2019 Ford Ranger Engine Problems

I was driving the vehicle, when I started to fell a " Shuddering " sensation on acceleration. I let off the gas pedal and the Shuddering went away. A few miles down the road the check engine light came on and was flashing. I immediately pulled and shut the vehicle off. After sitting for 10 minutes I restarted the vehicle and the check engine light was no longer on, but the " Shuddering " sensation was still present. I took it to Dupratt Ford in Auburn,Ca. and they diagnosed it as a Cylinder 1 mis-fire. Upon further inspection they found water in the Cylinder 1 spark plug well. After doing some research I found out the Ford issued TSB 23-2011for this exact issue, but did not order a recall to fix the faulty windshield cowl which is the problem. I found thousands of complaints and numerous Ranger owners who have had the exact same issue and had to pay out of pocket to get the issue and damaged fixed. Meanwhile Ford knew about the issue and did absolutely nothing, did not even alert the owners of the issue. I was lucky and did not have to replace the cylinder head, but others have not been so lucky. I had to pay over $1800 to have the mis-fire issue fixed and had to do my own preventative measures to seal the windshield cowl. I contacted Ford and they were only willing to reimburse me $725 dollars of my repair bill which was 100% their fault.

NHTSA ID

11747696

Incident

May 23, 2026

The brakes failed within hours of owning the Certified, WARRANTIED VEHICLE. ALMOST had an accident. Within <5 weeks of owning this warrantied certified vehicle, was stranded on Rine Ridge Indian Reservation and on the highway. Engine jerk so bad feels like I a derby car. Then just stalls. The dont comply with their own 172 point certified inspection. They claim two keys for specified vehicle. They gave me two 1 starts the vehicle the other errors no key in ignition when you insert into ignition. NOW I have to pay bills to get a warrantied certified vehicle repaired plus loaner car because Ford McKie k owing sold an Unsafe vehicle under deceptive pretense. Multiple engine and brake failures which was supposedly certified inspected.

NHTSA ID

11735236

Incident

Feb 27, 2026

On friday, march 27th, 2026. My 2019 ford ranger began shaking before the engine stalled. Warning lights for an engine check came on and my vehicle would not go above 20 mph after restarting. When pressing on the accelerator the engine would rev but the vehicle would not accelerate. I took the 2019 ford Ranger to a local Ford Dealership service center and they diagnosed the following problems (listed in full below).The cooling fan was at issue and multiple wires connecting my engine to the rest of the vehicle were melted off. The ford dealership said that this issue is extremely rare and they have never seen it before. After receiving this information from the dealership I discovered that the 2019 ford ranger has had several recalls with the areas at issue in my vehicle. The recalls are under number 25V685000 (Engine block heater), and 20V137000 (Fan). Here is the full diagnosis from the ford dealership attached below: VERIFIED CUSTOMER CONCERN FOUND VEHICLE TO HAVE CEL LIGHT ON, AND MULTIPLE WARNING LIGHTS PERFORMED DIAG AND FOUND SHORT CIRCUIT PRESENT. TRACED SHORT FOUND COOLING FAN CLUTCH FAILED AND HARNESS RUBBING IN CLUCH ASSEMBLY FOR COOLING FAN The fan lowers the temperature of the engine. The cooling fan motor is an electric motor that turns the fan blades. When the vehicle is in traffic or under heavy load, the engine relies on the fan to cool itself. Some vehicles may use multiple electric fans for better control of the cooling system. For the most part, electric cooling fans are controlled by the same computer that controls the engine. However, in some engines, the fans are turned on and off by a temperature-sensitive switch mounted in either the radiator or elsewhere in the cooling system. Spark Plug Replacement 4 Cylinder: 4 Cyl Tune Up The platinum spark plug is a type of spark plug. The platinum is a precious metal that is used in the composition of the spark plug. The center electrode is made of platinum.

NHTSA ID

11728932

Incident

Mar 27, 2026

My truck experienced a P0302 misfire on the freeway, which caused it to shake immediately and made it very difficult to drive. I had it towed to the dealership, and they told me there was water in the spark‑plug wells, which was surprising since I live in Las Vegas, NV, where it rarely rains. My spark plugs were rusted as well as the cylinder head. After looking into it online, I discovered that Ford issued TSB‑23‑2011 for the Ford Ranger due to a windshield cowl leak that allows water to drip directly onto the engine. Their proposed fix is to install an engine cover, but that clearly doesn’t solve the issue since my truck already has the engine cover installed. Now I’m stuck paying for repairs caused by a design flaw that Ford never properly addressed.

NHTSA ID

11720076

Incident

Feb 2, 2026

Truck looses gear when pulling into traffic. It will shift out of gear and only allow coasting. At speeds of 40 MPH and higher it will down shift causing dramatic reduced speed with no brake warning to other drivers behind. It will also randomly loose power. It will have delayed shifts squealing tires upon shifting and excessive jerking that is uncontrollable.

NHTSA ID

11704234

Incident

Sep 1, 2025

Hood/cowling along the windshield allows water to leak under the hood of the vehicle and wets the coils and plugs causing the engine to mis fire and shutter violently. This engine mis fire and sudden lack of power can cause the vehicle to obstruct the flow of traffic resulting in an accident. Problem was reproduced by the dealer and they replace coils, plugs, and installed an accessory engine cover to prevent the issue in the future. All at my cost. The problem remains that there are many Ford Rangers on the road unaware of this problem. This problem is documented in a Ford TSB but a more aggressive approaching is needed to resolve this issue.

NHTSA ID

11702847

Incident

Jul 15, 2025

The contact owns a 2019 Ford Ranger. The contact stated while driving approximately 60 MPH and hauling a trailer, the vehicle unintendedly decelerated and stalled. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that there was rainwater inside the engine cylinders, causing two spark plugs to rust and malfunction. The spark plugs, spark plug boots, and spark plug coils were replaced and the vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that recently, while the vehicle was in for routine maintenance, the mechanic discovered rainwater inside the engine cylinders again. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in an Extended Warranty coverage related to the failure. The failure mileage was 44,825.

NHTSA ID

11675935

Incident

Sep 23, 2022

Mileage

44,825 mi

Truck has issue with crank position sensor issue caused due to defective design of on 2.3l ecoboost first incident shut off at 65 mph took the dealer was told it was defective crank position sensor second time a month later same thing happens third time three or four months later happens again take the dealer this time they said that it was oil permeation on the sensor itself said it was due to leak in front timing cover of motor whereas oil had ripped onto the sensor causing it to not be triggered therefore shutting down the truck completely no limp mode just dead no power also lost all systems including adaptive cruise control, anti-lock brakes, traction control, power steering, forward radar everything!! luckily all three times that this has happened have managed to not crash or get hit in the process of malfunction.my complaint is that this is a four-wheel drive truck and if the sensor is that touchy then maybe they should have shielded it now dealers requesting $2,200 to fix problem after already paying $1500 the first time to have it fixed

NHTSA ID

11670964

Incident

Jun 3, 2025

The contact owns a 2019 Ford Ranger. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle decelerated to 35 MPH. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the transmission was skipping gear, slipping, and shifting hard. The check engine warning light was briefly illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed that the head gasket was failing. The dealer stated that coolant was intruding into the engine, and there was engine oil was entering into the spark plugs, causing engine failure. The dealer also diagnosed the vehicle with transmission failure. The head gasket and the transmission were replaced; however, the failure persisted. The dealer informed the contact that the vehicle needed to be drive more often for the vehicle to run properly. The dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was taken to another dealer, Mountain Grove Ford (11311 Bus Dr #60, Mountain Grove, MO 65711); and the vehicle was diagnosed with a transmission fluid leak and fractured head gasket. The head gasket was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The transmission jerked abnormally when the vehicle was shifted into park on an incline. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The manufacturer opened a case regarding the failures and extended the warranty for the transmission. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.

NHTSA ID

11668851

Incident

Jun 24, 2023

Mileage

65,000 mi

The contact owns a 2019 Ford Ranger. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the check engine warning light started flashing off and on, and the vehicle failed to properly accelerate. The vehicle was later towed to the local dealer, who diagnosed that there was water inside the cylinders, causing a misfire. The contact was advised that the spark plugs, and coil packs needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The contact was advised to have an engine cover installed to prevent the water intrusion from reoccurring. The contact stated that the higher trim level of the same vehicle came equipped with the engine cover already installed to prevent the failure from occurring. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 28,000. The VIN was not available.

NHTSA ID

11657875

Incident

Apr 26, 2025

Mileage

28,000 mi

The contact owns a 2019 Ford Ranger. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, there was smoke was coming from the rear of the vehicle. There were several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the cylinder, causing engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The repair was pending. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 28,000.

NHTSA ID

11653466

Incident

Apr 2, 2025

Mileage

28,000 mi

At 68k miles and one month past the 5 year warranty, the CDF drum broke off causing metal to fly loose in the transmission/ creating etchings in the transmission. The entire transmission needed to be replaced because of loss of pressure in the transmission. The vehicle was attempting to shift into first and second gear driving at 80mph.

NHTSA ID

11641014

Incident

Jan 31, 2025

The contact owns a 2019 Ford Ranger. The contact stated that there was a misfire in the engine. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that there was water build up in the spark plug wells, and there were signs of corrosion on electrical component. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and informed the contact about Technical Service Bulletin Number: 23-2011 and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 81,000.

NHTSA ID

11615587

Incident

May 1, 2024

Mileage

81,000 mi

There is insufficient shielding to prevent water from reaching the top of the engine. This results in water dripping on the coil packs and also entering the spark plug wells, causing loss of spark and reduced engine output. Over time, this issue also leads to rust in the engine head, potentially resulting in engine failure. Additionally, water can reach the EGR DPFE sensor, causing the engine to hesitate and shutter at various speeds. Both of these issues together cause a misfire when applying the accelerator and will cause the vehicle to initially hesitate then surge forward. Even with the engine cover, the venting at the base of the windshield allows water to drip down on the engine head, causing the above issues. Ford does recognize that there is an issue and have written several TSBs on the it.

