Power Train Problems of Ford Ranger - part 1

After arriving in carson city from reno, nv and running errands on local city side streets the vehicle began making a loud ticking noise which transitioned to a whomp/whomp/whomp noise. I pulled over at the nearest opportunity into a business parking lot and the vehicle brakes immediately locked up. I received the following error messages on screen; > anti lock brake system failure >hill start assist failed >electric parking brake failed >collision assist unavailable >check engine brake light >I checked documentation for release of parking brake and followed directions and the brake would not release. After multiple attempts the brakes would not release. Next I tried putting the vehicle into reverse and the brake finally released. All warning lights now remain on and brakes pull to the rights when applied.

The contact owns a 2024 Ford Ranger. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds and turning in either direction, an abnormal sound was heard coming from under the rear of the vehicle, and the vehicle shuddered. The contact expressed safety concerns that the failure could leave the vehicle stranded in an intersection. An appointment was scheduled with the dealer to inspect the vehicle. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 30,500.

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On 10/05/2026 at about 35 mph, driving on a normal street in good weather, for no apparent reason. . . My 2024 Ranger raptor decided to auto change to all other driving modes, one after another (I. E. 2high then all wheel drive then 4high and then tried 4low, all on its own. Thankfully the computer wouldn't allow it to drop into 4l without first stopping, else may have been an accident or truck damage! also, now that this glitch has stopped (at least for the time being), at any speed below 20mph, the 4 wheel drive icon on the instrument cluster turns yellow and any speed over 30, it goes back off to normal gray. And I believe it's actually engaging 4 wheel drive, even though it still indicates 2h. Definitely taking it to the dealer ASAP.

I was parking the truck and I put it in reverse and no reverse whatsoever. I put it and drive them back and reverse nothing. I put it in park turned it off restarted it and reverse worked took it to the dealer and they said the transmission has to be replaced due to faulty parts from Ford on the original transmission although it might be covered under the 200,000 mile powertrain warranty it is still a big inconvenience and this is not the first time I was having problems with the transmission if I have to pay for it it could be up to $8500.

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The vehicle intermittently changes its drive mode on its own, with no input from the driver. This has happened approximately 6 to 12 times. It occurs in two situations. While stopped at a traffic light, the vehicle has switched itself into rock crawl mode, and on other occasions into baja mode. During at least one rock crawl event I believe the rear differential locker engaged, though I did not photograph the cluster to confirm it. The vehicle has also attempted to change drive modes while driving on the highway at speed. When it happens, the drive mode change animation appears in the instrument cluster. If I notice it immediately I can manually reselect normal mode before the new mode fully engages. If I do not catch it in time, the mode engages. Safety risk: an unrequested change into rock crawl or baja alters throttle mapping, transmission shift scheduling, traction and stability control calibration, and driveline configuration, and in rock crawl potentially the differential lockers. A mode engaging while stopped and then pulling into traffic, or the system attempting a mode change at highway speed, produces a loss of expected vehicle handling and response. The vehicle was taken to a Ford dealer. The dealer was unable to reproduce or confirm the problem. They reflashed all vehicle modules. The failure has recurred multiple times since that reflash, so the reflash did not correct it. No warning lamps or messages appear other than the drive mode animation in the instrument cluster. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. I believe the cause is a fault in the electronic module or software controlling drive mode selection.

While driving at 45 mph. The dash changed and the truck started shifting into wheel low. I had to stop and put the truck back into 2 wheel drive. This has happened 5 times since new.

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When the fuel tank gets to 1/2 tank while making left hand turns, the accelerator pedal becomes unresponsive for 2 - 5 seconds. As the tank gets lower, the problem is more pronounced.

My truck has selectable drive modes. These drive modes control steering effort, suspension, shift points, the four-wheel drive system, abs, and exhaust. My truck changes drive modes on its own without any input. Going down the highway, my truck is tried to go into rock crawl modes several times. If this happens, my truck will go into four low and the components above will be affected. A cursory google search leads to a forum where 10 pages of people have reported this problem. It is scary to think that my truck has the potential to change drive modes on its own. This could lead to loss of steering control, sudden acceleration, or a locked differential can make me lose control of the vehicle. Here is the page referenced above: [xxx] despite having an effect on the powertrain, Ford does not consider this to be covered under the 36,000 mile powertrain warranty, of which my vehicle is beyond. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The drive mode selector, which changes vehicle handling behavior, can change modes without driver intervention causing the vehicle to shift between 2 and 4 wheel drive unexpectedly causing a crash or injury. Widespread reports of the issue exist online as well: [xxx] [xxx] [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

