Ford Ranger Engine Problems

Ford’s responsibility is to fix the problem. If you haven’t already contact Ford’s Customer Relationship Team (phone: 13 3673) and register your problem with them and give them the full picture of what’s happened to date. If you think the problem has gone beyond talking to Ford consider going to the Consumer Affairs people in Victoria.

The dealer should have told you that the extended warranty is not a Ford product; that it's a warranty provided by an independent insurance company, in your case Allianz. Ford has no role to play when it comes to the Allianz warranty; you need to talk to Allianz and the dealer. You should also read the warranty to establish exactly what is covered and for how much. Aside from the warranty issue Ford has a responsibility under Australian consumer laws to cover the car, even if the new car warranty has expired. You could try for a good will or part payment of the repair costs from Ford.

The EGR cooler can develop a crack and the resultant loss of coolant could lead to a cracked cylinder head. I would recommend that you press Ford for a goodwill gesture to cover the cost of repairs. At the very least you deserve an explanation for the rejection of your claim. If ultimately Ford doesn’t come to the party with a satisfactory resolution you could go to the consumer affairs people (ACCC) and ask for their help.

I assume you bought it from a dealer, so try and negotiate some form of good will payment to at least cover part of the cost of replacing the engine.

Is it getting hot when you’re driving it? A car can be hard to start, even sound like the battery is flat when you go to crank it, when it gets hot. Leaving it the extra time gives it a chance to cool down.

There are no major issues with the Ranger engine or gearbox that should rule it out. Around the end of the financial year is often a good time to get a good deal, cars companies and dealers are looking to shift their stock at that time. Change of model is also a good time to swoop.

Have you fitted any extra accessories, like driving lights, a winch, towbar etc. that might be causing the problem, which is clearly a drain that is not being cut when the ignition is switched off. We haven't heard of any other Rangers with the same problem, but if anyone has had a similar problem they could contact us. In the meantime take it to an auto electrician and have it checked. The last car with a similar problem was the early VE Calais, which had a problem with a drain on the battery through the computer, which wasn't switched off with the ignition and continued to drain the battery.

The 3.2-litre turbo-diesel engine in the Ranger is known for its propensity to self-destruct. It can even happen at low kilometres.

The easiest and cheapest way to improve the mileage from your Ford Ranger is to concentrate on driving with peak efficiency in mind. Avoiding stop/start traffic, maintaining a constant cruising speed on the freeway, and driving as smoothly as possible will all pay dividends to your fuel consumption. Diesel models also benefit from an improved intercooler, intake and exhaust package in conjunction with a retune of the factory ECU.

Putting petrol in diesels is a relatively common mistake people make when they’re distracted. Petrol acts as a solvent reducing the lubrication of components such as the fuel pump, which I suspect is where the metal shavings have come from. The metal particles can subsequently cause serious damage to the rest of the fuel system. Serious damage to the engine can be caused by detonation from uncontrolled ignition. Because you dispute Ford’s contention that you did put petrol in your car I would suggest the fuel in the tank be analyzed to determine if it contains petrol or not.