Ford Ranger Visibility Problems
Owners have filed 297 complaints with NHTSA about visibility problems on the Ford Ranger across 19 model years. The 1999 model year has the most (73). The words owners use most often: “windshield wipers” (47% of reports).
- 297visibility complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 2mention a crash
- 3mention an injury
- 7related recalls
- 40%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.
- Windshield wipers: mentioned in 141 of 297 complaints (47%)
At what mileage do visibility problems happen?
Based on 62 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 297 complaints, 2 mention a crash, 3 an injury.
Ford Ranger visibility complaints by model year
| Model year | Visibility complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 Ranger | 2 | 2% | 1,000 |
| 2023 Ranger | 1 | 6% | 10,000 |
| 2022 Ranger | 1 | 3% | 27,000 |
| 2020 Ranger | 5 | 4% | 86,000 |
| 2019 Ranger | 16 | 6% | 29,634 |
| 2010 Ranger | 1 | 1% | 54,000 |
| 2007 Ranger | 2 | 1% | 59,000 |
| 2006 Ranger | 4 | 1% | 11,500 |
| 2005 Ranger | 1 | 0% | 18,574 |
| 2004 Ranger | 7 | 2% | 25,000 |
| 2003 Ranger | 1 | 0% | — |
| 2002 Ranger | 7 | 2% | 32,540 |
| 2001 Ranger | 5 | 1% | 30,300 |
| 2000 Ranger | 4 | 1% | 57,500 |
| 1999 Ranger | 73 | 10% | 59,802 |
| 1998 Ranger | 16 | 3% | 33,290 |
| 1997 Ranger | 36 | 9% | 101,000 |
| 1996 Ranger | 52 | 13% | 99,300 |
| 1995 Ranger | 63 | 20% | — |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (7)
Visibility:windshield
Model years: 2025
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025 Bronco and Ranger vehicles. During manufacturing, the windshield may not have been properly bonded to the vehicle, allowing it to detach in a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 212, "Windshield Mounting."
Risk: In the event of a crash, windshield detachment can increase the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will remove and replace the windshield, free charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 20, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25C52. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on October 14, 2025.
Visibility:power window devices and controls
Model years: 2024
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2024 Ranger and 2024 Lincoln Nautilus vehicles previously repaired incorrectly under recall number 24V-597. When closing the windows with the global closing feature, the windows may not automatically reverse after detecting an object. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 118, "Power-Operated Window Systems."
Risk: A closing window may exert excessive force and pinch a driver or passenger before retracting, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will update the driver door module (DDM) and the passenger door module (PDM) software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 15, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25C10.
Visibility:power window devices and controls
Model years: 2024
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2024 Ranger and 2024 Lincoln Nautilus vehicles. When closing the windows with the global closing feature, the windows may not automatically reverse after detecting an object. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 118, "Power-Operated Window Systems."
Risk: A closing window may exert excessive force by pinching a driver or passenger before retracting, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will update the driver door module (DDM) and the passenger door module (PDM) software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 13, 2024. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 24C24.
Visibility:windshield
Model years: 2022
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2022 Bronco and Ranger vehicles. The windshield may not have been properly bonded to the vehicle, which could allow it to detach during a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 212, "Windshield Mounting."
Risk: A windshield that separates from a vehicle during a crash can increase the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will remove and reinstall the windshield, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 18, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22C12.
Visibility:defroster/defogger/hvac system:fan/motor
Model years: 2019
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2019 Ranger vehicles previously repaired under recall 19V-726. The service replacement Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning (HVAC) blower motor that was installed may have an improper clearance between an electrical terminal and the conductive base plate that may result in an resistive electrical short.
Risk: A resistive electrical short increases the risk of a fire.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the HVAC blower motor, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began April 6, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S12.
Visibility:defroster/defogger/hvac system:fan/motor
Model years: 2019
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2019 Ranger vehicles. The Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning (HVAC) blower motor may electrically short.
Risk: An electrical short can increase the risk of a fire.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the HVAC blower motor production date, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began December 4, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S34.
Visibility:windshield wiper/washer:motor
Model years: 2006
Problem: On certain trucks, passenger cars and sport utility vehicles, the windshield wiper motor may have been produced without grease being applied to the output shaft gear.
Risk: After a period of continuous use on the high speed setting, lack of grease on the output shaft gear may cause the gear to distort or fracture during operation resulting in a loss of wiper function. Inoperative wipers under inclement weather conditions could cause a crash due to impaired visibility.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the wiper motor for the presence of grease and grease the wiper motor gears if necessary. The recall began on november 22, 2005. Owners may contact ford at 1-800-392-3673 or lincoln/mercury at 1-800-521-4140.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owns a 2024 Ford Ranger. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V597000 (VISIBILITY); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time…
The contact owns a 2024 Ford Ranger. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the contact had trouble seeing out of the windshield and became aware that the front windshield was distorted. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where a warranty claim was submitted, and it was…
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Ranger. The contact stated that the temperature failed to adjust as needed. The contact stated that the damper was stuck. The heater was continuously blowing out hot air on the driver's side. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the failure…
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Ranger. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the heating system became inoperable. The contact stated that the heater would not function properly. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the HVAC blower motor failed and needed to be…
The contact owns a 2022 Ford Ranger. The contact stated while driving 2 MPH and exiting the driveway, the contact heard a loud bang coming from the vehicle. The contact stopped the vehicle and noticed that the rear windshield had fractured without impact. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Ford Rangers have visibility problems?
No. NHTSA has 297 owner complaints about visibility for the Ford Ranger. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Ford Ranger visibility?
Yes: 7 safety recalls list visibility. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
What do owners say about visibility problems on the Ford Ranger?
The most frequent phrase is “windshield wipers”, in 141 of 297 complaints.
Other Ford Ranger problems
- Air Bags problems (1,882)
- Power Train problems (745)
- Tires problems (701)
- Structure problems (668)
- Suspension problems (523)
- Vehicle Speed Control problems (486)
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic problems (483)
- Electrical System problems (434)
See all Ford Ranger problems.