2025 Ford Ranger Owner Complaints

Truck is randomly switching to Baja mode which engages the 4wheel drive making steering difficult

NHTSA ID

11755760

Incident

Aug 7, 2026

I was exiting the freeway, and as I was turning off of the freeway onto a side street, at approximately 20mph, my vehicle did not respond to throttle input, and left me slowing to a stop in the middle of a busy intersection. I had to shift my vehicle into neutral and then back into drive, to get it to respond to throttle input. When I slow down at intersections, turn and then attempt to throttle my vehicle, it hesitates and struggles to output power until I throttle about halfway.

NHTSA ID

11754755

Incident

Mar 1, 2026

No incident occurred. This is to report a safety issue related to the activation of the rear view camera while driving forward. There are times when a vehicle (automobile/motorcycle) may be following closely, and the rear view mirrors are inadequate to see the following vehicle clearly. If the rear view camera is activated, the image projected by the camera is obscurred by a message stating "Full View Not Available". There appears to be no way to remove this message so that the image in not obsurred. See attached photo.

NHTSA ID

11753447

Incident

Jul 29, 2026

2025 Ranger STX with 950 miles on odometer. When starting vehicle with transmission in park, a pronounced clunk/thump is heard and felt. The clunk/thump varies in intensity with the most intense episode resulting in the physical slight rearward movement of the truck. Symptom seems to be more prevalent when vehicle has been dormant for a few hours or overnight. Initially thought vehicle was going to lunge rearward by physical movement of truck. No warning lights were present with the event. Dealer appointment is scheduled later next week. vehicle is availabe for inspection upon request.

NHTSA ID

11752830

Incident

Jul 13, 2026

Rear view camera has significant delay, lag, or stutter at times, in reverse, more noticeably at faster that idle reverse speeds.

NHTSA ID

11751384

Incident

Nov 30, 2025

I believe this is a transmission problem; however, not sure if it could be program related. The main safety issue is after taking off from a stop, the truck just stopped accelerating and hesitated, as if though it got "stuck" trying to change gears. This issue has happened a few times, once with my Wife in the truck, who looked at me like what the heck was I doing. This definitely creates a situation for a rear impact collision if the person behind you didn't hit the brakes soon enough. The transmission also seems to "clunk" real hard at times when coming to a stop, as if though it is switching gears from say 4th down to 1st, skipping 3rd and 2nd gears. I did report this to Kendall Ford of Eugene and they said it shifts just the same as all of the other Rangers with this same transmission. I received no warning lamps, symptoms, or messages.

NHTSA ID

11750277

Incident

Jul 11, 2026

While driving at highway speeds vehicle changes the drive mode at random. Even attempting to go into 4 low at high speeds. If the vehicle is able to change into 4 low at high speeds this could send the vehicle into uncontrollable lock down to the drive train and potently creating uncontrollable spin out. Car has been at the dealership for this issue, but they cannot find any problems or able to replicate the issue.

NHTSA ID

11744966

Incident

May 21, 2026

On 6-7 separate occasions, my 2025 Ranger had a sudden and complete loss of accelerator response while slowing down to make a left turn. This also happens on occasion at traffic lights when the light turns and I attempt to turn left. The duration of loss of power has increased with each incident and is very frightening when it occurs. When attempting to accelerate across the road, there was no response or power from the engine to get me through traffic. On each occasions, the safety of everyone in my vehicle as well members of the public were at great risk. It is only by good luck that these engine failure incidents did not cause a serious crash. The local Ford dealer has been unable to identify the problem. Until and unless the Ford Dealer can replicate the problem, I am unable to get the problem resolved. In the meantime, I feel that I my life is at risk every time I drive my truck. There were no warnings from the vehicle about this loss of power and the randomness of this causes great fear when driving. The incident appears to be the same as Recall 26V343000, Loss of Drive Power from Engine Failure, which does not include my specific VIN.

NHTSA ID

11744742

Incident

Apr 10, 2026

Purchased this truck new and took on a trip over the weekend. Put on just under 800 miles no issues. This morning while driving to get my wondows tinted I noticed my truck flashing to apply brakes as it was trying to shift itself into 4wd low setting. Sure enough i looked over and the truck was switching drive modes when no one had touched it. Nothing in my cupholder either that could have accidentally bunped it either. I quickly pulled over and pressed the 2 wheel drive button and restarted the truck. I did a quick google search and found that others are having this issue too. I cant even imagine what damage it would have done to the vehicle or myself if it fully shifted over while driving at highway speeds.

NHTSA ID

11744564

Incident

Jun 16, 2026

My Ford Ranger is on a safety recall. They sold it to us on May 9,2025 then kept the truck. June 1 they told use the recall issue was solved. We were not given documents on this. We are now seeing the parts needed are not available until the end of June. A Fedaral and State law was broken in selling us a vehicle on a safety recall. We were not aware of this issue until we research the recall. I am so frustrated. We lost a month of use of this vehicle In waiting. So frustrated.

