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Ford RangerModel year report

2021 Ford Ranger Problems

Compared with other Ford Ranger years

More complaints than typical for this model

67/100 1.5× a typical year · 50 = typical

Nearby years with fewer complaints than typical and no open NHTSA investigation: 2022

Based only on NHTSA complaints, recalls and investigations. Not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold, and not a reliability rating. How this is calculated

Complaints
119filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
32,800miles, 26 complaints with mileage
Recalls
6campaigns on record
Trend
RisingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% higher than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
4 / 5stars overall, 2 rated versions
EPA fuel economy
23 mpgcombined, 2.3L 4-cyl RWD · 21 city / 26 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2021 Ford Ranger (complaints, recalls, investigations), NHTSA crash tests, EPA fuel economy. Report an error

What owners report

Owners of the 2021 Ranger most often write about the 10-speed automatic transmission: rough or delayed shifts, slipping out of gear, and in a number of cases a complete loss of drive that required replacement. These transmission reports cluster at higher mileage, commonly in the 60,000-95,000 mile range, while brake-related complaints (a soft, low pedal and pedal placement near the accelerator) show up much earlier, often below 20,000 miles. Smaller groups of complaints cover water in the spark plug wells on the 2.3L engine, fuel dilution in the oil, rearview camera and pre-collision warning behavior, and peeling chrome trim on interior door handles.

  1. Transmission and drivetrain

    10-speed transmission harsh shifting, slipping, loss of

    • 51 complaints (43%)
    • median 76,000 mi at 4.4 yrs old (9 state mileage, few)
    • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • owner-quoted repair $8,700 (median of 6 quotes)
    • filed 2023–2026

    Complaints describe hard or delayed shifts, hesitation when accelerating, sudden downshifts with a clunk, and in some cases the truck dropping out of gear or losing forward and reverse entirely. Several owners report being told the transmission needed replacement, sometimes after the dealer first called the behavior normal or could not reproduce it. Some complaints note no warning light before the loss of power. Most transmission reports are at higher mileage, roughly 55,000-95,000 miles, with several mentioning cold weather or the first shifts after a cold start.

    7 related service bulletins

    What to check: On a test drive, note any clunk, delay, or slipping between the lower gears and on the highway; ask for transmission service records and whether any 10R80 diagnostic or repair procedure has been performed. A transmission fluid and filter service history is worth asking about.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “truck hesitates to go into gear then slams into reverse unexpectedly with a lot of force backing up - almost ran over a family member. Same thing when cold and going from park to drive, almost drove off my driveway down a steep mountain. I believe it is related to TSB 24-2046 No warning lights or anything, dealer has not been able so far to reproduce because the weather warmed up”

    NHTSA complaint #11740512, filed 2026-05

    “Vehicle: 2021 Ford Ranger. Mileage: 44,000 My 2021 Ford Ranger begin experiencing dangerous transmission shifting issues with absolutely no warning signs or indicator lights prior to the incidents. On multiple occasions the truck suddenly and randomly stalled in the middle of the freeway and in the middle of the road, feeling as if the transmission went into neutral with no power to move the vehicle. These incidents occurred multiple times putting myself and my small child at serious risk of injury or death. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11744440, filed 2026-06
  2. Brakes

    Soft, low brake pedal; pedal close to accelerator

    • 13 complaints (11%)
    • median 11,954 mi at 1.0 yrs old (4 state mileage, few)
    • filed 2021–2026

    Owners describe a brake pedal that feels soft and sinks further than expected, sometimes going below the height of the gas pedal, and a few say their foot caught the accelerator while braking. Complaints state dealers often responded that the pedal feel was within specification or normal for the model. Other reports mention brake noise with no fault found at inspection. Mostly reported under about 30,000 miles, sometimes within the first few thousand miles, and not tied to a particular climate.

    What to check: Press the brake pedal firmly and hold it to see whether it sinks or feels spongy, and check pedal spacing and your foot position. Ask whether any brake bleed or pedal-feel service has been done and get a brake inspection before purchase.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “It is quite easy to depress the brake pedal in such a way that one's foot also engages the accelerator pedal. This has happened to me several times, causing the truck to lurch forward rather than stopping dead as is my intention. Looking online, I see this has also happened to many others on Ford trucks. I have been driving for over 50 years and this has never happened on any other vehicle.”

    NHTSA complaint #11548671, filed 2023-10

    “I nearly hit the back another vehicle stopped for a red light when my foot caught the edge of the gas pedal. The brake pedal depresses passed the height of the gas pedal. I understand this is a commonly reported Ford ranger issue . I understand a brake bleed software procedure will fix the problem . There apparently is a Ford TSB regarding soft brake pedal issue. I bought the truck new in 2021 and have less than 6000 miles on it. I thought the braking was normal . …”

    NHTSA complaint #11667128, filed 2025-06
  3. Engine

    Water in spark plug wells causing misfire

    • 5 complaints (4%)
    • median 13,000 mi at 3.5 yrs old (3 state mileage, few)
    • filed 2022–2025

    Complaints describe hesitation or loss of power under acceleration with the check engine light on, traced by dealers to water collecting in the spark plug wells and causing a misfire or corrosion. One owner reports damaged spark plugs and spark plug welds. Repairs described include draining the wells and addressing the affected ignition parts. Reported at low mileage in the sample, roughly 10,000-15,000 miles, and one report at over 100,000 miles.