NHTSA ID

11604011

Incident

Jun 15, 2024

Manufacture defected valve cover allows water to gather and leak into coils causing vehicle to shut down at highway speeds ! This is EXTREMELY dangerous and FORD admitted knowing of the issue and even has an active internal fix but demands payment to fix issue. My service advisor said Ford has known of this issue but would only repair if the customer pays for it. Please take this matter under heavy consideration as I nearly lost my life on [XXX] . I have personally read over 7300 online complaints of similar findings from not only Ford Ranger owners , but mechanics from private shops to Ford certified repair shops. Please , please, please contact Ford customer care, they will tell you there is a know issue that they agree poses a threat to drivers . Thank you very much . INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11590042

Incident

May 15, 2024

The contact owns a 2019 Ford Ranger. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle started losing motive power. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with an ERG failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The contact related the failure to the Customer Satisfaction Program: 21M03. The failure mileage was approximately 185,000.

NHTSA ID

11587685

Incident

May 8, 2024

Mileage

185,000 mi

2019 Ford Rangers were shipped without an engine cover to protect the engine from water intrusion.  This, along with the design of the plastic cowl at the base of the windshield being a 2 piece design with a seam directly over the engine bay, allows water to drain into the engine bay during periods of heavy rain. Water will drain from the windshield into the top of the engine, and begin filling the spark plug wells under the ignition coil boots and into the engine head.  This water intrusion can cause engine misfire codes as well as a loss of power while driving, and on multiple instances while merging into traffic, the engine would bog down.  It wasn't until the most recent occurrence that a check engine light came on.  I immediately pulled into a shop and they found the plug wells were rusted, corroded and full of water from this happening since the day it rolled off the lot in 2019.  I have had an independent mechanic assess the damage as well as had the vehicle towed to a local Ford dealer and they found the same condition- with the only solution to replace the engine head as they are unable to remove the plugs due to the damage caused by the water intrusion. An owner should not have to be concerned with parking or driving a vehicle in the rain and whether it will suddenly lose power while driving at highway speeds.  This is a safety issue that Ford should be forced to take care of.  They are aware of the issue and have been as they have issued multiple service bulletins with a solution for misfires to change plugs and install an engine cover.  An engine cover has no bearing on an engine misfire but it shows Ford knows water is getting into engines and causing these problems. Engine/plugs/coils failed, it is available for inspection. Mine and public safety was at risk when driving as it lost power merging into traffic.   Problem has been confirmed by dealer and independent mechanic.   Last instance (2/9/24) was first time a CEL came on while driving

NHTSA ID

11575053

Incident

Feb 9, 2024

Has same cracked valve issue showing up in f150

NHTSA ID

11548804

Incident

Sep 12, 2023

2019 Ford Ranger Problem-1- Engine tried to stall several times during driving and operation. Problem-2- When trying to shift from Park to forward or Reverse, the engine shuts off. My truck has been at the dealership for several weeks now and they have not been able to fix or identify the cause.

NHTSA ID

11548198

Incident

Jul 22, 2023

The vehicle is shifting rough between 2nd and 3rd gear. It has trouble getting up to speed through intersections.

NHTSA ID

11540407

Incident

Aug 23, 2023

Cruising at highway speed ,truck starting bucking and losing speed. Took a minute for it to stop. Then resumed normal speed. This has happened twice. First incident was shorter in length.

NHTSA ID

11530079

Incident

Jun 30, 2023

Ford failed to install a upper engine cover on Rangers with the 2.3 Eco Boost engine, this lets water to gather around the spark plugs causing misfires and stalling. This can cause vehicles to stall on the highway. This has been a on going problem with these vehicles. These covers were installed from the factory on Ford Explorers with the same engines from the factory. Ford service has used air to blow water from around the spark plugs. Then they tell the customer the need to buy the cover to prevent this from happening again.

NHTSA ID

11521231

Incident

May 1, 2023

The contact owns a 2019 Ford Ranger. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power and stalled. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer and diagnosed with water absorption in the engine. The dealer replaced the boot cover, spark plugs, and engine cover. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 35,599.

NHTSA ID

11473953

Incident

Jul 12, 2022

Mileage

35,999 mi

Drive truck and park in garage and garage smells like gas. Only happens when parking truck in garage right after driving it. This has happened about 3-4 times now. I don't drive it that often. Just had an oil change at Ford and drove home. Then the next day i took it out and parked it in garage and gas smell again. Smell will last 2-3 days if truck stays parked. Have an appt. this coming week at Ford.

NHTSA ID

11456425

Incident

Mar 1, 2022

I CHANGED MY OIL AT 5,000 MILES, I HAVE APPROXIMATELY 8,400 MILES ON MY TRUCK NOW. I NOTICED EXCESSIVE FUEL BUILT UP IN MY OIL CATCH CAN. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH A LOT OF PEOPLE WITH THE 2019 FORD RANGER ARE HAVING THE SAME ISSUE. I CHECKED MY OIL AND MY OIL WAS SATURATED WITH FUEL. FUEL IS GETTING INTO THE ENGINE OIL.

NHTSA ID

11394340

Incident

Feb 2, 2021

Mileage

8,400 mi