225 of the 668 complaints about the Ford Ranger (33.7%) concern Transmission / powertrain, making it the model's largest problem area. That share is 2.9× the Transmission / powertrain share across all tracked vehicles.
225Complaints · Transmission / powertrain
33.7%Share of complaints
2.9×vs. all vehicles
93Last 12 months
2.7%Share involving a crash or fire
4Related recalls
Analysis
By model year, Transmission / powertrain complaints peak with the 2019 model (82, 31% of that year's complaints) and are lowest for the 2023 model (4). 93 Transmission / powertrain complaints were filed in the last 12 months versus 55 in the 12 months before — the pace is rising.
Owners most often describe: “transmission”, “gear”, “shifting”, “shifts” and “hard”. 7 of these reports (2.7%) describe a crash or fire, with 1 injury and 0 deaths mentioned.
4 recall campaigns relate to this area, most recently campaign 25V164000 (2025-03-14, model years 2024).
The contact owns a 2024 Ford Ranger. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the 4WD message was displayed and the 4H warning light illuminated before the screen went blank, and the rear wheels locked up, causing the driver to lose control of the…
Transmission / powertrain · 2026-07-20 · ODI 11751668 · Crash
The contact owned a 2023 Ford Ranger. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed in tow mode, he heard an abnormal pop emanating from underneath the vehicle, prompting him to pull to the shoulder of the roadway.
Transmission / powertrain · 2023-10-24 · ODI 11551701 · Fire
While driving my 2020 Ford Ranger, the transmission has repeatedly exhibited unexpected and unintended gear changes, including sudden downshifts or gear changes without driver input, hesitation, and abrupt loss of power during acceleration.
Transmission / powertrain · 2026-08-28 · ODI 11760265
On multiple occasions while driving the vehicle will randomly change drive modes by its self. It will try to go into 4x4 low gear (rock crawl mode) at highway speeds. This has happened a dozen times since I purchased the vehicle new.
Transmission / powertrain · 2026-08-28 · ODI 11760214
The vehicle occasionally will change drive modes while in motion. In the past three months, it has switched from Normal to Baja mode three times and from Normal to Rock Crawl mode one time.
Transmission / powertrain · 2026-08-28 · ODI 11760253
The transmission under several circumstances will just stall out. Will NOT allow the vehicle to accelerate. Flooring the gas pedal does not do anything. RPM may go up a couple hundred RPM (not thousand) but the truck just will not move.
Transmission / powertrain · 2026-08-24 · ODI 11758986
Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.
Related recalls
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:FLUID/LUBRICANT:VALVES/VALVE BODY Campaign 25V164000 · 2025-03-14 · Model years: 2024
Summary: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2024-2025 F-150, Bronco, 2024 Ranger, 2025 Mustang, Explorer, and Aviator vehicles. The transmission valve body may have been machined incorrectly, which can cause reverse gear failure, or unexpected forward movement in reverse or neutral gear.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the transmission main control valve body, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 11, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S19.
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL) Campaign 20V197000 · 2020-04-03 · Model years: 2020
Summary: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020 Ranger and F-150 vehicles equipped with 10-speed automatic transmissions and certain 2020 Expedition vehicles equipped with a "police" package. The transmission shift cable lock clip may not be fully seated, allowing the transmission to actually be in a different gear than the gear shift position selected by the driver.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and correct the shift cable locking clip installation, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began April 27, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S18.
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:LEVER AND LINKAGE:FLOOR SHIFT Campaign 19V366000 · 2019-05-13 · Model years: 2019
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.
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 · Model years: 2019
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."
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 common are Transmission / powertrain problems on the Ford Ranger?
225 of the 668 complaints about the Ford Ranger (33.7%) concern Transmission / powertrain, making it the model's largest problem area. That share is 2.9× the Transmission / powertrain share across all tracked vehicles.
Which Ford Ranger model years have the most Transmission / powertrain complaints?
By model year, Transmission / powertrain complaints peak with the 2019 model (82, 31% of that year's complaints) and are lowest for the 2023 model (4).
Is there a recall for Ford Ranger Transmission / powertrain problems?
4 recall campaigns relate to this area, most recently campaign 25V164000 (2025-03-14, model years 2024).