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mailbox4449

mailbox4449

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At the end of the day it's your decision to buy what you feel is right. I wouldn't ask anyone to "convince" me on anything. If you're finding your research is leading to reliability concerns, then buy something else. I've had my issues with many auto makers, including Toyota. I've probably purchased 12 + cars in my lifetime (i like to upgrade often) and this is the first truck I plan on keep on keeping for the long haul. I have my concerns on certain aspects of reliability on this truck, mainly the engine with it's fuel in oil issue, but at the end of the day my research hasn't found a single case of a 2.3 engine dying from it, but I will be keeping my eye on it. If you think this truck has reliability issues, look at the list of TSB's on the Tacoma. It's ridiculous. The GM twins? Nope, shitty 8 speed transmission. The Ridgeline? Reliable but not a real truck. The Tacoma? Owned one, hated it and again the TSB's alone, not to mention the transmission shifting issues. Gladiator? Possibly reliable but history has shown a lot of electrical issues. The only other truck i'd consider if buying new would be the Frontier. I've owned one in the past, and it was bullet proof and I beat the crap out of that truck.
Thanks for your input. I am aware of the Taco issues. I test drove one and didnt care for the stretched out seating or the sluggish motor. I also did some research on it and came up with similar complaints regarding TSB's. I appreciate your experiences :like:
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Hi Alex,

These convince me posts are in the same camp as Does this dress make me look fat? So all I can say is when I had Ranger Vehicle Engineering, I took it serious to make Ranger built Ford Tough and we proved it through strong sales and high mileage vehicles, many of which are reported in the various threads. So the current Ranger has a heritage of Ford Tough. I saw to it on my watch, but this is not my watch anymore.

So does a Ranger make you look fat? Your decision and only your decision.

Best,
Phil
Understood. Was looking for feedback on the dependability part more than anything. I'm sure just like anyone here, no one wants to buy a product only to find out it has issues.
" based on MY life experiences while on this planet. "

Wait... so you have been on another planet?
As far as you know :crackup: ;)
 
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I do appreciate the feedback. Again, I realize its a personal choice, I was mainly looking for any positive or negative experiences you had with the vehicle. While i understand not every vehicle is perfectly made, I am trying to do my due diligence before signing on the dotted line. I unfortunately do not have a local pool of people to speak to about Rangers specifically, but do have people that either own or owned FORDS of late and have taken their experiences into account. :)

Maybe I should have titled the thread "Your Experience with the Ranger" ??
 

dtech

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Your money but I'll say that given the amount of thought you put into your Cons, you'll be subconsciously looking for things to be wrong and not be happy. Sounds like the Nissan will work best for you.
yep sounds like a better fit to be in that Nissan. Brie Larson and guns n roses - tough to argue

 
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WNCblueridge

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Reliability is still my biggest concern but I have had no issues thus far and have never driven ecoboost turbos before all other vehicles owned were only N/A vehicles in the past. Also coming from the last generation Frontier where I abused the crap out of it for over 145k miles with no problems I wanted to try new Frontier platform. I decided to go with the Ranger over new Frontier mainly for slightly lower price and new Frontier felt boring compared to the peppy 2.3. Another common gripe is the new Frontier hood scoop design holds standing water in it from rain or whatever and sloshes around everywhere u go. Just a weird design to me.
 
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mailbox4449

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Reliability is still my biggest concern but I have had no issues thus far and have never driven ecoboost turbos before all other vehicles owned were only N/A vehicles in the past. Also coming from the last generation Frontier where I abused the crap out of it for over 145k miles with no problems I wanted to try new Frontier platform. I decided to go with the Ranger over new Frontier mainly for slightly lower price and new Frontier felt boring compared to the peppy 2.3. Another common gripe is the new Frontier hood scoop design holds standing water in it from rain or whatever and sloshes around everywhere u go. Just a weird design to me.
Thanks for the input. I do appreciate it :like:
 

Big Blue

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Not going to try and convince you either way.

Just going to say that forums may not be the best place to judge the reliability of any vehicle. The people who post here are here mainly for two reasons to get answers to their questions or ideas for mods and to complain. The complainers are the noisiest. The majority of owners probably don't join forums.

I'm here to see what others are doing and help when I can.

That being said my 2019 XLT has been trouble free for the 2+ years I've owned it. Only time its been in the shop was for the heater fan recall. My previous 2011 never saw the dealer till I traded it for max blue book.
 

TomC

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i have test driven a new frontier. Owned one, a 2005 frontier. If green is your favorite color, get a frontier, as the Ranger doesn’t currently have that option. And I haven’t seen a green splash edition yet. Nothing wrong with them, and I got 189,000 miles from my frontier. My biggest pro for the frontier is the closest Ford dealers to me aren’t very good.

and I share your concerns @ the ranger, so I got an extended warranty from Ziegler, based on users here.

