Ford Ranger Complaints (2021)
112 consumer complaints on file.
- #11610413August 23, 2024POWER TRAIN
We love Ford Rangers. This is my 4th. It has been wonderful, until [XXX]. We had to replace an A/C, but that's normal. We've also noticed a very few times that when the transmission shifted, there was a little jolt. But that was rare. But on [XXX], after stopping at a light at the intersection of [XXX] and [XXX] in Indianola, MS., we had a frightening experience. After crossing the busy highway I began to accelerate and suddenly the truck jolted forward and quickly accelerated to 70 mph. I hit the brakes, and after a couple of taps it slowed down. But when I gave it more gas, it only roared twice, and no power...with big trucks beside and behind me. That was frightening. Then it returned to normal, and I went on to Isola, MS. Upon leaving it didn't want to move forward, only roaring, but then quickly responded and was back to normal. I was scheduled for a 12:30 lunch meeting in Leland, MS and my wife and I proceeded. All normal. Upon leaving Leland, same thing. No power at first, then it moved forward, normally. We noticed it was a rough shift at 45 mph as we got out on freeway. I called the service department at Hallmark Ford, Batesville, and told mgr. my problem. Thought it might be fuel pump, filter, or transmission. Upon arrival at home, it wouldn't go in reverse. I sent it to dealer on wrecker. Got second opinion. Both say it needs a new transmission at $8900. My concern is will the new transmission have same problems...reading now on internet of other people who have had similar events. Money matters, but MY CONCERN is the danger this could have inflicted upon us. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11609840August 20, 2024POWER TRAIN, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
2021 Ford Ranger - 10R80 Transmission Failure while driving. Hard shifting, lurching, slipping gears then abrupt failure. It is available. Currently at Diehl Ford in New Brighton, Pennsylvania. - It went from being 90% drivable to coming to complete stop with no transmission engagement at all. Break down occured while climbing a grade and the complete stop happened over a blind crest with guard rails on either side. Leaving myself vulnerable to being struck from behind and another driver having minimal time to see then avoid me or potentially have no where to go but through me. Can I add documents later as I get them?
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11607295August 8, 2024SERVICE BRAKES, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The two rear brake rotors were 75% rusted through, this truck only had 5,642 miles on it at the time. Brake pedal was soft, went to the floor to stop. Asked local ford dealer to look at and they wanted to charge me for two rear rotors and brake shoes. I informed them that I thought this would be a factory defect, they determined it wasn’t. This was unexceptable to me. So I took it to dealership where I purchased truck and they agreed that this was a factory defect and replaced. The only reason I’m writing you is due to all the complaints listed on your site for this truck, not one issue about rusted (badly) rotors. Unless this is an issue but just not being found.? I did read quite a few complaints about soft brake pedals though
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11606865August 6, 2024FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, ENGINE
Excessive fuel in the oil. Oil smells of gas and is diluted. Almost a quart high at 3000 mile mark. Dealer and Ford admit this may be an issue on some engines but it is supposed to be normal??? We installed a pcv catch can and it will fill up with fuel in about 800-1000 miles. That is almost 8 ozs. The included photo shows oil at about 4000 miles. The second hole you see in the dipstick is above the full mark.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11605717July 31, 2024ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Water leaks into spark plug wells causing vehicle to lose power no cover is over the sparkplugs
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11600497July 9, 2024SERVICE BRAKES, POWER TRAIN
I am, yet another of numerous Ford Ranger owners with the same brake issue. I completely concur with the November 3, 2023 complaint (NHTSA ID Number: 11553431) and everything stated in it. I must add that a few times I got pretty scared that I would not be able to stop in time as planned. The brake pedal travels (literally falls) far deep to the floor before ANY, however slight, breaking effort is achieved. Disturbingly, if I don’t keep the brake pedal firmly pressed the truck will move forward!