    What to check: Ask about any misfire or check engine history, and have a mechanic check the spark plug wells for water or corrosion during a pre-purchase inspection.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “The engine has a squeaking noise, unknown where it is from. The noise is upon start up and while driving, I do not know if the issue will lead to engine failure. Which if the engine locks up and cause drivability failure.”

    NHTSA complaint #11495038, filed 2022-11

    “The contact owns a 2021 Ford Ranger. The contact stated that while driving at highway speeds, the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal on four separate occasions, with the check engine warning light illuminated. Despite the failure, the contact managed to drive the vehicle to a local dealer where a mechanic discovered a misfire in one of the cylinders; caused by water found in the spark plug well. The dealer managed to drain the water from the spark plug well; however, corrosion was found in the spark plug well. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11501301, filed 2023-01, 9,952 miles
  4. Electrical system

    Rearview camera blank, frozen, or unavailable

    • 9 complaints (8%)
    • median 27,425 mi at 2.7 yrs old (6 state mileage, few)
    • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2021–2025

    Owners report the backup camera image going blank, frozen, distorted, or washed out at night, with some seeing a message to contact the dealer. Some had the camera repaired or replaced, including under a recall, and report the problem returning; others were quoted a diagnostic or repair cost. Reported from roughly 45,000 miles upward in the sample, with some occurring at higher mileage around 90,000.

    Recall 25V4420001 related service bulletin

    What to check: Put the truck in reverse in daylight and at night with the lights on to confirm the image, and ask whether the rearview camera recall software or camera replacement has been done.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “The backup camera on my truck washes out at night when the lights are turned on and backing up, rendering it useless. The washout is not as severe with just putting in reverse without lights, but still dangerous. The local Ford dealer states this is inherent in all Rangers, Broncos and other vehicles.”

    NHTSA complaint #11524954, filed 2023-06

    “Rearview Camera: Intermittent loss of rearview camera functionality when placing vehicle in Reverse. Affected roughly 50% of the time. When occurs, image is distorted for a a few seconds followed by a camera is unavailable, please contact dealer message on the display. Started occurring at around the 45,000 mile mark and has continued to occur with increasing frequency now at the 90,000 mile mark.”

    NHTSA complaint #11695982, filed 2025-10

Buying note. The transmission is the item most worth verifying on a used 2021 Ranger, since many complaints center on shifting quality and loss of drive at higher mileage, so a thorough test drive and service history matter. Also confirm brake pedal feel and rearview camera function, and check the oil on the 2.3L for a fuel smell before agreeing on a price.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.

NHTSA recorded 119 consumer complaints for the 2021 Ford Ranger. 26 of the complaints include a mileage, and 62% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 32,800 miles. Of all complaints, 6 involved a crash, 3 a fire, 9 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 6 recall campaigns and 113 technical service bulletins for this model year. Compared with the other 7 Ford Ranger model years that have at least 25 complaints and are old enough to compare, this one scores 67 out of 100, where 50 is a typical year for the model (more complaints than typical for this model). The comparison allows for the era and for how long each year has had to collect complaints, but not for how many vehicles were sold.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Engine cooling (3), Air bags (2), Lane departure (2), Seats (2), Steering (2), Suspension (2), Tires (2), Wheels (2), Exterior lighting (1).

Example complaints

Transmission and drivetrain: “Automatic transmission had a hard time finding gears and accelerating while in a parking lot. There were vehicles behind me that could have run into me during the brief failure. There was no warning light on the dash. I have not been able to replicate it since yesterday, but my spouse had it happen a few months ago as well.”

NHTSA complaint #11739912, filed 2026-05

Brakes: “The two rear brake rotors were 75% rusted through, this truck only had 5,642 miles on it at the time. Brake pedal was soft, went to the floor to stop. Asked local ford dealer to look at and they wanted to charge me for two rear rotors and brake shoes. I informed them that I thought this would be a factory defect, they determined it wasn’t. This was unexceptable to me. So I took it to dealership where I purchased truck and they agreed that this was a factory defect and replaced. …”

NHTSA complaint #11607295, filed 2024-08

Engine: “Vehicle is just out of warranty and has less than 45,000 miles yet I'm being told I need a full transmission replacement. I know of 4 other rangers that as soon as they hit 40,000 or there about, began having jerky transmission issues. I reached out to ford for a goodwill request and am being told that I have to pay to have the transmission disassembled just to see IF they will pay for anything to be fixed. Is this not planned obsolesence?”

