What 119 owners told NHTSA about the 2020 Ford Ranger

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Ranger. The contact stated while reversing, the back over prevention camera was inoperable. The contact stated that the back over prevention camera displayed a black screen. The contact stated that occasionally the back over prevention camera failed to operate. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent at first but had become more frequent. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to report the failure to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 45,000.

NHTSA ODI 11558426

Transmission jerking, lunging forward, hesitating, loss of power. Has been verified by Ford of Sioux City IA. Ford states they do not make parts for the transmission. They can only replace the entire transmission at a cost of over $7000.00. This truck has 28,000 miles on it. This all started after an automatic software update was done on the truck. This is dangerous as it could easily cause an accident including upto death.

NHTSA ODI 11556721

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Ranger. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, an abnormal squeaking sound was coming from the rear passenger’s side of the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer however, the dealer was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure and the contact was given a case number. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 10,000. The contact stated that the vehicle was totaled and there is no need to proceed with this complaint.

NHTSA ODI 11553994

The Ignition Coil and spark plug failed and caused the vehicle to misfire & lose power under load. The vehicle is available for inspection. Sudden loss of power could have caused a collision due to the vehicle suddenly slowing without warning in traffic conditions. Ford Motor company is aware of the problem and has a service bulletin describing how the lack of an engine cover allows water to get into the spark plug wells causing the failure to occur. Ford's fix is to install the engine cover and replace the damaged components. But will only do so under the standard warranty. Ford was notified of the problem with my vehicle while it was well within warranty. But because a dealer could not schedule an appointment until 9 days after the standard warranty expired, they have denied coverage. Dealership has inspected the components and confirmed problem is related to service bulletin. Check Engine light came on and was flashing when problem occurred. No prior warning or symptom until problem occurred.

NHTSA ODI 11553010

It’s been about 4 months on the forward collision alarm and 4 1/2 weeks on the jerking going when taking off the transmission seems to jerk and when driving down a highway when nothing what so ever is on front of me all the sudden my front collision alarm goes off with a sudden breaks being applied by themselves.I spoke to dealer about it and all they told me it was probably from a shadow of trees or a sign which is bull crap.

NHTSA ODI 11539932

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Ranger. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated and violently shook while depressing the accelerator pedal. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact had the vehicle towed to a dealer where it was discovered that the spark plugs, and engine coils were damaged due to moisture from rain or a car wash. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.

NHTSA ODI 11539338

After 40K miles the vehicle's transmission began to fail to engage, become hesitant/delayed in shifting and acceleration, and hard downshifting. At one intersection the vehicle's engine had to be turned off and restarted for the transmission to begin engaging again. The dealership's diagnostics detected that the transmission valve body controller and cvf drum needed replaced. Took months for the parts to come in just because so many vehicle of the same type needed the same work.

NHTSA ODI 11537515

Exactly what is described in TSB 22-2025 and 21-2147. Ford did not put an engine cover on my truck, and water has intruded into the spark plug wells and corroded the equipment. Ford is refusing to fix the issue, as the NHTSA didn't include my VIN in the two previously issues TSBs about this.

NHTSA ODI 11527452

Car has a terrible mold and musky smell in the cabin. Cleaned carpet several times and checked for water in truck Smell didn't dissipate. Took to Ford where the linked it to the air condition dripping or gathering. The cleared line and emptied. Smell was milder for short time. After running the air a few days it was getting stronger. Local Ford dealers couldn't see us for some time so we Took to outside AC car repair and they found the following issue related to SSM 50603 an improperly wrapped evaporator coil or small leak. Can't run air condition as we were advised smell would increase and possibly ruin carpet. Smell also is difficult to get out of upholstery and anything left in car. Ford dealers won't repair and require us to pay. Told by Ford corporate through chat that dealers are independently owned and it is their choice. This is an issue Ford is aware of but won't repair. No help at the corporate level. This could become larger issue as we don't know what buildup, leak or incorrect wrapped coils could lead to.

NHTSA ODI 11514297

This is the second time I'm hearing the climate control system click before i can adjust the temperature gauge. It was replaced less than 1,000 miles ago and it already broke again. You already put notice on the issue, SSM 49264, but it needs to be recalled with better parts. Im afraid ill be having to pay out of pocket if it keeps breaking. Please recall this.

