Ford Ranger
Reliability, NHTSA Complaints & Recall History
10 model years analyzed (2010–2026). All data sourced directly from the NHTSA public complaints and recall database — the same data used by federal regulators.
Checking a specific Ford Ranger? Run a VIN check for its exact history.
⭐ NHTSA NCAP Crash Test Ratings
New Car Assessment ProgramNCAP crash tests measure how well a vehicle protects occupants in controlled frontal crash, side crash, and rollover scenarios. Stars are awarded per category (5 = safest). These laboratory results are independent of owner complaints and are performed by NHTSA engineers on new production vehicles.
NCAP crash test ratings for this model are not yet loaded or this vehicle was not tested in the years analyzed. NHTSA tests a subset of new vehicles each year. Check nhtsa.gov/ratings directly for the latest results.
AI Reliability Analysis
Below AverageThe Ford Ranger has a high number of complaints, particularly related to air bags and powertrain issues, with 74 recalls indicating significant safety and reliability concerns. Crash-related complaints are relatively low, but the frequency of air bag problems is notable.
Check for open recalls before purchasing, especially regarding air bag systems, and consider a thorough inspection of the powertrain and electrical systems.
- Air bag system failures
- Powertrain issues
- Electrical system problems
🔔 NHTSA Safety Recalls
74 recalls foundSafety recalls are mandatory repair campaigns ordered by NHTSA when a vehicle defect poses an unreasonable risk to safety. Manufacturers are required to fix recalled vehicles free of charge. Always verify open recalls before buying a used car.
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Source: NHTSA Recalls Database. Data covers model years 2010–2026. Always run a VIN-specific check below for the most up-to-date open recall status.
🔧 Most-Reported Problem Areas
Based on component keywords extracted from all 600 NHTSA complaints.
📋 NHTSA Complaint Reports
600 totalThese are consumer-submitted safety complaints filed directly with NHTSA. Each complaint describes a real owner's experience. Complaints flagged as crash-related or fire-related are highlighted.
Clicking sound coming from under the dash. I traced it to the blend door assy. Defrost intermittently will disengage. Vehicle has 29,600 miles on it
The cylinder #1 spark plug ignition coil. Check engine light came on and the vehicle began to vibrate while traveling 70 mph. The last 30 miles of the drive on an interstate required no speed higher than 50 to prevent the vibrations. Per the independent service center, Ford has issued guidance that water could enter this compartment and rust the part. A repair costing 847.00 was completed by the mechanic, verifying it was completely rusted. Flashing check engine light came on and then steady light.
Back up camera intermittently fails to operate giving a squiggly picture or a blank black screen. I have seen many articles involving the same issues with Ford Broncos and where recalls have been issued for those vehicles. When will the NTSB be calling for Ford to recall other vehicles models having the same issues?
2020 Ford Ranger XL: Total failure of both rear leaf spring assemblies (detached from bushing). Discovered during routine maintenance at approximately 47K miles. Both rear leaf spring assemblies failed in the same location where spring meets the bushing at fwd spring attachment leaving the rear of the truck supported by the rear shock assemblies only. Technician assessment showed no damage to associated rear suspension components, minimal corrosion, and no sign of collision or impact causing failure - suspect latent manufacturing defect in original OEM part as OEM has since updated original part number. Local ford service center indicated that this is a known issue however no current recall or extended warranty covered by OEM. I am in possession of all failed parts. Happy to provide info or failed parts upon request for further analysis.
Truck shifts from 1st to 3rd, hard shifting in 4th through 10th gears.
Hit a tree head-on going 30+mph. Impact point on the vehicle was next to the airbag sensor. Air bags did not deploy
My 10 speed 10r80 transmission is failing and dangerous. Besides slipping bucking and delaying shifting it now revs up without moving. I've almost been hit more than 6 times. My ford dealer changed the fluid road tested and normal all that I'm complaining about is normal.
Purchased used in 2024 with 44,000 miles. Transmission issues began at 79,000 miles. Hard shifting, slipping and then lurching when it goes in gear. Diagnosed after transmission service ($600) as a factory defect in the 10 speed transmission. Ford has issued Service Bulletins defining and outlining the issue but has offered no assistance in rectifying and repairing. Since so many vehicles are affected there should be a recall. I understand that in Canada a class action lawsuit has been initiated.
