150 with a tailgate 5 ft off the ground to have to lift cargo up into:(
I received recently a flyer in the mail offering me specifically “top trade in dollar” (yeah, sure!) for my Ranger from a local Ford and Nissan dealer. No thanks.
Rangers rock. I have an ’83 longbed, dual fuel tank 4wd that I swapped in a 302 V8 and C4 back in ’92. In the process now of upgrading the cooling system with 5.0L Explorer parts (radiator fits like it was made for it, and it kinda was. Thank you, Ford, for making me parts that simply didn’t exist 21 yrs ago when I did the swap!) Will never get rid of this truck, and these early ones do have more cab room too. LMC has a catalog of restoration parts for the first gen Ranger/Bronco II for a reason
Actually the 98 and up regular cab trucks got a 3″ stretch vs the 82-97 to provide more interior room.
What did you do for a transfer case with that combo?
I’d have to agree about no cold starts being better for an engine. I don’t know how many early mornings I’d fire up the limo to start my day, and the engine would still be warm from my neighbor’s last run. It never took more than three turns for the 4.6 to start every time – warm or cold.
’99 Ranger XLT Super Cab w/4.0 V6 and 5 speed. 252,000 miles. Had to replace the master and slave cylinders on the clutch, but that’s about it. I wish I could snap my fingers and put some more support into the driver’s seat though. My back is sending signals after my long commute to/from work.
Fords have used a standardized seat mounting pattern for many years in their cars and I’m pretty sure the Ranger shares that and I know the Explorer uses the same as the Ranger. So it shouldn’t be hard to find something with a little better support that will bolt right in.
I live 138km from my work, and for most of the last 3 and a half years have commuted the 276km round trip most weekdays. Thankfully, 2-3 times a week I can grab a lift with a co-worker who has a company car, but the mileage still builds up on mine.
I’ve used 2x Nissan Laurel Medalist sedans for this, both with Nissan’s RD28 straight-6 2.8L diesel. The first Laurel, a ’94 C34, couldn’t cope and expired after 7 months in a cloud of blown head gasket and cracked alloy head. I bought the second, a ’97 C35, nearly 3 years ago at 188,000km. It’s now rolled over 311,000 faultless km – and recorded exactly 8L/100km over the distance, which I’m very happy with for a heavy cruiser – and I don’t baby it either. Of course my co-worker’s had two company cars in that time and has done around 200,000km in the commute too.
My highest mileage I’ve driven in one vehicle was 380,000ish km in a ’94 Toyota Hiace diesel delivery van over the five years I had that job. I got it in early ’96 with about 180,000km on it. When I left the job in 2001, the Hiace was up to 560,000km. I later learned it was finally scrapped (due to excessive rust) in 2006, with 674,000 on the odometer. The engine was still running like clockwork of course. For the same 5 years I drove the Hiace I also co-drove a Ford Trader truck, my boss and I together racked up 300,000km on that.
I love driving, and even the Hiace could be quite fun to drive with the right attitude (and a little provocation!). I still enjoy (mostly) my current 276km daily commute, but now I’m older I like things beginning with ‘C’: cushy comfort, cruise control…
A friend has that engine and Falcon 5speed and diff in a 49 Bonus pickup and his XF Ghia ute both turboed great ebgines and very well made, less hp and Torque than my Citroen and in a heavier car but they rattle along just fine.
Ok I stand corrected we actually get all the permutations of this but the favourite had the 3,0 turbo diesel more grunt than the 4.0 V6 my BILs laptop holds all the Ford parts information on these but I’ll go with you guys.
2 friends ran up over 250000 miles each in their early 90s vauxhall j cars. Bloody good for the UK!.
About the 2.3L 4cyl engine (“Lima” OH manufacture): A relative of mine worked for Ford in the 70s when they were switching from using the imported engine(s) in the Pinto to one to be manufactured in the US. They very much took into consideration typical American-vs-European reluctance to keep engine maintained/adjusted, and so created a very durable, understressed engine. I can see why, in its later form in those Rangers, it could just run and run and run. IIRC, Esslinger Engineering sold (sells?) all kinds of performance parts for that engine, for on/off road use.
/Ford, I wish you had’t given up on the Ranger-sized segment…
My 93 Century wagon (3300V6, 440T4) just completed another 1,200 mile RT from NC to OH and back. No problems, breezily dispatched the WV mountains on I-77. Almost 31MPG highway average (including in the mountains) not a drop of oil burnt, not a drop of oil lost on the ground, nor any other fluid. 386,761 miles.