NHTSA ODI 11509027

The 10-speed automatic transmission experiences rough shifting, particularly when the vehicle has been sitting for a period (e.g., overnight), including when shifting from park and into gear as well as shifting into gears 2 and 4. There have been no warning messages or indicators. Ford has attempted to diagnose this issue on at least one occasion - and is scheduled to examine the vehicle again - but, to date, has failed to acknowledge, duplicate or resolve the issue. This has been ongoing for more than a year. Based on simple internet search, this appears to be a known issue with Ford 10-speed automatic transmission vehicles.

NHTSA ODI 11507611

There is a known issue with 2019 and some 2020 model year Ford Rangers. The Ford SSM is #50629. I have been waiting for a Ford service center to fix this issue for 3 months. This issue does not allow for the heater to work properly. Because of that, the defroster and defog doesn't work. This allows for limited or zero visibility through the windshield and side windows in winter conditions that require defrost or defog. I have to had to pull over and scrape ice off my windshield on short trips. Also, this winter has had some of the coldest days on record. Reaching in the -20F range. Having no heat at a time like this could possibly result in frostbite or hypothermia. I use my vehicle as sparingly as possible this winter, but there are times I absolutely need to drive around.

NHTSA ODI 11505233

Regular headlights are excessively bright. Oncoming traffic is constantly flashing their bright lights with implications that my Ford Ranger's lights are on bright and not normal setting. This seems to be dangerous to oncoming traffic. It happens repeatedly every morning I am driving in the dark (5:00am-6:30am) Dealer said that there is nothing they can do. No indications that the bright lights are on (bright light symbol not appearing)

NHTSA ODI 11496205

Since purchase I have been experiencing problems due due a poorly built transmission. The 10R80 transmission has been the opposite of what I expected when purchasing a new vehicle. I have experienced extremely harsh up-shifting and downshifting, as well as slipping gears while in motion which causes a loss of power while the vehicle is in motion. The most concerning of these is when the gear seems to slip while driving and when the accelerator is depressed the engine will only rev for a few seconds and then harshly clunk into a gear which will cause a jolt in the forward motion which has cause me to lock up my brakes in order to avoid hitting another vehicle. In addition to these I have also experienced harsh clunking and jolting forward or backwards when selecting gears. All of these are of great concern to me of course. I have tried contacting numerous Ford dealerships and shops to try and fix this problem and I continue to get the run around. I have since looked up recalls and I have found recalls for 2020 Rangers made in the Michigan plant from February 28 to March18 of 2020 have been issued a recall but somehow my Ranger doesn't even though the VIN states it was made in March of 2020. All of the servicing has been done according to Ford's specifications.

NHTSA ODI 11492939

The transmission has several issues, hard shifting, shuddering and shaking but the one issue I know is a safety issue is the lunging. When moving the shifter from Park to drive, my truck has lunges, 3 different times now. If my foot wasn’t securely and pressing firmly on the brake I could of been propelled into other objects. I have not visited a dealer for any of the transmission problems. I am just starting to research the issues and I see many transmission complaints. Plus it will cost me time and money to take it to a dealer. And I don’t feel confident anything will be done. No warning lights have came on.

NHTSA ODI 11487925

When I engage the speed control on my vehicle, approximately 15 to 45 seconds afterwards, the system will temporarily disengage without warning, causing me to manually re engage the system. Sometimes it will re engage right away, and other times I need to press the resume button several times for it to re engage. There is no warning before the system dis engages.

NHTSA ODI 11482019

Driver seat belt will not automatically/fully return. I have brought the issue to the attention of Service Advisors at two different Ford dealership's. They acknowledge the problem but note there is no fix available from Ford. Aside from having to manually feed the belt back each time used a safety issue could exist if slack remains in the belt when driving.

NHTSA ODI 11481442

I jumped in the truck to run an errand, started the engine, rolled down the windows and got a faint whiff of gasoline. Checked the back seat to see if I had thrown rag or something, didn't see anything and started to pull down my driveway (about 250ft - gravel - rural area). The gas smell quickly became very strong. I stopped at the end of the driveway, got out of the truck to inspect what the issue might be. It was RAINING gasoline under my truck. Quickly turned off ignition (which stopped the gas pouring out). Had it towed to the dealer to get it fixed. Diagnosis was that a rodent (squirrel) had chewed through the gas line somewhere. Lucky for me it was a hot summer day (open window), otherwise I may have driven down the road until a fireball erupted. Kind of stunned that the fuel line is so insanely VULNERABLE. What would it cost to harden the gas line (a metal casing) - an extra $50 per vehicle. This needs to be addressed.

