Are you having problems with your Ford Ranger? Let our team of motoring experts keep you up to date with all of the latest Ford Ranger issues & faults. We have gathered all of the most frequently asked questions and problems relating to the Ford Ranger in one spot to help you decide if it's a smart buy.
Faulty welding on towbars has forced Ford Australia to recall more than 16,000 Ranger utes.Although no accidents have been reported, there is the potential for the vehicle to lose its trailer when towing. The recall applies to 16,287 Rangers built in Thailand from September 2006 to June last year.The recall notice stated: “Fracturing of the towbar tongue welding can affect safe operation and handling when an affected vehicle is towing, presenting a potential traffic hazard to the driver and/or other road users”. A Ford spokesman said the fault originated in the company’s Thailand production plant.The company has written to owners of PJ and PK Ranger XLT and Wildtrak models advising them not to tow with the vehicles and to contact their nearest dealer to have the unit replaced. All of the 4244 PJ vehicles affected are XLT models; while around 1200 of the 11,812 newer PK models are the top-range Wildtrak version, with the rest XLTs.The recall does not apply to the PX Ranger now on sale. Ford Australia spokesman Neil McDonald said that 3000 replacement towbars had already been shipped to dealers and more stock was arriving at a rate of 600 a week.At that rate it will take 22 weeks to replace all of the faulty towbars. “It’s only an issue if you are using the vehicle to tow, it is safe to continue driving normally,” he said. “A Queensland customer noticed a crack in the weld and our engineering department has verified it is an issue on those vehicles.“It’s a half-day fix to replace the towbar assembly - the rear step bumper isn’t affected.” Ranger owners who are unsure if the recall applies to them should call Ford on 1800 503 627.
The recall is for the rear seatback latch strap on Ford PX Ranger Double Cabs sold between 23rd May 2011 - 13th February 2012, and affects 4258 vehicles in Australia and 957 in New Zealand.The recall notice says the rear seatback latch fitted to affected vehicles may not engage correctly, resulting in the rear seatback latch not being secured to the body striker and causing the rear seatback to fall forward.The defect poses a safety hazard to passengers, and owners are warned not to use a rearward-facing child seat in the vehicle until the defect is fixed. Ford spokesman Neil McDonald says there has been only one field report on the problem - a customer notification that something was wrong with the latch - but no accidents have been reported.“The fix is to fit a new metal ring for the rear seatback latch strap,” McDonald says. “It’s relatively minor fix bit quite important. “It will take less than half a day to do, but customers should check with their dealers to ensure they get the earliest possible slot.”It’s the second recall on the Ford Ranger within months, with an August notice issued on 16,287 Rangers built in Thailand from September 2006 to June 2011 for a defect that risked fracturing of the towbar welding.Ford is writing to the owners of PX Rangers affected by the current recall, advising them to contact their Ford authorised dealership for inspection and rectification. For further information, contact any authorised Ford Dealer or Ford Customer Relationship Centre on 1800 503 672.
Never take anything for granted, it pays to check and check again if you’re not certain that the work being carried out on your car is what is supposed to be done. Never feel afraid to ask questions, and always remember that you are the customer, the one who has spent the dollars to buy the car.
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.
It would seem something has gone wrong, perhaps at the service, as you seem to suggest. It's most likely a fuel supply problem, so I would suggest you have a diesel engine specialist check it.
Caltex make what they call Vortex Premium Diesel, which is claimed to remove deposits that build up over time in injectors and keep the engine running at its best. They claim that Vortex Premium will give you better performance and use less fuel, but I stress that’s the company’s claim.
We have had reports of clutch troubles with the Ranger and the clutch in yours I would suggest has probably warped. They overheat quite quickly if you slip the clutch even just a little, like when you take off while the vehicles is loaded or towing a trailer, and once that happens the clutch warps and will forever shudder until it's replaced. I think Ford is clutching at straws on that one.
We haven't heard of this problem before on the Ranger and when we contacted Ford we were told that they weren't aware of any issues with noisy engines on the Ranger. Ford also told us that they were happy to check your vehicle to find out more about it. We have passed your contact details on to Ford and you can expect to be contacted about the issue.
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.
The clutch issue is not confined to the Ranger, other brands suffer the same problems, which suggests that the clutches used are marginal for towing. Your experience is not unusual, and should be a warning to everyone else looking to buy a ute to tow with. The normal fix is to install a heavy-duty aftermarket clutch, as you have done. Unfortunately carmakers have an out, in that they state quite clearly that the clutch is not covered by the warranty, and it's difficult to say what kilometres you should expect to get from a clutch before it would need replacing.
Show more
Disclaimer: You acknowledge and agree that all answers are provided as a general guide only and should not be
relied upon as bespoke advice. Carsguide is not liable for the accuracy of any information provided in the
answers.