But the Ranger has gotten me thru 29.5k miles in little over a year, and I love driving it. So you can’t go wrong either way.

29B50AC2-2BB6-4BE8-B760-9CE74C85EC76.jpeg
 

Chris98SP

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So I have a Ranger on order, and am either having second thoughts or just have too much time on my hands to research other options in more depth/detail. I don't want to get anyone offended here or play favorites, but these are MY opinions based on MY life experiences while on this planet.

Pros:
Actual "mid sized" truck (although this was considered FULL size about a decade ago)
Metal bumpers/not plastic skinned
Good HP and MPG for a truck in this class
Still an actual transmission vs some CVT garbage
Bare bones features (i don't want or like too many upgraded gadgets as my belief is: the more gadgets=the more problems)
Nice ride quality (I only was able to test ride a two year old, 20K, version and that was enough to convince me)
Price (obviously this is subjective to features and trim levels, but FORD is on average a $2,000 below to similar trim levels of others)
Looks (looks like a real truck IMHO)
Aftermarket accessories available

Cons:
Dependability (again, not trying to bash anyone, but I owned a few FORDs and a GM in the past that really burned me bad enough to strictly go Japanese for the last 20 years. All very good experiences. Again...MY EXPERIENCES).
Test drove the new Nissan Frontier last night...and impressed with the revamp (won't go into details, but impressed me to think twice about my Ranger)

I guess after comparing my list here, it's pretty obvious I still have strong reservations about the dependability of a FORD. I like the Ranger and obviously enough that I placed an order for one. BUT, after doing more research here and other forums, and speaking with other FORD owners, I'm getting the feeling I might have made a mistake based on my dependability needs. While most here I'm sure enjoy their vehicles, and those that didn't , probably left this forum, I was hoping the people left here could convince me or other that FORD is just as dependable as anyone else.

Yes, I know every auto manufacturer has issues, some more than others. I've been used to driving vehicles for the last twenty years with only worrying about gas and oil. Yes, wear and tear items were replaced, and a recall or TSB may have popped on the radar, but as a whole, I have had a very pleasant experience with Japanese brands. The vehicles were stored outside 24/7 from +100 degree summers to -20 degree winters. Snow, rain, hail, even had a tree fall on one. When it was time to trade up, the vehicles held their value very well, which was a big savings moving into a new vehicle.

I'm a hands on guy, and don't mind maintaining or tinkering with my vehicles if need be. I consider myself a professional parts changer :giggle: and am comfortable working on a carbureted motor to an EFI. Brakes, hoses, some electrical, trim etc....I've either done it or attempted to do it and learned in the process.

So now that you know a bit more of my background, please convince me that my future Ranger was a good call to make?? Thank you in advance to those that will contribute. I will take your feedback to heart :like:
Although I probably can’t do a whole lot of convincing, I’ll give my two cents. I was in the market for a midsize truck and had already counted out the Tacoma and Ridgeline for personal reasons. That left me with the Colorado ZR2, Ranger Tremor, and Frontier Pro-4X. Although I read all I could about the trucks, none of it mattered as much as driving each and getting a feel for it because at the end of the day, you’re the one who has to drive it everyday. I personally thought the acceleration on the frontier left a little to be desired and I felt that the rear view mirror was obstructive of my view out the windshield (huge deal for me). I didn’t like the Colorado aesthetically or based on how I felt in the truck (not to mention the $10k markup). The Ranger (which wasn’t my top choice) left me very happily surprised and I made my order by the end of that week. Now it’s just a waiting game. I’m content with the choice I made after getting to feel them all out.
 

Jackpot Tremor

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Reliability is still my biggest concern but I have had no issues thus far and have never driven ecoboost turbos before all other vehicles owned were only N/A vehicles in the past. Also coming from the last generation Frontier where I abused the crap out of it for over 145k miles with no problems I wanted to try new Frontier platform. I decided to go with the Ranger over new Frontier mainly for slightly lower price and new Frontier felt boring compared to the peppy 2.3. Another common gripe is the new Frontier hood scoop design holds standing water in it from rain or whatever and sloshes around everywhere u go. Just a weird design to me.

I'll second this.....this is my first turbo engine after having over 12 different Taco's spanning all 3 gen's......but...I hated the 3.5L motor in my last 2019 Tacoma TRD OR 4x4 and had to trade it after 6 months because it felt "dangerous" and plain gutless in the So CA traffic.....and the constant shifting was just plain lame.......I'll never buy another Taco unless they "fix" they stupid motor/tranny combo! I test drove all the competition and nothing was perfect!......there are always traded offs.....I liked the Frontier but I think they also have "perceived" tranny issues......not sure if they are real or not but I just didn't feel "wowed" with the Frontier....