NHTSA ODI 11478004

The contact owned a 2020 Ford Ranger. The contact stated that while driving at 5-10 MPH downhill onto a leveled road and approaching a traffic light, the brake pedal was depressed but failed to respond. The vehicle accelerated unintendedly. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact continued to depress the brake pedal but it failed to respond. The vehicle crashed into two vehicles. However, the vehicle continued to accelerate unintendedly. The contact then purposely crashed into a tree on the side of the road in other to stop the vehicle. The air bags deployed. The contact sustained a Split lip, soreness all over the body, swollen eye, and a swollen face. Additionally, the contact sustained depression and emotional trauma as he was confused, ridiculed, and verbally abused by bystanders who thought he intentionally caused the accident. The contact was also detained by a police patrol and released after an hour. The contact did not seek medical assistance. Two occupants of the two vehicles the contact crashed into sustained unknown injuries. There was no further information provided. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the tow yard where it was totaled. The local dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 38,000. The VIN was unavailable.

NHTSA ODI 11468410

On two separate instances the truck accelerated on it own and the brakes were used but didn't stop the vehicle had to turn the key off and the second of these two incidences the truck hit a wall and kept accelerating digging the ground up

NHTSA ODI 11464340

There was a alert saying my trailer was hooked my trailer was unhooked.on displace screen.when in fact my trailer was never hook to my truck.loss of power

NHTSA ODI 11448702

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Ranger. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V811000 (Seat Belts) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact called the local dealer who stated the parts were not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts are not available.

NHTSA ODI 11440517

I checked oil level on Nov 9 2021. Oil level was clearly past the "Full" mark on dip stick and smelled of un burnt fuel. Took to dealer same day. Got truck back on Nov 12 2021. Dealer says no fuel in oil bit couldn't explain why the oil level had risen past "full" mark. Clearly they lied. I had dealer do an oil change. Will send sample out next time. Checked today, Nov 15 2021. Smells like fuel still. Cause: unknown.

NHTSA ODI 11440467

The Forward-Looking Camera located in the Rear View Mirror Assembly on a 2020 Ford Ranger has failed, and the replacement part is currently unavailable. Per Ford personnel, at least 96 Ford vehicles (as of 10/26/2021) are awaiting the replacement cameras, and Ford Service Personnel at the local Ford Dealership have indicated that "they have replaced a lot of these cameras". When this camera malfunctions, the vehicle LOSES 100% of FIVE (5) of its key Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS): 1. Adaptive Cruise Control (there is NO cruise control whatsoever without this camera) 2. Forward Collision Warning 3. Automatic Emergency Braking 4. Lane Departure Warning 5. Lane Keeping Assistance This is a CRITICAL SAFETY ISSUE with the vehicle. The ONLY safety features that work are the Blind Spot Detection in the Side Mirrors, and the Front and Rear Parking Sensors -- the latter of which are useless in high-speed highway driving. My camera failed on or about August 21, 2021, and I am still waiting for an update on when the part will be available. The car can be operated without the ADAS system, but its safety is significantly and materially degraded. The replacement of the camera is a simple operation, but the parts are not available, and no one at Ford knows when they will become available. There are two (2) warning alarms which are audible and visible on the dash when the camera fails. Both can be "accepted" via the "OK" button on the steering wheel. Each time the car is started, both alarms activate shortly after the car warms up.

NHTSA ODI 11438288

I was in the driveway of my home. My family had entered and closed the front passenger door and opened the rear driver door. I opened and then closed the driver front door which caused the rear window with the glass sider to completely shatter. The vehicle had at the time 9,686 miles on it. It had no damage visible prior to this and there were no signs of any vandalism or other activity that would have caused this situation to occur. No vehicle alarm was activated either that would have indicated forced entry. In addition to our personal security system on our property providing no indication of such. This window should not have shattered. The cost to replace this window is $985 plus installation by a glass repair company. I contacted Ford Customer Care and was referred to a dealership service center to get the vehicle inspected, file a claim and then be referred to a glass shop. After contacting a couple of dealerships, was able to clear away glass to safely drive this vehicle to a third dealership to complete this process. Shattered, tempered glass from a rear window is difficult to clear and sharp. I then learned I was denied the claim of coverage under warranty because there are no other complaints regarding glass breakage. I am lodging this complaint with a relevant third party to ensure this is not true and if others have this issue of a defective window, they are not denied a true and substantial claim as I was. I will be attempting to use the coverage the dealership I bought the vehicle from to cover the cost of this repair. I don't believe this is an insurance claim. It is defective equipment from Ford on a new vehicle. It's a statement on how Ford backs the quality of their vehicles. I will be considering my vehicle purchases going forward.

NHTSA ODI 11433806