Ford Ranger Problems by Year
NHTSA has 7,090 owner complaints and 75 safety recalls on file for the Ford Ranger, across 28 model years (1995–2026). The 1999 model year has the most complaints (755). The most reported problem area overall is air bags.
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Ford Ranger years to avoid? What the complaint data shows
These model years drew at least twice as many complaints as a typical Ranger year: 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001. Look at what owners reported before buying one, and check the VIN for open recalls.
Model years with the most complaints
- 1999 Ranger: 755 complaints, 4 recalls
- 2000 Ranger: 670 complaints, 3 recalls
- 1998 Ranger: 576 complaints, 5 recalls
Model years with the fewest complaints
- 2014 Ranger: 1 complaint, 0 recalls
- 2016 Ranger: 1 complaint, 0 recalls
- 2017 Ranger: 1 complaint, 0 recalls
Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold or how long each year has been on the road, so newer and less popular years naturally have fewer complaints. Use them to spot problem patterns, not as a safety ranking.
Most common Ford Ranger problems (all years)
| Problem area | Complaints | Model years | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags problems | 1,882 | 27 | 352 |
| Power Train problems | 745 | 25 | 39 |
| Tires problems | 701 | 19 | 60 |
| Structure problems | 668 | 21 | 13 |
| Suspension problems | 523 | 23 | 20 |
| Vehicle Speed Control problems | 486 | 22 | 59 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic problems | 483 | 19 | 59 |
| Electrical System problems | 434 | 25 | 13 |
| Engine and Engine Cooling problems | 334 | 21 | 10 |
| Visibility problems | 297 | 19 | 2 |
| Fuel System, Gasoline problems | 261 | 18 | 10 |
| Seat Belts problems | 191 | 17 | 43 |
| Engine problems | 169 | 25 | 1 |
| Steering problems | 167 | 23 | 28 |
| Exterior Lighting problems | 153 | 20 | 5 |
| Interior Lighting problems | 115 | 8 | 0 |
| Service Brakes problems | 109 | 23 | 19 |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 96 | 20 | 5 |
| Wheels | 83 | 21 | 9 |
| Equipment | 79 | 16 | 6 |
| Seats | 79 | 20 | 7 |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 49 | 14 | 2 |
| Parking Brake | 33 | 12 | 2 |
| Fuel System, Other | 31 | 10 | 0 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 25 | 6 | 6 |
| Visibility/wiper | 24 | 9 | 0 |
| Back Over Prevention | 19 | 4 | 2 |
| Service Brakes, Air | 16 | 9 | 2 |
| Lane Departure | 10 | 5 | 1 |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 7 | 4 | 1 |
| Child Seat | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| Fuel System, Diesel | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Traction Control System | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Trailer Hitches | 2 | 2 | 0 |
Ford Ranger problems by model year
Problem areas with enough reports for their own page.
- 2021: power train (60)
- 2019: power train (92)
- 2011: air bags (196)
- 2010: air bags (128)
- 2009: air bags (144)
- 2008: air bags (295)
- 2007: air bags (236)
- 2006: air bags (175)
- 2005: air bags (132)
- 2004: air bags (189)
- 2002: power train (61) · vehicle speed control (51)
- 2001: structure (112) · suspension (87) · air bags (62) · vehicle speed control (57) · power train (51)
- 2000: tires (139) · structure (105) · suspension (72) · power train (69) · air bags (67) · service brakes, hydraulic (65) · vehicle speed control (55)
- 1999: tires (178) · structure (89) · service brakes, hydraulic (80) · air bags (79) · visibility (73) · power train (67) · suspension (67) · vehicle speed control (54)
- 1998: tires (136) · vehicle speed control (71) · power train (60) · service brakes, hydraulic (54) · suspension (52) · engine and engine cooling (51)
- 1997: tires (57) · fuel system, gasoline (55)
- 1996: service brakes, hydraulic (60) · visibility (52)
- 1995: visibility (63) · service brakes, hydraulic (55)
All Ford Ranger model years
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls | Crash rating | Top problem | Compared with other years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Ranger | 7 | 8 | — | Power Train | |
| 2025 Ranger | 43 | 13 | — | Power Train | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2024 Ranger | 93 | 13 | — | Power Train | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2023 Ranger | 18 | 4 | — | Power Train | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2022 Ranger | 37 | 5 | — | Power Train | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2021 Ranger | 118 | 6 | — | Power Train | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2020 Ranger | 130 | 7 | 4★ | Power Train | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2019 Ranger | 270 | 11 | 4★ | Power Train | About as many complaints as other years |
| 2017 Ranger | 1 | 0 | — | Air Bags | |
| 2016 Ranger | 1 | 0 | — | Air Bags | |
| 2014 Ranger | 1 | 0 | — | Air Bags | |
| 2011 Ranger | 235 | 5 | 2★ | Air Bags | About as many complaints as other years |
| 2010 Ranger | 156 | 8 | — | Air Bags | Fewer complaints than other years |
| 2009 Ranger | 169 | 7 | — | Air Bags | Fewer complaints than other years |
| 2008 Ranger | 326 | 5 | — | Air Bags | More complaints than other years |
| 2007 Ranger | 270 | 5 | — | Air Bags | About as many complaints as other years |
| 2006 Ranger | 272 | 12 | — | Air Bags | About as many complaints as other years |
| 2005 Ranger | 289 | 9 | — | Air Bags | About as many complaints as other years |
| 2004 Ranger | 404 | 10 | — | Air Bags | More complaints than other years |
| 2003 Ranger | 243 | 1 | — | Structure | About as many complaints as other years |
| 2002 Ranger | 346 | 3 | — | Power Train | More complaints than other years |
| 2001 Ranger | 515 | 4 | — | Structure | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2000 Ranger | 670 | 3 | — | Tires | Far more complaints than other years |
| 1999 Ranger | 755 | 4 | — | Tires | Far more complaints than other years |
| 1998 Ranger | 576 | 5 | — | Tires | Far more complaints than other years |
| 1997 Ranger | 411 | 1 | — | Tires | More complaints than other years |
| 1996 Ranger | 413 | 2 | — | Service Brakes, Hydraulic | More complaints than other years |
| 1995 Ranger | 321 | 1 | — | Visibility | More complaints than other years |
More from Ford: all Ford models · Ford VIN decoder
Frequently asked questions
Which Ford Ranger years should you stay away from?
By NHTSA complaints, 1998 (576), 1999 (755), 2000 (670), 2001 (515) drew at least twice as many complaints as a typical Ranger year. Counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, and newer years have had less time to collect complaints.
What is the biggest problem with the Ford Ranger?
Air Bags, with 1,882 complaints across 27 model years.
How many recalls does the Ford Ranger have?
75 safety recalls across all model years. Each model year page lists its recalls and fixes.