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2021 Ford Ranger (super Cab)

Solid pick. The public record on this car is clean for its age. Inspect it, then negotiate with confidence.

Recalls, complaint breakdown & inspection checklist, all in a shareable PDF

106 owner complaints · 0 recalls · data verified July 14, 2026 · source: NHTSA

Buywillitcar.com

Why buy?

Transmission & drivetrain problems dominate (49% of complaints, typically reported near 55k miles).

Zero recalls, rare for a car this age.

The math, shown

Full methodology →
Complaint volume (40%)82
Severity (30%)69
Recall load (20%)100
Trend (10%)46

Complaints filed per year

Fading = early teething worked out. Climbing = problems aging in.

20212026 YTD

How it crashes

NHTSA’s own crash tests, separate from the reliability score above.

NHTSA crash-tested this model year but didn’t publish an overall star rating for it.

Source: nhtsa.gov/ratings. Star ratings compare vehicles within the same class and size, not across every car on the road.

The road ahead

What breaks on a 2021 Ford Ranger (super Cab), plotted where owners report it happening.

030k mi60k mi90k mi120k miTransmission & drivetrain~55k mi · 52 reports

Also reported (mileage varies): Brakes (15) · Engine (12) · Electrical system (8) · Fuel system (8)

Mileage medians come from owners who mentioned an odometer reading in their NHTSA complaint, a rough guide, not a schedule.

Transmission & drivetrain

49%

52 complaints · typically near 55k mi · 41 in the last 2 years

The ring gear wore out and had to replace the whole rear end

Brakes

14%

15 complaints · 4 in the last 2 years

Several warning lights, which included: ABS failure, Parking Assist Failure, Lane Avoidance Failure, Traction Control Failure, as well as having steering difficulty. (…

Engine

11%

12 complaints · 6 in the last 2 years

10R80 TRANSMISSION ISSUES. WILL JERK & LAG WHEN DRIVING. HAD TO PURCHASE NEW TRANSMISSION FOR TRUCK

Electrical system

8%

8 complaints · 2 in the last 2 years

Wiring for back up camera failed and short circuited - will attempt to retain the components for inspection needs. Safety concern - when wire short circuited, it burne…

Recalls (0)

No recall campaigns on file for this model year.

Before you hand over money

Check the VIN for open recalls

NHTSA’s free lookup shows whether this exact car had its recall remedies completed.

Free NHTSA VIN check

Get a pre-purchase inspection

A $150 to $250 independent inspection of this exact 2021 Ford RANGER (SUPER CAB) beats every score on the internet, including ours.

What to ask for

Not set on the 2021? See how every Ranger (super Cab) model year scores →

Cross-shopping? Compare the 2021 Ford Ranger (super Cab) against another car →

What owners say

Real owners of this exact model-year, shown separately from the NHTSA score. If they disagree, that’s worth knowing.

The fine print: this verdict is computed from public NHTSA complaint and recall records for the 2021 Ford Ranger (super Cab) as a model, not for any individual car. A well-maintained example of an “Avoid” can outlast a neglected “Buy”. Informational only, so always get a professional pre-purchase inspection.