SAFETY | 6 out of 10
Expert Quotes:
“Acceptable” front-impact rating; "marginal" side impact ratings; “poor” rear-impact rating
IIHS
Four stars for front-impact protection
NHTSA
The 2008 Ford Ranger lacks some essential safety gear but still provides acceptable crash test scores.
According to Edmunds, in National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) crash test ratings, the 2008 Ford Ranger "earned four out of five stars for driver and front-passenger protection in frontal impacts." The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), in contrast, gave the 2008 Ford Ranger “acceptable” and “poor” ratings for frontal and rear impacts, respectively, and a "marginal" rating for side impacts in its tougher assessments.
Anti-lock brakes are standard on the 2008 Ford Ranger, as are dual front airbags. However, the Ranger shows its advancing age in its lack of side and curtain airbags. These features take major structural changes to integrate—and since the Ranger has not been completely redesigned in a long time, TheCarConnection.com expects it may never receive these vital safety features.
The 2008 Ford Ranger does offer a tire pressure monitoring system.
Conclusion
While the 2008 Ford Ranger doesn't have side or curtain airbags, it manages to perform reasonably well in crash tests.