I was driving at approximately 25 mph and all of a sudden the truck automatically went into 4 wheel drive low which altered my ability to keep up with traffic and caused me to pull over to figure out why. I had to restart my truck to get it out of 4 wheel drive. This has happened approximately 5 times and fortunately at low speeds. I have not taken it to the dealer because it is an intermittent problem. I have read that it is a common problem with this truck and the dealer can't find the issue because it is intermittent. I was nearly rear ended because the truck slowed way down when it went. Into 4 wheel drive. I think it is unsafe and startling when it happens and unexpected.

Filed a complaint that Rangers had a recall on wiring harness and this vehicle was made in the michigan plant where other Rangers had the recall. This particular Ranger should have been included in the recall. The dealership refused to do their due diligence. I filled a complaint and have a case number. Cxh09344864x2d6b2. These issue needs to be resolved in a timely manner as it can cause fires and children are riding in this vehicle.

The 2021 Ford Ranger lariat , mileage 42,362 would not go into reverse, the wrench was lit up on dash. Shut truck off it cleared the code, immediately took it to Ford dealer. Was sent home because the tech said the light was off so he couldn’t diagnose. After reading about the issue we made the appt for a diagnostic scan. The codes were p2704, p0772 . The truck has been with dealership since 09/14/2026. It’s the 10r80 transmission with a service bulletin out on the cdf drum. Mechanical defect that Ford knowingly sold to unsuspecting consumers. I was able to get a goodwill assist from Ford to help with repair , told they would cover 40% but are now only wanting to pay 16% . The time warranty is over is by 33 days the mileage is under by 18,000 miles. Did notice some sluggish shifting but thought it was from the engine shut off when stopped at lights months ago but not reported. I think Ford should have to cover this at 100% seeing that the truck was purchased on 03/10/2025 with 24,809 miles , we asked the dealership about the transmission and was told it was sound.

Yes this is my second time filing a complaint regarding my new truck switching drive modes on its own. The first time it tried going into 4 low while I was going over 45 mph, with only 800 miles. The next time it did it was at around 1200 miles it switched drive modes completely and tried switching into 4 wd while at hoghway speeds. This is clearly a safety issue, their are numerous threads on reddit, facebook and Ranger forums regarding it. Ford cannot replicate so they dont fix, what will it take one of us getting killed before we get a recall for whatever part or module is broken.

The truck randomly starts changing drive modes while at speed. It moves from normal mode and goes into baja mode then trys going into 4h and 4l, rock crawl mode, etc. Safety problem is that you are at speed and it tries to put itself into 4l or rock crawl or any 4 wheel mode. This happens on pavement which can create catastrophic traction problems. The problem is random and has not been reproduced. It has been to the dealer a couple of times for this issue. They say that it is probably related to the drive mode selector. They ordered the part in June and still have not received it. The problem exposes itself by showing the changes to drive modes going across the speedometer area and on the drive mode selector.

I have around 26000 miles on my 2025 Ford Ranger lariat 2. 7l v6. My drive mode has changed on its own multiple times without anyone touching the dial. Recently I was letting it idle to cool the cabin. I hopped in and heard some thunking and saw my drive mode change all the way to slippery mode. Nothing was touching the dial. It has also changed modes while I was exiting my driveway, leaving the taco bell drive-thru, and driving down the highway at about 50 mph. It's scary to think I could be driving down the road and it automatically shifts into 4wd on its own. Sometimes I don't know it's in a different mode until the steering is hard to turn and the wheels chirp. Since then I have been able to trigger the drive mode changes by only pushing down the drive mode selector's bezel, not turning/twisting it. Pushing downwards on the bezel at or just below the 2h label can trigger the drive mode change for me. It's very inconsistent and won't trigger very often. But I was able capture a video of it in case someone is interested. [xxx] no modifications, no forscan alterations, happens before and after installing a Ford performance tune before me capturing it on video, I asked the dealer (sunset Ford [xxx]) about getting it fixed. They told me if they cant reproduce it, then they cant do anything for me and I would be charged for the diagnosis and a car rental. My vehicle is still under factory warranty. Since I created the video I sent it to them and I had to call them multiple times to get them to look at it. I have an appt on xxx, we'll see what happens. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

