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Ford’s first Ranger pickup, the Ford Ranger, was launched in 1983. Completely redesigned for the 1993 and 1998 model years, its fourth generation reached the market in 2019.
Now, two years later, the 2021 model is promoted as being “the most off-road-ready factory-built Ranger ever offered in the U.S.”
Click on other model year to view more problems: 2019 2020 2022
Contents
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NHTSA Complaints for the 2021 Ford Ranger
| Complaint Category | Number of Complaints |
|---|---|
| Service Brakes | |
| Engine | |
| Tires | |
| Electrical System | |
| Structure:body | |
| Power Train | |
| Structure:body:door | |
| Forward Collision Avoidance:software:pedestrian/cyclist/object/obstacle/ Recognition | |
| Lane Departure: Warning | |
| Vehicle Speed Control |
This may be so. But there are already 3 recalls and 36 manufacturer communications on file with the United States Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Legally, manufacturers are required to notify NHTSA about all communications. These are all notifications about problems relating to vehicles, in this case the 2021 Ford Ranger.
There are also 14 official consumer complaints on record with NHTSA. This is 10 less than those lodged in 2020, but it’s clear that complaints don’t stop in the model year. The most recent complaint about the 2020 Ford Ranger is dated 24 January 2020.
But, we’re going to look at the most common problems about the 2021 Ford Ranger in the NHTSA records.
Most Common Problems with the 2021 Ford Ranger
The most common problem consumers report about the 2021 Ranger relates to service brakes. The structure of the car is the second-most common complaint.
2021 Ford Ranger Brake Problems
The issues the 5 service brakes complaints highlight are varied.
Two relate to soft, mushy brakes that don’t work properly. One response from a Ford dealer is, “It is working fine.”
Two others relate to the need for excessive effort needed to make the brakes work. This, the complaints say, introduces significant risk to the driver.
One complaint states, “I feel unsafe and have almost rear-ended vehicles numerous times. Eventually, it will happen! This needs to be addressed in a recall immediately!”
The other says the truck can’t “be shifted out of park without the brake pedal being applied. This causes the vehicle to lunge forward.”
The fifth complaint is similar to complaints about 2021 Ford Bronco brakes that squeal. “While both the brake and accelerator pedals were depressed it caused the rear tires to squeal and create smoke.” But again, the dealer’s response was “that there was no failure and that the vehicle was up to specification.”
2021 Ford Ranger Structural Problems
The 3 structural problems reported to NHTSA say rear door warnings remain on the dash even when the doors are closed.
One particularly frustrated criticism states that the dealer “doesn’t have time to look at it. I am unable to lock the truck or the alarm WILL sound and drain my battery because of the left passenger door.”
Other 2021 Ford Ranger Problems
The rest of the complaints relate to the electrical system, engine, engine and engine cooling, forward-collision avoidance, lane departure, tires, vehicle speed control, and the wheels of the vehicle.
The engine and engine cooling complaint is a serious one that reports fire and an injury. The owner of the pickup was driving at about 35 mph when he smelt smoke in the vehicle. When he stopped at a traffic light, he saw smoke coming from under the hood and then he saw flames.
The fire department extinguished the fire. The owner’s girlfriend suffered from smoke inhalation but didn’t need medical assistance. There were 5,000 miles on the clock at the time, and the owner was told there was no open recall on his car.
The lane-departure complaint is also concerning. The complaint is that the lane departure features are excessive and aren’t safe.
“I’ve twice now had to make an emergency lane change to avoid an accident.” This led to the owner of the 2021 Ford Ranger turning the feature off. “I cannot have the steering wheel resisting my input when I’m avoiding an accident. I need full control. This is poorly designed.”
What to do if your 2021 Ford Ranger is a lemon? Your Lemon Rights
There aren’t a ton of complaints with NHTSA, but there are lots more in various forums, including this one. Of course, this doesn’t mean every problem indicates a lemon. But if you think you’ve got one, what can you do?
Lemberg Law is a consumer law firm that specializes in lemon law that relates to cars. If you think you’ve bought a lemon, there’s nothing to stop you from trying to negotiate a settlement with the manufacturer. But it’s a lot easier to work with a firm that has experience in the field.
If your 2021 Ford Ranger is a lemon, you may qualify for a refund of the purchase price, a replacement vehicle, or a refund of rental fees. Call our Helpline and we’ll assess your case. It’s not going to cost you anything, because the law is on your side. It says the manufacturer must pay if you’ve bought a lemon!
Complaint Data
| Category | Service Brakes |
| Date | Feb 10, 2023 |
| State | MI |
| Description | The contact owns a 2021 ford ranger. The contact stated while driving in the morning at an undisclosed speed and depressing the brake pedal, the brake pedal would depress to the floorboard. The contact stated that the brake pedal was soft while attempting to slow down and stop the vehicle. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to continue driving to his destination. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, but the mechanic was unable to duplicate the failure. The contact continued to experience failure. The contact took the vehicle to another local dealer: varsity ford (3480 jackson ave, ann arbor, mi 48103: (734) 996-2300) but the mechanic was unable to duplicate the failure. The contact continued to experience a failure. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 19,408. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Jan 11, 2023 |
| State | NY |
| Description | The contact owns a 2021 ford ranger. The contact stated that while driving at highway speeds, the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal on four separate occasions, with the check engine warning light illuminated. Despite the failure, the contact managed to drive the vehicle to a local dealer where a mechanic discovered a misfire in one of the cylinders; caused by water found in the spark plug well. The dealer managed to drain the water from the spark plug well; however, corrosion was found in the spark plug well. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was given a case number. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was 9,952. |
| Category | Power Train, Service Brakes |
| Date | Jan 02, 2023 |
| State | PA |
| Description | On multiple occasions the transmission has slipped when changing gears . This has happened when trying to merge into traffic . One time almost causing someone to rear-end me . It also fails to downshift some times when stopping , causing me to brake much harder than normal . I will be taking it to the dealer soon , to see if this can be fixed . These issues can be a little scary at times . There have been no warning lights or messages . This has happened at least a dozen times now . The first incident with the transmission I think started in 10/2022 . It was sporadic at first , but seems to happen almost daily now . |
| Category | Service Brakes |
| Date | Dec 29, 2022 |
| State | OH |
| Description | The contact owns a 2021 ford ranger. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brakes made an abnormal sound. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where the brakes were inspected. The dealer informed the contact that the brakes were in good condition; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000. |
| Category | Engine And Engine Cooling:exhaust System:emission Control:crankcase (pcv), Fuel System, Gasoline, Power Train |
| Date | Nov 30, 2022 |
| State | NJ |
| Description | There is gasoline in my oil. I had an oil analysis from a lab, and they confirmed there is too much gasoline in my oil. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Nov 27, 2022 |
| State | OH |
| Description | The engine has a squeaking noise, unknown where it is from. The noise is upon start up and while driving, I do not know if the issue will lead to engine failure. Which if the engine locks up and cause drivability failure. |
| Category | Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control |
| Date | Oct 20, 2022 |
| State | MT |
| Description | 2021 ford ranger. Consumer writes in regard to safety recall related to cruise control feature. The consumer feels as though the cruise control feature puts him too close even in the 4bar range setting . |
| Category | Tires, Tires:pressure Monitoring And Regulating Systems |
| Date | Oct 03, 2022 |
| State | NH |
| Description | Tire failed on highway, at approx 60 mph. Tire pressure instantly went to zero. No debris, or road issues. Tread completely separated from sidewall. Original tires that came from factory. No nails or damage noted to tread unknown tire size, tire and vehicle at dealership, should be standard for that truck |
| Category | Seats |
| Date | Aug 25, 2022 |
| State | TN |
| Description | The backrest (back seat) no longer latches unless you very firmly push it backwards. I called the ford dealer. The service person told me that he had the the same problem with his ranger and that it was a common problem with the ranger. In his words, he told me to slam the backrest backward - -which I did and then it latched. This a safety issue. Very easy to think that it is latched unless you pull the backrest forward. I checked the internet. Other people have had the same problem. Especially after placing some weight on the seat cushion. My problem began after my 8 year old grandson simply sat on the seat. |
| Category | Electrical System, Exterior Lighting, Structure:body |
| Date | Jun 27, 2022 |
| State | NC |
| Description | As I was pulling out of zip's car into a parking spot to vacuum truck. I was barely moving when the truck accelerated at a high rate of speed and hit the wall in front of me. It was like the truck had a mind of its own. I just knew I wasn't doing it. If someone had been walking in front of me it would have killed them. My air bag did not come out. My chest hit the steering wheel very hard. The police showed up and did a report. I did not get a ticket. The truck was towed and looked over. There was so much damage to the truck it was totaled. I can't believe this happened to me. I wouldn't want this to happen to anyone. It was a very scary experience. |
| Category | Steering |
| Date | Jun 19, 2022 |
| State | FL |
| Description | Popping, and loose feel in steering wheel on bumps. Popping felt in steering wheel when coming to a stop, and on accelerating from a stop. Intermediate steering shaft defect and/or design flaw. Dealer refuses to replace due to no tsb from ford. |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Apr 03, 2022 |
| State | OH |
