Ranger XLT - seriously regret getting this truck, it's crap

[Andy]

If the issues are true then PM me the dealership info and ill look into it. Plenty of us here offered to help with the issues..

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[Rinn69]

OP has no other post on any other threads and hasn't been back to give further information.
Maybe admin should just close this one out.
We have offered feedback and if this was truly a concerned member of the forum then I would think he'd be back giving us updates and there would be further participation in other threads.

@Administrator Sounds like a good idea Or just delete the entire thread.

 

[Kevarmy79]

I decided not to participate. I look at the OP's huge list of issues, general attitude and things seem off. Maybe some of those problems are real but I think there's deeper reasons why not one single dealer in this guy's area will deal with him. We don't have the whole story here.

Edit: OP: Post the name of the dealer that is refusing service. I would like to talk to them to get their side of the story.

Luther Family Ford, Fargo ND, is the dealership. I've purchased from them in the past, when it was under different management, and had great service. Ford customer care sent me to another dealership for service, but they were a tractor trailer dealership and service center and don't work on Rangers. That place sent me to a Lincoln dealership, was told they could work on it but they'd prefer not too because of something with the way warranty paperwork has to be filled out between Ford and Lincoln. They also had a shop full of cars and trucks with Luther Ford stickers on the back and I was told they get a lot of customers from there that come in to have their service work redone after being at the Luther shop. The Lincoln dealership is the only other dealership in Fargo that is affiliated with Ford. The 3rd dealership I checked with is another 100 miles past Fargo, so 160 miles from my house. They were 4 weeks out for service appts and don't offer loaner vehicles. They said if I can't find one to look at it to come back, but the cases like this in the past resulted in them having to hold the vehicle for months waiting for Ford to tell them what they need to do. They kept the customer waiting for almost a year and the dealership was responsible for keeping the vehicle and the liability that went with it. The dealership my dad's cousin used to own is going to look at it, and according to them there have been a few other rangers in with many of the same issues. One thing they have found is the issues seem to happen more often when the truck is parked outside overnight and they are trying to figure out if there is some correlation between temps below 0, with wind chill down to -30, and the issues happening. It seems like they are actually trying to do right by the customer, so I'm gonna stay positive that they will be able to fix my truck.

 

[Andrew]

Luther Family Ford, Fargo ND, is the dealership. I've purchased from them in the past, when it was under different management, and had great service. Ford customer care sent me to another dealership for service, but they were a tractor trailer dealership and service center and don't work on Rangers. That place sent me to a Lincoln dealership, was told they could work on it but they'd prefer not too because of something with the way warranty paperwork has to be filled out between Ford and Lincoln. They also had a shop full of cars and trucks with Luther Ford stickers on the back and I was told they get a lot of customers from there that come in to have their service work redone after being at the Luther shop. The Lincoln dealership is the only other dealership in Fargo that is affiliated with Ford. The 3rd dealership I checked with is another 100 miles past Fargo, so 160 miles from my house. They were 4 weeks out for service appts and don't offer loaner vehicles. They said if I can't find one to look at it to come back, but the cases like this in the past resulted in them having to hold the vehicle for months waiting for Ford to tell them what they need to do. They kept the customer waiting for almost a year and the dealership was responsible for keeping the vehicle and the liability that went with it. The dealership my dad's cousin used to own is going to look at it, and according to them there have been a few other rangers in with many of the same issues. One thing they have found is the issues seem to happen more often when the truck is parked outside overnight and they are trying to figure out if there is some correlation between temps below 0, with wind chill down to -30, and the issues happening. It seems like they are actually trying to do right by the customer, so I'm gonna stay positive that they will be able to fix my truck.

So it’s not really four dealerships refusing to look at your truck ha ha. Also, you had a million problems which one fixes your outside cold temp problem? I’m assuming the shifting/stutter. I have the same issue but it’s only a problem if you start the truckand go. You may get a rough shift or two or a thump from behind but otherwise it’s fine. Especially if you warm up the truck before going which I do (Thanks Ford Pass). I think a lot of these newer vehicles with multiple gears are going to have this problem. Just drive a Tacoma and see how terrible it is.

 

[Strokerduster]

Please explain Lawyer and cease and desist.

