Now that the Honeymoon is over....

[Apples]

I will have owned my truck for nearly two years. And I haven't had one single complaint about noise, harshness, vibration, fit, finish, whatever. Fact is, it is as quiet as any truck I've owned, including the Honda Ridgeline. Tracking is above average, and so are the brakes. Speaking only for myself, I have no buyer's remorse. Sounds like you do unfortunately.

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[Joeiconic]

Haven’t driven the new one, but from the performance specs I’m sure you’re right.

As soon as the new Ranger hits the market, the Frontier will be 15 years old again. Their refresh only caught the Frontier up to the current trucks of the competition, which are all in the process of being updated.

 

[P. A. Schilke]

Hello Craig,

Cut your losses and dump the Ranger and go buy the Rice Burner you want...

best,
Phil

 

[taildraggerpilot]

Oh snap!

 

[D Fresh]

So we've had our Ranger XLT 4 X 4 now for a couple months and now that the novelty has worn off, below are a few of the issues I have discovered that I'm unhappy with.

1) Hood alignment is pathetic. Mostly where it meets the fenders and grill/headlights.
2) Both rear doors appear they close too much? Wish they could be adjusted outward a few MM.
3) Brake pedal is mush. I obviously test drove the truck and knew what I was getting into but its getting on my nerves.
4) Wind noise from drivers side rear door.
5) Bouncy ride. Makes my wife seasick.
6) Transmission shifting abrupt/Harsh. I hoped the adaptive logic thing would have helped after 1000 miles of gentle driving.

Overall my opinion is Ford had the chance to build a world class amazing truck but just missed it. If I had to do again I probably would have gone new Frontier or Tacoma.

BTW, I already forscanned the auto start/stop cause I couldnt stand that. I read about the ABS bleed that some have done for the mushy brake pedal but not sure I want to go down that path.

Craig

You're right about some of those. But the ones you're right about are simple fixes.

1. Hood alignment takes all of 5 minutes to correct. They're all like that. Sucks, but "Union Pride!"

2. If they are truly misaligned, this is most likely fixable. Again, should be quite quick.

3. The brake pedal lacks feel. It's a truck, not a Mustang. That being said there are fixes out there if you can't get used to it.

4. Likely the vent behind the seat, or your misaligned doors if so. Could possibly be fixed, might just be part of the deal.

5. All Rangers, except the Tremor, are severely underdamped from the factory. Again, simple fix.

6. Check your fill level. Many trucks were delivered low on transmission fluid. Union Pride again.


No vehicle is perfect. But the Rangers factory shortcomings were all quite livable/fixable for me. The competitions shortcomings were not.

 

[Yaegerbomb89]

Took me about a week to notice my hood isn’t aligned very well either. Bothered me for a minute but I could care less honestly. It’s a truck and it’s sweet, I love it. I have the tremor so the suspension and body roll issues I haven’t really experienced. My biggest complaints about the truck are probably the center console arm rest, and the backup camera. The doors are a bit thin sounding, but I fixed that with some sound deadener.
I didn’t care much for the newer Tacomas, and the previous gen frontier was laughably horrible to drive in my opinion. I got a 4x4 frontier loaded for a week on a work trip a couple of years back. I was thankful I didn’t get stuck with a compact car, but that thing sucked big time. Only thing I liked was the stereo lol.

 

[OregonRangerTremor]

So we've had our Ranger XLT 4 X 4 now for a couple months and now that the novelty has worn off, below are a few of the issues I have discovered that I'm unhappy with.

1) Hood alignment is pathetic. Mostly where it meets the fenders and grill/headlights.
2) Both rear doors appear they close too much? Wish they could be adjusted outward a few MM.
3) Brake pedal is mush. I obviously test drove the truck and knew what I was getting into but its getting on my nerves.
4) Wind noise from drivers side rear door.
5) Bouncy ride. Makes my wife seasick.
6) Transmission shifting abrupt/Harsh. I hoped the adaptive logic thing would have helped after 1000 miles of gentle driving.

Overall my opinion is Ford had the chance to build a world class amazing truck but just missed it. If I had to do again I probably would have gone new Frontier or Tacoma.

BTW, I already forscanned the auto start/stop cause I couldnt stand that. I read about the ABS bleed that some have done for the mushy brake pedal but not sure I want to go down that path.

Craig

Also a Craig here I have none of those issues. Mine is near perfect. I moved to the Ranger from an F150. I like the more sport feel, nimble, handles like a race car compared to my bigger F150. I would go to your Dealer and get those things resolved. Also let Ford know so it gets back to the factory for resets or more training. Issues do not get resolved if it does not get to the right crew.