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11599871July 7, 2024POWER TRAIN
This is what is going on with my 2021 Ford Ranger automatic 10-speed transmission and the vehicle's drivability. When bringing the vehicle to a stop, the shifting down to a 1st gear is often executed so harshly that I can hear the driveshaft ringing in reaction to the transmission hard shift nearly locking the rear wheels. The whole act resembles "slamming" a shifter into a gear without disengaging a clutch that can be achieved on a standard (stick-shift) transmission "bangs" at a full stop feeling like being rear-ended. After a full stop, the take-off is “sluggish” - The truck gets moving in the 1st gear, the engine revs up to 2500 - 3000 RPM the transmission hesitatingly shifts into 3rd (always skipping 2nd), the noticeable sound of ‘gear grinding’ is heard when the 3rd gear is engaging. The whole process usually takes 2 to 3 seconds, the truck would literally "drift" before any noticeable acceleration is achieved. Lastly, since the day days of ownership, in the area around 2K miles and above, the truck, when the gas pedal is “floored” (ea. on the highway), would get a hard "mallet-like: kick with a significant audible, hard knock somewhere in the drivetrain and at times during this even the "explosion-like" could be heard from the engine compartment making the vehicle shudder.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11596513June 25, 2024POWER TRAIN
Truck has hard shifting and loss of power, usually on startup and at low speeds (like in a parking lot) that cause lurching and no response from gas pedal. These events are not reliably repeatable, and result in no dash lights. Sequence of events, start truck, place in reverse, back out of parking spot, place in drive, apply throttle/gas pedal, while driving slowly, car will hard shift, sometimes resulting in a lurch forward, approach exit to parking lot, truck rolls down slight incline of parking lot entrance and throttle is unresponsive to gas pedal, no power, release pedal, wait a second or two, apply pressure and it works. Driving at low speeds in parking lots, truck cannot decide what gear to be in, and sounds horrible, 5-10 mph. Approaching stops on an incline, driving forward, release gas, start to apply brakes, truck will shift and apply power while under braking. Once, pulled in to parking space, backed out to straighten, placed in drive, wrench light came on, no power. Turned the truck on and off again, and that fixed the issue. All incidents between 20k and 40k miles.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11594530June 15, 2024ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN
The critical level of FUEL DILUTION (Fuel% = 5.5) in the motor oil of this vehicle's 2.3L EcoBoost engine poses a Safety Hazard due to its system's Fuel Leaks and Fire Danger probability existing since the vehicle purchase. I am concerned for the safety of everyone because this vehicle has been evaluated to be a Fire Hazard with 104.5C via ASTM D93 Closed Cup Flash Point. The Motorcraft's Safety Data Sheet (SDS) is listed as >185C. Ford Motor Company (FMC) inspected the vehicle numerous times but safety issues remain. For this reason, I took it out of service and parked at my residence until this problem would be resolved entirely in according with the law. The vehicle mustn't be driven on its power.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11587388May 7, 2024FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, AIR BAGS, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Ranger. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle and shifting into drive(D), the messages “Pre-collision Assist Not Available" and "Cruise Control Not Available" were displayed. Additionally, the passenger’s side air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by a local dealer or an independent mechanic. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 19,000.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11584030April 19, 2024ENGINE
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Ranger. The contact stated while driving at approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle was not responding when the accelerator pedal was depressed. Additionally, the vehicle was shaking from left to right. The check engine warning light illuminated, and the contact pulled to the side of the roadway. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a water leak that damaged the spark plugs and spark plug welds. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 13,000.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11583683April 17, 2024POWER TRAIN
Harsh shifting into D, loss of power when accelerating while cold. Sometimes would start across an intersection then buck, loose power and slow down then SLAM back into gear and chirp the rear tires. Technical Service Bulletin 23-2350 was performed on 11/15/2023 which updated the trans tables and cleared some codes. This helped the issue for about a week but then truck was in again on 1/22/2024 for TSB 23-2350 a second time which replaced the CDF drum. A month later, 800 miles, 2/18/2024 truck shifted HARD while in cruise control on the turnpike in traffic and lost power. DTC P0766 check engine light came on and truck would no longer move. Transmission fluid sprayed under truck. Had to be towed to dealership. Clutch Valve D was replaced. Two months have gone by and the hard shifting into D and occasional complete loss of power still occurring. Waiting for the next check engine light to appear to take it in again. I now drive very conservatively because I don't know if it will stop moving half way across an intersection again.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11582546April 12, 2024ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ADAS:AUTONOMOUS/SELF DRIVING
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Ranger. The contact stated that while in the reverse gear, the rear cross-traffic warning did not alert the contact that the vehicle was close to an object. As a result, the contact crashed into a pole. No injuries were sustained. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the bumper and the harness for the rear cross-traffic warning system were replaced. The manufacturer was aware of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 14,850.
