Buying a 2019 Ranger FX4. Looking for advice!

[D0lphan72]

Hi all, planning on buying a 2019 Lariat FX4 with 24K miles on it and had some questions below. I plan on keeping it for as long as possible so all of my questions are generally based on maintaining it to be as reliable as possible. You're welcome to give any unrelated tips too!

**** most important question. Please see the carfax URL and advise if there should be any concern with the first oil change happening right after 10K miles since I assume the first oil change is supposed to happen pretty early.

https://www.carfax.com/VehicleHisto...SLlNVhk7-eUzfqeeNmplfqxQhDsUN28i9atxDhHnBQ7QU

• I haven’t owned a 4WD vehicle before. Is there a general guide on best way to shift between 2WD and 4WD to not damage any of the transmission etc?
• any general maintenance things I should look at with the transmission since it’s a 4wd instead of 2WD?
• should I drive it in 4wd a “minimum” amount over a specific timeframe to keep it from getting “rusty”?
• Anything about the 2.3 turbos I should know in general to keep it in good shape and maintain it beyond the general guides in the owners manual?
• I plan on taking this off-roading but have never been to an off road park, anything I should know before going out there? I want to have fun bu

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[Charley]

1. On surfaces that provide slippage - gravel, dirt. mud or very wet paved roads:
Under 50mph you can press the button in the center of the selector to switch from 2WD to 4WD High. You will need to use the knob (selector) and rotate back to 2WD.
1A 4 low you MUST be in gravel, dirt, mud. You must be stopped.
2. general maintenance
3. Don't need to, though it never hurts to exercise the gears.
4. Look to see if there are any 4WD clubs (often Jeep is in their name) to join. Go watch, bum a ride and experience.

Read your owners manual

 

[rang19ca]

Like advice above, Read the owners manual. These are fairly strong 4WD systems as long as you follow Maintenace procedures.

 

[underwhelmed]

Get an extended warranty! From day one.

 

[Red5ThGen]

I am also the second-hand owner of an FX4, a 2020 built in late 2019.

1. 2H to 4H and back, just let off the gas and flip the switch. (on a loose surface of course, gravel, snow, dirt etc...). To get into and out of 4L you must be in neutral, the same rule about surfaces applies. -be careful about putting the drive-line under load while in 4L and turning full lock, as this is when the front half shafts will be most susceptible to damage.

2. Change your transfer case and rear differential fluid. When I changed my rear diff gear oil it was midnight black and a good bit of metal shavings came out from break in (25K miles). The transfer case was almost as dirty. The front diff was more or less ok but I changed it to get the metal bits out of there too. Also, final weird bit about the trail mode button on the 4x4 shifter, mine got stuck and I had to push on it with the back of a wrench while spraying it with graphite ignition lube to get it to move. I always press it a couple times a month to keep it from seizing again.

3. I try to use it every few months but theoretically it shouldn't matter much.

4.(this is my opinion, based on my own research, I am a software developer not a mechanical engineer so take it with a grain of salt)
The 2.3L EB is a fairly robust engine, proven by its use in a handful of vehicles starting in 2015 for almost a decade now.
That said, it is a turbocharged engine so be nice to it and it should last a long time. Make sure you change the oil on time, neglecting the engine oil is the easiest way to ruin a turbocharger, period. Don't drive it hard without letting the engine warm up a bit. This is a modern coolant cooled turbocharger so you don't need to idle it for 10 minutes before driving, but I would still give it 15-30 seconds to warm up initially before you start moving. Same goes for the cool down, unless you were absolutely hammering it or just got off the freeway less than a minute ago, then I'd give it a minute or two before shutting it off.
Sport mode is great for on ramps and steep hills, keeps the engine from lugging too hard or the transmission from having an identity crisis.