 

[Kevarmy79]

@Administrator Sounds like a good idea Or just delete the entire thread.

Sorry if I'm not on here multiple times every day. How often should I check in? I have an appointment for the truck this coming Tuesday, and Ford customer care said they can't move forward on their end until it's at the dealership and the service techs complete a specific list of service checks and record the results so a Ford customer care committee can use the results to make a determination. The customer care rep said the process on average takes about 3-5 weeks for this part of the whole process to figure out if the vehicle qualifies for buyback, lemon law, repair affected parts of vehicle, replace affected parts of the vehicle, or allow me to revoke the vehicle on grounds of substantial non conformity to perform as warranted and advertised which would allow me to pick out a replacement truck.
So there's the update, the truck still runs like crap, is freaking cold to drive since temps are -15 degrees and there's no heat, and I have to back up about 3 times and take a good run to try and get out of my driveway because 4x4 rarely works, it doesn't even go into 4x4L anymore, the 4L symbol on the dash just flashes red and nothing happens. When I turn the dial back to get back into 4H or 2wd it continues to flash red, I have to shut the truck off for a few minutes to get it to reset. If you have any ideas why that's happening please share, I'm happy to hear any suggestions on what I can try to cope with these issues until the service techs have it and can look into it. And I'm not too concerned about what people think of me as a person, and yes I do sound angry because the whole situation is maddening. I recently moved back to my home state after living in Texas for 6 years so I'm not familiar with many of the dealerships here anymore, last vehicle I bought here was almost 15 years ago. I just need a reliable truck to get to dr appts and physical therapy 3 to 4 times a week, about 62 miles one way to the hospital, and also to work 1 to 2 days a week which is 20 miles away. Military disability pension doesn't go very far each month and spending extra to drive all over looking for a dealership to help means less money for things like heating oil for my boiler, groceries, etc. But I'm not giving up, the truck is defective and not safe to keep driving. Anyone that wants to come to ND and take it for a spin is welcome to, just bring your thermal underwear and warmest winter jacket!

 

[Kevarmy79]

Seems to be you have a dealer problem. Why haven't you been to s different dealef?

Unfortunately the closest dealership is the one the truck is from, 60 miles away from my house. This is also the first time I haven't been able to pay cash for a new vehicle, the salesman and finance rep both said I have to come back to that dealership for service because that's where I leased it from, and I was stupid enough to believe them. I'm in my forties and this is my first time financing anything besides a house.

 

[P. A. Schilke]

Hi Kevin,

This sounds like a electrical connector is the likely cause of your problems...there are several connectors that are problematic. Hopefully the dealer tech will diagnose. However, your apparent approach with the dealer is likely a setback at the lower levels of the dealer management. You might consider elevating this at the dealer level. Just state the facts...no threats...Most dealers have thick skins unless threatened with physical violence etc... Stand your ground in a civil manor.

Good luck...I think you have a bit of fence mending to do... Hope you are up to this...

Best,
Phil Schilke
Ranger Vehicle Engineering
Ford Motor Co. Retired

 

[Kevarmy79]

Please explain Lawyer and cease and desist.

The lawyer is a friend who has handled some of my legal needs, will, POA, and stuff like that. He has been in the truck and driven it so he has witnessed what's going on. After the GM said they wouldn't allow me to bring it back for service he said he'd try talking to them. He called, left a message with the front desk, didn't hear back. Tried calling again, left another message with receptionist. Then he stopped in and asked for the GM, he wouldn't come down from his office. Next day my lawyer friend received a cease and desist by certified mail from the dealership in regards to the issues of my truck. I don't understand why the GM did that, seems a bit extreme. My friend was just going to ask for their side of things to see if he could open up a line of communication, it's not even the area of law he practices and he was trying to do what he could to help.

 

[Strokerduster]

I think Phil and I could help advise you a little. The main question I have now is do you want the truck or want it bought back? It does make a difference.

 

[Kevarmy79]

Hi Kevin,

This sounds like a electrical connector is the likely cause of your problems...there are several connectors that are problematic. Hopefully the dealer tech will diagnose. However, your apparent approach with the dealer is likely a setback at the lower levels of the dealer management. You might consider elevating this at the dealer level. Just state the facts...no threats...Most dealers have thick skins unless threatened with physical violence etc... Stand your ground in a civil manor.

