Ford Ranger - long term reliability

[bbuoni8]

I joined this forum recently, and have seen many posts, and thought I would reach out to all of you with a couple of hopefully quick questions. I am in the market for a mid-size truck, and I drive 90 miles a day on the highway. I have driven all of the mid-sizers, minus the Colorado. I am wondering if you could help me understand the differences, in terms of projected reliability between the Ranger and the Tacoma or the Ranger v. the Frontier, and even the Colorado/Canyon? I understand how the Ecoboosts are great for torque and gas mileage, but am wondering if these engines / truck components can enjoy the same type of dependability that is touted by Tacoma owners. I am honestly trying to make a good choice that will last me for many years, and I really liked the way the Ranger drove. I just want to make sure it is a solid choice. Any counsel or advice would be very appreciated! Thank you,

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[Jrel209]

Imo A 4cl turbo just wont outlast a v6. But im sure if ur not planning on keeping it past 200k miles you’ll be fine

 

[bbuoni8]

Thank you for that... would really like to keep it as long as possible.

 

[codestp202]

The ranger engine should last a long time. Definitely outlast most 1st owners. It's detuned from the Focus RS which is pushing 350 hp. Although the Ranger is heavier, the boost is pretty low. I think we need to get out of this cylinder count = reliability mindset. A lower stressed 4 cyl turbo with forged internals may last longer than a smaller displacement v6 that needs to rev out to make hp & torque. I think 99% of it is going to come down to which vehicle is maintained better and how its driven.

There are so many ecoboosts on the road now and outside of some freak issues like the Edited:Incorrect headgaskets on Focus RS's, they have been very stout and reliable.

I also don't think the Tacoma v6 and auto trans is anything special or super reliable. Seems on par with most vehicles nowadays; if anything, it seems like the newer Tacomas are having a lot of reliability issues regarding the trans and engine. Just my 2 cents.

 

[ranger4x]

Having purchased fleets for a couple different companies I can tell you that with proper maintenance the EcoBoost engines in the F150s (both 2.7 and 3.5) and the 2.0 in the Edges can easily see 200k, I don't see why the ranger 2.3l would be any different. Maintenance on any modern vehicle is the biggest driving factor on reliability.

 

[bbuoni8]

From a driving perspective, I thought the Ranger was the most enjoyable, comfortable, and solid feeling. When I drove the Tacoma, it felt tight, and the visibility out wasn't great. The one i drove was used, and the asking price was almost $40K, and my thought was honestly that I think I would have major regrets if I were driving that 90 miles/day, jiggling and bouncing all over the road. I've always heard so much about reliability, but if you don't like the way it drives, and it is not comfortable, what's the point, right?

Drove the new Frontier, and thought it drove well, but the SV model was pushing nearly $40K. That's a lot of $ for a truck that is still unproven.

 

[bbuoni8]

Thank you... keep hearing to use full synthetic every 5,000 miles, and the truck will last.

 

[Jrel209]

Lets put it this way, I highly doubt we will get to 200k without having to replace the turbo or some other issues with the injectors considering it is a gas direct injection. Im also not away of any ‘known’ issues with tacoma engine/transmission other than being pretty lackluster. And the reason i steered clear of chevy is their KNOWN trans issue that resulted in a class action lawsuit. Who knows how the frontier will fair its too new.

 

[rcairflr]

Having purchased fleets for a couple different companies I can tell you that with proper maintenance the EcoBoost engines in the F150s (both 2.7 and 3.5) and the 2.0 in the Edges can easily see 200k, I don't see why the ranger 2.3l would be any different. Maintenance on any modern vehicle is the biggest driving factor on reliability.

That is good to hear. Any special maintenance or just the normal maintenance as dictated by the manufacturer?

 

[bbuoni8]

Knowing this, would you still by the Ranger over the Tacoma again?

 

[codestp202]

Yup, I think 10k is too long for my comfort. I do 5-6k miles since I use the truck pretty hard.

My last ecoboost was a 1.6t in my Fiesta ST track car. I beat the living shit out of that thing at the track, on the mountains, towing motos. It was heavily tuned and it never skipped a beat.

Secondly, I was also cross shopping the Tacoma Vs Ranger. Hated the seats, driving, and transmission in the Tacoma, as well as the sky high price. No regrets.

 

[Scooter]

I wanted to find an Australian 5G page to see the reliability of the Ranger over its true 10 year period. I am not sure if they were just offered the diesel and if there are any 2.3L Turbo engines.

 

[dondonbabyraptor]

Ford durability test 150k on the 90th percentile customer with no major repairs. I trust their tests, will there be lemons? Of course. But for the most part, all the high end mileage users I have read are fine. Even at 150k miles + for industry vehicles. You can find details about Ford durability test in Phil's posts and the personal evidence on 150k+ miles on industry vehicles was from FB ranger forums asking reliability questions like you.

 

[bbuoni8]

It's good to know these can take some licks and keep going. It's been ingrained that Tacoma's will last longest, but after seeing threads on the 3rd gen, and driving it, makes me think that maybe this was true at one time, but not so much anymore, and any truck can make it to 200K if you maintain it right.

 

[GhostStrykre]

Yep, I'm gonna echo the maintenance comment. Especially if you're buying brand new. If you just follow the maintenance outline in the owners manual, the truck will last a very long time.
- The platform the current ranger is built on has been around worldwide for many years.
- The ecoboost engines from Ford have proven themselves to have some serious longevity (i wish the engine had port injection, but alas it does not).

Check out https://www.carcomplaints.com/Ford/Ranger/ and you'll see there's a very low number of complaints in the 2019+ years.

There are preventative things you can do if you're hyper paranoid, but putting a good quality full synthetic every 5k miles and following maintenance recommendations by the manual and you should be fine.

There's absolutely no guarantee that a Taco is going to be trouble free either. I personally love the Taco's, but I just enjoyed the Ranger's offering more.

The Ranger is a great truck and does not have any glaring issues. Buy what makes you happy, I say.

Additional note: the FX4 suspension is harsh IMO. I'm planning to upgrade to the Fox 2.0 suspension. I am assuming the non-FX4 trims are plusher and not as bad.

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