FaultScore

2024 Ford Ranger transmission problems

25 of the 109 complaints about the 2024 Ford Ranger are about the transmission — 23% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 3,000 miles.

C

25

Complaints

1

Crashes

0

Fires

0

Injuries

Exactly what failed

Power Train 25 100.0%

Transmission & Drivetrain across every Ford Ranger year

1988 11 1.3%
1990 11 1.3%
1991 14 1.7%
1992 14 1.7%
1993 21 2.5%
1994 51 6.0%
1995 24 2.8%
1996 31 3.7%
1997 44 5.2%
1998 68 8.0%
1999 74 8.7%
2000 71 8.4%
2001 57 6.7%
2002 64 7.5%
2003 17 2.0%
2004 27 3.2%
2019 92 10.8%
2020 47 5.5%
2021 56 6.6%
2022 17 2.0%
2024 25 2.9%
2025 12 1.4%

What owners said

Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.

Georgetown, TX

POWER TRAIN

The drive mode randomly changes by itself while drive. When this occurs it can shift to 4 wheel drive will moving on dry pavement. This this not been checked out by the dealer because based on online forums others have the same issue and Ford can not reproduce or provide any fixes. I'm assuming there have been other complaints for this same issue reported to NHTSA. I'm adding a date for when this happened below, but it has happened at least six times since I have owned the truck online forums [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11757275 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Lancaster, CA

POWER TRAIN

Hello, I have a 24-ford ranger raptor, this incident happened twice, I was driving approximately 60 MPH and vehicle on its own started changing drive modes. It switched itself to baja mode which is 4-wheel drive and very dangerous at these speeds. I took my truck to local ford dealer in Valencia Ca, Dealer stated no codes or issues found. This is deeply concerning to me; I Have family that also drives this vehicle. I have read online that other same vehicle owners are experiencing same symptoms and heavy concerns. Not sure where to go from here, any help or feedback would greatly appreciated. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11755976 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Oxford, MS

POWER TRAIN

While driving at 60 MPH Drive Mode Selector changed to Baja Mode and switched to 4WDHI. Had to stop and shut off truck to resume normal driving. While driving at 25-30 MPH in Normal Mode, Drive Mode changed to Rock Crawl Mode, engaged rear axel lock, and attempted to engage 4WD Low Range (several times). My local dealer Service Dept. is unaware of any other instances of this, although it appears to be fairly common according to posts on internet forums.

NHTSA complaint #11754162 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Louisville, KY

POWER TRAIN

When turning vehicle will intermittently lose power for 1 to 2 seconds, and then it suddenly returns.

NHTSA complaint #11753907 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Two Rivers, WI

POWER TRAIN

The vehicle changed it's drive mode on it's own without user interaction. The event happened while driving at 70MPH on the Interstate. Vehicle changed to the Baja drive mode by itself which also tries to change from 2H to 4H at speed. I was able to quickly move drive selector back to Normal drive mode before the 4H change occurred, but it also tried to change to the Rock Crawl mode which would result in a 4L mode. Severe damage to the drivetrain could have occurred and could also result in loss of control of vehicle if it was able to slam into 4H or 4L at speed. This type of behavior has been reported by many other drivers at the Ranger6G forum. [XXX] I will be scheduling a service appointment with my local dealer for inspection and documentation. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11753943 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Colfax, CA

POWER TRAIN

The vehicle went into BAJA Mode 4wd high then 4wd low range out of nowhere while driving. It shot me off the road , and ive been researching it. There is a 6 page thread about new rangers and ranger raptors doing this on 6G ranger forum, tons of people with the same issue. Super scary. Fear injury or fatality will happen from this as it shoots you hard off the road

NHTSA complaint #11752831 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

St Augustine, FL

POWER TRAIN

Making turn at approximately 10 mph, and as I applied the throttle to resume acceleration, the vehicle seemed to "stall." Engine was still running, but no response to throttle input for 2-3 seconds. This has happened twice, and my truck only has 30,000 miles

NHTSA complaint #11752374 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 3,000 miles Salemburg, NC Crash

POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2024 Ford Ranger. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the 4WD message was displayed and the 4H warning light illuminated before the screen went blank, and the rear wheels locked up, causing the driver to lose control of the vehicle and drive into a ditch. The vehicle came to a stop after driving into the ditch. The air bags did not deploy. The vehicle was winched out of the ditch and towed to a Collision Center. The contact stated that the drivetrain and the front end needed to be replaced, and the passenger’s side fender and driver’s side front fender were damaged, and the front driver’s side step was bent. No injuries were reported. The contact stated that the vehicle was involved in another crash in March 2026. The contact stated that while driving in the rain and coming to a stop, the screen displayed the message “Slippery”, and the vehicle shifted into 4H independently and the rear wheels locked up, causing the driver to lose control of the vehicle and the vehicle drove into a ditch. The vehicle came to a stop 20 feet away from the road in the ditch. The air bags did not deploy. The vehicle was not towed. The front bumper and the passenger’s and driver’s side fender wheel openings were damaged. No property damage was reported. The message “Slippery” was displayed, and the 4H warning light was illuminated. A Police report was not filed. No injuries were reported. The failure had occurred several times. The dealer was contacted, and the vehicle was taken to the dealer prior to the crash; however, the dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was repaired by the insurance provider. The manufacturer was notified of the failures. The failure mileage was 3,000.

NHTSA complaint #11751668 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Clermont, FL

POWER TRAIN

Several times while driving at highway speed, my vehicle transmission will shift all by itself into baha 4wd mode, or 4wd mode causing my truck to become a hazard on the road. Should someone be following me and my transmission implodes due to this issue, people could be seriously harmed or killed.

NHTSA complaint #11751297 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

North Fort Myers, FL

POWER TRAIN

While driving, randomly and intermittently the vehicles drive mode will change on its own, usually requiring the driver to slow down to allow for a 4X4 shift, as called out by messages on the dash and an audible warning. This has happened multiple times and ford cannot replicate this issue. I was going to just replace the drive mode selection knob but as it turns out it's on national backorder.

NHTSA complaint #11745023 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

North Easton, MA

POWER TRAIN

Vehicle experienced unintended transmission gear change without driver input from the gear selector. While driving, the transmission shifted unexpectedly into 4H even though the selector was not touched. This created a safety hazard due to sudden change in vehicle behavior, including: loss of acceleration, lurching and unexpected movement. Issue occurred at approximately 30 mph. Concern is potential electronic transmission control or shift-by-wire malfunction causing unintended gear engagement.

NHTSA complaint #11739691 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Jacksonville, FL

POWER TRAIN

The vehicle has had hard down shift at slow speeds. Sometimes so hard that i thought I got rearended when stopping. Sometimes you can feel it but not horrible, other times it's bad! I've been trying 6 months to get Coggin Ford to look at it and they keep putting me off.

NHTSA complaint #11734739 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Cumming, GA

POWER TRAIN

My 2024 Ford Ranger XLT 2W has been suddenly losing power or stumbling upon initial acceleration. This has been occurring intermittently. My truck now has approximately 20,000 miles. The problem has become increasingly frequent. It seems to occur most often when accelerating from a complete stop. The loss of power can last for several seconds, then normal power is regained. Several times, the truck has lost power while making a left turn. It simply will not accelerate, and I find that I am stuck, unable to complete my turn and clear the oncoming traffic. I have taken my truck to a local dealer who attempted to diagnose the problem and they didn’t offer a solution since they were unable to reproduce the problem during their road test. It has happened many times since then and I am scheduled to return the vehicle to the same dealership to attempt to diagnose and fix the problem again soon. The problem seems to occur, regardless of which drive mode the truck is in and also occurs with Electronic Stability Control both enabled and disabled. There are no warning lights or check engine codes shown.

NHTSA complaint #11731068 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Washington, NC

POWER TRAIN

My 2024 Ford Ranger Raptor has been suddenly losing power or stumbling upon initial acceleration. This has been occurring intermittently since it was nearly new. My truck now has approximately 10,500 miles. The problem has become increasingly frequent. It seems to occur most often when accelerating from a complete stop. The loss of power can last for several seconds, then afterwards, normal power is regained. It poses a safety risk since it has nearly caused collisions. Several times, the truck has lost power while making a left turn in front of oncoming traffic. It simply will not accelerate, and I find that I am stuck, unable to complete my turn and clear the oncoming traffic. Once when accelerating away from a stoplight, the truck lost power, and I was nearly struck by following vehicle. I have taken my truck to a local dealer who attempted to diagnose the problem and they didn’t offer a solution since they were unable to reproduce the problem during their road test. It has happened many times since then and I am scheduled to return the vehicle to the same dealership to attempt to diagnose and fix the problem again soon. The problem seems to occur, regardless of which drive mode the truck is in and also occurs with Electronic Stability Control both enabled and disabled. There are no warning lights or check engine codes shown.

