Trying to decide to sell - Input appreciated

[davidtg7123]

Hi folks,


Sorry if this is a little overly personal, but I’m trying to decide what to do long-term with my Ranger and figured some context was necessary.


I bought my 2019 4x4 about 18 months ago with 48k miles, and it’s now at 72k. I genuinely love the truck. It does basically everything I need, and I’ve put a lot of time and money into making it mine: upgraded shocks, level, some off-road upgrades, aluminum bed rack, tonneau, Wolf Haus wiring, FitzStick, etc.


The thing that scares me is the 10R80.


I noticed it shifting strangely within probably a month of buying it, around 50k miles. I’ve done the DPFE and multiple drain-and-fills with Lubegard, with no real change. The main issue is consistently the upshift into 4th. When it’s time to shift, there’s sometimes a split-second lag/rubber-band feeling before it goes into gear. Interestingly, it’s noticeably better if I let the truck warm up for a few minutes before driving. It also totally skips 2 always unless I’m going slowly down a hill and then 2 is ROUGH bouncing in and out of.


The encouraging part is that it shifts basically exactly the same at 72k as it did around 50k. It hasn’t obviously deteriorated. But knowing the reputation of these transmissions, I hate the idea of just driving around waiting for a major failure.


Financially, I still owe about $13.5k. Carvana’s rough estimate puts it around $16–17k, although I’m not sure I entered everything perfectly, so there’s not a huge amount of equity.


If I had reasonable confidence that the transmission would make it another 18 months or more, I’d absolutely keep the truck, aggressively pay it off, and continue driving it. But part of me feels like I’m gambling on a potentially very expensive transmission repair.


On the other hand, trading a truck I already love and taking on something like $50k of debt for a newer F-150 because my current transmission might eventually fail seems like a pretty questionable financial decision too.


So, given all of that, what would you do?


A. Jump ship while the truck still runs well and has some equity.


B. Keep driving it, work on paying it off, and reevaluate in a year.


C. Keep it long-term and start putting money aside for an eventual transmission replacement. If the transmission never fails, great—I eventually have a substantial down payment sitting there for my next truck anyway.


Interested especially in hearing from people who have put serious mileage on a 2019–2020 Ranger/10R80, including anyone who has dealt with similar 3–4/4th-gear behavior.

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[RedlandRanger]

Personally, I would opt for C - If you love the truck, it makes the most sense. It may or may not happen, but the fact you are seeing delayed shifts in 4th is kind of a sign that something is wrong - but this is how I think of it - if I were to replace this truck, I'm going to be spending a few thousand to buy something new - and whether I get something good is kind of a roll of the dice - so it seems better to spend money to fix something that is otherwise working well for me.

If you do end up needing transmission work, I would suggest going to a reputable transmission shop instead of the dealer - I think you will most likely get a better job for less money.

FYI, I've got 75k on my 2019 - the transmission seems to be working fine - I had been having odd shifts into 8th gear occasionally but those seem to have mostly resolved - otherwise it is working well - as long as I let it warm up a bit before driving it when cold. If/when I need transmission work, I will be taking it to a local reputable transmission shop to have it fixed. My plan is to drive this until the wheels fall off - so far it has been a great truck for me and it has done EVERYTHING I've asked of it and more - I couldn't ask for a better vehicle for how I use it.

Hope that helps.

 

[Superspirit]

What he said. ^^^ Redlands touched on everything I was going to say.
Definitely C as that is the option I would choose.

 

[21rangerCactus]

Do you have the means to get into a 50k loan? Then do it.

If you don't have the means or you are like me and hate notes. Save the money for trans.

My trans went out at 115k. Paid 6grand for a full rebuild. I have 133k on it now and the transmission is the only major issue I've had.

I used my truck for my business and drove Uber and lyft. So lots miles and idle time.

All I've done is change my oil every 10k and before the rebuild I drained my transmission fluid at around 50 to 60k. Somewhere in there I drained and filled my diff for no reason other then I wanted to. Battery died 3 years in. Have not replaced the belts, or flushed the coolant and I'm still on the stock brakes.
All that will be coming up soon though.

So overall.. It's been a great truck.

 

[RangerBill]

Hi folks,


Sorry if this is a little overly personal, but I’m trying to decide what to do long-term with my Ranger and figured some context was necessary.


I bought my 2019 4x4 about 18 months ago with 48k miles, and it’s now at 72k. I genuinely love the truck. It does basically everything I need, and I’ve put a lot of time and money into making it mine: upgraded shocks, level, some off-road upgrades, aluminum bed rack, tonneau, Wolf Haus wiring, FitzStick, etc.


The thing that scares me is the 10R80.


I noticed it shifting strangely within probably a month of buying it, around 50k miles. I’ve done the DPFE and multiple drain-and-fills with Lubegard, with no real change. The main issue is consistently the upshift into 4th. When it’s time to shift, there’s sometimes a split-second lag/rubber-band feeling before it goes into gear. Interestingly, it’s noticeably better if I let the truck warm up for a few minutes before driving. It also totally skips 2 always unless I’m going slowly down a hill and then 2 is ROUGH bouncing in and out of.


The encouraging part is that it shifts basically exactly the same at 72k as it did around 50k. It hasn’t obviously deteriorated. But knowing the reputation of these transmissions, I hate the idea of just driving around waiting for a major failure.


Financially, I still owe about $13.5k. Carvana’s rough estimate puts it around $16–17k, although I’m not sure I entered everything perfectly, so there’s not a huge amount of equity.


If I had reasonable confidence that the transmission would make it another 18 months or more, I’d absolutely keep the truck, aggressively pay it off, and continue driving it. But part of me feels like I’m gambling on a potentially very expensive transmission repair.


On the other hand, trading a truck I already love and taking on something like $50k of debt for a newer F-150 because my current transmission might eventually fail seems like a pretty questionable financial decision too.


So, given all of that, what would you do?


A. Jump ship while the truck still runs well and has some equity.


B. Keep driving it, work on paying it off, and reevaluate in a year.


C. Keep it long-term and start putting money aside for an eventual transmission replacement. If the transmission never fails, great—I eventually have a substantial down payment sitting there for my next truck anyway.


Interested especially in hearing from people who have put serious mileage on a 2019–2020 Ranger/10R80, including anyone who has dealt with similar 3–4/4th-gear behavior.

Some have reported improvement with shifting by resetting the transmission shift tables and having it relearn new values. The skipped 2nd gear is normal and covered in the owner's manual.

 

[JimG_AZ]

I would opt for "C" and start building the emergency fund. If you were in Arizona and purchased the F-150 from a dealer you would be paying sales tax north of 8%, around a $600 dealer doc fee and they would try to get you to pay for a bunch of dealer adds. For me, the tax and dealer doc fee would not be far off from the cost of a transmission rebuild at a reputable shop. Also, if the F-150 is used, you may have to pay for some maintenance items.

 

[ScarzRanger21(2.0)]

C… The loan + interest on a new truck is going to cost you more in the long run than a transmission rebuild will now. Plus, you already know you like the ranger. You’ve put time and money into upgrades. Even if you do sell it and get a new ride, that vehicle will come with its own set of problems as they all do.

Mine has been shifting funny for over a year but no major issues. Play around with the rpm’s and see where it shifts normally. I’ve learned that if I get the rpm’s up to 2500-2700, the shifting smooths out. It’s when it tres to shift between 2200-23000 it’s rough. Drive it in sport or tow/haul mode and it might help. Not a fix but a workaround. I have 77k miles on my ranger. I’m planning keeping mine until the wheels fall off, then rebuilding it into a crawler.

 

[Buckbull]

From a pure financial focus option C makes the most sense. Worst case scenario is you replace the transmission with one that has the fixes (cdf drum, etc) and you get 150,000 out of the new one. That's exponentially cheaper than taking on another rig.

If you start adding in peace of mind, the times you wish you had a bigger truck, the hassle of dealing with the issue is a cost you need to determine on your own.

 

[got3fords]

Would you not consider a 6G ranger instead of an F150?

 

[veedubtuner]

 

[dozxab]

Option C, if you sell it or trade it, there really is no return on your upgrades. I would do the transmission relearn as suggested. They all skip second in D. Sport and tow mode will use it. Less than 4% have major issues and only a part of those are the transmission.

https://fordauthority.com/2026/08/2...yfjhyT3lmZVzVx02Iw_aem_wJw9cAmygPmLFgM_xkosNw

 

[Cronkinator07]

I would vote C. From a numbers standpoint it makes sense. I know personally, I’m probably going to rebuild the transmission and replace the engine when the time comes as long as the rest of the truck is holding together (which so far it has at 80k). I figure this is way cheaper than getting a new truck.
I’d also agree with the recommendation to have the transmission memory reset. I did on mine and it solved a lot of issues.

 

[PapaBill]

Hi folks,


Sorry if this is a little overly personal, but I’m trying to decide what to do long-term with my Ranger and figured some context was necessary.


I bought my 2019 4x4 about 18 months ago with 48k miles, and it’s now at 72k. I genuinely love the truck. It does basically everything I need, and I’ve put a lot of time and money into making it mine: upgraded shocks, level, some off-road upgrades, aluminum bed rack, tonneau, Wolf Haus wiring, FitzStick, etc.


The thing that scares me is the 10R80.


I noticed it shifting strangely within probably a month of buying it, around 50k miles. I’ve done the DPFE and multiple drain-and-fills with Lubegard, with no real change. The main issue is consistently the upshift into 4th. When it’s time to shift, there’s sometimes a split-second lag/rubber-band feeling before it goes into gear. Interestingly, it’s noticeably better if I let the truck warm up for a few minutes before driving. It also totally skips 2 always unless I’m going slowly down a hill and then 2 is ROUGH bouncing in and out of.


The encouraging part is that it shifts basically exactly the same at 72k as it did around 50k. It hasn’t obviously deteriorated. But knowing the reputation of these transmissions, I hate the idea of just driving around waiting for a major failure.


Financially, I still owe about $13.5k. Carvana’s rough estimate puts it around $16–17k, although I’m not sure I entered everything perfectly, so there’s not a huge amount of equity.


If I had reasonable confidence that the transmission would make it another 18 months or more, I’d absolutely keep the truck, aggressively pay it off, and continue driving it. But part of me feels like I’m gambling on a potentially very expensive transmission repair.


On the other hand, trading a truck I already love and taking on something like $50k of debt for a newer F-150 because my current transmission might eventually fail seems like a pretty questionable financial decision too.


So, given all of that, what would you do?


A. Jump ship while the truck still runs well and has some equity.


B. Keep driving it, work on paying it off, and reevaluate in a year.


C. Keep it long-term and start putting money aside for an eventual transmission replacement. If the transmission never fails, great—I eventually have a substantial down payment sitting there for my next truck anyway.


Interested especially in hearing from people who have put serious mileage on a 2019–2020 Ranger/10R80, including anyone who has dealt with similar 3–4/4th-gear behavior.

David ,
if this was my forever truck and lots of money, here is waht i might do, and I know it sounds a little crazry,
But here goes: Here is what I would
I'd rip the cyl head off and rip all the fuel injection stuff off. Get rid of the all the electronic junk and replace it with (2) 2 barrel side draft webbers, a distributor, rotor, points and condenser. No cat converter, Inject the exhaust with H2O2/IPA/ Gasoline blend, no Hydrocarbon exhaust, or CO, only CO2 and N2.
Drop the tranny and a TREMEC's heavy-duty 5-speed (TR-4050) for 4x4 builds. (Probably need an adaptor plate.) a spec cluth. fly wheel and pressure plateGet rid of the Turbo. Something rotation at 100000 rom is nerev good for long term Adios turbo, Go for water methanol injection as needed just like the P51 had in WWII gobs of HP, but only good to get the Hell outta Dodge city.

 

[Rtball]

PapaBill just spent your 50K!

If you went F-150 you would just have a newer 10R80 wouldn't you?

Remember, many people get very sick, but not everyone! (Dumb analogy)

 

[NotBudule2]

Sport mode and more accelerator untill something breaks , then fix what broke and carry on ... thats been my plan for just about everything in life though... and I limp now, so...

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