InsightArise CarsU.S. Owner Complaint Index
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2019 Ford Ranger problems, complaints & recalls

Typical Steady

NHTSA has received 264 owner complaints about the 2019 Ford Ranger, or 34.4 per year on the road — a typical number of complaints for a vehicle of its age (complaint index 0.82, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 76 model-year 2019 vehicles we track, it ranks #43 for fewest complaints per year. Against other Ford models its rate is 37% lower; against other Midsize pickups it is 66% higher.

Counts are normalized by time on the road, not by sales volume: a popular model generates more reports than a rare one, and complaints are not verified individually. How we count

Complaints filed between 2019-03-26 and 2026-08-13. Median delay from incident to filing: 15 days.

264Complaints
34.4Complaints per year on the road
0.82Complaint index vs. all tracked vehicles
11Recalls
5.7%Share involving a crash or fire
47Last 12 months

Analysis

The following model year (2020) drew 18.9 per year, fewer than this one. In its first two years on the road the 2019 model collected 50 complaints, 38% lower than the average vehicle of the same model year.

The most common problem area is Transmission / powertrain (31.1% of complaints), followed by Electrical (14.8%) and Engine (11.7%). Transmission / powertrain complaints are 2.7 times as common here as across all tracked vehicles. Within Transmission / powertrain reports, owners most often mention “transmission”, “gear”, “shifting”, “hard” and “slipping”. 15 reports (5.7%) describe a crash or fire; owners mention 6 injuries and 0 deaths.

Half of the reported incidents happened within 53 months of the model year's start; the busiest period was after five years (42% of incidents). In the last 12 months 47 new complaints were filed, versus 50 in the 12 months before — a steady pace.

NHTSA lists 11 safety recalls for this model year. 78% of the complaints fall in component areas that a recall addresses.

Complaint index

  • vs. all tracked vehicles0.82
  • vs. other Ford models0.63
  • vs. other 2019 models0.75
  • vs. other Midsize pickups1.66
  • Complaints in first 2 years on the road · vs. same-year average (50)0.62
  • #43 of 76 · 2019Rankings ›

1.00 means the same rate as the comparison group. 2.00 means twice as many complaints per year on the road.

Other model years

  • 201934.4 per year0.82
  • 202018.9 per year0.45
  • 202119.7 per year0.47
  • 20227.9 per year0.19
  • 20234.9 per year0.12
  • 202428.0 per year0.67
  • 202521.5 per year0.51

Ford Ranger problems, complaints & recalls by model year ›

What owners complain about

  • Transmission / powertrain82 · 31.1% · 2.67×
  • Electrical39 · 14.8% · 0.94×
  • Engine31 · 11.7% · 0.53×
  • Wheels, tires & suspension22 · 8.3% · 3.33×
  • Body & structure21 · 8.0% · 0.87×
  • Brakes17 · 6.4% · 1.06×
  • Interior & equipment15 · 5.7% · 0.64×
  • Other12 · 4.5% · 2.49×

vs. all vehicles: 1.00 = All-vehicle average

Transmission / powertrain · Common terms in reports

  • transmission66
  • gear35
  • shifting29
  • hard19
  • slipping8
  • power24

Electrical · Common terms in reports

  • hot air5
  • blend door3
  • hvac4
  • blower motor3
  • heating4
  • camera displayed3

Engine · Common terms in reports

  • engine cover7
  • spark11
  • allows water5
  • plug wells4
  • plugs8
  • causing14

Problem areas: Transmission / powertrain · Engine · Electrical · Brakes · Body & structure

When complaints were filed

2019: 18 18 2019 2020: 32 32 2020 2021: 18 18 2021 2022: 22 22 2022 2023: 44 44 2023 2024: 42 42 2024 2025: 58 58 2025 2026: 30 30 2026
  • Crashes reported: 13
  • Fires reported: 2
  • Injuries: 6
  • Deaths: 0

Vehicle age at incident

  • <1 yr9.8%
  • 1–2 yrs11.7%
  • 2–3 yrs6.8%
  • 3–5 yrs29.9%
  • 5+ yrs41.7%

Median age at incident: 53 months

What owners report

Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.

Segment peers · 2019 · Midsize pickups

ModelsComplaintsComplaints per year on the roadComplaint index
2019 Nissan Frontier283.60.09
2019 Chevrolet Colorado14919.40.46
2019 Toyota Tacoma21628.10.67
2019 Ford Ranger26434.40.82

Safety recalls (11)

EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:ENGINE BLOCK HEATER Campaign 25V685000 · 2025-10-10

Summary: 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 will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated September 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SA4. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on October 15, 2025.

BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA Campaign 25V572000 · 2025-09-04

Summary: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Lincoln MKC, Mustang, F-350 SD, F-250 SD, F-450 SD, 2015-2017 Lincoln Navigator, Expedition, 2015-2018 Edge, Transit Connect, 2016-2019 F-550 SD, Transit, 2017-2019 Econoline, and 2019 Ranger vehicles. The rearview camera may display a distorted, inverted, or blank image when the vehicle is in reverse.

Risk: A rearview camera that displays an inverted, distorted, or blank image can reduce the driver’s view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the rearview camera as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 13, 2026. Ford owners will receive letters in phases, beginning January 2026 and June 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S89. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 25V270. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning September 8, 2025.

BACK OVER PREVENTION:SOFTWARE Campaign 25V442000 · 2025-06-27

Summary: 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.

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS Campaign 23V379000 · 2023-05-26

Summary: 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.

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WEBBING Campaign 21V811000 · 2021-10-15

Summary: 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. Interim owner notification letters were mailed on November 5, 2021. Owner notification letters were mailed December 22, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21C25.

VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:FAN/MOTOR Campaign 20V137000 · 2020-03-09

Summary: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2019 Ranger vehicles previously repaired under recall 19V-726. The service replacement Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning (HVAC) blower motor that was installed may have an improper clearance between an electrical terminal and the conductive base plate that may result in an resistive electrical short.

Risk: A resistive electrical short increases the risk of a fire.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the HVAC blower motor, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began April 6, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S12.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TAIL LIGHTS Campaign 19V839000 · 2019-11-21

Summary: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2019 Ranger trucks. 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.

Risk: Intermittent or inoperative tail lamps can result in loss of stop, turn, rear position, and reverse lamp functions, which reduces the vehicle's visibility and may not fully alert other drivers that the vehicle is braking, turning, or reversing, increasing the risk of crash.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the inline connector for loose terminals and replace the connectors, if necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 5, 2020. A renotification was sent on July 10, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S43.

VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:FAN/MOTOR Campaign 19V726000 · 2019-10-10

Summary: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2019 Ranger vehicles. The Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning (HVAC) blower motor may electrically short.

Risk: An electrical short can increase the risk of a fire.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the HVAC blower motor production date, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began December 4, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S34.

SEAT BELTS Campaign 19V518000 · 2019-07-10

Summary: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2019 Ford Ranger vehicles with a SuperCab body style. The front passenger seat belt may have been improperly assembled.

Risk: Improperly assembled seat belts may not adequately restrain occupants in a crash, increasing their risk of injury.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the right front seat belt assembly, free of charge. The recall began July 29, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S23.

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:LEVER AND LINKAGE:FLOOR SHIFT Campaign 19V366000 · 2019-05-13

Summary: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2019 Ranger vehicles. 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.

Risk: If the gear shift lever position does not match the actual transmission gear, the vehicle may move in an unexpected direction. Additionally, despite selecting 'Park', if the parking brake is not applied before the vehicle is exited, the vehicle may roll. Either scenario increases the risk of crash or injury.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and 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 July 1, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S15.

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION Campaign 19V071000 · 2019-02-01

Summary: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2019 Ranger vehicles equipped with 10-speed automatic transmissions. In some of these vehicles, the transmission shift lever can be moved from the "Park" position without the key in the starting system and without depressing the brake pedal. As a result, these vehicles fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 114, "Theft Protection."

Risk: If the vehicle can be shifted out of Park without the brake applied, the vehicle may unexpectedly move. Unintentional vehicle movement can increase the risk of injury or crash.

Remedy: Ford has notified owners, and dealers will inspect and repair the transmission floor shift selector interlock assembly, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began February 22, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19C02.

How to check whether your car has an open recall ›

Investigations

No NHTSA investigation covers the tracked model years.

Frequently asked questions

How many complaints were filed for the 2019 Ford Ranger?

264 complaints were filed with NHTSA for the 2019 Ford Ranger, or about 34.4 per year on the road.

What is the most common problem reported for the 2019 Ford Ranger?

The most common category is Transmission / powertrain, accounting for 31.1% of complaints.

Does the 2019 Ford Ranger have any recalls?

NHTSA lists 11 safety recall(s) for this model year.

Is the 2019 Ford Ranger still generating complaints?

In the last 12 months 47 new complaints were filed, versus 50 in the 12 months before — a steady pace.

How does the 2019 Ford Ranger compare with similar vehicles?

NHTSA has received 264 owner complaints about the 2019 Ford Ranger, or 34.4 per year on the road — a typical number of complaints for a vehicle of its age (complaint index 0.82, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 76 model-year 2019 vehicles we track, it ranks #43 for fewest complaints per year. Against other Ford models its rate is 37% lower; against other Midsize pickups it is 66% higher.