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Transmission and drivetrainPart report

2021 Ford Ranger Transmission and drivetrain Problems

Complaints
60about this part
Share
50%of 119 total for the year
Median mileage
77,500miles
Trend
RisingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% higher than in the 3 years before.

NHTSA recorded 60 complaints about the transmission and drivetrain of the 2021 Ford Ranger, 50% of the 119 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 77,500 miles. 2 of these say a crash was involved and 1 a fire, according to the filers.

Example complaints

Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.

“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

“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

“Transmission failure at 75k miles. It downshifted from 10th gear into 4th at highway speeds and started throwing transmission codes. Almost caused me to get rid as I was on the interstate in traffic at a speed of roughly 65-70 mph. Vehicle is currently being gone over by a Ford dealership who advises a complete transmission overhaul at the cost of 7,000 or total transmission replacement.”

NHTSA complaint #11734737, filed 2026-04

“transmission disengaged on highway causing very dangerous driving condition. There is a Ford TSB 25-2134 issued on 4/15/2025. I am told it is a transmission pump failure and would require a very costly transmission replacement. I am within the time limit of my warranty, but just out of range on my distance warranty.”

NHTSA complaint #11669924, filed 2025-06

“I was driving and all of a sudden I lost acceleration in the middle of an intersection. My truck had no gears and gave me zero indication there was an issue. I then was told Ford has a newly designed part that fixes the issue and I would have to pay $7500. How does a manufacturer knowingly sell such a dangerous product, and not have a recall for that product after updating a faulty design?”

NHTSA complaint #11706677, filed 2025-12

Related service bulletins

Transmission and drivetrain: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
2026333%
20251739%
20243941%
2023528%
20221745%
20216050%
20204938%
20199234%
201152%
201011%
200932%
200810%
200721%
200641%
200583%
2004277%
2003167%
20026118%
20015110%
20006910%
1999679%
19986010%
19974210%
1996287%
1995227%
19944911%
1993198%
1992137%
1991129%
19901010%
198957%
1988910%
198712%
198626%
1985519%
198319%

Other parts of the 2021 Ford Ranger

Brakes
15 complaintsEngine
13 complaintsOther or unknown
13 complaintsElectrical system
8 complaintsFuel system
8 complaintsVehicle speed control
8 complaintsForward collision avoidance
7 complaintsBody and structure
7 complaintsBack-over prevention (rear camera)
5 complaintsEngine cooling
3 complaintsAir bags
2 complaintsLane departure
2 complaints

← All problems reported for the 2021 Ford Ranger

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology