Ford Ranger 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 Amarok is rated to tow 3000 kg, which would make it marginal for your needs given that you want to tow around three tonnes. The Ranger and BT-50 are rated at 3500 kg, which would make them more suitable for you. The Ranger and the BT-50 are the same vehicle, it's only the features that separate them. For me, of those you list the Mazda is the best value-for-money.

There is a glitch in the car’s computer system. Restarting it reboots the computer. If it’s not doing it when the car is at the dealer’s and nothing shows up on their diagnostic check it’s hard to trace and fix. It’s probably going to be a process of elimination until the cause is found.

You're not alone, there are lots of reports of the Ranger sagging to the left; the springs are clearly not up to the job. Ford's answer in most cases is to stonewall and hope the owner goes away. Keep the pressure up on Ford, but also consider going to Queensland's consumer affairs department. Sad to say, the least painful solution would be to go to a suspension specialist and get the suspension uprated.

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.

Opinion is divided on the PXII Ranger. Some owners think it's the greatest, others say it is a nightmare. Most complain about the paint, which is thin and scratches easily, others complain of rough changes in the auto, others also say theirs stops for no reason, and there have been the odd report of torque converter failures.

Earlier Rangers were plagued by problems with the cruise control, and Ford recalled them, but we're not hearing of the same issues with the current model. Perhaps if you could provide us with more information on what it is yours is doing we might be able to give you more of a guide to what could be wrong.

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.