Ford Ranger Problems

The delivery guy is unlikely to be someone who was qualified to tell you that the car was ok, and accepting the car at home without driving it first is not a wise thing to do. But Ford is saying they will fix the problem, once they establish what is causing it, and I don't you have anything to complain about with that. If it goes on for an extended period then you might have grounds to request Ford to replace the vehicle with another new one. In the meantime you should request a temporary replacement ute so you can go about your business normally.

We have had very few reports of problems with the Ranger, and we have had none about the automatic gearbox. No doubt your dealer would be able to diagnose the problem and fix it for you.

The Ranger gets The Tick and is a clear winner from the Amarok. The all-new Navara is not even close. But we're expecting a new Mitsubishi Triton and Toyota HiLux in the first half of 2015, so check back nearer then.

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.

Without driving the car and experiencing what you report it's impossible to give any opinion on what might be causing the problems. I would suggest that you ask for a meeting with a Ford representative to discuss the issues and have your car fully assessed. It might also be worth your while to arrange to drive another car of the same specification to see if it too has the same issues.

We contacted Ford on your behalf and we understand that they inspected your vehicle and found a faulty injector was the cause of your problem. Why it took the intervention of headquarters to determine that is beyond our comprehension.

Worn injectors are a regular problem on common-rail diesels.

It's likely to be a fuelling issue, so check the fuel pump and injectors. Common-rail diesels often have issues with the injectors as they wear. To get a better reading on it I would suggest taking it to an experienced diesel mechanic.

Without knowing how many kays you have done in it I would guess the clutch is on the way out. Clutches in the one-tonners that have become so popular are typically marginal and some require replacement at quite mileage. Check the clutch, and if worn to the point of needing replacement look at installing a heavy-duty clutch.

Excess sealant suggests sloppy workmanship. You might like to mention it to your dealer and suggest they disassemble the diff and put it back together without excessive sealant that could cause issues down the track, or you could let it go and hope it doesn't cause any problems later on. If it was the engine I would want to fix it, but in the case of a diff I'd be tempted to report it in case something does develop in the future, and let it go.

Right now, with the HiLux set for a total replacement in the first half of next year, the Ford and Mazda are the better choices and get The Tick. Ford developed the car but shoppers report better deals on the BT-50.