Good luck...I think you have a bit of fence mending to do... Hope you are up to this...

Best,
Phil Schilke
Ranger Vehicle Engineering
Ford Motor Co. Retired

Thanks for the information. I'll be sure to show your response to the techs on Tuesday and hopefully that will lead them to finding the cause. As far as threats go, that's not an issue since I was injured while in the army. It would actually be pretty comical if I did try to start a fight, shaking my cane like an old man yelling at a young whippersnapper to get off my lawn!! Lol

 

[Kevarmy79]

I'm curious if you've done or attempted to do any mods to your truck. Is it all stock?

Everything is stock. I've added weathertech floor liners, mudflaps and a hitch (no wiring since that was already there). Other than that I use reg 87 octane with 10% ethanol, except for every third or fourth tank I fill with 87 octane with no alcohol. Mobil 1 full synthetic for oil, only one oil change done so far and that was at a Lincoln dealership quick lane. Had that changed at 3000 miles and guy changing it said the oil that came out was really dark, some black specks in it and smelled burnt.

 

[Kevarmy79]

I think Phil and I could help advise you a little. The main question I have now is do you want the truck or want it bought back? It does make a difference.

I actually do like the truck itself, just frustrated with what's been happening with it. If it can be repaired to operate as it should then I want to keep it, but after having it in 5 times already I wasn't sure if it was possible to repair it. But in those 5 times the only thing they did was run a simple diagnostic scan and said the computer told them it's fine. Another tech pulled me aside and said there were some fault codes that came up and they reprogrammed the PCM, TCM and ECM because of it, but I don't know what the codes were telling them. There was a couple of issues I'm thinking it solved, there used to be some message that came up on the dash that said something about a sensor failure. From what I was told the vehicle was trying to search for the sensor that controls adaptive cruise control. My truck doesn't have adaptive cruise so I don't really understand why it was searching for the sensor. But that warning hasn't come up since they reprogrammed everything. And the idle is better, still a lot of vibration but it no longer idles at 1800 to 2000 rpms. It used to do that when I would start with key or remote to warm it up, and when stopping for a stop sign or red light, or in stop and go traffic. I'd come to a stop, idle would jump immediately from around 700 to about 2000 and stay there til I took my foot off the brake, which I did slowly to try and avoid it jolting forward into another vehicle. When I'd start letting off the brake it would rev slightly higher then drop back down to below 1000. That issue seems to have been fixed too.

 

[Kevarmy79]

I am no expert but I am pretty sure when you put your car in park it prevents the driveshaft from moving at all, if it failed both back wheels would spin not just one. That does not make sense.

Why would both back wheels spin, there's no locker on the rear differential. I can see if my friend's kids would like to write in on here, they thought it was pretty cool that the tire was moving when it was in park. It's only done it when I've stopped on a large patch of ice or snow covered ice. I was wondering if there's a sensor in the traction control that may be the issue, sensing ground condition wrong and trying to push power to the tire with traction. I'm not sure why it can do that in park either, but I do know mine isn't the only one that's moved forward after being shifted into park. Ford customer care rep said there was a recall for that issue on 2019 rangers and also the fusion I believe.

 

[Strokerduster]

All are my suggestions. Keep the lawyer out unless all else fails. They will take it as a threat. Ford customer service is your friend and has capabilities (like authorizing a loaner or paying for a rental and if it drags out can even pay your payment or give you an extended warranty) that the dealer does not. prioritize your list, you don't want them spending days on a air leak and not the 4wd. Help them diagnose the truck, Nobody knows your truck and what it does like you do. Make notes of what and under what conditions it does things. Like said earlier sitting outside at night in extreme cold could affect things. Do you have some place to keep it inside over night to see if it makes a difference. Is it parked on an incline? it could affect fluid levels. If you always buy gas at the same place, change for a tank or 2. See if they will let you drive a similar truck for a couple days and use it exactly as you do yours and see/note the differences. If they can't duplicate the problem they can't fix it so take a video of it to show them what it does and under what conditions. Have faith, it's a good truck and ANYTHING can be fixed. Keep us posted. Night Brother......101st

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