NHTSA ID

11742182

Incident

May 9, 2026

The Ford dealership completed repairs on my vehicle and returned it by parking it in front of my garage. I have a long driveway and additional parking and needed to park the vehicle somewhere else (maybe 20-30 feet away). I reversed the truck ~20 feet and when I tapped the gas lightly to turn the car left to pull into the parking space it accelerated rapidly. I pressed the brakes repeatedly and the car didn't stop and barely slowed down after noticing that continuing to turn the steering wheel to the left did nothing. I tried cutting the wheel and the tires seemed unresponsive and the vehicle didn't stop until it hit a small tree on the right side of the parking area. Upon trying to move the vehicle back to the original parking space the vehicle seemed to only allow steering to the right and hit a tree on the right passenger front door. The airbags, part of the service work previously completed from another recall, didn't deploy despite having an 85lb passenger in the vehicle. The dash flashed with many sensors when I initially tried to stop the vehicle when it was in drive. The vehicle is available for inspection. The safety of myself and my passenger were at risk. I was transported to the ER. The problem was not confirmed by anyone yet. The vehicle was inspected by police visually and damages documented in the police report. I have not spoken to the dealer as I'm now weary of their service center practices since this occurred the first time I drove the vehicle after they made the repairs for the passenger airbag and brake recalls.

NHTSA ID

11741145

Incident

Apr 13, 2026

When using the rear camera while towing a trailer, the image is partially blocked by a persistent message stating “full view not available”. This creates a safety issue as it obscures the driver’s view of the trailer and/or the trailer load. It is critical to be able to monitor the trailer and the load during towing to ensure a hazardous condition is not developing. I believe the rear view camera is working as designed, that is I do not believe there is a defect or failure in the hardware. However the design of the message is the problem. If the driver needs to know that “full view not available” then the message should be moved to a different part of the screen to not obscure the view of the trailer.

NHTSA ID

11739677

Incident

May 14, 2026

Newly purchased truck, less than 3 weeks old, with 987 miles. A few blocks from my home, the driver's side front control arm broke while going over a speed bump at approximately 4 miles per hour. The vehicle was towed to Walker Ford in Clearwater, Florida. Notes on the repair order stated that it looks like the control did not cure all the way, leading to the weakness. The vehicle was repaired. The tire was hanging off the vehicle, and hopefully did not damage any other components. The dealership stated that Ford requested the part back for inspection.

NHTSA ID

11738798

Incident

Mar 10, 2026

Complete power loss from transmission. Yes available for inspection. Power loss was experienced on at least 4 separate occasions. This occurred during either slowing down or stopping to make a left hand turn while yielding to oncoming traffic. When re-engaging the accelerator to get across oncoming traffic zero power transfer occurred putting my self, my passengers, and the oncoming vehicles and passengers at risk for a head on or Tbone collision. The loss of power has not been replicated but a ford dealership did note high pitched transmission whine and hard shifting when during deceleration during inspection. Inspected by authorized ford dealer. No lights or warnings present, prior to, during, or after incidents.

NHTSA ID

11736073

Incident

Apr 20, 2026

Coolant hose on bypass valve came off. Dumped coolant and engine overheated. Tech said it just came off, service advisor said I “hit a bump”.

NHTSA ID

11734992

Incident

Apr 24, 2026

Became aware of open recalls circa 09.2025, and requested the parts be ordered at Ford Auto Nation (FAN) Panama City, FL. Was told by John, dealership would call when parts became available. Parts have not either been available and/or there have been no calls. Calling the dealer is ludicrous as all calls are answered by an incompetent call center. Dropped by the dealership today 04/25/2026, and Taylor could not book a service appointment, did not know if parts to fix recalls were available for my vehicle, and said I would need to speak with John whom was off today. It appears that Ford/FAN-PC is not interested in safety or repairing my vehicle.

NHTSA ID

11733759

Incident

Sep 10, 2025

My 2025 Ford Ranger Lariat FX4 has experienced sudden and complete loss of accelerator pedal response while driving at low speed on at least 4 to 6 separate occasions. The engine continues to run normally, but pressing the accelerator produces no power and no vehicle response. The condition has consistently occurred while pulling into my subdivision, which has an inclined entrance. The truck also feels noticeably sluggish nearly every time I make this turn, even when full dropout does not occur. No warning lights, check engine light, or messages in the instrument cluster illuminate during these events. No diagnostic trouble codes have been stored that I am aware of. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. The symptoms closely match two active Ford recalls — 26S10 (EGR valve failure causing unexpected loss of drive power, stated by Ford to be most likely at speeds under 13 mph) and 25V-239 (PCM reset causing temporary loss of acceleration). My vehicle is not currently listed as included in either recall per Ford’s VIN lookup. Numerous owner reports on public Ford Ranger forums describe identical symptoms on 2024 and 2025 Ranger trucks, many of which are also not covered by the existing recalls and for which dealers have been unable to find stored codes. A sudden, unannounced loss of drive power at low speed on an incline or while turning into traffic represents a clear crash risk. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate whether the affected vehicle population should be expanded.

