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Ford Ranger 2008 Problems

Are you having problems with your 2008 Ford Ranger? Let our team of motoring experts keep you up to date with all of the latest 2008 Ford Ranger issues & faults. We have gathered all of the most frequently asked questions and problems relating to the 2008 Ford Ranger in one spot to help you decide if it's a smart buy.

Acceleration problems with a 2008 Ford Ranger

This sounds very much like a fuelling problem. Since a diesel engine has no ignition system (beyond its own compression) any fall off in performance can often be traced back to the fuel system.

The best bet is to take the vehicle to a diesel specialist that knows this make and model and will have either seen this exact set of symptoms before or will be able to make a logical diagnosis rather than just changing random parts that may or may not be the cause of the problem. Things that are likely causes, however, are the fuel filtering system, fuel pump and injectors. But don’t rule out something simple like a bad batch of fuel that is playing havoc with the entire system.

Ford Ranger 2008: How do I reset the LFW lock

 While the front hubs lock automatically when you engage four-wheel drive, they don’t automatically unlock when you disengage four-wheel drive. To do that you must press the button in the dash. It should all be explained in your owner’s manual.

Ford, Audi, Tesla confirm affected Takata recall models
Hot on the heels of the Australian government's mandatory Takata airbag recall, Ford, Audi and Tesla have joined the list of carmakers to detail which of it's models are affected.
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Used Ford Ranger review: 2006-2009

The humble utility has always been a sentimental favourite of Australians, but nobody could have guessed it would become the nation’s most popular car.

Along the way to market leadership the ute has gone from humble workhorse to fully-loaded all-purpose vehicle for townies as much as bushies.

Ford’s Ranger has been one of those models to ride the wave of popularity from its introduction in 2006.

Before that it was known as the Courier, the change of name a perfect illustration of the ute’s new position in the market.

The most telling thing about the changed position of the ute in the Australian market is the name change Ford made with its Thailand-built ute.

It was once called the Courier, an uninspiring badge that said everything about its role as a basic workhorse, a dull delivery vehicle, and that’s the way Ford thought about it.

The Ranger nametag that arrived with the PJ model in 2006 changed the whole persona of the model. It was now adventurous, tough, and rugged, something you could aspire to own. At least that’s what the marketing gurus would have us believe.

Designed and built in Thailand in tandem with the Mazda BT-50 Ford gave the Ranger a tougher look that fell more into line with the look of its popular American pick-ups.

There was a range of models, including cab-chassis and pick-ups, with single-cab, extended super-cab, and dual-cab body styles. All were diesels, and you could have four-wheel drive or rear-wheel drive.

The cab-chassis was available in base XL form, with rear- or four-wheel drive, single-cab, super-cab, or dual-cab bodies, and either a 2.5-litre or 3.0-litre turbo-diesel engine.

As a pick-up it came as an XL or XLT, with rear- or four-wheel drive, the choice of single-, super- or dual-cab bodies, and either a 2.5-litre or 3.0-litre turbo-diesel engine.

The XL came equipped with dual front airbags, power steering, radio and CD player with two speakers, and seat belt pretensioners.

At the launch there was no air conditioning in the cab-chassis, but there was in the pick-up.

Things changed in November 2007 with the addition of a number of features, including power windows, power mirrors, remote central locking, an immobiliser, and air conditioning across the range.

The XLT boasted more features, including 16-inch alloy wheels, ABS anti-lock braking, side front airbags, emergency brake assistance, and an alarm.

There were none of the things expected of a current car.

With no Bluetooth it wasn’t possible to connect an iPhone or an Android device, there was no touch screen, and the air conditioning wasn’t climate control.

Parking features like a reversing camera, parking sensors, or park assistance weren’t available.

There was no sat-nav available either, and a sunroof wasn’t offered.

The spare tyre was a full-sized one.

The cab you chose determined the number of seats you could have.

If you went for the basic single-cab you got a bench seat that limited you to three, the super-cab with its short rear-hinged rear doors gave you four, while the dual-cab with its full length front-hinged rear doors stretched the capacity to five seats.

The driver sat quite high in all cabs, slightly higher in the four-wheel drive models, which ensured a good view of the road ahead.

Single-cab drivers had to endure the bench seat, which was comfortable enough, but not as comfy as the bucket seats in the super-cab or the dual-cab.

Rear passengers were somewhat cramped in the super-cab, which was suited more to short trips than longer ones, but those in the dual-cab had more reasonable head and legroom.

The layout of the cab was functional, but neat and tidy. All controls were well within reach of the driver, and there was the convenience of cupholders in the front.

Lap sash seat belts facilitated the use of a baby car seat, but there were no ISOFIX mounting points for easy installation.

Ford chose not to offer a petrol engine option in the Ranger, instead offering a choice of two four-cylinder common-rail turbo-diesel engines, one a 2.5-litre, the other a 3.0-litre.

Both engines were double-overhead camshaft and had fuel injection.

Being larger the 3.0-litre engine had more power and torque for better performance than the 2.5-litre.

At its power and torque peaks it put out 115kW (154 horsepower), and 380Nm, compared to the 105kW (140 horsepower) and 330Nm of the smaller engine.

That gave the bigger engine better performance, particularly for off-road work, but came at the expense of higher fuel consumption.

On average the 3.0-litre gave 9.2L/100km compared to 8.5L/10km from the 2.5-litre.

The transmission options were a five-speed manual gearbox or a five-speed automatic transmission.

Final drive was either rear-wheel drive or dual-range four-wheel drive with a limited slip centre diff.

Despite being a workhorse and having to carry a load the Ranger drove quite well; with its independent front suspension it was a decent handler and rode reasonably comfortably, even with the semi-elliptic leaf spring rear suspension.

The 3.0-litre was the better performer of the two, and the most desirable when it came to towing.

Inside it was relatively roomy, the seats were comfortable, and road noise wasn’t overly intrusive.

The PJ Range was rated at three (from a possible five) stars by ANCAP.

All models came with safety features including front airbags for the driver and front passenger.

The XLT was the best equipped; it had front airbags and side airbags for the front passengers.

It also had ABS anti-lock braking and electronic brakeforce distribution.

Reports from the field suggest the reliability of the PJ Ranger is good; few problems of note were reported.

One that can crop up is the clutch on those with the manual gearbox. Normal wear and tear can see the clutch worn out in less than 100,000km. When it does expect the dual-mass flywheel to need replacing at the same time, which makes it an expensive exercise.

When inspecting a Ranger prior to purchase look for damage caused by careless employees on the worksite; or on four-wheel drive models look for off-road abuse.

The warranty when new was for three years/100,000km.

Servicing was recommended every 15,000km or 12 months, and capped price servicing didn’t apply.

The engines have a timing chain, so there’s no service required.

It is a straight forward vehicle to service and shouldn’t cost an arm and a leg for a local mechanic do it.

A recall in 2010 alerted owners to the possibility of a fatigue crack developing around the bonnet striker when driven for extended periods in tough going. If it did crack the bonnet could come open while driving.

PJ models that were fitted with cruise control as a genuine Ford accessory were affected by a recall in 2011. Owners could have found problems setting or cancelling the cruise.

There was also a recall in 2012 relating to the potential of a crack developing around the tow bar tongue.

MORE: If anything crops up, you’ll probably find it on our Ford Ranger problems page.

Tim Foster: My XL single-cab is smooth to drive, the interior is well appointed, and has been reliable, but the fuel consumption isn’t great and the ride is a bit bumpy.

Frank Robinson: I bought my XL double-cab new in 2006, and it’s been great to date.

Stephen Coote: I’ve owned my XL super-cab for eight years. I find the cabin roomy, the ride comfortable compared to other utes of its type, the turning circle is better than most, and the engine pulls our tandem caravan easily. I replaced the clutch at 75,000km.

Peter Wilson: I have no regrets buying my 2.5-litre XLT dual-cab. It’s been great, the reliability impeccable, but I would like more legroom.

Trevor Ryan: I bought my Ranger second hand with 97,000km on the clock. I have had it eight years and it does everything I want, it tows well, is economical, and has been reliable.

Toyota HiLux

The class leader has a reputation for toughness and reliability that makes it hard to beat.

Nissan Navara

Big comfortable ute a worthy contender with a wide choice of models.

Mitsubishi Triton

A decent all rounder, suspension can sag under heavy workload.

A good all-round workhorse/getaway vehicle that is reliable and performs well.

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PJ Ford Ranger engine failure

A lack of oil is the most likely explanation, although it could also have been caused by a manufacturing defect. At this point all you can do is what you have done, and that's to write it off to experience.

Ford Ranger cracked chassis

It is unacceptable for a chassis to crack under normal driving use, you might accept some cracking if the vehicle was being used in extreme conditions. We haven't had any other reports of Rangers having this problem; the only other vehicle that has been reported to us with chassis cracking is a Nissan Navara. Likewise we haven't had other reports of cylinder head problems with the Ranger diesel. I would expect Ford to come to the party with some of the cost of repairs, but being the second owner and having already had the repairs done you claim has been weakened.

Ford Ranger gear change

We haven’t had other reports of a problem with fifth gear in the Ranger, but we have had reports of clutch problems with the Ranger and the Mazda BT-50, as we have with a number of one-tonne utes. No one has yet to admit to a fault unfortunately, so you’re on your own should your clutch fail.

Ford Ranger service charges

We were told that the valve clearances are no longer done at 20,000 km, as the dealer told you. We understand it is now done at 80,000 km. As for the charge you need to discuss that with the dealer, and bear in mind that dealers are charging upwards of $140 per hour for work done in their shops.

Ask Smithy Xtra Rusty Ford Ranger

Before he does anything else he should read the warranty and understand what it includes, and from that what it doesn’t. Body warranties often only provide cover against actual perforation, and not the surface rust you say your son’s car has. Once he understands the provisions of the warranty he can then talk to his dealer, and Ford if that might advance his case.

Used Ford Ranger review: 2007-2009

When the Toyota HiLux first appeared on the monthly top-10 sales list a while back it was dismissed as an aberration rather than a meaningful shift in the market.  A year or two on the Toyota ute is not only still there it's well entrenched in the top three or four selling models.

The stunning success of the HiLux has caused other manufacturers of similar utes, like Ford, to take another look at their own models with a view to cashing in on this new popularity.  When they did look they found the reason for this new success didn't lie in the traditional working class segment, but in the growth in the use of these vehicles for recreation.

For its part Ford, and its Mazda partner, went back to the drawing board and came up with a new and expanded range of utes to cover all bases in the changed market.

MODEL WATCH

In a reflection of the changing demand from ute buyers Ford changed the name of its offering, from the rather working class Courier to the rather more adventurous Ranger.  It's the demand from people who want to use them for more than their work needs, for their recreational, or lifestyle, purposes as well that is driving the development of today's one-tonne utes.  The Ranger is in reality a Mazda BT-50 with a different set of sheetmetal clothes.

Ford followed its "trough truck" theme when it restyled front of the Mazda to create the good-looking Ranger with a clear link to his F150 big brother.  The restyle brought a new grille and blue oval badge to the Mazda's muscular lines, which gave it a bold, purposeful look, but the rest was all Mazda BT-50.

Ford's model line-up included three body styles, with the single cab, extended Supercab, and the Crewcab.  Each was available as a cab-chassis and a ute with a box bed, and in 4x2, 4x2 Hi-rider and 4x4 models.

Two equipment levels were offered; XL on 4x2 models, and XL and XLT on 4x4 models, with the XLT 4x4 being the hero model aimed at those using their Ranger for a bit of weekend fun.

Inside, the Ranger was the same as the Mazda, apart from the steering wheel. It had the same neat car-like dash, a standard MP3-compatible CD player, a decent array of dials, dual airbags, and most models had standard air-conditioning.

Underneath, the Ranger had a beefed-up ladder chassis, torsion bar front suspension and longer rear leaf springs with heftier shocks to improve the ride without sacrificing its load carrying capacity. The steering was also retuned to be more responsive.

Braking was by front ventilated discs and rear drums, with ABS antilock and EBD electronic brakeforce distribution systems standard on the XLT, but optional on the rest of the range.

Like Mazda Ford dropped the petrol engine option in the Ranger and only offered diesel engines.  There were two of them, both with common-rail injection and variable geometry turbocharging for smooth and steady power delivery across a broad rev range.

The 4x2 models had a 2.5-litre version that produced 105 kW at 3500 revs and 330 Nm at 1800 revs, while the 4x2 Hi-rider and all 4x4 models had the extra zip of a 3.0-litre version that produced 115 kW at 3200 revs and 380 Nm at 1800 revs.

There were two transmissions on offer, a five-speed manual, which was standard across the range, and a five-speed auto, which was optional with the larger engine.

Manual four-wheel drive models had a dual-range transfer case with remote locking front hubs and a limited-slip rear diff; the autos had an electronic shift-on-the-fly mechanism for easier 4x4 operation.  All models had a full one-tonne payload, while the 3.0-litre manual would tow three tones.

IN THE SHOP

The Ranger is generally a tough and reliable ute, whether working or touring the land on a journey of discovery.  There have been some issues with the cruise control where fitted and Ford is in the process of changing to a new supplier to fix the problems. If you are looking to buy a model with a factory-fitted cruise check the operation to make sure it is working correctly.

There have also been one or two reports of auto transmission troubles, specifically reports of gears slipping, so check the auto transmission carefully.  Look for the telltale signs of hard work, either on the work site or in the bush; in particular look for battered bodywork and underbody.

IN A CRASH

Utes have generally trailed passenger cars in the level of safety they have offered, but the latest models are closer than ever to their sedan cousins.

With ABS antilock brakes and EBD brakeforce distribution the Ranger has a reasonable level of active safety, while dual front airbags give it the basic level of passive safety.  ANCAP rated the Ranger 4x4 at three stars out of a possible five.

AT THE PUMP

With a diesel only option the Ranger manages to dodge the fuel consumption bullet that hits most of its rivals offering a petrol engine option.  The base model with the 2.5-litre engine boasts a claimed consumption of 8.3 L/100 km, while those models with the 3.0-litre engine are claimed to deliver 9.2 L/100 km.

OWNER SAYS

David Trevaskis has had his 2007 Ford Ranger diesel auto for 18 months now and is really happy with it. It's tough, good on wet or dry forest tracks as well as ordinary roads, rides comfortably, has good fuel efficiency, and an excellent towing capacity.

LOOK FOR

. Tough Ford looks
. Diesel economy
. Good build quality
. Comfortable ride
. Three-tonne towing ability
. One-tonne payload

THE BOTTOM LINE

Well built ute that drives smoothly and delivers diesel economy.

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