2021 Ford Ranger problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Power Train (51) · Service Brakes (12) · Vehicle Speed Control (7)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Ford Ranger model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
🛣️ Complaints by mileage
26 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (6)
Equipment:electrical:engine Block Heater 2025-10-10 · campaign 25V685000 · 59,006 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2019 Lincoln MKC, 2016-2023 Explorer, 2019-2020 Fusion, 2019-2024 Ranger, 2020-2022 Lincoln Corsair, Escape, 2021-2024 Bronco, Bronco Sport, and 2022-2024 Maverick vehicles. The engine block heater may crack and develop a coolant leak, causing it to short circuit when the block heater is plugged in.
Risk: An electrical short circuit can increase the risk of a fire.
Fix: Owners are advised not to plug in their block heater until the vehicle is remedied. Dealers will replace the block heater, free of charge. Owners will also have a alternative option to replace engine block heater element with a threaded blanking plug, and remove the block heater electrical cord. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed December 3, 2025. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated December 2026. Owners may contact Ford
Back Over Prevention:software 2025-06-27 · campaign 25V442000 · 200,237 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2022 Transit Connect, 2019-2020 MKZ, MKX, Edge, Continental, F-150, Nautilus, Fusion, 2019-2023 Ranger, Mustang, 2020-2021 EcoSport, Expedition, Navigator, 2020-2022 Escape, F-250 SD, Corsair, 2020-2023 Aviator, Transit, 2020-2024 Explorer, 2021-2024 Bronco Sport, and 2022-2024 Maverick vehicles. A software error may cause the rearview camera to display a blank image, or the image may remain on the display after the backing event has ended.
Risk: A rearview camera that displays a blank image can reduce the driver's view behind the vehicle. A rearview image that continues to be displayed after the vehicle is shifted out of reverse may distract the driver. Both of these situations can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will update the rearview camera software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 4, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S72.
Equipment:other:labels 2023-05-26 · campaign 23V379000 · 29,607 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2022-2023 Bronco, 2023 Super Duty F-250, and 2019-2023 Ranger vehicles. The Tire and Loading Information (TREAD) label states the incorrect load carrying capacity, which can result in an overloaded vehicle. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
Risk: An overloaded vehicle increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Ford will mail a new TREAD label to install over the existing label, free of charge. Owners will also have the option to take their vehicle to a Ford or Lincoln dealer to have the new label installed, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 21, 2023. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 23C18.
Forward Collision Avoidance: Sensing System: Radar 2021-12-16 · campaign 21V982000 · 839 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021 Ranger and Bronco vehicles. The cruise control radar module was misaligned during production.
Risk: A misaligned radar module may prevent the vehicle from maintaining a safe distance from other vehicles when adaptive cruise control is active. In addition, the automatic emergency braking (AEB) system may react slowly, or not react at all, during a pre-collision assist braking event. Any of these scenarios can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will adjust the angle of the cruise control radar module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 21, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S52.
Seat Belts:front:webbing 2021-10-15 · campaign 21V811000 · 47,683 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Ford Ranger Super Cab vehicles. The front passenger outboard seat belt may not have been assembled properly, allowing the seat belt to be misrouted. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard numbers 208, "Occupant Crash Protection" and 209, "Seat Belt Assemblies."
Risk: A misrouted seat belt may not adequately restrain an occupant in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Ford will provide owners with instructions to perform a preliminary inspection of their front seat belts. Owners that detect an issue with the driver's seat belt, are unsure of the results, or do not want to perform an inspection, should not drive their vehicles and contact a Ford dealership. Dealers will inspect the front row outboard seat belts and replace them, if necessary, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters were mailed on November 5, 2021. Owner notification letters were
Child Seat:vehicle Latch Anchor 2021-09-30 · campaign 21V765000 · 37,625 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Ranger Super Cab vehicles equipped with rear seats containing fixed head restraints. The fixed head restraints may interfere with proper installation of certain types of child seats. Additionally, the child seat may not attach properly to the lower-rear anchors. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 225, "Child Restraint Anchorage System."
Risk: An improperly attached child seat can increase the risk of injury in a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the rear-lower child restraint anchorages for correct alignment and adjust as necessary. Separately, dealers will replace the non-removable head restraints with removable head restraints, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters were mailed on November 5, 2021. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 17, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21C24.
Service bulletins (113)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Engine 2026-08-25 · 26L01 · Other
customer satisfaction program 26l01 certain 2018-2024 model year various vehicles 2.0l panther diesel engine timing belt and tensioner interval change
Unknown Or Other 2026-08-04 · TSB 26-2359 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
some of the vehicles listed in the model statement above may exhibit an incorrectly illuminated malfunction indicator lamp (mil) with diagnostic trouble code (dtc) p0420 stored in the powertrain control module (pcm). this may be due to the software in the pcm.
Unknown Or Other 2026-07-09 · 26E04 · Emissions
new vehicle delivery hold - emissions recall 26e04 certain 2021-2025 model year f-150, maverick, mustang, ranger, expedition, bronco sport, explorer, bronco, navigator, and aviator vehicles powertrain control module software update
Engine 2026-05-09 · 25B51 · Other
certain 2021-2024 model year bronco, 2021-2024 model year bronco sport, 2020-2022 model year corsair and escape, 2016-2024 model year explorer, 2019-2020 model year fusion, 2016-2018 model year focus rs, 2022-2024 model year maverick, 2016-2019 model year mkc and 2019-2024 model year ranger vehicles
Lane Departure: Blind Spot Detection 2026-04-02 · SSM 54720 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
various 2020-2026 ford and lincoln vehicles equipped with blind spot information system (blis) may experience an inoperative blind spot monitoring with a "blind spot system fault" message displayed in the instrument panel cluster (ipc). this may also be accompanied by diagnostic trouble codes (dtcs)
Power Train 2026-04-02 · SSM 54719 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
for 2021 2026 vehicles equipped with the 10r80 transmission, a new transmission clutch circuit leak test has been introduced in the ford diagnosis and repair system (fdrs). this test utilizes the pressure and vacuum transducer (pvt) when available. when referred to a specific clutch (a-f) test by
Showing the 6 most recent of 113 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-10-25 · Structure:body“the chrome coating on both interior door handles is peeling. the chrome coating creates very sharp edges and has already cut a passenger who was getting out of the car. i checked the internet and found that the same thing has been happening to ford expeditions of these same years. they have been recalled for the chrome peeling and possibly cutting …”
2026-10-15 · Power Train“i am reporting a potential drivetrain safety defect involving the rear driveshaft bearing on my 2021 ford ranger fx4 lariat. on september 3, 2025, i brought my truck to larry h. miller ford lakewood after experiencing an intermittent abnormal whistling/mechanical noise while driving. the vehicle had 38,275 miles and was still under warranty. ford …”
2026-10-01 · Power Train“i was parking the truck and i put it in reverse and no reverse whatsoever. i put it and drive them back and reverse nothing. i put it in park turned it off restarted it and reverse worked took it to the dealer and they said the transmission has to be replaced due to faulty parts from ford on the original transmission although it might be covered un…”
2026-09-30 · Power Train“the 2021 ford ranger lariat , mileage 42,362 would not go into reverse, the wrench was lit up on dash. shut truck off it cleared the code, immediately took it to ford dealer. was sent home because the tech said the light was off so he couldn’t diagnose. after reading about the issue we made the appt for a diagnostic scan. the codes were p2704, p07…”
2026-09-28 · Engine“vehicle is just out of warranty and has less than 45,000 miles yet i'm being told i need a full transmission replacement. i know of 4 other rangers that as soon as they hit 40,000 or there about, began having jerky transmission issues. i reached out to ford for a goodwill request and am being told that i have to pay to have the transmission disasse…”
2026-09-13 · Power Train“while driving from [xxx] to [xxx] on xxx my 2021 ford ranger's dash light came on and i noticed harsh shifting and the vehicle began jolting unpredictably while i was driving at highway speeds. to avoid imminent danger, i pulled off the 101 and slowly drove to the closest ford dealership, vista ford lincoln of [xxx], in order to have the truck asse…”
2026-09-11 · Unknown Or Other“one suspects dealership misrepresented sale. website lists vehicle series, xl; window sticker document indicates lariat. 2021 ford ranger lariat tremor might have been rebuilt without instrument reporting changes. because one has been ambushed - one no longer has collateral. one is attempting such creation report via xxx code [xxx] for unwinding co…”
2026-08-14 · Power Train · 59,000 mi“the contact owns a 2021 ford ranger. the contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and shifting gear, the transmission shifted hard. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and was diagnosed with transmission failure. the vehicle was repaired. the dealer was contacted and informed the contact that the transmission was opera…”
2026-08-09 · Power Train“2021 ford ranger 98160 millas firts time buy 01 19 2022 transmition went out 7 2 2026, my factory defect…”
2026-08-05 · Power Train“transmission hard shifts in low gear and sometimes slips gears or revs up engine without accelerating then slams into gear lurching forward. had transmission oil checked by dealer and they said it looked great. happened 29 july several times and again 5 aug all throughout the day.…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.