Well I did it…

[Friday yet?]

It’s so hit and miss with any vehicle with your experience nowadays. I’ve been driving for 35 years now and my Ranger was in the dealership’s service department longer than all the cars I’ve own combined. I LOVED the Ranger but I got a bad one.

the new Ranger I had as a loaner was very nice and didn’t have any of the issues that mine did.

100% identical description of my 2006 Frontier NISMO. From a breakdown perspective it was by far a complete piece of shit. (Only vehicle I've ever owned where I spent the money for the official repair manual. And had to use it often trying to save a buck after the warranty ran out.) But in spite of that, I loved the truck. I know, it's stupid. Loved it so much I just would not get rid of it. Kept it about seven years and put just over 185K miles on it. (Was using it for my job also.) When it wasn't in the shop I just could not get enough of the thing. Truly love it. And honestly? I still have some warm and fuzzy memories of it. Frontiers are normally good trucks. But as with many manufacturers, some are bad.

Sponsored

 

[ZCoker]

I hear about blown up engines, transmission falling a part, and many other issues but just can’t see it. I’ve also heard of folks beating the living crap out of these trucks, drag racing, chip tuning, all kinds of performance mods. As far as basic driving on the road goes, the Ranger should last a long, long time problem free. My 2019 could’ve gone easily to 200k with zero issues! The motor and transmission at 130k miles were both as smooth as silk. In fact, when the sales person asked me if I wanted to test drive my new 2024 I said no because I know exactly how the engine transmission are. I think a lot of these reported problems have to do with driving style, imho.

 

[AzScorpion]

I hear about blown up engines, transmission falling a part, and many other issues but just can’t see it. I’ve also heard of folks beating the living crap out of these trucks, drag racing, chip tuning, all kinds of performance mods. As far as basic driving on the road goes, the Ranger should last a long, long time problem free. My 2019 could’ve gone easily to 200k with zero issues! The motor and transmission at 130k miles were both as smooth as silk. In fact, when the sales person asked me if I wanted to test drive my new 2024 I said no because I know exactly how the engine transmission are. I think a lot of these reported problems have to do with driving style, imho.

I respectfully disagree. Sid @Msfitoy drives his Ranger pretty normal and if anything more like an old man. His transmission went at 92,000 miles, he does not have a tune and doesn't beat it up off road which the truck should be capable of doing even if he did. Anthony @awd.nv besides some light towing on occasion does not beat his truck and now has engine issues.This is just a lack of QC from Ford and looking at their recent history (which even Farley knows) they has some of the worst in the industry now. Not that all the others are much better but Ford has taken a deep dive especially post 2020. Farley can say what he want but actions speak louder than words and even their stock price is showing this. Since Dec of '98 where it was at $32.59 it's basically gone down hill to where today it's at $11.10. Not a company I'd ever invest in!

But never fear, their EV's will save the company!

This was from 2 years ago and it hasn't been much better.

https://www.roadandtrack.com/news/a42283857/ford-ceo-until-we-fix-quality-nothing-else-matters/

Ford has a quality problem. The company has struggled to launch new products over the last few years, leading to a slew of recall and warranty claims that are costing the Blue Oval a ton of money. CEO Jim Farley says getting quality up is his number one priority and, speaking to a group of retired engineers, he didn't make it sound easy.

“Fixing quality is my No. 1 priority,” Farley said, according to Ford Authority. “It is the most important initiative in the whole company. And it’s going to take several years. We didn’t lose it in just one or two years. Until we fix quality, nothing else matters.”

 

[5thranger]

100% identical description of my 2006 Frontier NISMO. From a breakdown perspective it was by far a complete piece of shit. (Only vehicle I've ever owned where I spent the money for the official repair manual. And had to use it often trying to save a buck after the warranty ran out.) But in spite of that, I loved the truck. I know, it's stupid. Loved it so much I just would not get rid of it. Kept it about seven years and put just over 185K miles on it. (Was using it for my job also.) When it wasn't in the shop I just could not get enough of the thing. Truly love it. And honestly? I still have some warm and fuzzy memories of it. Frontiers are normally good trucks. But as with many manufacturers, some are bad.

Agree on the Frontier I really liked my 2019 the main reason I traded on my Ranger was my wife thought seats were uncomfortable and she just didn't like truck in general. I really did like the way the truck ran it was a 4.0 V6 and the trans was super smooth.

 

[ZCoker]

I respectfully disagree. Sid @Msfitoy drives his Ranger pretty normal and if anything more like an old man. His transmission went at 92,000 miles, he does not have a tune and doesn't beat it up off road which the truck should be capable of doing even if he did. Anthony @awd.nv besides some light towing on occasion does not beat his truck and now has engine issues.This is just a lack of QC from Ford and looking at their recent history (which even Farley knows) they has some of the worst in the industry now. Not that all the others are much better but Ford has taken a deep dive especially post 2020. Farley can say what he want but actions speak louder than words and even their stock price is showing this. Since Dec of '98 where it was at $32.59 it's basically gone down hill to where today it's at $11.10. Not a company I'd ever invest in!

But never fear, their EV's will save the company!

This was from 2 years ago and it hasn't been much better.

https://www.roadandtrack.com/news/a42283857/ford-ceo-until-we-fix-quality-nothing-else-matters/

Ford seems to be doing pretty good, although I don’t follow much what’s going on with their QC, stocks, and so forth. I was only speaking about the Ranger as it relates to all these problems that I’ve been hearing about. Since 2019 I’ve owned THREE Rangers. So I have a solid base to go by. Not one of those trucks exhibited any problems like the ones I’ve been hearing about. Not even close. The last 2019 that I just traded in was all original with over 130k miles on the clock. Only thing that I ever did to that truck was tires and oil changes. Again, I’m not doubting that any car may have problems, only that I never had a single problem with any of my Ranger trucks that I’ve owned.

 

[AzScorpion]

Ford seems to be doing pretty good, although I don’t follow much what’s going on with their QC, stocks, and so forth. I was only speaking about the Ranger as it relates to all these problems that I’ve been hearing about. Since 2019 I’ve owned THREE Rangers. So I have a solid base to go by. Not one of those trucks exhibited any problems like the ones I’ve been hearing about. Not even close. The last 2019 that I just traded in was all original with over 130k miles on the clock. Only thing that I ever did to that truck was tires and oil changes. Again, I’m not doubting that any car may have problems, only that I never had a single problem with any of my Ranger trucks that I’ve owned.

I'm on my second one with less miles than you (50,000 combined) and the only issue I had was the hvac box on my '19. I just don't think it's peoples driving habits because there's several here from both sides (drive easy & drive the wheels off) and there's no failure pattern between them. I drove my '19 pretty hard (it was tuned) and was off road with it a lot. My '23 is not tuned and I haven't been off road as much as I'd like yet and drive it more civilized and so far so good.

It's like they can build a group of them without problems then the next batch there's a whole slew of them. To me it sounds like a parts QC problem. Not sure if they changed vendors who are using cheaper parts and the tolerances are off or that the whole industry just went south these last 4 years. But almost everything today is junk from vehicles to electronics to appliances and we're supposed to live with it and like it.

 

[awd.nv]

Engine replacement? What failed? I put over 130,000 miles on my 2019 Ranger and when I traded it in, the engine ran as good as the first day I drove off the lot. Never a single issue. And is one of the reasons I got a 2024 because of the reliability of the 2.3.

Went in Wed morning (10/16/2024) after the issue first happened the day before parked it once I got home. Tech is still working on finding the issue as of yesterday (Friday). He had the valve cover off and cam looked good. Said he was going to bore scope in through the spark plugs to check the block's piston sleeves as he just did a 2.3L in a Mustang (looked like the new headlights from 2024 but paid little attention to it) for a cracked sleeve. He is also going to drop the oil pan. He said oil looked good, could tell I just did it (2 weeks ago at the dealer, same dealer every time). He is puzzled because these issues are so rare there is not a playbook on what to check first of known issues.

Was driving to lowes for home AC filters (Home central air failed monday night! Freon leak) and heard a knock/clack on my way up to 45mph. Let off, went away rolled into it and happened again then went away with light throttle. Once I was at 45mph it was smooth running. Smooth idle. No overheating. That noise sounded like a rod knock though or BAD lifters but dont think these engines have them.

On the way to the dealer I was more brave and didnt let off when the noise happened, didnt seem to loose power so I was thinking MAYBE a loose heatshield or tool the tech left in the truck from the recent diff oil changes (a long shot but hopeful as I am so shocked). Waiting to hear what the issue is and at this point, hope it is a new long block to make the best of it.

It’s so hit and miss with any vehicle with your experience nowadays. I’ve been driving for 35 years now and my Ranger was in the dealership’s service department longer than all the cars I’ve own combined. I LOVED the Ranger but I got a bad one.

the new Ranger I had as a loaner was very nice and didn’t have any of the issues that mine did.

That is the shame and why I do not want to upgrade. ALL brands are having some major issues! Our friends 2021 Yukon XL Denali had two 6.2L replacements before it got totaled. The first locked up towing a SxS to Havasu. The shop replaced it and on the test drive with tech that one failed. Then that replacement was fine a few months till they got hit while at a red light. Their new one is a diesel.

Toyota Tundra issues too, now I know how the Tundra owners feel lol I think Ford has the most Turbo experience so the GM 2.7L is kinda ehhh to me.

I told my brother, man, all this CAD engineering and knowledge we now have and it is not being used to make things bullet proof, rather how cheap can we make it.

Ranger love is real.

Engine replacement?! That sucks. Going to search now to see if you've posted about the issue. If you have not, please start a thread about it. Lot of issues are tossed back and forth around here. But engine replacements are rare. The 2.3L is solid. Would really like to know what went wrong with yours. Sorry you are having to deal with that.

As to the Ranger Raptor... they are interesting but just doesn't really grab me. Of course the F150 Raptors effect me the same. I like them, respect and admire the engineering. But for me they just do not make my check book get all warm and antsy. Not that the Warden would allow me to entertain such a monetary thought anyway.

Best of luck with the repairs.

TLR : See above, love my ranger too much to get rid of it, Raptors are cool, F150 Raptor prices are insane.

Long version lol:

Kinda summed it up above but I will make a thread once I have more information. I sure tried going through the forums and didnt see anyone else with a replacement thread. Just head gasket issues that maybe led to a head or something. Mine is fine, coolant levels were good and even recently had it flushed too. That is how on top of maintenance I am. Trans flushed at 40k, diffs and transfer case 50k. Coolant at 45k. Oil changes every 5k full synthetic.

I LOVE the tech in the Raptors (F150 and Ranger) but man, I genuinely love my Ranger, I was smiling on the inside when I walked up to it in the shop. I think the Ranger Raptor would be fun but if I upgraded, it would need to be an F150 Raptor to fix my wife's biggest complaint when we tow, the interior size. We had an F150 FX4 loaner on a remote start repair and I liked the interior rize but it looked too generic otherwise. I would need an F150 Raptor because I would probably just need a level kit and wheels where an FX4 would need tons more work to make me happy. F150 Tremor does not hit the value feel to me.

To have a payment I can feel good with on a new F150 Raptor I need to put almost $40k down and I do not want to do that. Especially in this economy. I rather put that to a second home too but we aren't ready for that either. Even used gen 2 Raptors are over $40k-50k which is CRAZY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That is practically zero depreciation. So I would go new and hope I get to enjoy the same but that down payment is a no.

 

[awd.nv]

I'm on my second one with less miles than you (50,000 combined) and the only issue I had was the hvac box on my '19. I just don't think it's peoples driving habits because there's several here from both sides (drive easy & drive the wheels off) and there's no failure pattern between them. I drove my '19 pretty hard (it was tuned) and was off road with it a lot. My '23 is not tuned and I haven't been off road as much as I'd like yet and drive it more civilized and so far so good.

It's like they can build a group of them without problems then the next batch there's a whole slew of them. To me it sounds like a parts QC problem. Not sure if they changed vendors who are using cheaper parts and the tolerances are off or that the whole industry just went south these last 4 years. But almost everything today is junk from vehicles to electronics to appliances and we're supposed to live with it and like it.

