Sponsored

21 Ranger XLT Brake peddle mushy since new

Colo_Ranger

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 19, 2021
Threads
49
Messages
3,799
Reaction score
12,903
Location
Colorado
Vehicle(s)
2021 Ford Ranger XLT FX4
Vehicle Showcase
1
Here is my $.02., You are wildly overreacting. The truck will always stop. The soft pedal is annoying but isn't 'not working'. Bleed the brakes, do the Forscan ABS bleed, but the thing that made the most difference in the pedal feel, for me, was the Wilwood big brake kit.
Sponsored

 

DukeCanBuildit

Well-Known Member
First Name
Duke
Joined
Jul 27, 2020
Threads
66
Messages
9,668
Reaction score
46,254
Location
Kitchener, Ontario
Vehicle(s)
2019 XLT SuperCab - FTW!
Occupation
Retired (P/T) Caregiver (F/T)
Vehicle Showcase
1
IMG_0704.webp


Your truck will still stop. It’s not a safety issue - it’s a driver adjustment issue.
 

Strapper

Well-Known Member
First Name
Greg
Joined
Oct 3, 2023
Threads
2
Messages
46
Reaction score
72
Location
Ontario
Vehicle(s)
2023 Ranger Lariat Crew Cab 5'
Occupation
Retired
Had the same feeling with my new 2023 Lariat.
The selling dealer could find no problem. About 20,000K, another dealer bled them, marginally improving them. I learned to live with it.Now at 35,000K they feel a little rough using them at high speed. I'll get them looked at next service.
So it's not just the earlier years.
 

DukeCanBuildit

Well-Known Member
First Name
Duke
Joined
Jul 27, 2020
Threads
66
Messages
9,668
Reaction score
46,254
Location
Kitchener, Ontario
Vehicle(s)
2019 XLT SuperCab - FTW!
Occupation
Retired (P/T) Caregiver (F/T)
Vehicle Showcase
1
Had the same feeling with my new 2023 Lariat.
The selling dealer could find no problem. About 20,000K, another dealer bled them, marginally improving them. I learned to live with it.Now at 35,000K they feel a little rough using them at high speed. I'll get them looked at next service.
So it's not just the earlier years.
When the dealer says they bled them, if they didn’t state otherwise, I’ll bet good money they simply did an ABS bleed and not an individual bleed on all four corners.
 

TxOTRRanger

Well-Known Member
First Name
Clay
Joined
Jul 14, 2025
Threads
5
Messages
1,459
Reaction score
6,673
Location
Elwood, Texas
Vehicle(s)
2022 Ford Ranger XLT supercrew SPORT 4X4
Occupation
factory worker Tyson Foods


Ohwell

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 19, 2023
Threads
2
Messages
76
Reaction score
94
Location
Minnesota
Vehicle(s)
2023 Ford Ranger XLT FX4
Occupation
Retired
Very true, and well said.
It can be dangerous when you're sitting at a stop and the brake pedal is slowly lowering, and your foot starts pressing down on the accelerator pedal and brake at the same time.
 

got3fords

Well-Known Member
First Name
James
Joined
Apr 12, 2021
Threads
131
Messages
5,324
Reaction score
13,837
Location
22973
Vehicle(s)
2026 Marsh Gray Ranger Raptor, 1995 Harley XLH1200
Occupation
Mom Joke Professional
It can be dangerous when you're sitting at a stop and the brake pedal is slowly lowering, and your foot starts pressing down on the accelerator pedal and brake at the same time.
I have learned to not only get my foot squarely over the brake pedal as needed, but also squarely over the accelerator pedal. Being lazy about it and the foot either drags on the accelerator when braking, or on the right bottom carpet when trying to accelerate. But I wear size 12's, so YMMV.
 

Strapper

Well-Known Member
First Name
Greg
Joined
Oct 3, 2023
Threads
2
Messages
46
Reaction score
72
Location
Ontario
Vehicle(s)
2023 Ranger Lariat Crew Cab 5'
Occupation
Retired
When the dealer says they bled them, if they didn’t state otherwise, I’ll bet good money they simply did an ABS bleed and not an individual bleed on all four corners.
They were not specific, so you could be right. The concept of an ABS bleed is foreign to me. It seems to make little sense to not bleed the individual wheels. I will be having this discussion when I take it in. Thanks for the heads up!
 

DukeCanBuildit

Well-Known Member
First Name
Duke
Joined
Jul 27, 2020
Threads
66
Messages
9,668
Reaction score
46,254
Location
Kitchener, Ontario
Vehicle(s)
2019 XLT SuperCab - FTW!
Occupation
Retired (P/T) Caregiver (F/T)
Vehicle Showcase
1
It can be dangerous when you're sitting at a stop and the brake pedal is slowly lowering, and your foot starts pressing down on the accelerator pedal and brake at the same time.
As mentioned above, that’s a driver adjustment issue. A couple of times, while wearing work boots and winter boots, I didn’t pay proper attention to my foot placement and caught the accelerator on the way down while braking when pulling into my garage and another time while coming to a stop at an active crosswalk - a lot of revving and lurching as I kept pressing down, trying to stop. Alarming for me, my passenger, and the poor folks in the crosswalk. That was all on me - not the soft brake feel, not even the close proximity of the pedals to one another. Me. I bought it that way and I’m expected to operate it safely. That means I need to be deliberate about foot placement whether I’m wearing boots that resemble clown shoes or tight little surf shoes.

Like @got3fords , I adjusted.
 

airline tech

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 24, 2022
Threads
28
Messages
4,468
Reaction score
8,544
Location
Midwest - KS
Vehicle(s)
2022 Ranger Lariat-Super Crew, Cactus Gray
Occupation
Aircraft Tech
YES - The Ranger has a unique feel for the Brake Pedal, as it does not take much (foot pressure) to get the brakes to hold vs other vehicles - so when you begin driving the truck at first you will (1st Note) that the brake pedal (Fades) greater than any other vehicle and the gas pedal is closer than most other vehicles.
So YES, it's an adjustment - I AGREE 100%

But when you have the above design differences and ADD air in the system (It makes it dangerous)
as this was my dilemma from 2 separate dealers unwilling to even get the truck past the - Service Lane- and into the bay. (ITS NORMAL)

I performed a full system brake bleed and (PROVED) that what I was experiencing (NOT NORMAL) and had air in the system - now the system is NORMAL, although if I press the brake pedal hard it will (Fade) farther than any old vehicle I have driven.
So - YES even without air in the system - it is still an adjustment of feel, but I can CONFIRM under normal braking (foot pressure) the brake pedal does not drop down below the gas pedal as it was prior to me bleeding the system.

I am HIGHLIGHTING that yes, it's normal to a point - but if there is air in the system it makes it worse and since others are confirming that a brake bleed (Full System) backs up and confirms my findings on making it better than it was before the bleed.
 
OP
OP

2TurboRanger

Member
First Name
Jack
Joined
Dec 14, 2025
Threads
1
Messages
7
Reaction score
7
Location
Oakley, Comiefornia
Vehicle(s)
21 Ranger XLT 2.3 2x4 Wife Mine 24 Ranger Lariat 2.7 4x4
Occupation
Retired Mechanic
I can't stand driving my wifes 21 ranger with the brakes like this
I have a 24 Ranger and there is zero fade or mush
Sponsored

 
 








Top