- Crash:
- Yes
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11553431November 3, 2023SERVICE BRAKES, ENGINE
Brakes pedal is soft and keeps going down as you push on it. The peddle does not pump up. Ford dealer says that that’s the way Ford Ranger brakes feel. There are no warning lights and no noise coming from the brake system. Engine idle, the engine idles at 900+ rpm’s, if you don’t keep the break pedal firmly pressed the truck moves forward. I found myself in the middle of an intersection at a stop light this morning. Ford dealer says that is what Ford specifically requires that the idle be set at. I have found numerous similar complaints on the internet from Ford Ranger owners.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11548671October 6, 2023SERVICE BRAKES
It is quite easy to depress the brake pedal in such a way that one's foot also engages the accelerator pedal. This has happened to me several times, causing the truck to lurch forward rather than stopping dead as is my intention. Looking online, I see this has also happened to many others on Ford trucks. I have been driving for over 50 years and this has never happened on any other vehicle.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11539191August 17, 2023ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Ranger. The contact stated while driving 60-65 MPH, the message "Trailer Connected" was displayed; however, there was no trailer connected to the vehicle. The contact pressed OK and messages indicating that the driver's side and the passenger's side trailer bulbs were faulty were displayed. The contact pressed OK, and the message "Trailer Disconnected" was displayed, then disappeared after the contact pressed OK. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring intermittently while driving. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in a recall, and he would be charged a repair fee. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 35,600.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11534743July 27, 2023POWER TRAIN
10 speed transmission issues: hard shifts, feels like slipping while in gear and driving, transmission "lunged" at a STOP sign jerking the truck forward, transmission "bangs" during some upshifts, transmission "bangs" at a full stop feeling like being rear-ended. Erratic shifting and unexpected forward lunging are a safety issue of myself and other drivers. Have not asked dealer to investigate yet. No warning lamps or messages. Unable to reliably replicate the issues.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11532301July 14, 2023POWER TRAIN, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Ranger. The contact stated that the vehicle had previously been involved in a crash due to unintended acceleration, which caused the contact to rear-end another vehicle. The vehicle had body and paint repairs performed; however, the vehicle later experienced jerking, and the transmission was seized while driving. The transmission warning light was illuminated. The dealer was made aware of the failure; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer confirmed that there was no recall associated with the VIN. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 79,000.
- Crash:
- Yes
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11527567June 18, 2023SUSPENSION
A few day ago I noticed a knocking sound coming from the read driver side suspension when driving over speed bumps. After a visual inspection nothing was found. After a few days of the issue continuing, the vehicle was taken to a garage with a hydraulic lift. The vehicle was lifted and a full inspection of the suspension system was done. What was discovered was a bit nerve racking. The front mount of the driver side leaf spring assembly was connected to the frame of the vehicle with a single bolt and nut. The bolt was hanging lose roughly 3/4 of the way out from it's original position and not nut was in sight. I checked the passenger side leaf spring mount and discovered that the bolt and nut were in place but the nut was finger tight. I was able to unscrew the nut off the bolt with no tools. If the bolt would have come completely lose and fallen out, this would cause the leaf spring/ rear axle to disconnect from the frame of the vehicle. The results of that could be mild to catastrophic. That would all depend on the speed the vehicle would be travelling at during the failure. This vehicle is factory original. No after market work/parts have been installed on this suspension. No off road driving was done on this vehicle.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11527299June 15, 2023STRUCTURE:BODY, STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR:HANDLE:INTERIOR
The surface of the drivers side interior door handle has peeled and created a dangerously sharp edge that WILL cause physical harm to the drivers hand. The middle finger on my left hand was sliced open on 06/15/2023. I made an appointment with the dealer to have to handle inspected/replaced and a service done. The vehicle is available for inspection and I have photos of the faulty door handle and my injury. I came across a post on the internet that shows ford has had an issue with this on other vehicles. I read GM also had an issue with this as well. https://blueovalforums.com/forums/index.php?/topic/54795-ouch-peeling-fusion-doorhandle-cuts-me-deep/ In 42 years on this earth, I have never had a vehicle do this. The handles are clearly made of poor quality materials.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 1
- Deaths:
- 0