The Lemon IndexAll cars · Ford Ranger · 2021
2021 Ford Ranger. Advanced data.
The raw numbers: engines, recall campaign numbers, failure mileage and manufacturer communications.
Failure mileage by system
Half of owners who gave a mileage reported the problem between 5,000 and 30,000 miles. Median 13,000, from 17 complaints with a mileage.
Mileage owners typed into their NHTSA complaint, all complaints for this model year. People report some problems late, so read it as a range.
Complaints by system
| System | Share of complaints |
|---|---|
| Transmission & drivetrain | 28% |
| Brakes | 19% |
| Engine | 16% |
| Electrical | 12% |
| Body structure | 11% |
One complaint can name more than one system, so shares can add to more than 100%.
Severity, all complaints
| Total | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | Deaths | Tows |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 57 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 6 |
As reported by owners to NHTSA. Not verified.
Recall campaigns 6
25V685000 Oct 2025 Equipment / Electrical / Engine Block Heater
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.
Remedy. 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
25V442000 Jun 2025 Back Over Prevention / Software
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.
Remedy. 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.
23V379000 May 2023 Equipment / Other / Labels
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.
Remedy. 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.
21V982000 Dec 2021 Forward Collision Avoidance / Sensing System / Radar
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.
Remedy. 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.
21V811000 Oct 2021 Seat Belts / Front / Webbing
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.
Remedy. 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.
21V765000 Sep 2021 Seats / Mid/Rear Assembly
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.
Remedy. 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
Manufacturer communications 113
Ford filed 113 service communications for this car with NHTSA.
- Shudder/vibration when accelerating from a stop
- Intermittent audio echo/robotic voice heard
Crash ratings by version
| Version | Overall | Front | Side | Rollover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ford Ranger Super Cab PU/EC 4WD | not rated | not rated | not rated | ★★★☆☆ |
| Ford Ranger Super Cab PU/EC 2WD | not rated | not rated | not rated | ★★★☆☆ |
| Ford Ranger Super Crew PU/CC 4WD | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★☆☆ |
| Ford Ranger Super Crew PU/CC 2WD | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★☆☆ |
Safety equipment
| Electronic stability | Forward collision warning | Lane departure warning |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | Optional | Standard |
Engines and drivetrains 2
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | City / hwy / combined | Fuel | Fuel cost/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.3L 4-cyl turbo | Auto (S10) | RWD | 21 / 26 / 23 | Regular | $2,700 |
| 2.3L 4-cyl turbo | Auto (S10) | 4WD | 20 / 24 / 22 | Regular | $2,850 |
EPA test versions for this model year. Fuel cost is the EPA's current estimate, not the price in that year.
YouTube repair topics
200 videos about the 2019–2023 Ford Ranger, 48.1M views.
| Topic | Videos | Views |
|---|---|---|
| Oil changes & service | 2 | 638K |
| Starter, alternator & belts | 1 | 212K |
| Transmission & shifter | 1 | 183K |
| Infotainment, battery & electrical | 1 | 75K |
| Heat, A/C & blend door | 1 | 50K |
Nearby model years
Sources: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer communications; EPA fuel economy data; YouTube video titles. Complaints are owner reports, not proof of a defect.
Updated · Free to use with credit: Source: The Lemon Index (lemonindex.com)
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