Ford Ranger Problems

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.

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.

Before he does anything else he should read the warranty and understand what it includes, and from that what it doesn’t. Body warranties often only provide cover against actual perforation, and not the surface rust you say your son’s car has. Once he understands the provisions of the warranty he can then talk to his dealer, and Ford if that might advance his case.

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.

My information is that the 4x2 Rangers have a 63-litre tank and the 4x4 models have a 70-litre tank. It would seem odd, even unbelievable, that Ford would have the same part number for both tanks. If you read the small print contained in the brochures Ford, and other companies, issue you will find they include a disclaimer that says the company retains the right to discontinue or change the features, designs, colours, materials and other specifications of its products at its discretion. What that means is that the buyer should check the specifications before buying a vehicle. At least you now know the distance you can travel before needing to refill with fuel.

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.

We haven’t had any other reports like yours, perhaps that’s because yours is an unusual situation and not everyone has to back up an incline on a regular basis. You might have been better off with an auto trans in your situation.

We were told that the valve clearances are no longer done at 20,000 km, as the dealer told you. We understand it is now done at 80,000 km. As for the charge you need to discuss that with the dealer, and bear in mind that dealers are charging upwards of $140 per hour for work done in their shops.