NHTSA complaint #11767566, filed 2026-09

Other or unknown: “Chrome metal peeling up on 3 door handles. Started peeling around 39K miles. Cut my fingers and my daughter's fingers. Brought it to local dealer who filed a repair request and Ford said I would have to pay for ful door handle assemblies out of pocket. Truck was too new and well taken care of for me to feel comfortable paying out of pocket.”

NHTSA complaint #11755134, filed 2026-08

Mileage when problems were reported

62% of the 26 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 9,952 and 59,000 miles.

27%0–1019%10–2515%25–5015%50–7519%75–1004%100–1500%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (26 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 32,800 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: rising. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% higher than in the 3 years before.

20212022202320242025202632
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2021 Ford Ranger. Frontal results are shown driver / passenger; rollover shows the star rating and NHTSA's estimated risk of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

VersionOverallFrontalSideSide poleRollover
Ranger Super Crew · crew cab 2WD★★★★☆5 / 4553 · 29.2% risk
Ranger Super Crew · crew cab 4WD★★★★☆5 / 4553 · 25.6% risk
Ranger Super Cab · extended cab 2WDnot rated———3 · 29.2% risk
Ranger Super Cab · extended cab 4WDnot rated———3 · 25.6% risk

Driver aids listed by NHTSA for the 2021 model year: forward collision warning optional, lane departure warning standard, automatic emergency braking standard.

Neighbouring years: 2020: same overall rating; 2022: same overall rating. A redesign between years can change both the car and the test.

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), nhtsa.gov/ratings.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2021 Ford Ranger version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
Ranger 2WD2.3L 4-cyl10-speed automatic212623$2,900
Ranger 2WD Incomplete2.3L 4-cyl10-speed automatic191818$3,700
Ranger 4WD2.3L 4-cyl10-speed automatic202422$3,050
Ranger Tremor 4WD2.3L 4-cyl10-speed automatic191919$3,550

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

Recall details for the 2021 Ford Ranger → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 113 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 113 bulletins →

Other model years of the Ford Ranger

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
20268328423—Too new
2025441,05013423Too new to compareToo new
2024954,20013422Too new to compareToo new
2023181,8504423—Too new
20223815,500542326 · FewerRising
202111932,800642367 · MoreRising
202013020,000742371 · MoreRising
201927019,5001142390 · MoreRising
201123548,750522044 · TypicalFalling
201015651,0008—2141 · TypicalFalling
200916936,2507—2152 · TypicalFalling
200832662,5005—1847 · TypicalFalling
200727065,0005—18Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200627269,72012—18Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200528957,5009—18Not compared (before 2008)Stable
200440566,80310—18Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200324356,0001—17Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200234655,7003—17Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200151582,0004—18Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200067082,0003—18Not compared (before 2008)Falling
199975589,0004—18Not compared (before 2008)Falling
1998576100,0005—17Not compared (before 2008)Falling
1997411100,0001—18Not compared (before 2008)Falling
1996413116,5002—19Not compared (before 2008)Falling
1995321139,0261—19Not compared (before 2008)Falling
1994438115,9154—19Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199323293,9043—19Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199218993,3242—19Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199113282,5002—19Not compared (before 2008)Stable
1990105145,5003—18Not compared (before 2008)Stable
19897382,0001—18Not compared (before 2008)Stable
19888989,0001—21Not compared (before 2008)Stable
198750109,1174—20Not compared (before 2008)Stable
198635109,3684—21Not compared (before 2008)Stable
19852727,0001—20Not compared (before 2008)Stable
198412135,0006—19—Not enough data
198311—5———Not enough data

All Ford Ranger model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2021 Ford Ranger?

Owners of the 2021 Ranger most often write about the 10-speed automatic transmission: rough or delayed shifts, slipping out of gear, and in a number of cases a complete loss of drive that required replacement. The issues reported most often: 10-speed transmission harsh shifting, slipping, loss of; Soft, low brake pedal; pedal close to accelerator; Water in spark plug wells causing misfire.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2021 Ford Ranger have?

NHTSA recorded 119 consumer complaints for the 2021 Ford Ranger as of Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2021 Ford Ranger is reported most often?

Transmission and drivetrain is named most often, in 60 complaints (50% of the total), followed by brakes with 15.

Has the 2021 Ford Ranger been recalled?

NHTSA lists 6 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

How did the 2021 Ford Ranger do in NHTSA crash tests?

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings give the 2021 Ford Ranger 4 out of 5 stars overall, across 2 rated versions (body style and drive). Ratings from different model years are only comparable when the vehicle was not redesigned in between.

What gas mileage does the 2021 Ford Ranger get?

The EPA rates the 2021 Ford Ranger (Ranger 2WD, 2.3L 4-cyl) at 23 mpg combined, 21 city and 26 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $2,900 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2021 Ford Ranger reported?

Among the 26 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 32,800 miles and the middle half falls between 9,952 and 59,000 miles; 62% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Crash ratings are from NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.