Most common 2011 Ford Ranger problems
Share of the 235 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Ford Ranger complaints by model year
Best Ranger years: 2023, 2022, 2020. Years to avoid: 2019, 1999, 2000, 1998, 1996. Compare all years →
2011 Ford Ranger recalls (5)
Air bags › Frontal › Driver side › Inflator module
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2007-2011 Ranger, 2006-2012 Fusion, Lincoln Zephyr, Lincoln MKZ, 2006-2011 Mercury Milan, 2007-2010 Ford Edge, and Lincoln MKX vehicles.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver-side airbag inflator or module with an alternate one, free of charge.
Air bags › Frontal
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2005-2014 Mustang, 2004-2011 Ranger, 2009-2011 Mercury Milan, 2006 Ford GT, 2008-2012 Fusion, 2007-2010 Edge and Lincoln MKX, and 2009-2010 Lincoln MKZ vehicles.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the driver and passenger air bag module, and replace either the module or the inflator, if necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 17, 2021.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2014 Ford Mustang vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S.
Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the repair has been performed. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2007-2011 Ford Ranger vehicles, 2006-2011 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan and Lincoln Zephyr/MKZ vehicles, 2007-2010 Ford Edge, Lincoln MKX vehicles, 2005-2006 Ford GT vehicles, and 2005-2011 Ford Mustang vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California,…
Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the repair has been performed. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge.
Exterior lighting › Brake lights
Ford is recalling certain model year 2011 ranger trucks built from January 25, 2011, through April 25, 2011 at the twin cities assembly plant, and service parts distributed to dealers for certain 2004 through 2011 model year ranger trucks, 2002 through 2005 model year excursion vehicles, and 2002 through 2007 model year f-250,…
Remedy: Dealers will replace the switches free of charge. The safety recall began on August 15, 2011. Owners May contact Ford motor company customer relationship center at 1-866-436-7332.
What 2011 Ford Ranger owners say
Air bags all 196 →
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Ranger. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V158000 (Air Bags) however, the dealer wanted to charge the contact to complete the repair because the air bag was deployed. The contact stated that prior to the recall appointment, he had a crash with a deer which deployed the driver's side front air bag. The contact stated that he was driving at approximately 20 MPH during the impact. The contact stated that the deer crashed into the passenger side of the vehicle and only cracked the passenger side front headlight. The contact stated that the dealer was unwilling to complete the recall. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 235,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Ranger. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the air bags needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The dealer informed the contact that the system needed to be reset. While driving, the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the air bag module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but provided no additional assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 161,484.
Lights
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Ford Ranger. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed but the brake lights failed to illuminate. As a result, another vehicle crashed into the rear of the vehicle behind the contact, causing that vehicle to crash into the rear of the contact's vehicle and the air bags failed to deploy. The contact did not sustain any injuries. A police report was filed. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, who diagnosed that a switch on the brake pedal needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. However, the failure recurred immediately after the vehicle was repaired. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer but the contact was not provided with information on what part was replaced. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 50,000.
High beam lights failed on, the hi-lo beam switch in turn, hazard, wiper combo switch later overheated, burn up, smoke in cabin causing complete loss of lamps, wipers at night in rain. Clearly a common issue based on web. If you are going to send full load current with no control relays force a higher standard on design margins and and mttf. You have (4) head lamps on a car no reason a design should be allowed to cause all (4) to failure. Force multiple relays, modules, and contacts, wiring circuits and fuses. Also fix the blinding headlight issues. I see almost no difference between lo and hi beams on new cars and see spots for 30 seconds after passing cars on lo. Set standards and force certs on every new head light design. Dot/NHTSA should be liable for any crashes related to being blinded with headlights
Brakes
Driving 40 MPH down city street, straight, the vehicle in front of me, which I had 4 car length between him and me, stop fast, I put me brakes on and my truck was not responding. I putt both of my feet on the break peddle and it went to the floor and still no respond to the brakes. Well, my truck hit the truck in front and the front of the truck was all messed up, not able to drive it and transmission fluid leaking to the street. After the truck was fix, they tested the brake by pilling each tries off check all the spec, pulled the rotors off and applied the brakes to each wheel one at a time and ran the calibers out to it limits and install the rotors, tires and road tested the brakes check OK at that time but the brake were not at 100% and was still were soft a bit. I ask Ford dealers to install a new master cylinder and each one refused to do that, why, I asked? …
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Ford Ranger. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed but the brake lights failed to illuminate. As a result, another vehicle crashed into the rear of the vehicle behind the contact, causing that vehicle to crash into the rear of the contact's vehicle and the air bags failed to deploy. The contact did not sustain any injuries. A police report was filed. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, who diagnosed that a switch on the brake pedal needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. However, the failure recurred immediately after the vehicle was repaired. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer but the contact was not provided with information on what part was replaced. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 50,000.
2011 Ford Ranger engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.3L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | RWD | 22 / 27 / 24 |
| 2.3L 4-cyl | 5-speed automatic | RWD | 19 / 23 / 20 |
| 4.0L 6-cyl | 5-speed manual | RWD | 16 / 21 / 18 |
| 4.0L 6-cyl | 5-speed automatic | RWD | 15 / 20 / 17 |
| 4.0L 6-cyl | 5-speed manual | 4WD | 15 / 19 / 17 |
| 4.0L 6-cyl | 5-speed automatic | 4WD | 15 / 18 / 16 |
EPA ratings. Class: Small pickup.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2011 Ford Ranger a good car?
Based on 235 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2011 Ranger rates average: about as many complaints as a typical year of the Ranger at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2011 Ford Ranger?
The air bags — 196 complaints, 83% of all complaints for this model year, most often about frontal › passenger side › inflator module. Next are the lights (9) and brakes (8).
How many recalls does the 2011 Ford Ranger have?
There are 5 recalls for the 2011 Ford Ranger, the most recent from March 10, 2021 (inflator module). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Ford Ranger?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2023, 2022 and 2020. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2019, 1999, 2000, 1998 and 1996. See the full Ford Ranger years comparison.
At what mileage do 2011 Ford Ranger problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 50,000 miles; 52% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.