5. I have just recently been introduced to off-roading myself and it has snowballed into a major hobby of mine now so I will let you know what I wish I knew before I jumped in.
Don't get sucked into the "I need to by X Y and Z before I can drive on dirt" mindset. There are some necessary pieces of equipment that it would be foolish to venture off the pavement without, but by and large, you really don't need much to get out and have fun off road.
-Things you really actually need and should not go off road without:
Water and food, Your spare tire -after checking that its not flat before you leave, an air compressor, maps and a compass/gps, a trash bag (to clean up after yourself, and all the unfortunate individuals who leave trash on the trails), some kind of communication (cell phone, walkie talkies for you and your off road friends/spotter-passenger), your off road friends (because you shouldn't go off into the woods or off-roading at an OHV park without a second person in a second truck or jeep). A trashy piece of plywood for putting your jack on when you have to change a tire on soft dirt or sand.
Serious off road modifications are a must for the rougher trails(rock sliders, skit plates etc...) and they are worth the money if you make use of them, but you don't need much to get out and have some fun on the gravel. Remember, a good set of All Terrain Tires are the most significant off road mod money can buy.

General off road eddicute dictates: the person going up the hill on a one track road has right of way (it is much safer to back up a hill to a siding than down one). Leave the trail better than you found it. -Unfortunately trails have been closing and this is a scary prospect, since it is doubtful new ones will ever be created in this day and age. People driving off the roads and leaving garbage has been the low hanging fruit of choice for groups petititioning to get trails closed.

Enjoy your new truck, and have fun off road!

 

[Mighty Little Blue]

Strange timeline on CARFAX report original dealer PDI 08-31-2019 then not offered for sale until 07-03-2020. Then sold on 08-21-2020 showing only 10 miles, but during the year the dealer had it, 2 services were done on it (no info listed each time only service). I know this was partly through the beginning of the Pandemic. Sort of seems like it was maybe a loaner vehicle, but the mileage does not show that?

 

[AzScorpion]

Get a extended warranty Damper! From day one.

Geeze, have you not learned anything here yet? ?

@D0lphan72 I wouldn't be to concerned about the first oil change as that's what Ford recommends. Me personally I change every vehicle around 1000 - 1,500 miles then every 5,000 miles after that. Being a turbo (I was living in AZ with high heat) I always use a full synthetic too and rotate the tires every 5,000 with the oil change.

Also the Fx4 shocks are junk! You might want to think about replacing them with a set of Eibac or Bilstein which will make a huge difference on & off road. It's take the "bounce" away from the rear and smooth it out when you're going over bumps off road and it won't eellike a pogo stick. I would look into an extended warranty as @underwhelmed suggested (but a damper should be tops on your list ?) because there's a lot of tech in these trucks and it's expensive if/when something goes wrong.

You've already go some good advice about off roading but one thing I'll add....go slow! It's much different than being on the road and things can/will change around every corner. There's a ton go good YouTube videos and as suggested join a local group as they'll be able to show you first hand what to do and what not to do. It's not a race (unless you're out in the open desert) and most of my off roading is done around 10-15 mph (or less) depending on the terrain.

 

[Zappy]

I didn't see mention of the blend vent repair on the carfax. Maybe it doesn't always get recorded. The blend vent failure is common in the 2019 Ranger (you can search for that in this forum). When the blend vent fails, Ford recommends replacing the entire vent box and that requires pulling the dash. So, if it hasn't been replaced on the Ford you are looking at, you can use that as a price negotiating point or incentive to get a good warranty. Obviously, I'm a little bitter about the blend bent thing, but other than that and a few other weird things, I like my Ranger.

 

[Jason B]

My advice that you don't want to hear, don't pay $30k for a 5-year-old vehicle, especially one that was first year model with many know troubles.

 

[Waxthis]

I didn't see mention of the blend vent repair on the carfax. Maybe it doesn't always get recorded. The blend vent failure is common in the 2019 Ranger (you can search for that in this forum). When the blend vent fails, Ford recommends replacing the entire vent box and that requires pulling the dash. So, if it hasn't been replaced on the Ford you are looking at, you can use that as a price negotiating point or incentive to get a good warranty. Obviously, I'm a little bitter about the blend bent thing, but other than that and a few other weird things, I like my Ranger.

Take note of this!!!!!

 

[Msfitoy]

My advice is to start a tranny savings fund...put away a couple of grand a year and if your lucky and your tranny lasts at least 3 years, you'll have the cash to just have a new one installed when the inevitable happens...

 

[Retirednavy2010]

Hi all, planning on buying a 2019 Lariat FX4 with 24K miles on it and had some questions below. I plan on keeping it for as long as possible so all of my questions are generally based on maintaining it to be as reliable as possible. You're welcome to give any unrelated tips too!

**** most important question. Please see the carfax URL and advise if there should be any concern with the first oil change happening right after 10K miles since I assume the first oil change is supposed to happen pretty early.

https://www.carfax.com/VehicleHisto...SLlNVhk7-eUzfqeeNmplfqxQhDsUN28i9atxDhHnBQ7QU

• I haven’t owned a 4WD vehicle before. Is there a general guide on best way to shift between 2WD and 4WD to not damage any of the transmission etc?
• any general maintenance things I should look at with the transmission since it’s a 4wd instead of 2WD?
• should I drive it in 4wd a “minimum” amount over a specific timeframe to keep it from getting “rusty”?
• Anything about the 2.3 turbos I should know in general to keep it in good shape and maintain it beyond the general guides in the owners manual?
• I plan on taking this off-roading but have never been to an off road park, anything I should know before going out there? I want to have fun bu

2019's transmissions suck. I bought a 2019 with 28,000 miles in Jan 2024. The blend doors for the heater/air has issues. It will go bad and not switch, not if, but when. The transmissions have had issues. Again, not if, but when. Mine at 31,000 had to been completely rebuilt and it is starting to shift hard into 8th gear again. Atleast I have a 2 year warranty on the transmission rebuild. All the bells and whistles are nice, it drives nice. I agree with someone else on the forum, buy an extended warranty. I never bought one before but even the dealer said I should. That should have been my 1st indication. Not a bad truck overall just too many gadgets that can go wrong. Good luck.

 

[Jason B]

My advice is to start a tranny savings fund...put away a couple of grand a year and if your lucky and your tranny lasts at least 3 years, you'll have the cash to just have a new one installed when the inevitable happens...

A $2000 ESP is well worth it's cost to cover a $6000 trans replacement.

 

[5thranger]

Hi all, planning on buying a 2019 Lariat FX4 with 24K miles on it and had some questions below. I plan on keeping it for as long as possible so all of my questions are generally based on maintaining it to be as reliable as possible. You're welcome to give any unrelated tips too!

**** most important question. Please see the carfax URL and advise if there should be any concern with the first oil change happening right after 10K miles since I assume the first oil change is supposed to happen pretty early.

https://www.carfax.com/VehicleHisto...SLlNVhk7-eUzfqeeNmplfqxQhDsUN28i9atxDhHnBQ7QU

• I haven’t owned a 4WD vehicle before. Is there a general guide on best way to shift between 2WD and 4WD to not damage any of the transmission etc?
• any general maintenance things I should look at with the transmission since it’s a 4wd instead of 2WD?
• should I drive it in 4wd a “minimum” amount over a specific timeframe to keep it from getting “rusty”?
• Anything about the 2.3 turbos I should know in general to keep it in good shape and maintain it beyond the general guides in the owners manual?
• I plan on taking this off-roading but have never been to an off road park, anything I should know before going out there? I want to have fun bu

Do not do any more 10,000 mile oil changes, seriously 5,000.

 

[Msfitoy]

A $2000 ESP is well worth it's cost to cover a $6000 trans replacement.

With my miles, an ESP would run out...

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