The 2021 Ford Ranger Lariat Tremor check all the boxes for me!.....more than capable off road for the stuff I do which isn't crazy hard core, great set-up right from the factory and no need to upgrade tires/shocks/, super comfy interior (except for no memory seats...lame!), and the motor/tranny work great together and it's supper peppy and just plain a blast with the Ford Performance tune.......and the price seemed fair considering what you get for the $$ especially compared to the Taco.......HOWEVER, I plain on keeping this truck for a long time and I have read about fuel in oil "issues" on here and I just sorta disregard them as I have yet to hear about a motor failing because of it.......and it does have a track record and it does have great reliability........BUT, I did purchase the Ford extended service plan for about $1,250 which covers most everything for 6 years or 125,000 miles.......I'm more concerned about the fancy "gadgets/electronics" breaking and costing who knows how much .....more so than the motor........

lastly......I know I made the right decision for ME but reading these forums everyday is like watching the news......they mostly only tell the bad stuff and not the great stuff!!.....I stopped watching the news and I might stop checking in so often on this forum because it can be a bit overwhelming at times......I'd rather just drive my bad a$$ Ranger and enjoy life!!!

Good Luck in whatever you buy!!
 

dtech

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Reliability with respect to an auto can have a multitude of definitions/interpretations but if you are one that plans on keeping an auto for let's say 10yrs/150 k miles I think that the odds are greater that you'll have more issues with a turbo charged vehicle than one that is NA - just a matter of some increased points of failure with a turbo . When I installed my catch can in the myriad of hoses and wires tucked into that area - my thoughts were " I hope nothing down there ever breaks".
I've owned turbos from back in the early 80s and fixing issues used to be fairly easy and vehicle reliability has come a long way but so has the complexity.
 

Frenchy

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So I have a Ranger on order, and am either having second thoughts or just have too much time on my hands to research other options in more depth/detail. I don't want to get anyone offended here or play favorites, but these are MY opinions based on MY life experiences while on this planet.

Pros:
Actual "mid sized" truck (although this was considered FULL size about a decade ago)
Metal bumpers/not plastic skinned
Good HP and MPG for a truck in this class
Still an actual transmission vs some CVT garbage
Bare bones features (i don't want or like too many upgraded gadgets as my belief is: the more gadgets=the more problems)
Nice ride quality (I only was able to test ride a two year old, 20K, version and that was enough to convince me)
Price (obviously this is subjective to features and trim levels, but FORD is on average a $2,000 below to similar trim levels of others)
Looks (looks like a real truck IMHO)
Aftermarket accessories available

Cons:
Dependability (again, not trying to bash anyone, but I owned a few FORDs and a GM in the past that really burned me bad enough to strictly go Japanese for the last 20 years. All very good experiences. Again...MY EXPERIENCES).
Test drove the new Nissan Frontier last night...and impressed with the revamp (won't go into details, but impressed me to think twice about my Ranger)

I guess after comparing my list here, it's pretty obvious I still have strong reservations about the dependability of a FORD. I like the Ranger and obviously enough that I placed an order for one. BUT, after doing more research here and other forums, and speaking with other FORD owners, I'm getting the feeling I might have made a mistake based on my dependability needs. While most here I'm sure enjoy their vehicles, and those that didn't , probably left this forum, I was hoping the people left here could convince me or other that FORD is just as dependable as anyone else.

Yes, I know every auto manufacturer has issues, some more than others. I've been used to driving vehicles for the last twenty years with only worrying about gas and oil. Yes, wear and tear items were replaced, and a recall or TSB may have popped on the radar, but as a whole, I have had a very pleasant experience with Japanese brands. The vehicles were stored outside 24/7 from +100 degree summers to -20 degree winters. Snow, rain, hail, even had a tree fall on one. When it was time to trade up, the vehicles held their value very well, which was a big savings moving into a new vehicle.

I'm a hands on guy, and don't mind maintaining or tinkering with my vehicles if need be. I consider myself a professional parts changer :giggle: and am comfortable working on a carbureted motor to an EFI. Brakes, hoses, some electrical, trim etc....I've either done it or attempted to do it and learned in the process.

So now that you know a bit more of my background, please convince me that my future Ranger was a good call to make?? Thank you in advance to those that will contribute. I will take your feedback to heart :like:
Here's a pro! It's not a Toyota!
 
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mailbox4449

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Not going to try and convince you either way.

Just going to say that forums may not be the best place to judge the reliability of any vehicle. The people who post here are here mainly for two reasons to get answers to their questions or ideas for mods and to complain. The complainers are the noisiest. The majority of owners probably don't join forums.

I'm here to see what others are doing and help when I can.

That being said my 2019 XLT has been trouble free for the 2+ years I've owned it. Only time its been in the shop was for the heater fan recall. My previous 2011 never saw the dealer till I traded it for max blue book.
I understand and agree with your statement. With limited ranger vehicles near my area, its hard to ask actual owners for feedback. I totally agree with you. Thanks for your feedback and experience :like:
 
 








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