My 2019 Ford Ranger, VIN 1fter4fh2kla63893, experienced a major transmission failure at approximately 35,000 miles. I took the vehicle to a Ford dealership for diagnosis and was advised that the transmission required major repair/replacement, with an estimated cost approaching $9,000. I also obtained an independent transmission repair estimate of approximately $6,700–$7,000. Given the extremely low mileage and the repair cost relative to the vehicle’s value, repairing the truck no longer made financial sense. The transmission failure substantially reduced its trade value and is forcing me to replace a vehicle that I otherwise intended to keep. I estimate the resulting loss of equity at approximately $7,000, in addition to the financial impact of prematurely taking on another vehicle and associated financing. After the failure, I learned of ongoing litigation involving Ford’s 10r80 10-speed transmission, including allegations involving 2019 and 2020 Ford Rangers. I am reporting my experience so this failure is formally documented and can be considered in connection with any investigation, litigation, warranty extension, recall, or other potential remedy involving the 10r80 transmission.

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8/4/2026 @ approximately 0630 when making a right hand turn vehicle (transmission) stalled for approximately 3-4 seconds before restarting. Reported to corwin Ford service dept. Here in reno,nv who declined to investigate. Said it was my responsibility even though vehicle is under warranty. 8/27/2026 @ approximately 0830 while entering high traffic roadway with 55mph speed limit with foot depressed on gas pedal transmission completely stalled while traffic rapidly approached. Transmission engaged at last minute before rear end impact.

Vehicle received and installed an over-the-air software update to the body control module, identified on the vehicle screen as bcm-26. 6. 3 and associated with safety recall 26s29 (a-pillar/sun visor wiring, NHTSA 26v238000). The update screen displayed a status of "not completed. " since that update the vehicle will not start and is inoperative. Current condition: opening the driver door wakes the center infotainment screen only. The instrument cluster does not illuminate. Pressing the brake pedal produces no response - no cluster illumination, no warning lamps, no chimes, no messages, no crank. 12v power is present; the manufacturer's telematics app still reaches the vehicle and returns status. Symptoms are consistent with a body control module that is powered but not communicating on the vehicle network. No warning lamps, messages, or symptoms were present before the update. The vehicle operated normally until the update was installed. Safety risk: the vehicle became immobile without warning immediately following installation of a manufacturer-pushed safety recall remedy. The transmission cannot be shifted electronically, requiring the manual park release to move or tow the vehicle. Had this occurred away from home or in a traffic lane, the vehicle would have been stranded and unable to move under its own power. The bcm also governs exterior lighting and hazard lamp function. Note: the update screen header displayed "25s29" while the body text referenced completing safety recall 26s29. The vehicle has a dealer-installed Ford performance procal calibration. The vehicle has not yet been inspected by the dealer or manufacturer. It is available for inspection upon request.

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. These problems have occurred during highway merging, pulling into traffic, and city driving. On 08/14/2026, while accelerating to pull into traffic, the vehicle suddenly lost power, creating a hazardous situation as vehicles approached from behind. I have also experienced instances in which the transmission unexpectedly shifted or hesitated without warning, causing the vehicle to lurch or slow unpredictably in traffic. This condition creates a serious safety hazard because an unexpected loss of power or unintended gear change can prevent the vehicle from accelerating when needed, such as when merging, passing, pulling into traffic, or avoiding a collision. The unpredictable behavior increases the risk of a crash and endangers both the driver and surrounding motorists. The vehicle was taken to crossroads Ford of indian trail on 08/14/2026, where it was diagnosed with a failed or failing 10r80 automatic transmission. At the time, the vehicle had approximately 57,500 miles and was approximately 5 years and 7 months old, which is 7 months beyond the manufacturer's bumper-to-bumper warranty. I have maintained the vehicle according to Ford's recommended service schedule throughout my ownership. I am aware that Ford has issued prior service bulletins and customer satisfaction programs related to 10r80 transmission issues, including TSB 18-2274, 20-2339, 22-2139, 23-2250, and 24-2254, although I have not confirmed whether any of them directly apply to this VIN. I am filing this complaint because the symptoms I experienced—unexpected gear changes, hesitation, lurching, and sudden loss of power—present an immediate safety risk to me, my passengers, and other drivers on the road.