I can tell you in the computer world, Covid really messed things up for QC. 2020-2021 I had an increase in QC issues during stress testing, RAM kits especially. I am building more computers and laptops in 2022-2024 than I was from 2020-2021 but there was for sure a spike in QC issues the covid heavy years. I am sure a lot of industries went through this and 2021 is what my truck is.

I feel like companies are just trying to make things cheap rather than good. Toyota being a textbook example. Move manufacturing to Mexico yet prices go up on the taco. The Tundra engine issue as well. Just sucks because in the back of my mind, no matter what I buy I have to pray I get a good unit rather than a lemon. When I was a benz tech we NEVER saw engine failures but electrical control units sure, they also were pushing technology. Our trucks are using tech that has been out for years now. They are not inventing it.

 

[shovelhd]

It's not just manufacturing, the services industry has declined since COVID as well.

 

[ZCoker]

I'm on my second one with less miles than you (50,000 combined) and the only issue I had was the hvac box on my '19. I just don't think it's peoples driving habits because there's several here from both sides (drive easy & drive the wheels off) and there's no failure pattern between them. I drove my '19 pretty hard (it was tuned) and was off road with it a lot. My '23 is not tuned and I haven't been off road as much as I'd like yet and drive it more civilized and so far so good.

It's like they can build a group of them without problems then the next batch there's a whole slew of them. To me it sounds like a parts QC problem. Not sure if they changed vendors who are using cheaper parts and the tolerances are off or that the whole industry just went south these last 4 years. But almost everything today is junk from vehicles to electronics to appliances and we're supposed to live with it and like it.

Maybe so but I still think some folks drive the crap out of them. Folks say a lot of other things about these trucks that I’m just not seeing myself, like the gas mileage, saying it’s unlikely to get what I’m getting which is 26-27 city. Maybe it’s the Florida flat roads, who knows. I bought my 2024 because the first ones were so reliable and problem free. So far, so good. I’ll keep reporting as time goes on just like I did with the other ones.

 

[awd.nv]

Maybe so but I still think some folks drive the crap out of them. Folks say a lot of other things about these trucks that I’m just not seeing myself, like the gas mileage, saying it’s unlikely to get what I’m getting which is 26-27 city. Maybe it’s the Florida flat roads, who knows. I bought my 2024 because the first ones were so reliable and problem free. So far, so good. I’ll keep reporting as time goes on just like I did with the other ones.

MPG comparisons are so hard to compare, people forget all the variables. I think the Ranger is awesome. Funny enough, my wife drove her fathers 2024 Taco home so he could drink at a family party. She hates my Ranger but after that she realized how much better it rides. She also said it hade "No juke" which is her way of saying it was slow. He has a lower trim Taco but even our friend who had a 2019 Taco, first time he got into the Tremor his comment was "Man this rides nice".

Part of the issue for the Ranger is that it left the USA market for a long enough time, people don't even know it is back. Last year an older gentlemen told me he liked my Ranger and didn't know they were for sale in the US again. I love the truck. The dealer experience could be better but since getting to know my Advisor, things have gotten easier. Really, only dealer issues were the remote start and rear backup camera not working (one visit) and now this engine issue. 3 years and 50k miles, not bad. Freak things can happen though. Like the time an S-Class windowed a block because the injectors flooding a cylinder (on a new car test drive) lol Ok so maybe there were some engine issues but related to the injector lol.

 

[Cmar]

100% identical description of my 2006 Frontier NISMO. From a breakdown perspective it was by far a complete piece of shit. (Only vehicle I've ever owned where I spent the money for the official repair manual. And had to use it often trying to save a buck after the warranty ran out.) But in spite of that, I loved the truck. I know, it's stupid. Loved it so much I just would not get rid of it. Kept it about seven years and put just over 185K miles on it. (Was using it for my job also.) When it wasn't in the shop I just could not get enough of the thing. Truly love it. And honestly? I still have some warm and fuzzy memories of it. Frontiers are normally good trucks. But as with many manufacturers, some are bad.