 

[RANGER_MARC]

So we've had our Ranger XLT 4 X 4 now for a couple months and now that the novelty has worn off, below are a few of the issues I have discovered that I'm unhappy with.

1) Hood alignment is pathetic. Mostly where it meets the fenders and grill/headlights.
2) Both rear doors appear they close too much? Wish they could be adjusted outward a few MM.
3) Brake pedal is mush. I obviously test drove the truck and knew what I was getting into but its getting on my nerves.
4) Wind noise from drivers side rear door.
5) Bouncy ride. Makes my wife seasick.
6) Transmission shifting abrupt/Harsh. I hoped the adaptive logic thing would have helped after 1000 miles of gentle driving.

Overall my opinion is Ford had the chance to build a world class amazing truck but just missed it. If I had to do again I probably would have gone new Frontier or Tacoma.

BTW, I already forscanned the auto start/stop cause I couldnt stand that. I read about the ABS bleed that some have done for the mushy brake pedal but not sure I want to go down that path.

Craig

Dear Craig:

I experienced several of these issues myself when we first brought my 2019 Lariat FX4 home. I did not notice any problems with the hood or doors. I did find the brakes mushy at first, but I just got used to them over time. I think this must mainly be a problem for people who drive different vehicles because they have to adjust their expectation of when the brakes "bite" back and forth. But for me, with just the one truck, I got used to it, and it just feels normal now. The bouncy ride, yeah, that was a real problem for me (and the wife as well), and so once the Ford Performance Leveling Kit came out, I was all over it, and it really helped once we put it on. The transmission lagging, especially on hills, was annoying to me as well, though more so in D than in S. Once the Ford Performance Tune came out, we did that as well, and the shifting (and performance generally) is much better now. I actually do not mind Auto S/S as much as some members. I either turn it off when I start or drive in S, so no problem.

Whatever you decide, I hope that the truck works out for you. I had my doubts at first but love it now (and so does the wife)!

Best, Marc

 

[paval3]

No reason to be apprehensive with the ABS system purge, it just makes a horrible noise for a few moments when you're doing the process, and its pretty dummy-proof if you follow the guides on here.

If I could do it, anyone can! I missed clearing the codes after doing the bleed, and when I test drove the Ranger around the parking lot at work (I did the ABS bleed on a break), I had a bunch of error wrarnings pop up... I ran in and jumped on the forum here expressing my fear that I had really screwed something up. Someone mention I probably didn't clear the codes. Went back out and did that and then all was fine! Drove it around the parking lot, no more mushy brakes!

 

[KJRR]

Disappointed in y’all, (except Phil @P. A. Schilke ) especially RP @RANGER PRIDE. The fix for #5 may not be the cheapest but you could always upgrade the wife.

 

[KJRR]

in my defence, I dont know the OP well enough to talk about his wife.

RP!? or did someone hack your profile?
Well, there is the full moon to explain things...

 

[McLeadslinger]

Sounds like you expect champagne on a beer budget. Go buy a Tacoma and REALLY hate a truck. Something tells me you won’t be happy regardless of the vehicle. At least go to the dealer and address the issues with them
Before condemning the truck.

 

[CB750F]

WOW! Tough crowd! I say sell it.

 

[Elgorr4]

Sorry to hear. I have none of those issues.
I drove the Taco and what an antiquated TuRD that tranny and V6 combo are.

It is astonishing how bad that combo is. I valet cars in the mountains and new Tacomas and 4runners are super common. When I see them I always think they look pretty mean, but stepping inside feels like going back in time. The seating position and driving inputs are terrible. Getting in and out of 4x4 is also such a pain compared to the ranger. I'm always glad I don't have to drive them far!

 

[Stringburner]

I wanted to like a Tacoma because I HATE automatic transmissions. I drove several and hated them, even with the manual. Weak engine, you feel like you're sitting on the floor, & poor visibility. The Ranger is an amazing truck compared to the Toyota. I'm hoping Ford offers a manual in the next gen Ranger here in the US. or Toyota fixes their mess and the next gen Tacoma is on point. Or I'll get a Bronco with the 2.3/7 speed manual. ?‍

I love my Ranger except the transmission, and it's fine honestly. I simply want my vehicles to be in the gear I want them in without any drama. And the feel of direct, mechanical drive vs. fluid drive is superior.

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