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I was traveling south on I-35 going up a long steep hill and my transmission started to hard shift and then I would lose power and when I would accelerate, I had no power it would just stall out so I merged to the right side in case I had to pull over because I thought the engine had died. When I reached my destination, I looked under my truck to discover fluid on the under carriage at that point I knew the transmission had blown a seal or a high-pressure hose. So, I left the truck there and the next day had it towed back to my house. There were times I had slowed down so much that traffic almost hit me.

Truck is randomly switching to baja mode which engages the 4wheel drive making steering difficult.

Transmission hard shifts in low gear and sometimes slips gears or revs up engine without accelerating then slams into gear lurching forward. Had transmission oil checked by dealer and they said it looked great. Happened 29 July several times and again 5 Aug all throughout the day.

My 2019 Ford Ranger with 10 speed transmission has been harsh shifting and will not always find the right gears. It will sometimes surge forward or at other time not respond to acceleration. It has 100,000 miles. Never used it for towing or hawling heavy items.

The drive mode randomly changes by itself while drive. When this occurs it can shift to 4 wheel drive will moving on dry pavement. This this not been checked out by the dealer because based on online forums others have the same issue and Ford can not reproduce or provide any fixes. I'm assuming there have been other complaints for this same issue reported to NHTSA. I'm adding a date for when this happened below, but it has happened at least six times since I have owned the truck online forums [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Hello, I have a 24-Ford Ranger raptor, this incident happened twice, I was driving approximately 60 mph and vehicle on its own started changing drive modes. It switched itself to baja mode which is 4-wheel drive and very dangerous at these speeds. I took my truck to local Ford dealer in valencia CA, dealer stated no codes or issues found. This is deeply concerning to me; I have family that also drives this vehicle. I have read online that other same vehicle owners are experiencing same symptoms and heavy concerns. Not sure where to go from here, any help or feedback would greatly appreciated. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The contact owns a 2024 Ford Ranger. The contact stated that while driving 30 mph, the transmission independently shifted. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the road, and the vehicle was turned off. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle started. The contact stated that while driving, the transmission independently reset. The vehicle was driven to the residence. In addition, the contact stated that the failure occurred while the contact was on vacation in nova scotia. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with abs failure. The contact was informed that the abs needed replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The failure reoccurred. The contact stated that the failure was a known failure. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.

Auto transmission is failing to shift when taking off from a stop or hesitating to shift to next year causing traffic behind me to get close to rear bumper.

When turning vehicle will intermittently lose power for 1 to 2 seconds, and then it suddenly returns.

The vehicle changed it's drive mode on it's own without user interaction. The event happened while driving at 70mph on the interstate. Vehicle changed to the baja drive mode by itself which also tries to change from 2h to 4h at speed. I was able to quickly move drive selector back to normal drive mode before the 4h change occurred, but it also tried to change to the rock crawl mode which would result in a 4l mode. Severe damage to the drivetrain could have occurred and could also result in loss of control of vehicle if it was able to slam into 4h or 4l at speed. This type of behavior has been reported by many other drivers at the Ranger6g forum. . Read more...

While driving at 60 mph drive mode selector changed to baja mode and switched to 4wdhi. Had to stop and shut off truck to resume normal driving. While driving at 25-30 mph in normal mode, drive mode changed to rock crawl mode, engaged rear axel lock, and attempted to engage 4wd low range (several times). My local dealer service dept. Is unaware of any other instances of this, although it appears to be fairly common according to posts on internet forums.

