The Lemon IndexFord Ranger reliability.
Is it reliable? Mostly. About half as many complaints as the average car.
One of the most reliable · 2010–2022
20204th generation
What owners say on YouTube
1998–2011 Ranger · 196 most-watched videos
Owners praise
Owners complain about
Fixes owners look up most
Before you buy, watch
Top 5 Problems Ford Ranger Truck 3rd Generation 1998-20121A Auto: Repair Tips & Secrets Only Mechanics Know · 760K views
1998-2011 Ford Ranger Buyer's Guide (Common Problems, Options, Specs)Useful Vids · 400K views
Top Common Engine Problems 1998-2011 Ford Ranger Truck1A Auto: Repair Tips & Secrets Only Mechanics Know · 192K views2019–2023 Ranger · 197 most-watched videos
Owners praise
Owners complain about
Nothing stands out.
Fixes owners look up most
- Oil changes & service638K views
- Starter, alternator & belts212K views
- Transmission & shifter183K views
Before you buy, watch
2024–2025 Ranger · 190 most-watched videos
Owners praise
Owners complain about
Nothing stands out.
Fixes owners look up most
Before you buy, watch
Praise and complaints: the share of each generation's most-watched videos that mention a topic with a praise or trouble word next to it, in the title or what's said. YouTube rank: how positive owners and reviewers sound, compared with every car of the same model year. It measures tone, not failure rates. Videos belong to their creators; we link to them.
Looking at a 2023 or newer? Those are too new for a full complaint score (any score shown is partial, in gray), but YouTube owners like the 2024 best.
Engines & versions
Fewest complaints
2011.
Every year. Lower is better. Tap a year for its full report.
Show 6 older years (1998–2004, YouTube reviews only, no complaint data)
Newest year first. Red = worse than average, gray = about average, too new (2023+: a partial score, marked “partial”) or too few complaints to score. #1, #2… = that year's YouTube rank among the 14 Ford Ranger years with enough videos (#1 = the year owners and reviewers talk about most positively). It is not a reliability rank.
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<iframe src="https://lemonindex.com/embed/cars/ford-ranger/" title="Ford Ranger reliability by model year (The Lemon Index)" width="100%" height="468" style="border:0;max-width:720px" loading="lazy"></iframe><p style="font-size:13px;margin:4px 0 0">Data: <a href="https://lemonindex.com/cars/ford-ranger/">Lemon Index</a> (Ford Ranger reliability by year)</p>Scores before 2010 are rough: fewer owners filed complaints back then.
YouTube rank: we read 587 YouTube videos about the Ford Ranger, 1998 to 2025, and ranked every year by how much they praise it vs. how much they talk about problems. YouTube's favorite: 2024. Old cars rank lower partly because most of their videos are repair and restoration videos. A gray dot means not enough data yet: under 10 videos, or a new year with no owner complaints to compare.
Compare the Ford Ranger.
Opens the compare tool with both cars, every year side by side. Compare with any car →
Quick answers.
Is the Ford Ranger reliable?
Mostly. It draws about half as many complaints as the average car, but YouTube owners complain about it more than about most cars its age. Fewest complaints: 2011.
Is the Ford Ranger a good car?
Yes, it is one of the most reliable models we track, by owner complaints to the government per car sold (2010-2022: Lemon Index 48; 100 is average). Some years are much better than others: 2011 drew the fewest complaints since 2010 and 2019 the most.
What are the best Ford Ranger years to buy?
By owner complaints per car sold since 2010: 2011, 2010, 2022. 2011 drew the fewest.
What Ford Ranger years should you stay away from?
The 3 years with the most complaints per car sold since 2010: 2019 (about average, Lemon Index 106), 2021 (better than average, Lemon Index 61), 2020 (one of the most reliable, Lemon Index 49). 100 is the average car; lower is better.
How many recalls does the Ford Ranger have?
117 safety recalls across the 14 model years we track. Most: 2024 (13), 2025 (13), 2006 (12). Each year's page lists them, and every Ford Ranger recall is in one list here.
What are the most common Ford Ranger problems?
Across every year, owners' complaints to the government name transmission & drivetrain, electrical and engine most. Some years are much worse than others: see the chart above.
Every year in one table
| Year | Index | Compared with average | Complaints | Top complaint | Recalls | Crash test | MPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 47 | about half as many complaints as the average car | 39 | fuel system, gasoline (28%) | 11 | — | 15–23 |
| 2006 | 34 | about a third as many complaints as the average car | 20 | electrical (20%) | 12 | — | 15–23 |
| 2007 | 36 | about a third as many complaints as the average car | 23 | airbags (26%) | 6 | — | 15–23 |
| 2008 | – | too few complaints to score | 14 | airbags (21%) | 6 | — | 15–21 |
| 2009 | – | too few complaints to score | 12 | engine (25%) | 8 | — | 15–23 |
| 2010 | 19 | about a fifth as many complaints as the average car | 12 | transmission & drivetrain (25%) | 9 | — | 15–24 |
| 2011 | 11 | less than a sixth as many complaints as the average car | 12 | transmission & drivetrain (25%) | 6 | ★★☆☆☆ | 16–24 |
| 2019 | 106 | about average | 90 | electrical (18%) | 11 | ★★★★☆ | 18–23 |
| 2020 | 49 | about half as many complaints as the average car | 48 | transmission & drivetrain (19%) | 7 | ★★★★☆ | 18–23 |
| 2021 | 61 | a bit over half as many complaints as the average car | 57 | transmission & drivetrain (28%) | 6 | ★★★★☆ | 18–23 |
| 2022 | 35 | about a third as many complaints as the average car | 29 | transmission & drivetrain (41%) | 5 | ★★★★☆ | 19–23 |
| 2023 | – | too few complaints to score | 18 | transmission & drivetrain (28%) | 4 | ★★★★☆ | 19–23 |
| 2024 | 236 | about twice the average car's complaints | 94 | transmission & drivetrain (39%) | 13 | ★★★★☆ | 17–22 |
| 2025 | 100 | about average | 43 | transmission & drivetrain (37%) | 13 | ★★★★☆ | 17–23 |
The Lemon Index counts owner complaints filed with the U.S. government (NHTSA) in a car's first 3 years, per car sold, against the average car of the same model years (100 = average, lower is better). It measures complaints, not crash safety. U.S. sales source: goodcarbadcar.net. How it works
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Updated · Free to use with credit: Source: The Lemon Index (lemonindex.com)
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