| Description | When using the steering wheel button to go from am/fm/usb/bluetooth/sirius, the display stops at the first sirius station asking to either subscribe or close. This causes the driver to have to take his/her eyes off the road to close the screen. It happens three times in a row, once for each sirius band, and has caused me to hard brake twice so far. Sirius says it's a ford issue and ford does not deny it but does not have a solution. Customer perception is that ford cares more about the kickback they get from sirius that they do about customer safety. It has not caused an accident yet, but if others have the same issue then it's hard to believe that no one else is complaining. Shame on ford. |
| Category | Engine And Engine Cooling |
| Date | Mar 01, 2022 |
| State | NY |
| Description | The contact owns the 2021 ford ranger. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 mph, he started to smell smoke inside the vehicle. While stopped at a traffic light, the contact noticed smoke coming from under the hood, and then flames started rising from underneath the hood. Another driver also had pulled up to notify him that his vehicle was on fire. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact was able to safely pull off the roadway and he and his passenger exited the vehicle. The fire department arrived on the scene and extinguished the fire. The contact's girlfriend experienced smoke inhalation however, no medical treatment was needed. There were no physical injuries to either the driver or passenger. A fire report was filed. The contact stated that the fire originated on the opposite side of the battery and most likely was not caused by an electrical failure. The vehicle was towed to a body shop and then to the local dealer. The vehicle was not yet diagnosed nor repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle was not yet deemed a total loss. The manufacturer was contacted and notified of the failure and the contact was informed that there was no open recall on the vehicle. The failure approximate mileage was 5,000. |
| Category | Forward Collision Avoidance:software:pedestrian/cyclist/object/obstacle/ Recognition |
| Date | Dec 29, 2021 |
| State | MI |
| Description | The contact owns a 2021 ford ranger. The contact stated that while driving at 55 mph, the pre-collision assists beeping alarm engaged while there were no vehicles or objects around. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred while driving and the pre-collision assist beeping alarm would not stop. The forward collision warning light then illuminated. The contact pulled to the side of the road and parked the vehicle. The contact then drove the vehicle to his residence. The contact stated that while reversing, he noticed a pedestrian behind the vehicle through the rearview mirror; however, the pre-collision assists and pedestrian recognition failed to engage. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that no issues were found. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 7,200. |
| Category | Service Brakes |
| Date | Dec 17, 2021 |
| State | KS |
| Description | The brake pedal is mushy when applied. When you have to press the brake pedal hard, then the brake pedal is about 0. 75 inches below the accelerator pedal. I took it to the ford dealer and he said it is working fine. |
| Category | Service Brakes, Hydraulic:pedals And Linkages, Vehicle Speed Control:accelerator Pedal |
| Date | Dec 10, 2021 |
| State | NY |
| Description | The contact owns a 2021 ford ranger. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed, causing the accelerator pedal to depress simultaneously, due to the brake pedal being positioned very close to the accelerator pedal. While both the brake and accelerator pedals were depressed, it caused the rear tires to squeal and create smoke. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The dealer informed the contact that there was no failure and that the vehicle was up to specification. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 4,500. |
| Category | Tires, Wheels |
| Date | Dec 10, 2021 |
| State | OR |
| Description | The contact owns a 2021 ford ranger. The contact stated that while reversing or making a turn, the front driver's side tire would rub the inside of the wheel well. The contact works for the dealer; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The manufacturer referred the contact to file a complaint with nhtsa. The failure mileage was approximately 14. |
| Category | Vehicle Speed Control |
| Date | Nov 24, 2021 |
| State | MA |
| Description | The contact owns a 2021 ford ranger. The contact stated that while his wife was pulling into a parking space at approximately 5 mph with the brake pedal depressed, the vehicle independently accelerated and crashed into the building. The contact stated that there was a camera view which showed that the brake lights were illuminated during the failure. The contact stated that the driver's side air bag deployed. There were no injuries sustained. The contact was concerned that the forward collision avoidance system failed to operate as designed. The contact stated that there was no warning light illuminated. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The contact was informed that the body damage needed to be repaired before a failure cause could be determined. The contact was concerned that if the sensors were replaced prior to the diagnostic test that possible codes would be erased. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 3,000. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Nov 09, 2021 |
| State | FL |
| Description | after driving a 700 mile round-trip, I got home and parked my vehicle in my garage. It have a strong smell of fuel and oil mix what's your is exceedingly strong the next morning when I woke up and went into the garage. I pulled the oil dipstick out, the level was 2 inches higher than normal and it reeked of gasoline. I went to my local ford dealer at palmbay florida service manager told me ford is aware of this problem and has no idea what is causing it but they will replace some stuff on the vehicle but I'm not certain that will fix it. There are a number of ford ranger owners at https://www. Ranger5g. Com/ who have fuel in the oil issues. This issue goes back to the 2019 models. |
