2025 Ford Ranger Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
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What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2025 Ford Ranger, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Powertrain (other)1423.3%
- Engine1220.0%
- Driver assistance813.3%
- Electrical813.3%
- Brakes711.7%
- Airbags23.3%
- Fuel system23.3%
- Interior & seats23.3%
- Steering23.3%
- Visibility11.7%
- Suspension11.7%
- Other / unspecified11.7%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
I have around 26000 miles on my 2025 Ford Ranger Lariat 2.7l V6. My drive mode has changed on its own multiple times without anyone touching the dial. Recently I was letting it idle to cool the cabin. I hopped in and heard some thunking and saw my drive mode change all the way to slippery mode. Nothing was touching the dial. It has also changed modes while I was exiting my driveway, leaving the Taco Bell drive-thru, and driving down the highway at about 50 MPH. It's scary to think I could be driving down the road and it automatically shifts into 4WD on its own. Sometimes I don't know it's in a different mode until the steering is hard to turn and the wheels chirp. Since then I have been able to trigger the drive mode changes by only pushing down the drive mode selector's bezel, not turning/twisting it. Pushing downwards on the bezel at or just below the 2H label can trigger the drive mode change for me. It's very inconsistent and won't trigger very often. But I was able capture a video of it in case someone is interested. [XXX] No modifications, No Forscan alterations, Happens before and after installing a ford performance tune Before me capturing it on video, I asked the dealer (Sunset Ford [XXX]) about getting it fixed. They told me if they cant reproduce it, then they cant do anything for me and I would be charged for the diagnosis and a car rental. My vehicle is still under factory warranty. Since I created the video I sent it to them and I had to call them multiple times to get them to look at it. I have an appt on XXX, we'll see what happens. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Yes this is my second time filing a complaint regarding my new truck switching drive modes on its own. The first time it tried going into 4 low while i was going over 45 mph, with only 800 miles. The next time it did it was at around 1200 miles it switched drive modes completely and tried switching into 4 wd while at hoghway speeds. This is clearly a safety issue, their are numerous threads on reddit, facebook and ranger forums regarding it. Ford cannot replicate so they dont fix, what will it take one of us getting killed before we get a recall for whatever part or module is broken.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
Yes this is my second time filing a complaint regarding my new truck switching drive modes on its own. The first time it tried going into 4 low while i was going over 45 mph, with only 800 miles. The next time it did it was at around 1200 miles it switched drive modes completely and tried switching into 4 wd while at hoghway speeds. This is clearly a safety issue, their are numerous threads on reddit, facebook and ranger forums regarding it. Ford cannot replicate so they dont fix, what will it take one of us getting killed before we get a recall for whatever part or module is broken.
I am not a mechanic or a 'car person', so I may not know technical terms. This has occurred 4-6 times since purchasing the truck in March '26. After initial start up, it has a tendency to accelerate when applying the break. This is only within the first several minutes after startup. The most recent incident caused the truck to "roll" into the main street rather than coming to a complete stop. I was applying the break, but the truck was 'resisting' to come to a complete stop. The local Ford mechanic found this to be "undesirable, but normal characteristic". The situation that is occurring is anything BUT normal. The Ford dealer was able to replicate the situation, but deemed it to be "no further instructions on fixes or issues related to this concern and no further action can be perfomed" The truck is available for inspection. This is a major safety issue as I was unable to stop the truck before entering the main road. Yes, the truck was inspected by the dealer. There were no warning messages
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
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.
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.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
Yes this is my second time filing a complaint regarding my new truck switching drive modes on its own. The first time it tried going into 4 low while i was going over 45 mph, with only 800 miles. The next time it did it was at around 1200 miles it switched drive modes completely and tried switching into 4 wd while at hoghway speeds. This is clearly a safety issue, their are numerous threads on reddit, facebook and ranger forums regarding it. Ford cannot replicate so they dont fix, what will it take one of us getting killed before we get a recall for whatever part or module is broken.
2025 Ford Ranger XLT experienced an electrical short-circuit causing a persistent speaker hiss with the vehicle turned off, accompanied by an electrical burning smell. The radio and audio became very staticky and a constant hissing sound with the radio and the truck turned off. By the time the dealer looked at the vehicle it was operating normally. Dealership refused to inspect wiring or ACM due to intermittent nature of the failure.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
Brake fault warning light stays on. It will not reset and 2 different Ford dealers cannot figure out the problem. The dealerships cannot determine if the brakes are malfunctioning. The problem forst occured May 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.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
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.
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.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
I am not a mechanic or a 'car person', so I may not know technical terms. This has occurred 4-6 times since purchasing the truck in March '26. After initial start up, it has a tendency to accelerate when applying the break. This is only within the first several minutes after startup. The most recent incident caused the truck to "roll" into the main street rather than coming to a complete stop. I was applying the break, but the truck was 'resisting' to come to a complete stop. The local Ford mechanic found this to be "undesirable, but normal characteristic". The situation that is occurring is anything BUT normal. The Ford dealer was able to replicate the situation, but deemed it to be "no further instructions on fixes or issues related to this concern and no further action can be perfomed" The truck is available for inspection. This is a major safety issue as I was unable to stop the truck before entering the main road. Yes, the truck was inspected by the dealer. There were no warning messages
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.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Interior & seats
Reports naming seats, latches, locks, linkages and interior fittings.
From owner reports, verbatim
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.
The head rest leans out so far at the top that my chin hits my chest. It doesn't matter if I try to lean the seat back of forth. Please evaluate the head rest as I believe it will cause serious injury as there is no back and forth adjustment. This can cause severe damage to the neck. You insisted on head rests for safety and I am very concerned about this. Also they are leaning the window so far back that with the sun out its impossible to see out with the reflections from the dash board showing in the window. The glare though the side drivers window is blocking me from seeing the odometer and gages. I really don't understand the use of so much computer that distracts drivers. If this is not your department send it to might be of assistance. I am talking about the 2025 ford ranger truck.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Steering
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.
From owner reports, verbatim
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.
VIN: [XXX] Recall data refreshed on Aug 09,2025 0 Unrepaired Recalls associated with this VIN Please Amber alert the following for NATIONAL BROADCAST NHTSA 2025 Ranger Safety Recalls* Inspect seat bolt presence and torque - recall is unable to be performed at this time. Please check the fsa landing page for more details. Recall incomplete Front upper control arm to knuckle ball joint loose or missing fastener Recall incomplete Instrument panel cluster configuration Recall incomplete INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Visibility
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.
From owner reports, verbatim
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.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Suspension
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.
From owner reports, verbatim
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.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Other / unspecified
Reports whose component NHTSA recorded as unknown, or that do not map to one of the categories above.
From owner reports, verbatim
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.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .