2019 Ford Ranger Problems & Complaints

Use caution1.5× as many complaints as a typical year of the Ranger at the same age

Owners have filed 270 complaints about the 2019 Ford Ranger with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. That is 1.5× as many as a typical Ranger model year at the same age — above average, so look closely at the problem areas below before you buy. The most reported problem area is the transmission & drivetrain (92 complaints, typically around 50,000 miles). 11 recalls cover this model year.

270complaints
11recalls
13crashes
2fires
6injuries
0deaths

Most common 2019 Ford Ranger problems

  • 9234%
  • Electrical system~19,000 miles
    4115%
  • Other / not specified~1,000 miles
    3413%
  • Engine & cooling~28,000 miles
    3111%
  • Brakes~4,000 miles
    207%
  • Suspension~21,000 miles
    197%
  • Lights~0 miles
    145%
  • Driver assistance~33,000 miles
    145%
  • A/C & heater~39,000 miles
    145%
  • Windows, wipers & sunroof~25,000 miles
    135%
  • Speed control & acceleration~6,000 miles
    124%
  • Fuel & propulsion system~8,000 miles
    93%
  • Seats~11,000 miles
    73%
  • Seat belts
    73%
  • Wheels & tires~97,000 miles
    62%
  • Steering~37,000 miles
    52%
  • Air bags~54,000 miles
    41%
  • Body & structure
    31%
  • Stability & traction control~1,000 miles
    21%

Share of the 270 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.

Ford Ranger complaints by model year

’95’96’97’98’99’00’01’02’03’04’05’06’07’08’09’10’11’19’20’21’22’23’24’25’26321413411576755670515346243404289272270326169156235270130118371894447
Owner complaints per model year, Ford Ranger. Colour = our verdict for that year (red: avoid, orange: caution, green: better than average, blue: too new).

Best Ranger years: 2023, 2022, 2020. Years to avoid: 2019, 1999, 2000, 1998, 1996. Compare all years →

2019 Ford Ranger recalls (11)

Equipment › Electrical › Engine block heater

NHTSA recall 25V-685 · Oct 10, 2025 · 59,006 vehicles

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.

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.

Back over prevention › Sensing system › Camera

NHTSA recall 25V-572 · Sep 3, 2025 · 1,456,417 vehicles

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.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the rearview camera as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 13, 2026.

Back over prevention › Software

NHTSA recall 25V-442 · Jun 27, 2025 · 200,237 vehicles

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…

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.

Equipment › Other › Labels

NHTSA recall 23V-379 · May 26, 2023 · 29,607 vehicles

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.

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.

Seat belts › Front › Webbing

NHTSA recall 21V-811 · Oct 15, 2021 · 47,683 vehicles

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.

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…

Visibility › Defroster/defogger/HVAC system › Fan/motor

NHTSA recall 20V-137 · Mar 9, 2020 · 5,384 vehicles

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…

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.

Show 5 more recalls

Exterior lighting › Tail lights

NHTSA recall 19V-839 · Nov 21, 2019 · 72,718 vehicles

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.

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.

Visibility › Defroster/defogger/HVAC system › Fan/motor

NHTSA recall 19V-726 · Oct 10, 2019 · 17,965 vehicles

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

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.

Seat belts

NHTSA recall 19V-518 · Jul 10, 2019 · 7,579 vehicles

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.

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.

Power train › Automatic transmission › Lever and linkage › Floor shift

NHTSA recall 19V-366 · May 13, 2019 · 2,534 vehicles

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.

Power train › Automatic transmission

NHTSA recall 19V-071 · Feb 1, 2019 · 2,992 vehicles

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.

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.

What 2019 Ford Ranger owners say

Transmission & drivetrain all 92 →

The contact owns a 2019 Ford Ranger. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle decelerated to 35 MPH. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the transmission was skipping gear, slipping, and shifting hard. The check engine warning light was briefly illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed that the head gasket was failing. The dealer stated that coolant was intruding into the engine, and there was engine oil was entering into the spark plugs, causing engine failure. The dealer also diagnosed the vehicle with transmission failure. The head gasket and the transmission were replaced; however, the failure persisted. The dealer informed the contact that the vehicle needed to be drive more often for the vehicle to run properly. The dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. …

65,000 miles · Jun 2023

The contact owns a 2019 Ford Ranger. The contact stated while his wife was driving from a complete stop and releasing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle continued to accelerate unintendedly until the brake pedal was depressed. The contact stated the vehicle experienced hard shifts from first gear to third gear. The contact stated that the transmission was slipping while driving in the higher gears. Additionally, the contact stated while attempting to drive from a complete stop on a hill, the vehicle rolled backwards upon depressing the accelerator pedal, nearly causing a crash. The driver turned off and restarted the vehicle, and shifted into drive(D), and the vehicle responded as needed. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the transmission fluid was replaced; however, the failure got progressively worse. …

Automatic transmission · 85,000 miles · Sep 2023

Electrical system all 41 →

I have a 2019 Ford ranger that was built June 24th 2019 the internet states that any Ford ranger 2019 XLT built before July 30th 2019 has a recall for the HVAC system in the blower motor well my truck did not make the recall list but yet it has every single issue that they recall every time I call all they say is my vehicle VIN number is not on the recall but what is the chances that my blower motor and my blend door actuator does not work. When I bought the truck in 2021 I heard a ticking noise but the air still worked me being a female never thought much of it I thought it was my radio or something so this problem has existed since the day I bought it with 20,000 miles on it from the dealership. …

128,000 miles · Feb 2021

The contact owns a 2019 Ford Ranger. The contact stated while driving approximately 10-15 MPH into the driveway at the residence, the vehicle lost electrical power and the vehicle shutoff as if there was no fuel going to the engine. The contact stated that there also a message that the rearview camera was inoperable, along with messages that features inside the cabin of the vehicle was inoperable. The contact restarted the vehicle and the vehicle shutoff immediately. The contact stated that the engine was not receiving fuel because the fuel pump was on the wiring harness that was not operating as needed. The contact stated that the messages "Cross Traffic Sensor Disconnected", "Rear Parking Sensor Disconnected" and "Rearview Camera Disconnected" were displayed on the instrument panel. …

65,000 miles · Mar 2025

Engine & cooling all 31 →

The contact owns a 2019 Ford Ranger. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle decelerated to 35 MPH. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the transmission was skipping gear, slipping, and shifting hard. The check engine warning light was briefly illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed that the head gasket was failing. The dealer stated that coolant was intruding into the engine, and there was engine oil was entering into the spark plugs, causing engine failure. The dealer also diagnosed the vehicle with transmission failure. The head gasket and the transmission were replaced; however, the failure persisted. The dealer informed the contact that the vehicle needed to be drive more often for the vehicle to run properly. The dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. …

65,000 miles · Jun 2023

The contact owns a 2019 Ford Ranger. The contact stated while driving approximately 60 MPH and hauling a trailer, the vehicle unintendedly decelerated and stalled. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that there was rainwater inside the engine cylinders, causing two spark plugs to rust and malfunction. The spark plugs, spark plug boots, and spark plug coils were replaced and the vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that recently, while the vehicle was in for routine maintenance, the mechanic discovered rainwater inside the engine cylinders again. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in an Extended Warranty coverage related to the failure. The failure mileage was 44,825.

45,000 miles · Sep 2022

2019 Ford Ranger engines & fuel economy

EngineTransmissionDriveMPG city / hwy / combined
2.3L 4-cyl turbo10-speed automaticRWD21 / 26 / 23
2.3L 4-cyl turbo10-speed automatic4WD20 / 24 / 22

EPA ratings. Class: Full-size pickup.

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2019 Ford Ranger a good car?

Based on 270 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2019 Ranger rates use caution: 1.5× as many complaints as a typical year of the Ranger at the same age. It is one of the Ranger years we suggest avoiding. 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 2019 Ford Ranger?

The transmission & drivetrain — 92 complaints, 34% of all complaints for this model year, most often about automatic transmission. Next are the electrical system (41) and engine & cooling (31).

How many recalls does the 2019 Ford Ranger have?

There are 11 recalls for the 2019 Ford Ranger, the most recent from October 10, 2025 (engine block heater). 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 2019 Ford Ranger problems happen?

The median mileage reported in complaints is about 20,000 miles; 75% 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.