Agreed, that model (sold over here as the Navara D40) had a terrible reputation for reliability over here too, and to make matters worse, was built in two different plants, one in Spain and the other in Thailand, you would think to the same spec, but no, they were slightly different in many different ways to the point that even Nissan couldn't guarantee that parts supplied would definitely fit! Shame really because the 7 speed Z car auto was pretty solid, the petrol model had a really nice albeit thirsty, 4.0 litre V6 which was largely trouble free, however the 2.5 diesel had an unhealthy appetite for timing chains, rod bearings, and injectors, Nissan should have used double row chains.
And the 3.0 V6 diesel (courtesy of the Renault line) was a brilliant performer - until it wasn't, and then built originally for east -west mounting in a Renault, EVERYTHING was had to reach from a maintenance and repair point of view when mounted north -south in the Navara. For example, to change the turbo - you had to remove the engine.

 

[Friday yet?]

Agree on the Frontier I really liked my 2019 the main reason I traded on my Ranger was my wife thought seats were uncomfortable and she just didn't like truck in general. I really did like the way the truck ran it was a 4.0 V6 and the trans was super smooth.

That Nissan 4.0 was one sweet engine!

 

[craw169]

Part of the issue for the Ranger is that it left the USA market for a long enough time, people don't even know it is back. Last year an older gentlemen told me he liked my Ranger and didn't know they were for sale in the US again. I love the truck. The dealer experience could be better but since getting to know my Advisor, things have gotten easier. Really, only dealer issues were the remote start and rear backup camera not working (one visit) and now this engine issue. 3 years and 50k miles, not bad. Freak things can happen though. Like the time an S-Class windowed a block because the injectors flooding a cylinder (on a new car test drive) lol Ok so maybe there were some engine issues but related to the injector lol.

had to reply to this post and say i agree. if you don't go looking for a ranger you are never going to find it. there is no advertising, not part of the employee pricing held this year, etc. it is almost like they don't want to sell rangers. i almost believe that because i think they want people to get a maverick if they want smaller and an f150 if they want bigger. such a shame though as i really love my 2020 ranger lariat and i think it is just the perfect size.

as to reliability, i don't want to jinx mine but i have had 0 issues. i take it to the dealer for all service...i am almost like a fool going there and saying take my money..meaning i ask them every time .....is that all i need? and the answer is always yes, you just need to change the oil and rotate your tires. i think the last time they also changed my air filter and that was less than $50 (i don't remember the cost at all but would remember if it hits that above $50 mark.)

all the talk of the transmission failures do scare me though. i only have 45 thousand kilometres on it (28k miles).

the only issue i can say i have is the paint coming off on the rails on the roof. i think this is a common issue. they wouldn't do it under warranty as i found it when the truck was about 3.5 years old....i am just going to put some touch up paint on that and pretend i never saw it!

 

[ZCoker]

had to reply to this post and say i agree. if you don't go looking for a ranger you are never going to find it. there is no advertising, not part of the employee pricing held this year, etc. it is almost like they don't want to sell rangers. i almost believe that because i think they want people to get a maverick if they want smaller and an f150 if they want bigger. such a shame though as i really love my 2020 ranger lariat and i think it is just the perfect size.

as to reliability, i don't want to jinx mine but i have had 0 issues. i take it to the dealer for all service...i am almost like a fool going there and saying take my money..meaning i ask them every time .....is that all i need? and the answer is always yes, you just need to change the oil and rotate your tires. i think the last time they also changed my air filter and that was less than $50 (i don't remember the cost at all but would remember if it hits that above $50 mark.)

all the talk of the transmission failures do scare me though. i only have 45 thousand kilometres on it (28k miles).

the only issue i can say i have is the paint coming off on the rails on the roof. i think this is a common issue. they wouldn't do it under warranty as i found it when the truck was about 3.5 years old....i am just going to put some touch up paint on that and pretend i never saw it!

Dunno, man, I’m seeing newer Rangers all over the place down here in south Florida, almost every time I go out. So the word is gettin out somehow. They’re all over the place, and I’m not looking for them, either. Often, they’re right next to me, beside me, or behind me. Maybe they attract each other lol

Sponsored