| Category | Service Brakes |
| Date | Oct 19, 2021 |
| State | WI |
| Description | The brake pedal is very soft. It needs 1 or 2 pumps to get it to where my former vehicles were. |
| Category | Lane Departure: Warning |
| Date | Aug 29, 2021 |
| State | GA |
| Description | Lane departure features is excessive. I've twice now had to make an emergency lane change to avoid an accident occurring in front of me and the lane keep assist almost forced me back into the lane and potentially causing me to get in an accident. I have had to turn this feature off entirely, which means I do not benefit from it in normal conditions. The only way to deactivate the lane keep assist when changing lanes is to use a turn signal. You cannot use a turn signal in emergency situations where it's either you quickly change lanes or you get in an accident at high speed on the highway. No, I'm not tailgating... The reality is this stuff happens and these "safety" solutions that take control of the steering wheel are not safe if they cannot tell there's an emergency situation happening. I cannot have the steering wheel resisting my input when I'm avoiding an accident. I need full control. This is poorly designed. |
| Category | Service Brakes |
| Date | Aug 29, 2021 |
| State | GA |
| Description | Brake pedal travel is excessive, similar to a much older vehicle. Brakes to not slow the vehicle until you press past the gas pedal, which introduces significant risk as the driver often simultaneously presses the gas pedal when making emergency or even normal stops and because this requires you to sit closer to the steering wheel than normal so you can reach the very long travel of the brake pedal, even if you are tall like me. Braking with even a moderate weight trailer requires very heavy depressing of the brake pedal to the point where you expend all travel and still don't feel as if you're slowing down as quickly as a modern vehicle should. My 2002 chevy tahoe with 210k miles had better brake performance than this 2021 truck. Brake pedal has heavy resistance during initial travel but no stopping power until 1/2 way through full travel range and there is almost no fidelity for slow, controlled braking after that. Worst of all, the brake pedal, which is electronically connected to trail management features, has a tendency to want to sink to the floor when you've stopped and/or there's a feeling that something is vibrating or trying to control the pedal when you are stopped. Additionally, even slight movement of the brake pedal causes the engine to start even though there's no reason for doing so as the vehicle is still stationary. This brake pedal is not something you get used to. I feel unsafe and have almost rear ended vehicles numerous times... Eventually it will happen! This needs to be addressed in a recall immediately!!! |
| Category | Structure:body:door |
| Date | Jun 16, 2021 |
| State | NC |
| Description | On numerous occasions, the "rear drivers side door ajar" warning shows on the dash and the lights inside the truck stay on even when I have not used the rear drivers side door but only the front drivers side door. Vehicle currently has 754 miles on it. Bought brand new. |
| Category | Structure:body:door |
| Date | Jun 06, 2021 |
| State | NH |
| Description | Door ajar warning stays on despite checking and ensuring the doors are all closed. Indicating front passenger door only at this time |
| Category | Electrical System, Structure:body |
| Date | Jun 01, 2021 |
| State | AR |
| Description | Driver side rear door constantly shows as ajar and triggers alarm, even when firmly closed. Unsure if cause is improperly fit body work or electrical components but nothing fixes it and dealer doesn't have time to look at it. I am unable to lock the truck or the alarm will sound and drain my battery because of the left passenger door. |
| Category | Service Brakes |
| Date | Mar 25, 2021 |
| State | NY |
| Description | Tl* the contact owns a 2021 ford ranger. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, excessive effort was needed while depressing the brake pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to west herr ford of hamburg (5025 camp rd, hamburg, ny 14075) where a service manager acknowledged the brake failure and stated that he would alert the manufacturer of the failure. The contact attempted to reach the manufacturer himself however, he was unsuccessful. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 50.*dt consumer says that when depressing the brake pedal it takes at least 2 inches before the brakes apply. This causes the brake pedal to go below the gas pedal. Also, consumer states that vehicle can be shifted out of park without the brake pedal being applied. This causes the vehicle to lunge forward. |
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About the Author:
Brian Jones spent more than 20 years working as an ASE Certified Master Tech and Parts Specialist at multiple dealerships. Brian has become an authority in the industry, traveling across the country to consult for car dealerships and contributing his expertise as a writer for several major automotive publications. In his spare time, Brian enjoys working on pickup trucks, muscle cars, Jeeps and anything related to motorsports.
See more posts from Brian Jones
I had problems with my brakes f150 2008, when I changed them myself, until I decided to go too the mechanic guy’s on youtube media, then I understood the problem why. Just saying , if you’re like me a hands on person, and like doing things yourself, they are sources that can assist you. Just stating. Those are minor issues. When dealing with engine or transmission that a whole other book.
Chevy bolt being recalled by manufacturer. I reported a problem with only 106 miles on the new car. The dealership told me that “nothing was wrong with the car and I could trade it in if I wanted to.”