Car Defect Radar
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Built from NHTSA complaints and recalls collected for this model, generated October 26, 2026. Totals reflect what has been collected, not every complaint ever filed.
Urgent recall on this model.

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

4 total · 4 to confirm

Safety issues the manufacturer must repair for free. A recall means confirm the fix was done, not walk away.

Safety recall

Do not driveRecall 23V283000 · Apr 2023

Loose lug nuts may result in wheel detachment while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy
Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the remedy is completed. Dealers will inspect, and if necessary, retighten the lug nuts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 2, 2023. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 23S17.
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.

Safety recall

Confirm it was repairedRecall 25V685000 · Oct 2025

An electrical short circuit can increase the risk of a fire.

Remedy
Owners are advised not to plug in their block heater until the vehicle is remedied. Dealers will replace the block heater, free of charge. Owners will also have a alternative option to replace engine block heater element with a threaded blanking plug, and remove the block heater electrical cord. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed December 3, 2025. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated September 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SA4. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on October 15, 2025.
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.

Safety recall

Confirm it was repairedRecall 25V442000 · Jun 2025

A rearview camera that displays a blank image can reduce the driver's view behind the vehicle. A rearview image that continues to be displayed after the vehicle is shifted out of reverse may distract the driver. Both of these situations can increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy
Dealers will update the rearview camera software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 4, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S72.
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.

Safety recall

Confirm it was repairedRecall 23V379000 · May 2023

An overloaded vehicle increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy
Ford will mail a new TREAD label to install over the existing label, free of charge. Owners will also have the option to take their vehicle to a Ford or Lincoln dealer to have the new label installed, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 21, 2023. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 23C18.
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

18 total

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

Worth reading
7

Most reports here involve unintended acceleration. Of these, 1 mention a crash.

unintended acceleration 2transmission slipping 2fire 1
A recent report: Appx 73000 Miles truck developed shudder (felt like transmission jumping gears) under moderate acceleration. Gently Drove home, no other shudder. Called dealer who said to drive it in. Noted a…
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Appx 73000 Miles truck developed shudder (felt like transmission jumping gears) under moderate acceleration. Gently Drove home, no other shudder. Called dealer who said to drive it in. Noted a missfire warning on phone app, also stated to gently drive to dealer. On way dealer up hill at ~60 mph (on 70mph freeway) shudder returned, slowed to 55mph, heard spark plug(s) eject and much louder noises. Stopped and had towed to dealer (tow truck drove onto roll back.. very noisy, dealer stated sounded terrible when drove into shop. Engine repair quoted at ~10k (disassembly,machine, sleeve cyinders, new parts) Ford extended warranty refused claim.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11755726 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Electrical & infotainment

Minor
3

Most reports here involve sudden stalling.

sudden stalling 1electrical shorts 1software faults 1
A recent report: Received safety recall 25S72 sync software and had repaired in Feb. 2026. Same issue has already resurfaced. Many issues are related to this. Sync software affects B/U camera, Ford pass will not…
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Received safety recall 25S72 sync software and had repaired in Feb. 2026. Same issue has already resurfaced. Many issues are related to this. Sync software affects B/U camera, Ford pass will not work, phones will not sync, internal components will not work properly. IE: Radio, etc. Was repaired during warranty period but now a few weeks out of warranty and dealer will not repair again without a healthy charge. I just wanted to report since initial repair failed again so quickly. Thanks

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11747442 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Brakes

Minor
4

Most reports here involve loss of braking.

loss of braking 3
A recent report: Brake pad fell off while driving, it hasn’t been serviced by anyone else except the manufacturer. It’s a manufacturer failure and a safety issue. The dealer ship refused to provide an inspection…
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Brake pad fell off while driving, it hasn’t been serviced by anyone else except the manufacturer. It’s a manufacturer failure and a safety issue. The dealer ship refused to provide an inspection report of the vehicle

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11700807 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Steering, suspension & tires

Minor
2

Most reports here involve software faults.

software faults 1
A recent report: The contact owns a 2023 Ford Ranger. The contact stated that while the Lane Keep Assist system activated, the system failed to work properly. While the alarm was on, the steering wheel vibrated, and…
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The contact owns a 2023 Ford Ranger. The contact stated that while the Lane Keep Assist system activated, the system failed to work properly. While the alarm was on, the steering wheel vibrated, and the vehicle remained in the lane. While using the assist option, the vehicle veered into the other lane. While the Lane Keep Assist system was positioned with the alarm and assist, the system was inoperable. The contact called the local dealer and was informed that the vehicle was working as designed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was 1,700.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11568744 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Airbags & seat belts

Worth reading
2

Most reports here involve airbags not deploying. Of these, 1 mention a crash, 1 mention an injury.

airbags not deploying 2
A recent report: AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT HAS RECENTLY ILLUMINATED. INDEPENDENT MECHANIC SCAN TOOL READING ON 3/15/24 SHOWS THE FRONT PASSENGER AIRBAG TO HAVE COMPLETELY FAILED AND BECOME INOPERABLE. VEHICLE HAS NOT…
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AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT HAS RECENTLY ILLUMINATED. INDEPENDENT MECHANIC SCAN TOOL READING ON 3/15/24 SHOWS THE FRONT PASSENGER AIRBAG TO HAVE COMPLETELY FAILED AND BECOME INOPERABLE. VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN INVOLVED IN ANY IMPACTS OR COLLISIONS.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11577700 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Is 18 complaints a lot? They were filed between 2023 and 2026, roughly 6 a year, which is fewer than the typical model in this dataset. We do not have sales figures for this model, so treat this as a rough volume, not a rate per car on the road. Popular, high-volume models naturally collect more complaints over time.

How does it compare with other years? The 2023 has 18 complaints on file, fewer than the 2022 (37) and fewer than the 2024 (79). 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.