Common Ford Ranger Faults: Problems, Breakdowns And Solutions!
Initially offered as the top trim package for the 1967 F-Series truck, the Ford Ranger became its own line in 1982, replacing the F-100 and Courier as Ford’s compact truck model. We well know that Ford is a recognized brand and that its cars are usually of good quality, but even so, they can manifest some problems. We invite you to read about the common Ford Ranger failures !
It gets an average reliability score of 4.1 out of 5 on the National Automobile Dealers Association website for model years 2001 through 2011. On the other hand, reports have listed rough and erratic gear shifting, engine it fails and the overdrive flasher as the main problems encountered with this model.
How good is the Ford Ranger?
Produced from 1982 to 2012, and revived in 2018, the Ranger has seen four generations in the US Its enduring presence is a testament to its reliability. Experts on the subject point out that when purchased new, the model can depreciate up to 40% in its fifth year and with an average of 13,500 miles driven annually.
Meanwhile, the 2020 model has an overall rating of 82 out of 100 across multiple sites and received the quality award for having the fewest reported issues per 100 owners who have owned the vehicle for 90 days.
The surveys value the Ranger very well, with a 4 out of 5, for the power of its engine, its durability and its load capacity. It is also mentioned that the average fuel consumption of the models with the 168 brake horsepower engine is at 34 mpg, while the models with the 210bhp engine are at 30.7mpg.
In terms of repairs, the average annual cost of maintenance for the Ford Ranger is $615 . It is claimed that the vehicle only needs to be taken to the mechanic for unscheduled repairs an average of 0.2 times a year or once every five years. In addition, the probability that the problem is serious is only 12%.
In terms of crashworthiness, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) gave the third-generation Ford Rangers an acceptable rating for the moderate overlap frontal test. Meanwhile, the vehicle earned full marks of good for its headrests and seats.
Common Ford Ranger Faults
Despite having high reliability ratings, the Ford Ranger is not without its problems. Also, some model years have more problems or exhibit more severe problems than others. For example, the 2020 model was reported to ride stiff, while the 2019 Ford Ranger had issues including unusual vibration at low speeds, service brake issues, and engine and vehicle speed control issues.
According to some owners, the model years to avoid if you’re in the market for a pre-owned Ford Ranger are 2001, 1999, and 1986 . Some of the problems with the 2001 Ford Ranger are transmission misfiring, hard shifting, and the overdrive light going on and off.
Many of the 2001 model problems have also been reported to occur before the vehicle even reaches 100,000 miles. Additionally, the 2001 Ford Ranger has nine official recalls. Some of the common Ford Ranger faults and details about the problems are:
1. Address issues
Many new 2007 Ford Ranger owners have reported hearing and feeling clicking and clicking noises from the steering assembly, even after owning the vehicle for a few days to a month.
Ford issued Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) number 19844, which purported to fix the problem with a new version of the tie rod assembly. However, some drivers and mechanics have found that this did not fix the problem and that other steering components, such as the intermediate shaft and steering rack, had to be replaced as well.
2. Engine problems
The 2004 model has several engine problems, the main complaint being misfiring. Some of the symptoms observed were light shaking, low compression, loss of power, and engine stalling .
TSB Bulletin 05-26-3 was issued for model years 2004 through 2006 equipped with the Vulcan 3.0L-2V engine. The bulletin notes that engine problems are caused by exhaust valve seat recession. This sets the diagnostic trouble codes P0300 to P0306 and P0316 and activates the malfunction indicator lamp. The recommended repair for this problem was to replace the cylinder heads.
3. Hard cold start and idle shutdown issues
Some drivers report that their Ford Ranger is hard to start when cold, hesitates under acceleration, and idles off. These issues persist from the 1991 through 2008 model year. For the 2003 model, some additional symptoms reported were excessive exhaust smoke, high idle at start-up, and the vehicle dying from idle.
One owner also noted that the radiator water and engine oil had to be topped up frequently. It is reported that the problem may be in the idle air bypass valve.
4. Transmission problems
The most common complaint regarding the 2002 Ford Ranger’s transmission was the rough gear shifting. Drivers of this model have reported experiencing erratic shifting, hard shifting, and stalling, and have observed the overdrive light flashing intermittently.
One owner noted that rebuilding the transmission did not fix the problem, while another found that repairing the valve body and solenoids did fix the problem . Several TSBs were issued about the 2002 model year transmission, including numbers 02138, 02191, 16148, and 16064. The 2007 model year was also reported to shift erratically.
5. Extremely high engine idle
Higher than usual engine idle speeds have been observed in model years 1990-2010 Ford Ranger.
This problem has been reported to occur when the clutch on a manual transmission has disengaged or after a cold start on automatic transmission vehicles. What is being pointed out as a possible fix for this is a Powertrain Control Module (PCM) software update.
In conclusion
When shopping for a used Ford Ranger, consider both its reliability scores and common Ford Ranger faults when weighing your options. If you’re buying a model year that has some known issues, check with the seller to see if the issues have been fixed to avoid incurring repair costs . Also, check to see if there are any TSBs for the vehicle and if any necessary warranty repairs can be obtained.
