Ford Ranger Best and Worst Years

Counting owner complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2019 Ford Ranger drew the most (68; most-reported area: powertrain) and the 2023 the fewest (15).

Data: US EPA and NHTSAUpdated Sep 27, 2026

Every model year since 2019 in one place: EPA fuel economy, NHTSA recalls, owner complaints and crash test ratings. The best fuel economy rating, 23 mpg combined, arrived in 2019. The Ranger returned to the US for 2019.

Best and worst years, by owner complaints

Model years ranked by owner complaints filed with NHTSA in their first three years (model year Y: filed by the end of Y+2), so every year is measured over the same time on the road. Years without three full years of data, and launch or final years with very few sold, are left out. Counts are not adjusted for how many were sold.

Model year	First 3 years	All complaints	Recalls
2019 Ranger Most reported: powertrain	68	267	11
2021 Ranger Most reported: powertrain	39	114	6
2020 Ranger Most reported: powertrain	32	127	7
2022 Ranger Most reported: powertrain	23	37	5
2023 Ranger Most reported: powertrain	15	18	4

Year by year

Model year	Best rating	Recalls	Complaints
2026 MPG · Recalls and problems	23 mpg Gas	8	6
2025 MPG · Recalls and problems	23 mpg Gas	13	40
2024 MPG · Recalls and problems	22 mpg Gas	13	83
2023 MPG · Recalls and problems	23 mpg Gas	4	18
2022 MPG · Recalls and problems	23 mpg Gas	5	37
2021 MPG · Recalls and problems	23 mpg Gas	6	114
2020 MPG · Recalls and problems	23 mpg Gas	7	127
2019 MPG · Recalls and problems	23 mpg Gas	11	267

Owner complaints by model year

All complaints filed so far. Counts rise with sales volume and with time on the road, so recent years look better than they may turn out. The highlighted bar is the model year with the most complaints in its first three years.

2019: 267 complaints

Show as a table

Owner complaints by model year, Ford Ranger
Model year	Complaints
2019	267
2020	127
2021	114
2022	37
2023	18
2024	83
2025	40
2026	6

Best combined rating by model year

The best-rated version in each model year. Gas: 22 to 23 mpg (every year from 2019 to 2026); highest in 2019.

2026: gas 23 mpg

Show as a table

Ford Ranger best combined mpg by model year
Model year	Best gas version
2019	23
2020	23
2021	23
2022	23
2023	23
2024	22
2025	23
2026	23

Comparisons

Ford Ranger vs Toyota TacomaMPG, fuel cost, recalls and crash tests

Questions

Which Ford Ranger years have the most problems?

Counting owner complaints filed with NHTSA in each model year's first three years, the 2019 (68) drew the most, then the 2021 (39). Most-reported area for the 2019: powertrain.

Which Ford Ranger years have the fewest problems?

The 2023 (15) drew the fewest complaints in its first three years. The 2024, 2025, and 2026 are not ranked yet: they have had fewer than three full years on the road.

Which Ford Ranger years should you avoid?

Complaint counts can't tell you whether a particular car is sound, but they show where owners reported the most trouble: the 2019, against 32 complaints in a typical Ford Ranger year. Whatever the year, check the car's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy. Safety recall repairs are free at Ford dealers.

Which Ford Ranger years have the most recalls?

The 2024 and 2025 have the most safety recalls in NHTSA's file (13 each). A recall can cover a problem that affects only a few cars, so open a year's page to see what each one covers. One recall tells owners not to drive the car or to park it outside until it is repaired: NHTSA 23V-283 (2023 models).

What are the most common Ford Ranger problems?

Of the 692 owner complaints NHTSA lists for 2019 to 2026 models, the areas named most are powertrain (39%), electrical system (15%), and engine (12%). One complaint can name more than one area. The recalls and problems page for each year breaks this down further.

Which Ford Ranger year has the best MPG?

The best EPA fuel economy is 23 mpg combined, first reached by the 2019 gas version.

Sources and method

US EPA fuel economy data (fueleconomy.gov), file dated Sep 18, 2026.
NHTSA recall file dated Sep 27, 2026 and owner complaint file dated Sep 26, 2026; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings.

Complaint counts are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.