Ford Ranger reliability by year
39 recalls and 1,924 owner complaints across 14 model years. Best year to buy: 2020. Year to avoid: 2006.
Worst model years to avoid → — the single year to avoid for every model line we track, ranked side by side.
Years to avoid — and why 1 flagged on the NHTSA record
Cleaner on the data: 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2019, 2020 . Still verify the specific vehicle.
At-a-glance: every year color-coded
Each cell shows the last two digits of the model year and its 0–10 reliability score from NHTSA data. Click any year to see the full record. ★ best year · ✕ year to avoid.
Year-by-year reliability 14 model years · newest first
Common trouble spots across the Ranger aggregated across 14 model years
Common questions
What's the best year to buy a Ford Ranger?
Based on NHTSA complaint volume and severity weighting, the 2020 Ford Ranger scores 7.8/10 — the strongest in the 2005–2025 range. 116 complaints on file, 0 active recalls. Reliability scores reflect the federal complaint record, not subjective owner reviews.
Which Ford Ranger year should I avoid?
The 2006 Ford Ranger scores 2.8/10 — the weakest in the lineup. 271 owner complaints with NHTSA, 9 active recalls. That doesn't mean every 2006 is a problem — it means failure rates run higher than peer model years on the same platform.
Which years of the Ford Ranger should I avoid?
On the NHTSA complaint and recall record, the model years to be most careful with are 2006 (high-risk ownership — reliability score 2.8/10 — below the segment average). The cleaner years on the data are 2020, 2019, 2011, 2009, 2008, 2007. This is our read of the federal data, not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection of the specific vehicle.
How many years of the Ford Ranger are tracked?
14 model years (2005 through 2025) with NHTSA records on file. Total across the lineup: 39 recalls and 1,924 owner complaints.
What's the most-reported problem on the Ford Ranger?
airbags is the most-reported category — 1,167 complaints across 8 model years. Average shop repair runs about $1,100.