Ford Ranger Problems

There is some American-led styling on SUVs but bigger and higher bonnets — even on something as compact as a Mini — are a result of the safety regulations on pedestrian impact protection. The bonnet is now being designed as a "safety net" to cushion a pedestrian bowled over by a vehicle.

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.

We have seen sufficient reports of lop-sided Rangers to believe that it is a problem. Some of the reports are of vehicles that are as much as 30 mm lower on one side than the other. Ford might say it is within specification, but I would suggest the specification is rather loose and should be tightened up. I would suggest you take your vehicle to a suspension specialist and have them measure it accurately, and suggest what might be done to correct it. Take that information back to Ford and request that thy take action to fix the car.

It sounds like the seller might have known there was a problem, and decided to get out of it. There have been reports of problems with the gearbox. You could approach Ford about helping out with the repairs, but because it's out of warranty, and you bought it secondhand from a private seller I don't fancy your chances of success.

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.

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.

It sounds as thought the air-conditioning may not be working. Take it back to the dealer and have them check the system for you.

You need to know the all-up weight of the trailer with the three horses all your gear aboard. The horses alone weight 1500 kg, and the float is going to be 1500 to 2000 kg, so you need a vehicle capable of towing 3500 kg. There are a number on the market rated to tow that load, vehicles like the Holden Colorado, Mazda BT-50, Ford Ranger, Land Rover Discovery etc. You also need to be mindful of the Gross Combination Mass of the vehicle when you're going to tow at or near its maximum rating to ensure you don't exceed it.

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.

Orange peel was once considered the sign of poor quality in a paint job, but today it seems that it is ok to serve up. The response you got intimating that it was ok because it was only a ute is a sign of the malaise that's overtaken the car industry today. It's not acceptable, and anyone buying a new car should look closely at the paint job before signing up and handing over their cash.