At least one recall carries a do-not-drive or park-outside warning. Confirm by VIN that the repair was completed before driving or buying this car. The fix is free at a dealer.
Recalls
Safety issues the manufacturer must repair for free. A recall means confirm the fix was done, not walk away.
Airbags recall
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy
- Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the repair has been performed. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began February 13, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall 19S01.
- Status
- Do not drive until repaired. A dealer fixes this free of charge.
- What to do
- Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.
Airbags recall
An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy
- Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the repair has been performed. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. Ford mailed interim letters informing owners that parts are not yet available on July 15, 2016. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S01.
- Status
- Do not drive until repaired. A dealer fixes this free of charge.
- What to do
- Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.
Airbags recall
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver-side airbag inflator or module with an alternate one, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on April 9, 2021 for the passenger side, and November 14, 2022 for the driver side. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S12.
- Status
- Remedy available. Confirm by VIN that this repair was completed.
- What to do
- Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.
Airbags recall
In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the frontal air bag, an inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify dealers that purchased the affected parts, and dealers will provide replacement parts to purchasers, free of charge. The recall began March 18, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S05.
- Status
- Remedy available. Confirm by VIN that this repair was completed.
- What to do
- Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.
Airbags recall
In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the frontal air bag, an inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the driver and passenger air bag module, and replace either the module or the inflator, if necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 17, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S05.
- Status
- Remedy available. Confirm by VIN that this repair was completed.
- What to do
- Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.
Exterior lighting recall
NON-FUNCTIONING LIGHTS COULD INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.
- Remedy
- DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE SWITCHES FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 15, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD MOTOR COMPANY CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP CENTER AT 1-866-436-7332.
- Status
- Remedy available. Confirm by VIN that this repair was completed.
- What to do
- Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.
Owner complaints by system
Unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA, grouped by the part of the car. Useful for spotting patterns. Open a group to read recent examples.
Engine & powertrain
11
Most reports here involve fluid leaks.
Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11320286 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov
Electrical & infotainment
9
Most reports here involve sudden stalling.
Read full complaint
HIGH BEAM LIGHTS FAILED ON, THE HI-LO BEAM SWITCH IN TURN, HAZARD, WIPER COMBO SWITCH LATER OVERHEATED, BURN UP, SMOKE IN CABIN CAUSING COMPLETE LOSS OF LAMPS, WIPERS AT NIGHT IN RAIN. CLEARLY A COMMON ISSUE BASED ON WEB. IF YOU ARE GOING TO SEND FULL LOAD CURRENT WITH NO CONTROL RELAYS FORCE A HIGHER STANDARD ON DESIGN MARGINS AND AND MTTF. YOU HAVE (4) HEAD LAMPS ON A CAR NO REASON A DESIGN SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO CAUSE ALL (4) TO FAILURE. FORCE MULTIPLE RELAYS, MODULES, AND CONTACTS, WIRING CIRCUITS AND FUSES. ALSO FIX THE BLINDING HEADLIGHT ISSUES. I SEE ALMOST NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LO AND HI BEAMS ON NEW CARS AND SEE SPOTS FOR 30 SECONDS AFTER PASSING CARS ON LO. SET STANDARDS AND FORCE CERTS ON EVERY NEW HEAD LIGHT DESIGN. DOT/NHTSA SHOULD BE LIABLE FOR ANY CRASHES RELATED TO BEING BLINDED WITH HEADLIGHTS
Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11618410 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov
Brakes
6
Most reports here involve loss of braking. Of these, 3 mention a crash, 3 mention an injury.
Read full complaint
TAKATA RECALL RECIEVED LETTER FROM FORD JULY 2016 SAFTEY RECALL NOTICE 16S26/NHTSA RECALL 16V384 STATING FOLLOWUP LETTER TO BE SENT WHEN PART AVAILIBLITY FOR APPOINTMENT AND PRESENTLY NOTHING HAS BEEN RECIEVED ABOUT STATUS FEB 2017. TO MAKE THIS SITUATION MORE ADVERSE I HAVE EXPERIENCED ANOTHER ISSUE OF TOTAL BRAKE SYSTEM FAILURE TWICE ONCE IN FORWARD AND ANOTHER WHILE IN REVERSE. BOTH AT UNDER 5 MPH AND NOTHING WAS HIT. BUT WHEN THE BRAKE SYTEM UNEXPECTEDLY MALFUNCTIONS IT MAY BE DEADLY TO DEPLOY AIRBAG THATS A ISSUE.
Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #10954246 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov
Steering, suspension & tires
4
Most reports here involve loss of steering. Of these, 2 mention a crash, 1 mention an injury.
Read full complaint
I WAS DRIVING ON A STRAIGHT ROAD. THE FRONT WHEEL ON DRIVERS SIDE FELL OFF CAUSING THE TRUCK TO ROLL GOING AIRBORNE AND LANDING UPSIDE DOWN IN A CREEK DOWN A 20 FT EMBANKMENT. THE AIRBAG WAS RECALLED AND REPLACED AT A LOCAL FORD DEALER. THE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. LAST THING I REMEMBER WAS GENTLY TAPPING MY BRAKE. *TR
Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11330244 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov
Airbags & seat belts
172
Most reports here involve airbags not deploying. Of these, 4 mention a crash, 5 mention an injury.
Read full complaint
I received a letter from FORD identifying my Ranger as in need of an airbag replacement under recall, for free installation and parts. I called the only Ford dealer in town, Capitol Ford, Santa Fe, NM, and was told they were unable to replace my airbag because they did not have the parts for it and did not know when they would get the parts. That was about 4 years ago. Recently, I called the same FORD dealer and made an appointment via a text message to get the airbag replaced under recall. When I took my Ranger in for service at the time arranged, the dealer did not give me any paperwork or receipt or work order. The service dept. personnel just asked for my keys and agreed that I would wait in the lobby. After 2 hours I asked the service personnel whether my airbag had been replaced and a staff member informed me that I would need to leave it all day to get the airbag replaced. I was not prepared to wait all day for this, so I informed this person I needed to reschedule the air bag replacement appointment. He then told me he would not give me my Ranger until I agreed not to request Capitol Ford to replace my airbag, he said I had to agree to take it to another dealer for airbag replacement. I then said I was calling the police to report he stole my vehicle. Only then did he agree to return my Ranger to me. Then, I called the Ford manufacturer and recounted these events. The representative called Capitol Ford to make an appointment for me for the airbag replacement while I waited on the line. After waiting, the rep returned to the line and informed me the dealer refused to make an appointment for said airbag replacement and hung up. I have not heard back from the manufacturer and that was last week. I received no documentation, receipt, or work order from Capitol Ford when I dropped off my Ranger for service as described above.
Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11744306 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov
Structure & body
9
Most reports here involve corrosion.
Read full complaint
The spare tire fell off the vehicle, including the hoist, while driving down the road. The frame crossmember holding the hoist is rotted through, with virtually no other rust anywhere else on the body and frame. Yes, you can come see it at any time. I have not bothered taking it to a dealership. Since no property damage occured, I did not call the police. Unable to find a replacement crossmember- this vehicle is now out of service, as only the bumper and bed mounts are holding the rear frame together.
Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11495059 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov
Other systems
24
Most reports here involve fluid leaks.
Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11670841 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov
How does it compare with other years? The 2011 has 235 complaints on file, more than the 2010 (156) and fewer than the 2019 (266). Of the 9 model years of the Ford Ranger we cover, the 2019 has the most (266). Older model years have had longer to collect complaints.