I bought my 2020 Ford Ranger preowned with around 64k miles on it. After having owned it for about 6 months or so, I started to notice lots of problems with the transmission. After first noticing it, the problems persisted for a couple more months until I finally decided to address it. The problems were very characteristic of transmission slippage, and they got progressively worse week by week, which it what ultimately prompted me to address it. When accelerating and shifting through the lower gears (15-30 MPHs, approximately), the shift would be delayed and lag a couple seconds. This would often cause stalling in the acceleration, particularly when going from a stop to a start, such as through traffic lights. There were also very rough and aggressive shifts at higher gears when driving on the highway. It would feel like rough jolts that would rock the truck a little. Also transitioning the truck into reverse often caused serious jolts as the transmission shifted very aggressively. Eventually, I took my truck into an AMCO transmission shop for inspection. They confirmed that my transmission was damaged and needed replaced. This was at about 86k miles. I took the truck into a Ford dealership to get a second opinion and they also confirmed my transmission needed replaced. I went ahead and had the transmission replaced at that point. The replacement was done with the truck at 86k miles. The Ford dealership replaced the 10R80 transmission with a re-manufactured 10R80. It has now been about 8k miles and 9 months since the transmission was replaced, and the re-manufactured transmission is starting to experience similar problems. Mostly with a lag when shifting in lower gears and hard jolts when placing it in reverse. The problems are not as bad as the original transmission before I had it replaced, but some still remain. There were no warning lamps or messages with this problem. Ford's 10R80 transmission is notorious for failing and being a safety problem to the public.
Brought the vehicle to the dealer for standard 40,000 mile service. When it was raised on their lift, the rear end dropped out because both driver and passenger side leaf springs had broken at the mount bushings. The springs had been broken for some time, as there was significant rust at the broken points. The truck drove normally. This was only discovered once the truck was on a service lift. The weight of the truck was resting on the intact part of the springs, but may have completely disconnected if I had hit a large enough bump while the springs were broken. This would certainly have caused a loss of control, and likely resulted in a crash. The dealer confirmed that this was a manufacturer defect. Despite being past the warranty period, Ford agreed that this is a defect. They used the "Ford ESP" extended service plan to with the cost to perform the repair, though I did not have an extended service contract. I searched the internet, because this should not be possible on a vehicle with this age and mileage. I discovered many reports of similar occurrences on the 2019-2022 Rangers. [XXX] [XXX] I found similar reports on Reddit and other sites. This is dangerous and appears to be a common defect. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
When starting to accelerate, the automatic transmission shifts hart into second or third gear, and sometime has no power, like it is idling for 5 to 7 seconds before engaging. The problem has been reproduced and confirmed by Quirk Ford of Augusta, Maine who said I must have had a faulty transmission from the factory. The safety issue is hesitation from the occasional loss of power during the hard shift which could put one in danger of being rear ended. The were no warning indicators except the sudden jarring during hard shift. Other than the problem being diagnosed by the dealer, it has not been inspected. Hard shift first appeared around 75,000 miles. Dealer flushed and Changed fluid. Reappeared with loss of power during around 130,000 miles. Transmission being replaced 12/15/25 at $9200. Ford basically said it was my problem. I have had two ford rangers before that I drove for over 230;000 miles each without any transmission issues. Clearly the 10 speed transmission is flawed and needs a recall.
2020 Ford Ranger with transmission and engine (EGR cooler) issues resulting in hard shifting and surges makes it dangerous to drive. Happened on vehicle that was properly cared for and maintained. Issues present on truck that has less than 70k miles.
all of these issues: Shuddering at the point of acceleration Inability to reach desired speed Gear lockout Failure to start Shifter “lockout” or being “stuck in park” Hesitation from a stopped position Sluggish performance, including during towing “Check engine” light “Juddering,” which involves shaking of the vehicle during normal operation Loss of power or failure to engage
Rear view camera screen freezes, has distortion and is sometimes blank. This has been an issue for several months and I keep seeing articles regarding this problem and that Ford is recalling various vehicles for the same issue but have not been notified of a recall for my vehicle model and year.
I bought the 4x4 Ford Ranger specifically to be towed behind my motor home and followed the directions on how to set up the Flat-tow feature that allows the Ranger to be towed behind my motorhome. I had traveled to a number of Good Same Rallys without any trouble with the Ranger. I use it also as my main vehicle at home to go to store, church etc. On my last trip to Branson, MO while coming home there was a noise that sounded like my brakes on the Ranger were locked up. I took my foot off the gas pedal and it stopped, I proceeded on home when it did this several times. Each time it would stop. I got home disconnected the Ranger and it started fine, I drove it almost 200 miles when I began to notice a jerking from the transmission and took it to my dealer. They proceeded to check it out and told me that the transmission and universal were bad and needed to be replaced at a 17k price. According to the computer readout my battery had failed 2 times. HOW CAN A BATTERY FAIL TWO TIME??? Apparently this caused my flat tow in nuetral tow to go into normal range and at that time made my truck act like it was in normal range, towing a dead truck. THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED ME TO HAVE A BAD ACCIDENT, END UP IN A DITCH. The shop checked and the batter was low but ok. The computer on board did this to my truck and lied on the readout. Three (3) other Rangers had this happen to them and one blew up. I am sure other Ranger owners have had this happen to them too. This can cause a serious accident. I have filed a complaint to our attorney General in my state.
My transmission start to skip about two years ago, l took to Ford Dealership, they check the code, everything was good, we check the 3 months ago, everything okay, but it still kept skipping, so l change the fluid, and filter, still skips, for wanted over $600.00 to see what the problem, said l had no warranty, I’m a 71 year old disabled Senior on a fixed income, , didn’t have the money, l don’t know what to do
Backup camera isn't working a recall on some 2020 rangers has been issued but not mine. Parking collision warning isn't as loud as it used to be. Took it t ford garage but they wanted to charge me to do diagnostics. Warning onbackup camera call your service department
Automatic transmission Available for request Accelerating and stoping proves to be a safety issue on the roadways Confirmed by anyone that drives the vehicle Not inspected, out of warranty and can not afford replacement No lamps
Internal component failure of the 10R80 transmission. While driving one evening on a highway the vehicle while in cruise began bucking, surging and reduced gears. The vehicle began spraying transmission fluid on vehicles behind me and what was once a 10 speed transmission became a 7 speed transmission. Prior to failure there was zero indication of an issue. Nearly getting into an accident I had to make my way to the side of the road where there wasn’t much of a flat shoulder. Not only could my sudden decline in speed have caused an accident but the transmission fluid spraying on vehicles behind me could have reduced others visibility. Dealership near the incident area has confirmed internal failure which is extremely common for these transmissions. Vehicle is currently awaiting a replacement transmission.
Rough shift and jerkings around 35 to 40 mph
Showing 20 of 600 total NHTSA complaints. Source: NHTSA Complaints Database
Check a Specific Ford Ranger
This page shows fleet averages across all 10 model years. Enter a VIN to see the exact accident history, odometer records, title brands, and open recall status for a specific car.
📖 Understanding This Data
What is an NHTSA Complaint?
An NHTSA safety complaint is a report filed directly by a vehicle owner or driver describing a safety-related issue. Anyone can submit a complaint at NHTSA.gov. The number of complaints is a signal of how common a problem is — but complaints per model-year matter more than raw totals, since popular vehicles naturally receive more reports. The Ford Ranger has 600 complaints on record across 10 model years.
What is a Safety Recall?
A safety recall is a mandatory campaign issued by NHTSA when a vehicle component poses an unreasonable risk to safety or does not comply with federal motor vehicle safety standards. Unlike complaints (which are owner-reported), recalls are formally investigated and confirmed by regulators. Manufacturers must fix recalled vehicles free of charge. The Ford Ranger has 74 recall campaigns in the NHTSA database.
What Are Crash Complaints?
Crash complaints are NHTSA filings where the owner indicates a crash occurred as part of the incident. 28 of the Ford Ranger's 600 complaints involved a crash. This metric is particularly important because it indicates how often defects resulted in actual collisions — a key safety signal beyond general reliability.
How Is the AI Rating Calculated?
The AI reliability rating (Below Average) is generated by analyzing the vehicle's total complaints, recall history, crash complaint ratio, fire complaint ratio, and top component failures relative to class averages. The rating provides a plain-English summary for buyers who want a quick verdict without parsing raw numbers. It is one input in your buying decision — always verify with a VIN-specific report.
Why Do Newer Years Have Fewer Complaints?
Newer model years appear to have fewer complaints because there has been less time for owners to file them. Complaints accumulate over years of ownership. A 2020 model year vehicle will typically show fewer complaints than a 2015 model year even if it is less reliable — simply because fewer owners have had time to report issues. Focus on complaints per year of market presence when comparing across model years.
Fleet Data vs. Individual VIN
Everything on this page reflects aggregated data across all Ford Ranger vehicles on the road — not any specific car. Two Ford Ranger vehicles of the same year can have very different histories: one may have been in three accidents and have an open recall; another may be clean. A VIN check gives you the individual car's history: accidents, title brands, odometer records, service history, and real-time recall status.
What Are NHTSA Investigations?
When NHTSA receives a pattern of related safety complaints, it opens a formal investigation. A Preliminary Evaluation (PE) is the first stage — NHTSA determines if a safety defect may exist. If evidence is strong, it escalates to an Engineering Analysis (EA), which can result in a mandatory recall. The Ford Ranger has 0 investigations on record (0 active). Investigations listed above may have already led to the recalls shown on this page.
Is This Data Saved in Firebase & Indexed by Google?
Yes — intentionally. When you first visit this page, our server fetches live data directly from the NHTSA public API (no key required), processes it, and caches it in Google Firebase Firestore for 24 hours. The fully rendered HTML — with all NHTSA complaints, recalls, NCAP ratings, and investigations — is then indexed by Google Search. This is by design: caching real government data in Firebase lets us serve comprehensive vehicle safety pages instantly, while giving Google Bots rich structured content to rank for searches like "Ford Ranger reliability" or "NHTSA recalls." No personal data is stored — only public NHTSA records are cached. You can always verify everything directly at nhtsa.gov.