2021 Ford Ranger Power Train Problems
Owners have filed 60 complaints with NHTSA about power train problems on the 2021 Ford Ranger, 51% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 77,500 miles. The words owners use most often: “10r80 transmission” (10% of reports).
- 60power train complaints
- 77,500median miles at failure
- 2mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 24%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- 10R80 transmission: mentioned in 6 of 60 complaints (10%)
- Rear ended: mentioned in 6 of 60 complaints (10%)
At what mileage do power train problems happen?
Based on 10 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 60 complaints, 2 mention a crash, 1 a fire.
Ford Ranger power train complaints by model year
| Model year | Power Train complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Ranger | 2 | 29% | — |
| 2025 Ranger | 16 | 37% | — |
| 2024 Ranger | 37 | 40% | 3,600 |
| 2023 Ranger | 5 | 28% | 5,500 |
| 2022 Ranger | 17 | 46% | 41,000 |
| 2021 Ranger | 60 | 51% | 77,500 |
| 2020 Ranger | 49 | 38% | 80,000 |
| 2019 Ranger | 92 | 34% | 50,000 |
| 2011 Ranger | 5 | 2% | 30,000 |
| 2010 Ranger | 1 | 1% | 1,600 |
| 2009 Ranger | 3 | 2% | 25,000 |
| 2008 Ranger | 1 | 0% | 45,300 |
| 2007 Ranger | 2 | 1% | 30,900 |
| 2006 Ranger | 4 | 1% | 8,650 |
| 2005 Ranger | 8 | 3% | 62,170 |
| 2004 Ranger | 27 | 7% | 32,000 |
| 2003 Ranger | 16 | 7% | 24,500 |
| 2002 Ranger | 61 | 18% | 51,500 |
| 2001 Ranger | 51 | 10% | 53,000 |
| 2000 Ranger | 69 | 10% | 85,500 |
| 1999 Ranger | 67 | 9% | 59,102 |
| 1998 Ranger | 60 | 10% | 44,045 |
| 1997 Ranger | 42 | 10% | 84,990 |
| 1996 Ranger | 28 | 7% | 50,579 |
| 1995 Ranger | 22 | 7% | 181,313 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists power train for the 2021 Ford Ranger. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
I am reporting a potential drivetrain safety defect involving the rear driveshaft bearing on my 2021 Ford Ranger FX4 Lariat. On September 3, 2025, I brought my truck to Larry H. Miller Ford Lakewood after experiencing an intermittent abnormal whistling/mechanical noise while driving. The vehicle…
I was parking the truck and I put it in reverse and no reverse whatsoever. I put it and drive them back and reverse nothing. I put it in park turned it off restarted it and reverse worked took it to the dealer and they said the transmission has to be replaced due to faulty parts from Ford on the…
The 2021 Ford Ranger Lariat , mileage 42,362 would not go into reverse, the wrench was lit up on dash. Shut Truck off it cleared the code, immediately took it to Ford dealer. Was sent home because the tech said the light was off so he couldnât diagnose. After reading about the issue we made the…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2021 Ford Rangers have power train problems?
No. NHTSA has 60 owner complaints about power train for the 2021 Ford Ranger (51% of the 118 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2021 Ford Ranger power train?
No recall currently lists power train for this vehicle.
At what mileage do power train problems start?
The median reported mileage is 77,500 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about power train problems on the 2021 Ford Ranger?
The most frequent phrase is “10r80 transmission”, in 6 of 60 complaints, followed by “rear ended” (6).
See all 2021 Ford Ranger problems or power train problems across all Ranger years.