Ford Ranger Reliability
Quick answer
Across model years 2008–2026, owners filed 1,629 complaints about the Ford Ranger with NHTSA, most often about air bags and the transmission, and NHTSA lists 52 recall campaigns. We have no published sales figures for the Ranger to turn that into a per-1,000-sold rate, so these counts compare its model years with each other, not with other models. CarWhere's year-by-year verdict engine flags 2019–2021, 2024 and 2025 as years to avoid. Model years 2024–2026 have had less than three years on the road, so their complaint counts are still building.
By CarWhere Research · Last reviewed 2026-11-10 · Source: NHTSA
1,629
NHTSA owner complaints (2008–2026)
60
Complaints citing a crash
52
Recall campaigns
5
Years to avoid
Most-reported Ford Ranger problems
NHTSA owner complaints for model years 2008–2026, by the component owners named, filed 2008–2026. A complaint can name more than one component. The last three columns count complaints that report a crash, a fire or an injury.
| Component | Complaints | Share | Crash | Fire | Injury |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 784 | 48% | 30 | 1 | 20 |
| Powertrain / transmission | 296 | 18% | 6 | 2 | 1 |
| Electrical system | 134 | 8% | 5 | 3 | 2 |
| Engine | 102 | 6% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 85 | 5% | 13 | 0 | 3 |
| Body structure | 52 | 3% | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Speed control / throttle | 50 | 3% | 8 | 0 | 2 |
| Visibility / wipers | 46 | 3% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Of all 1,629 complaints, 60 (4%) report a crash, 9 (1%) a fire and 38 (2%) an injury.
For 2020-and-newer models (460 complaints), the most-reported areas are the transmission (194), the electrical system (75), the engine (61), the brakes (46).
Ford Ranger complaints by model year
Where problems concentrate. Year flags come from CarWhere's year-by-year verdict engine, which compares each Ranger model year with the model's other years. The full year-by-year verdicts are on the years-to-avoid page.
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls | Most-reported area | Flag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 326 | 6 | Air bags | — |
| 2009 | 169 | 8 | Air bags | — |
| 2010 | 164 | 9 | Air bags | — |
| 2011 | 235 | 6 | Air bags | — |
| 2014 | 1 | 0 | Air bags | — |
| 2016 | 1 | 0 | Air bags | — |
| 2017 | 1 | 0 | Air bags | — |
| 2019 | 272 | 11 | Powertrain / transmission | Avoid |
| 2020 | 131 | 7 | Powertrain / transmission | Avoid |
| 2021 | 119 | 6 | Powertrain / transmission | Avoid |
| 2022 | 38 | 5 | Powertrain / transmission | — |
| 2023 | 19 | 4 | Powertrain / transmission | — |
| 2024(new) | 99 | 13 | Powertrain / transmission | Avoid |
| 2025(new) | 45 | 13 | Powertrain / transmission | Avoid |
| 2026(new) | 9 | 8 | Powertrain / transmission | — |
Raw counts are not adjusted for how many of each year were sold, and older years have had longer to collect complaints. Years marked "new" have had less than three years on the road. — = not flagged either way.
Ford Ranger recalls
NHTSA lists 52 recall campaigns across Ford Ranger model years 2008–2026. The ones below cover the most model years (campaigns with a park advisory first). Recall repairs are free at a dealer.
| NHTSA campaign | Model years | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16V384000May 31, 2016 | 2008–2011 | Air bags — frontal / passenger side / inflator module | Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2007-2011 Ford Ranger vehicles, 2006-2011 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan and Lincoln Zephyr/MKZ vehicles, 2007-2010 Ford Edge, Lincoln MKX vehicles, 2005-2006 Ford GT vehicles, and…NHTSA park-it advisory: do not drive until repaired. |
| 19V001000Jan 7, 2019 | 2010 and 2011 | Air bags — frontal / passenger side / inflator module | Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2014 Ford Mustang vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa,…NHTSA park-it advisory: do not drive until repaired. |
| 18V046000Jan 11, 2018 | 2009 and 2010 | Air bags — frontal / passenger side / inflator module | Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013 Ford Mustang vehicles sold, or ever registered in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa,…NHTSA park-it advisory: do not drive until repaired. |
| 17V024000Jan 10, 2017 | 2008 and 2009 | Air bags — frontal / passenger side / inflator module | Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2012 Ford Fusion and Mustang and Lincoln Zephyr and MKZ vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina,…NHTSA park-it advisory: do not drive until repaired. |
| 23V283000Apr 21, 2023 | 2023 | Wheels — lugs/nuts/bolts/studs | Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2023 Bronco and Ranger vehicles. The lug nuts on the driver's side wheels may have been improperly tightened.NHTSA park-it advisory: do not drive until repaired. |
Best and worst Ranger years
- Years to avoid: 2019–2021, 2024 and 2025.
- No model year stands out as clearly better than the rest.
- 2024–2026: too new to judge fully; complaint counts are still building.
Ford Ranger years to avoid: the verdict for every model year →
What to inspect on a used Ford Ranger
Based on the components owners report most. None of these replaces an independent pre-purchase inspection.
- Transmission: test-drive from cold through every gear, feel for slipping, harsh or delayed shifts and shudder, and ask whether the fluid has been serviced.
- Electrical: test every light, window, lock, the infotainment screen and the charging system; scan for stored fault codes.
- Engine: cold-start it yourself, listen for ticking or knocking, check for oil leaks and oil consumption, and ask for oil-change records.
- Brakes: check pedal feel, pulling and grinding, and look at rotor and pad wear; ask when the brake fluid was last changed.
- Recalls: check the VIN for open recalls; open recalls are repaired free at a dealer.
- History: run the VIN for salvage, theft and odometer records before you pay.
Check this exact car
Any Ford Ranger can be better or worse than the model's record. The CarWhere Used Car Report checks one VIN for salvage records, salvage-auction records (with damage photos when the auction published them), stolen-vehicle records, the odometer trail and its listing and price history since 2015. Free preview first; the full report is $12.99, one time.
Ford Ranger reliability FAQ
Is the Ford Ranger reliable?
Across model years 2008–2026, owners filed 1,629 complaints about the Ford Ranger with NHTSA, most often about air bags and the transmission, and NHTSA lists 52 recall campaigns. We have no published sales figures for the Ranger to turn that into a per-1,000-sold rate, so these counts compare its model years with each other, not with other models. CarWhere's year-by-year verdict engine flags 2019–2021, 2024 and 2025 as years to avoid. Model years 2024–2026 have had less than three years on the road, so their complaint counts are still building.
What are the most common Ford Ranger problems?
In NHTSA owner complaints for model years 2008–2026, the most-reported areas are air bags (784), the transmission (296), the electrical system (134) and the engine (102). For 2020-and-newer models, the most-reported areas are the transmission, the electrical system and the engine. One complaint can name more than one component, and complaints are unverified owner reports.
What years of the Ford Ranger should you avoid?
CarWhere's year-by-year verdict engine flags 2019–2021, 2024 and 2025 as years to avoid. Each model year is compared only with other Ranger years: complaints are adjusted for time on the road, and serious ones (engine, transmission, brakes, steering, fuel system, or a reported crash, fire or injury) count double, with a smaller adjustment for recall campaigns.
How long does a Ford Ranger last?
In CarWhere's lifespan study, 2.3% of 8,631 used Ranger listings in the US had passed 200,000 miles and 7% had passed 150,000. Among those 10+ years old, 14.5% are past 200,000 miles. Maintenance history matters more than the model average for any one car.
How many recalls does the Ford Ranger have?
NHTSA lists 52 recall campaigns covering Ford Ranger model years 2008–2026. The one covering the most model years is 16V384000 (air bags, 2008–2011). Recall repairs are free at a dealer, and whether one was done is tracked by VIN.
How do I check a specific used Ford Ranger?
Run its VIN. The CarWhere Used Car Report checks one VIN for salvage records, salvage-auction records (with damage photos when the auction published them), stolen-vehicle records, the odometer trail and its listing and price history since 2015, with a free preview first and the full report at $12.99, one time. Pair it with an independent pre-purchase inspection.
How we measure Ranger reliability
- Complaints are every NHTSA owner complaint filed for the Ford Ranger, model years 2008–2026, across all the body-style and trim names NHTSA files them under, de-duplicated by complaint number. They are unverified owner reports.
- Year flags compare each Ranger model year only with other Ranger years, so they say which years to prefer, not how the Ranger compares with other models.
- This is federal complaint and recall data, not a survey and not comparable to Consumer Reports or J.D. Power ratings. It does not estimate repair costs.
Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation owner complaints and NHTSA recall campaigns (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-11-10; published U.S. sales figures; CarWhere years-to-avoid analysis.
More Ford Ranger research
Ford Ranger reliability by model year: