Ford’s baby F-150, the Ranger, has been getting huge momentum since its introduction this year, and it is on its way to hitting the 100,000 sales figure in the launch year itself. However, it seems that all things did not go the way Ford intended them to. As with any newly launched product, the 2019 Ford Ranger had its tantrums and has been in no shortage of complaints and issues since day one. Within the launch year, this mid-size pickup has accumulated nearly 7 recalls and over 75 complaints to its name. Given the pace at which more complaints have been popping up on unofficial platforms, we expect these figures to go up even further. So does this shaky record make this $26,520 pickup truck not an interesting buy as its bigger brother? Should you consider it over established competition like Chevrolet Colorado, the GMC Canyon, and the Honda Ridgeline? This article should give you an insight.
2019 Ford Ranger Crew Cab User Complaints and Problems
Mechanical Complaints
- Engine- Fuel contamination in engine oil is a pretty common issue with the 2019 Ford Ranger. A pungent gas smell, when the engine is parked hot, is one precursor of this complaint. The issue was later found to be a faulty O-ring in the fuel regulator attached to the block. The average failure mileage for this issue is under 4,000-miles.
- Transmission- The 10–speed automatic on the 2019 Ford Ranger inherently has many problems with it. The main issues noticed are jerking when acceleration or slowing down, delay in shifting or getting stuck in a single gear, and unintentional selector shifts when driving. Though Ford did initiate two separate recalls (IDs-19V701000, 19V366000) for transmission issues, owners still complain about the issue persists.
- Service brake- Brake failure has been a pretty common occurrence in the 2019 Ford Ranger. Owners report the brake pedals completely depressing to the floor with no resistance or effective braking force. At least 6 crashes have been officially reported on this issue by the NHTSA.
Electric System complaints
- Wiring harness- Complete electrical shutdown has been a major issue bugging the 2019 Ford Ranger. The issue was traced to be with a detached wiring harness clip under the cabin which comes loose when the vehicle shakes or vibrates. Even though this issue is widespread, the automaker has not released any statements or service bulletins.
- Infotainment- The infotainment software is glitchy and completely freezes while in use. Owners are forced to completely shut down and restart the vehicle for the system to reboot and start working properly again. Even though the dealers provided a firmware reset, the issues still complain about the same issues popping up after a while.
- Failed taillights- intermittent or complete failure of tail lights is a pretty common issue. An improper terminal connection that easily gets dislodges under motion is the reason behind these issues. Ford did initiate a recall (ID-19V839000) to fix this issue but owners complain about the dealer reporting part unavailability months after the initial recall date.
Structural complaints
- Corrosion- Chassis corrosion has been affecting many low mileage Ford Ranger trucks. Defects in the factory paint job and paint curing are the reason for the early onset of corrosion in the frame. Some dealers do provide pre underbody re-coats to a vehicle that are still under warranty.
- Rear seats- The rear seats don’t latch into place. The owners complain about the seats unlatching with an occupant on them during heavy braking. Though Ford initiated multiple recalls for seatbelt issues, this specific issue did receive the attention it needed.
2019 Ford Ranger Crew Cab Recalls
|
S. No |
Date |
NHTSA ID |
Issues Noticed |
Additional Remarks |
Remedy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
15th October 2021 |
21V811000 |
The seat belt was routed incorrectly |
The front passenger outboard seat belt may not have been assembled properly, allowing the seat belt to be misrouted, which may not properly restrain the occupant in the event of a crash increasing the risk of injury |
The 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. |
|
2 |
9th March 2020 |
20V13700 |
The replacement blower may be short. |
The service replacement HVAC blower motor that was installed may have an improper clearance between an electrical terminal and the conductive base plate that may result in a resistive electrical short, increasing the risk of fire |
The dealers will inspect and replace the HVAC blower motor, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on April 6, 2020. |
|
3 |
21st November 2018 |
19V839000 |
Intermittent or inoperative tail lights |
The inline electrical connector terminals for the rear lights may be misaligned or not properly seated, potentially causing the rear lights to function intermittently or not at all, not fully alerting other drivers, and increasing the risk of a crash. |
The dealers will inspect the inline connector for loose terminals and replace the connectors, if necessary, free of charge. The recall began on March 5, 2020. |
|
4 |
10th October 2019 |
19V726000 |
The blower motor may be short. |
The HVAC blower motor may be electrically short and increase the risk of fire. |
The dealers will inspect the HVAC blower motor production date, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on December 4, 2019. |
|
5 |
10th July 2019 |
19V518000 |
Improperly assembled front passenger seat belt. |
The front passenger seat belt may have been improperly assembled, failing to properly restrain the occupant in the event of a crash and increasing the risk of injury. |
The dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the right front seat belt assembly, free of charge. The recall began on July 29, 2019. |
|
6 |
13th May 2019 |
19V366000 |
The shifter position may incorrectly indicate “Park” |
The fasteners that attach the transmission shifter cable bracket to the transmission may loosen allowing the transmission to be in a different gear than indicated by the gear shift lever position, increasing the risk of a crash. |
The dealers will inspect and tighten the transmission shift cable bracket fasteners as necessary, and verify the proper transmission shift operation, free of charge. The recall began on July 1, 2019. |
|
7 |
1st February 2019 |
19V701000 |
Unintentional shift out of “Park”. |
The transmission shift lever can be moved from the "Park" position without the key in the starting system and without depressing the brake pedal, increasing the risk of a crash. |
The dealers will inspect and repair the transmission floor shift selector interlock assembly, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on February 22, 2019. |
Should you buy a used 2019 Ford Ranger Crew Cab?
The Ranger’s engine, transmission, electrical, and brake issues have been very common on these trucks which in some cases are real compromises to occupant safety. Ford is working tirelessly to bring all these issues under control, but as things stand now, we would advise you to stay away from buying a used one given the high expectancy of occurrence of an issue. As things stand, the Chevy Colorado or its sibling, the GMC Canyon is your best bet at getting a reliable midsize pickup truck.