NHTSA ID

11733498

Incident

Apr 24, 2026

When i move my foot from the gas to the brake several times the shoe has caught the plastic trim above the gas pedal, and several times it has also caught the plastic trim piece on the right side of the gas pedal. This has kept me from braking quickly because the shoe gets stuck on the trim and i have to move the shoe away from me and down towards the gas pedal, and then keep it lower while i move it over to the brake pedal. Very unsafe and possible accident causing design.

NHTSA ID

11726015

Incident

Nov 1, 2025

A strong smell of burning oil is coming from the engine compartment after truck warms up. Checked fluid levels, monitoring temperature. Went to dealer, dealer claims nothing found. Went back to dealer on 031626 for concern, dealer states no problem found, all fluid levels ok. No troubleshooting performed. Dealer said again that no smells detected. As of today, there is still smell coming from the engine area. All fluid levels appear good. However, after warming up the vehicle and parking, strong smell still exists. Not sure if there is a bigger problem in the future, a defective part, or if it has something to do with the design of the engine.

NHTSA ID

11725809

Incident

Jan 30, 2026

Driving home from the dealer I would hear a knock coming from the rear seat area, each time I stopped at a light or stop sign. I thought the jack was loose. When I arrived at home I went to check the jack and realized the seat back in the rear seat was not latched. When my kids ride in the rear seat they were saying weeee every time I stopped, as the seat back would move forward. I have tried on several occasions to latch the seat with no luck. I am making an appointment today for repair.

NHTSA ID

11723798

Incident

Mar 6, 2026

The first time I drove my Ford Ranger and went to brake, I was startled by my right shoe getting tangled and wedged on something. I was able to get to the brake and come to a stop in plenty of time but it did give my heart a jump. It has happened several times with my husband as well. The clearance between the lower part of the dash and the accelerator and brake pedals needs reconfiguring as your right foot barely fits. If I am wearing my winter shoes or work boots, it is far worse. In a panic situation, one may not be able to stop the vehicle in time.

NHTSA ID

11722392

Incident

Jan 24, 2026

Check engine light for CCV emesions system.

NHTSA ID

11717552

Incident

Feb 1, 2026

I was driving my truck home on 01/22/26 and experienced a lack of acceleration and smelled oil. I got the truck home and looked under the hood. I noticed a collapsed rubber hose leading from the air intake box to the air intake of the turbo. I removed the air filter, which is practically new, and noticed no restrictions. At this point, I am trying to get it to the dealer to check for any additional problems, and replace the rubber intake hose, with something possibly better. From what I saw, the hose which has corrugations cannot handle the boost intake.

NHTSA ID

11712800

Incident

Jan 22, 2026

The contact owns a 2025 Ford Ranger equipped with an aftermarket truck bed cover, Product Line: BAK Industries, Product Type: Tonneau Cover, Product: BAK 80342, Serial Number: RVO193745. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, the bed cover suddenly detached from the vehicle, becoming airborne and crossing over three lanes of traffic before landing in a ditch. Upon inspection, the contact discovered that the clamps used to secure the cover to the bed of the vehicle had remained attached to the vehicle. The manufacturer was notified of the failure.

NHTSA ID

11711493

Incident

Dec 28, 2025

I washed the truck and sprayed the undercarriage. I drove it about 5 miles home without any issues. I stopped at the bottom of my driveway to get the mail.My driveway is about 150’ long and has a moderate up hill grade. At the top of the driveway I had to turn left to pull into the garage.I also had to stop to open the garage door. I don’t have a garage door opener. As I started turning left the truck suddenly lunged forward as if it was floored.I had been approaching the garage very slow knowing that I had to stop to manually open the door. I was unable to stop, drove through the door taking down both garage doors and the pillar between them. I have lived here for 35 years I have pulled in and out of this garage literally thousands of times without incident.The pedals were not obstructed by anything, and I’m positive I applied the brakes and not the accelerator. There is a lot of damage to the house, truck, a new motorcycle and a large commercial type lawnmower. As bad as this is I know it could have been worse.If this had happened in traffic or around pedestrians I hate to imagine what might have happened. I was only able to find 2 other people on the internet who said they had a similar experience with the same model and year truck. If the dealership cannot find or diagnose what happened, I will not feel safe driving this vehicle.

NHTSA ID

11710820

Incident

Jan 13, 2026