While driving from [xxx] to [xxx] on xxx my 2021 Ford Ranger's dash light came on and I noticed harsh shifting and the vehicle began jolting unpredictably while I was driving at highway speeds. To avoid imminent danger, I pulled off the 101 and slowly drove to the closest Ford dealership, vista Ford Lincoln of [xxx], in order to have the truck assessed. Technicians performed a diagnostic evaluation and retrieved dtc p0766 (shift solenoid "d" performance/stuck off) and p2703 (transmission friction element "d" apply time. ) these codes are the documented engineering signature of internal cdf clutch drum bushing migration- a known, widespread manufacturing defect inherent to Ford's 10r80 transmission platform. Vista Ford confirmed the transmission required a complete replacement, but assured me that I could slowly drive the truck home to [xxx] for the repair. [xxx] of [xxx] confirmed the error codes and quoted me $9,857. 86 to repair the existing transmission and $13,295. 84 to replace the transmission. I reached out to Ford corporate (case number: [xxx]) who explicitly refused a reasonable goodwill remedy, offering only a 10% discount against [xxx]'s replacement quote. This left me with an untenable $11, 966. 26 bill for a known factory defect, therefore I transferred the truck to b'n'c mobile auto repair where the transmission replacement cost me $7, 954. 73 although the 5 year express powertrain warranty concluded on xxx, a major vehicle powertrain components failing at just 48,820 miles under normal during conditions is dangerous and unacceptable. I have preserved all diagnostic sheets, including trouble codes, paid receipts and my original 2021 sale contract. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The vehicle went into baja mode 4wd high then 4wd low range out of nowhere while driving. It shot me off the road , and ive been researching it. There is a 6 page thread about new Rangers and Ranger raptors doing this on 6g Ranger forum, tons of people with the same issue. Super scary. Fear injury or fatality will happen from this as it shoots you hard off the road.

1st I reported to Ford that when my truck was in park and off, it started rolling down a hill. I jumped in and stopped it. Ford said they see nothing and everything looks fine. Since then I use the emergency break every time. 2nd, you feel the transmission shifting hard. Jerks truck. Also, if you drive around 25 mph, the truck starts jerking like it cant make up its mind what gear to be in.

The truck is currently at a certified Ford dealer for diagnosis with a drive train fault. I suspect it is transmission-related, but was not given the history of all stored, pending and history of the codes. The truck exhibits unprovoked forward acceleration/violent lunging when braking to a stop and when driving at low speeds, making intersection control dangerous. It also has severe delayed gear engagement, causing high engine rpm spikes followed by sudden gear slamming, creating a sudden loss of acceleration power while attempting to merge into active highway traffic. The transmission symptoms have been repeatedly reported to and reproduced by certified Ford franchises (mullinax Ford and coggin deland Ford). Technicians previously performed superficial adaptive memory software clears (kam resets) rather than fixing the physical mechanical defect, which has persisted. The vehicle has been inspected multiple times by factory-trained dealership technicians. The initial symptoms first appeared on may 25, 2023, when the vehicle had 38,575 miles (fully within the factory powertrain warranty window). Persistent symptoms include: 1. Harsh gear engagement/slamming at various speeds. 2. Delayed shifting with sudden rpm spikes before catching gears. 3. Sudden low-speed lurching and acceleration when slowing down. The vehicle has now triggered an active "drivetrain fault" warning lamp on the dashboard illumination cluster.

Vehicle was placed into Ford’s neutral tow mode according to the owner’s manual before being recreationally towed behind a motorhome. The instrument cluster displayed Ford’s confirmation that neutral tow was enabled and the vehicle was ready for four-wheel-down towing. The transmission failure occurred during the second day of towing. After highway travel, the transmission severely overheated, expelled transmission fluid and lost all ability to move in forward or reverse. Diagnostic code p0218, transmission over-temperature, was present. Neutral tow was no longer enabled when the vehicle was subsequently checked. The Ford dealer states that the vehicle does not retain logs confirming whether neutral tow was enabled or remained enabled. Ford’s gsb 22-7086 directs the dealer to inspect for transmission damage associated with the drivetrain being rotated during recreational towing. However, the resulting damage cannot establish whether the owner failed to activate neutral tow or whether Ford’s electronically controlled neutral tow system confirmed activation and later failed to maintain the required mechanical state. The fact that the vehicle was successfully towed during the first day before failing on the second day raises concern that the transfer case, shift-control system or related electronics may have lost or failed to maintain neutral tow after it had been successfully activated. There are other reported incidents involving Ford Ranger, f-150 and bronco vehicles in which owners state that neutral tow was confirmed but the drivetrain subsequently re-engaged, overheated or suffered catastrophic transmission damage during recreational towing. This condition presents a safety risk because Ford’s system may display that the vehicle is ready and safe to tow while potentially failing to keep the drivetrain mechanically isolated. In this incident, extremely hot transmission fluid was expelled onto the vehicle, tow equipment and surrounding roadway, creating a poss.

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