Ford Ranger Problems

I have some not-so-good news for you, David. The US-spec Ranger has a driveline that allows the transfer-case to be placed in neutral-2WD. Australian Rangers don’t. And it’s really that simple.

Flat-towing an Aussie Ranger would mean that the automatic transmission would be spinning internally without lubrication. That’s because the oil pump that lubricates the transmission only operates when the car’s engine is running.

Modern four-wheel-drive tech has all but eliminated the neutral position in the transfer-case, so the vast majority of vehicles are in the same boat. Technically, you could flat-tow a vehicle with a manual transmission (because the gearbox is splash-lubricated, not pump-lubricated) but my contacts at Ford tell me that you’d void your new-car warranty in the process in the Ranger’s case.

So what are your flat-towing options? Something like a Jeep Wrangler or Suzuki Jimny might be okay (but I’d check with the manufacturer first) or find something older with an old-school transfer-case set-up that allows for a neutral position.

So, going by your description, the engine has only just started before the vehicle rolls downhill to the first intersection. So the engine has only been running for a few seconds, and then only at idle. It’s possible that the transmission pump hasn’t had time to build up enough pressure to fill the accumulators to eliminate any slack in the shifting clutches and bands. Which could, on the odd occasion, produce a clunk when you hit the throttle for the first time on a cold transmission.

Honestly, though, this is a problem you see more in older cars with worn transmissions, and I wouldn’t expect it from a 2019 Ranger.

But let me ask you a question: Is the vehicle lifted on its suspension? Many Ranger owners opt to raise their cars for greater off-road performance, but this changes the angle of the driveshaft and can cause precisely the shudder you’ve described. The fix is to fit a spacer between the car’s body and the centre-bearing of the driveshaft. That corrects the angle of the driveshaft and stops the shudders.

All the feedback I’ve had Steve makes me think that these extended warranties are a waste of your money. They tend to be very cleverly worded to ensure that the things that typically go wrong with cars of this age are not covered.

Have a close look at the fine print and make a decision from there. But if the warranty doesn’t cover things like fuel-injector and fuel-pump problems, or diesel-particulate filter dramas (all big dollar items on a Ford Ranger) then I’d be asking some difficult questions. And then leaving with my money still in my pocket.

I’d be interested to know why Ford won’t help with your problem, but it’s a fact that there are some circumstances where a manufacturer isn’t obliged to fix a problem like this. If the problem has been caused by negligence or abuse on the part of the owner, then you begin to enter a very grey area. On the other hand, if the rust is due to a manufacturing fault such as poor rust-proofing at the factory, then it’s a different story.

I contacted Ford Australia about this, but without more information, the spokesperson could only really refer me to the warranty fine-print and, in particular, this couple of paragraphs:

• Ford will warrant a part which it finds to be defective in factory materials or workmanship under normal use and operation
• A part won’t be replaced as a consequence of the owner’s failure to maintain, use or operate the vehicle in accordance with recommendations and instructions.

Honestly, your email raises more questions than answers. Is the corrosion surface rust or actual rot in the metal? Has the car been used in the mining industry? Has it been used to launch boats into salt-water on a frequent basis? Has it been submerged in floodwater at any stage? Has it been badly damaged and repaired? On what basis did Ford deny your request to have the vehicle fixed under warranty?

As for your options, you could pay to have the chassis replaced, but that only makes me wonder about the rest of the metalwork in the vehicle. Or, you could talk to a consumer advocacy group and see what your legal options amount to. The real job will be convincing an arbitrator that the rust has been caused by poor quality rather than any owner abuse or negligence.

None of the vehicles you’ve listed are exactly low-maintenance units. They all have complex all-wheel-drive drivelines (which will be appreciated when towing a heavy trailer across a wet showground) and they use the latest common-rail diesel technology which is fairly intolerant of poor servicing.

As for a power tailgate on a ute, I’m afraid you’re out of luck. But some of the wagon versions of these vehicles can be optioned with powered tailgates. The catch there is that these vehicles use coil sprung rear axles (as opposed to the leaf-sprung ute versions) so they’re not as adept at towing. The Toyota Fortuner, for instance can’t match the HiLux’s 3.5-tonne limit and makes do with 2800kg; not enough for your requirements. The Ford Everest (based on the Ranger) is a little better at 3000kg, but still trails the Ranger’s 3500kg towing capacity and is right on your self-imposed minimum.

The problem with all these vehicles, Darren, is that they seem to have covered huge distances (200,000km is a lot for a car that is just eight years old, no?). Also, some of them have covered those kilometres towing huge, heavy trailers and a full tray at the same time. So, the first piece of advice is to buy one that has a full service history and hasn’t been worked half to death. A Ranger with a huge bull-bar, suspension lift, winch and mud tyres, for instance, is a dead certainty to have been thrashed through the bush every weekend of its life. So be careful and take each vehicle on its merits and overall condition.

It seems you’ve heard of the Ranger’s engine troubles (overheating due to faulty EGR coolers and failed fuel injectors) but the Toyota three-litre turbo-diesel is not without its faults either. Cracked pistons between 100,000km and 150,000km are not unknown and, like any common-rail diesel, the Toyota’s engine can consume injectors at a frightening rate. The bottom line is that all these modern common-rail diesels are highly tuned and absolutely need their maintenance. Even then, they can fail, so it’s worth knowing.

For your purposes, Darren, I think the Ranger with its more powerful engine (147kW and 470Nm plays the Toyota’s 120kW and 343Nm) and much greater towing capacity (3500kg for the Ford, 2250kg for the Toyota) would be the smarter way to go.

I’ve heard of this before, Sam, and it does seem that it’s caused by the lock-stops banging together and causing the noise you’re hearing. The lock-stop, meantime, is a simple, mechanical device that stops the front wheels turning too far, and to do that, it simply uses one piece of metal that literally bumps into another piece on full lock to prevent further movement. And that’s the noise you’re hearing. That it only happens on with the steering on full lock is the big clue here.

Greasing the bits of metal might quieten things down a bit, but I was under the impression that this model Ranger had little plastic caps on the metal parts to prevent the metal-on-metal contact and, therefore, the horrible noises. Either way, I’d be having an expert check the front suspension to make sure the noise isn’t coming for another, more sinister source. You can’t be too careful with this stuff and since the vehicle should still under warranty, what have you got to lose?

Normally this would be an issue with the glow plugs, but the 2.5 turbo-diesel Rangers seem to occasionally have an issue with the assembly around the fuel filter (which includes the water trap and primer pump) sucking in air. This can be fixed by replacing the unit as a whole. Similarly Ranger owners have reported trouble cold-starting their 2.5 TD when the valve stopping fuel flowing back into the tank from the pump fails. Try priming your fuel system a couple of times before starting and if it starts up fine then replace that valve near the fuel pump. 

Your 1000 kg payload is around the maximum a Ranger can carry so you need to check the payload for the variant you have. The variant will affect the payload you can carry. 

The noise doesn’t sound normal. Get under the dash and try to locate the source, that should tell you what needs fixing, and then have a dealer or mechanic assess it.