Shopping for a (used) Ranger

[magoh]

Hello there! My name's David, I'm from the Tulsa, OK area and I'm not currently a Ranger owner, although I've had an '89, a '93 4x4, a '90 Bronco II, and come from a long line of Ford guys. My current adventures are had in a 2001 Mitsubishi Montero, which I love (it's my third one), but for a variety of reasons its no longer the right vehicle for me. After some research I've settled on the 2019+ Ranger with the FX4 or Tremor package. It will be my daily driver and pull double duty as a kayak hauler/back country explorer for my wife and I. I've got my eye on 2 of them right now. Any advice is welcome but I'll continue poring over the forums for information. It would be nice if there was a "Used 5G Ranger Buyer's Guide", but I haven't found anything like that on the interwebs yet.

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[IdahoRanger]

Welcome, you will find that your needs may determine which model you need. The Tremor will be set up nicely for the purpose you stated and the FX4 as well but depending on the offroad ride you may need to update the shocks on the FX4.

If you get a 2019 you should check and make sure the HVAC blend door has been replaced or working properly. There was no Tremor in 2019.

I have a 2019 FX4 Lariat and the stock set up works for me. I will be getting tires soon and will go with an AT 3peak, probably the Falken Wildpeak At3w.

 

[9zero1790]

Welcome to r5g! If I was shopping for a 5g ranger currently I would try to find a 2019 - 2020 truck. Those were made before some of the standard equipment started being removed... They also seem to have better transmissions, brakes, shocks, and paint.

 

[KJRR]

Check to see if there were any mods somebody made that screwed up the ranger and decided to trade it in.

 

[mtsoxfan]

To tell f the Ranger was well taken care of, open the tailgate and see if a DeeZee damper was installed. All the cool kids and knowledgeable people installed them...

 

[BS67]

Welcome David!

 

[underwhelmed]

Actually the damper is a great sign. It means the previous owner had ED and/or low T. Very unlikely they used it like a truck. ???

Good luck with your search!

 

[ppfd]

Hell, I'll sell you my 2021 tremor XLT with 43,000 miles

 

[jflogerzi]

honestly there are much but imo if you plan to hang into it, spring for an extended warranty. the 2 biggest issues with these trucks are the transmissions. bunch TSBs and I would hate to fix it out of pocket. the other is the blend door for the heat/air. part is cheap but labor is a lot due to the whole dash needing to come out. if you plan to go off the beating path search for a tremor which has much better stock stocks and leafs then the standard FX4. welcome and good luck in your search.

 

[magoh]

Thanks all! I've driven 4 different Rangers so far. 2 of them, with fairly high mileage (88K and 123K) seemed like the engine ran a little rough. The other 2 with lower mileage (<50K) seemed fine. Is this a common issue? I've ran across this thread: https://www.ranger5g.com/forum/threads/bucking-surging-epidemic.14581/ but I don't these weren't bucking, just... not smooth running. Maybe I'm just used to a V6 instead of a 4 cylinder?

 

[magoh]

Hell, I'll sell you my 2021 tremor XLT with 43,000 miles

I'd be interested but you're a little far away... Although I do have family there. ?

 

[LB'sTremor]

not sure what your budget is but I have seen some pretty good deals on low mileage trucks from dealers on craigslist. (use autotempest).

LB

 

[jflogerzi]

Thanks all! I've driven 4 different Rangers so far. 2 of them, with fairly high mileage (88K and 123K) seemed like the engine ran a little rough. The other 2 with lower mileage (<50K) seemed fine. Is this a common issue? I've ran across this thread: https://www.ranger5g.com/forum/threads/bucking-surging-epidemic.14581/ but I don't these weren't bucking, just... not smooth running. Maybe I'm just used to a V6 instead of a 4 cylinder?

The Engine might have a fouled plug(common in heavy rain areas without engine cover). Could be transmission starting to get rough. Failures seem to be in that range 80-100K miles. Also their is this common part that fails is the ERG Valve(or something like it) that causes mis-fires etc...

I would bring a code reader and use something like torque to read any cleared/stored codes. Also trying driving the truck in Sport and Tow Haul mode. Normal drive is very lazy and geared for Fuel economy.

 

[Dr_Strangelove]

David, welcome!

It is my opinion that the engine should not be rough running regardless of the mileage - especially at idle. Engine mounts can be another can of worms as they wear.

The engine at idle should not be hunting, should be smooth, should not be shaking the cabin or seats. On a 4-banger it could be a little higher than you're used to - so on a cold start it will be close to 1,000 RPM and on a warmed up engine it should rest just below 1,000 RPM at about 850 RPM but tach needle should be still and not wavering.

Good luck with your hunt for a truck! If you want to post a few you're looking for we can take a look for you. This forum is not famous for truck poaching - should be alright.

 

[magoh]

David, welcome!

It is my opinion that the engine should not be rough running regardless of the mileage - especially at idle. Engine mounts can be another can of worms as they wear.

The engine at idle should not be hunting, should be smooth, should not be shaking the cabin or seats. On a 4-banger it could be a little higher than you're used to - so on a cold start it will be close to 1,000 RPM and on a warmed up engine it should rest just below 1,000 RPM at about 850 RPM but tach needle should be still and not wavering.

Good luck with your hunt for a truck! If you want to post a few you're looking for we can take a look for you. This forum is not famous for truck poaching - should be alright.

Neither truck seemed to be a transmission issue to me, it just felt like the engine ran rough. My wife drives a Mazda CX-3 and I think sometimes am surprised at how that engine runs, so I think modern 4-bangers are just different from what I'm used to. Or I'm just spoiled by Mitsubishi 6G7x engines, haha *cries in oil leaks*

Anyway, these are the 2 at the top of my list right now. The Tremor is the one I really like but it's about 5 hours away. The red one is just down the road and I've driven it. It's very nice and I like the cap but I don't like chrome or the 18" wheels.

https://www.shopautobahnbmw.com/inv...ger-lariat-4wd-4d-crew-cab-1fter4fh2mld41906/

https://www.jimgloverdodge.com/used-Owasso-2019-Ford-Ranger-LARIAT-1FTER4FH3KLA66043

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