NHTSA complaint #11728371 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Davis, CA

POWER TRAIN

I am the original owner of this vehicle and the engine and controls have not been modified in any way. Yesterday while driving at approximately 30 mph on a surface street with dry road conditions in the “2H” setting on the Drive Modes Selection Dial my truck spontaneously shifted into four-wheel drive high and then attempted to switch into four-wheel-drive low – “Rock Crawl Mode.” The rear differential locked, speed was suddenly reduced, and the steering became more difficult. Luckily, I was able to safely pull over. I captured a video at this time documenting the control settings and display image. It took multiple attempts, even in Park and Neutral, to get out of 4WD and back into the 2H setting. Once back in 2H, the truck drove normally. I have had similar experiences at least twice before in this truck with months between them. In those cases, I wondered if I had accidentally bumped the dial control. I am certain that this was not the case yesterday, so this was a spontaneous event initiated by the truck’s computer and/or mechanical controls. I consider this to be a very serious safety hazard, as it dramatically and unexpectedly affected the speed and handling of my truck. I did some online searching today and found that multiple other Ranger Raptor owners have experienced this issue, suggesting that this may be a serious design flaw affecting multiple vehicles. I plan to schedule a service appointment with Ford and notify them directly of this problem and hazard.

NHTSA complaint #11709682 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Magnolia, TX

POWER TRAIN

Truck will shift into offroad modes unexpectedly. Will shift into these modes at highway speeds

NHTSA complaint #11701809 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 4,200 miles Calexico, CA

POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2024 Ford Ranger. The contact stated that while reversing, the differential indicator independently moved, and there was an abnormal sound coming from the transmission. The abnormal sound could be heard for a short while, and then the sound dissipated. The contact stated the sound could be heard intermittently. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, no cause for the failure was found. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 4,200.

NHTSA complaint #11695500 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Fort Leavenworth, KS

POWER TRAIN

while driving between 5-10 MPH on a dry, smooth paved road, the transmission began cycling through 4WD modes and began shifting from normal mode to 4WD Sand mode, i was able to pull over and park, but the transmission continued shifting and fully transitioned to 4WD mode. This is the second time it has occurred, the first time the transmission fully switched 4WD and i was barely able to pull off the road to reset it. after first issue, dealership noted the following "3131 confirmed concern. pulled codes with FDRS and found P05D3 in ABS module. Referred to workshop manual and run pinpoint test AH for concern. AH1 yes. AH2 had me reconfigure ABS module with As-Built data rerun self test. No codes returned and system operating correctly at this time." There multiple online forums with owners having the same problem. https://www.ranger6g.com/forum/threads/24-rr-shifted-while-driving.18956/ Truck will be going to dealership for assessment again.

NHTSA complaint #11693898 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Whitehall, MI

POWER TRAIN

Vehicle has multiple drive modes. Vehicle will attempt to change drive modes while moving without any input from the driver, i.e. using the drive mode control to change drive modes. Results in vehicle attempting to shift into four-wheel-drive or other drive modes while vehicle is in motion, even at highway speeds.

NHTSA complaint #11682807 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Pflugerville, TX

POWER TRAIN

The Drive Mode Control has been malfunctioning and selecting different drive modes while the vehicle is in motion without any physical input from myself, the driver. While driving in the normal two-wheel drive high (2H) at various rates of speed the Drive Mode Control will start clicking and selecting different drive modes, such as going to four-wheel drive low (4L) or four-wheel drive high (4H) and a pop-up message in the instrument cluster display showing the change displaying Mud/Ruts, Sand, Slippery modes being selected. This has been continuously occurring randomly at both low and high rates of speed. There are never any objects or materials in contact with the Drive mode Control when this happens, it does it on it's own with an audible clicking noise. This is effectively putting myself, my family and other drivers safety at risk since the truck is making changes to the power train without any input from myself and I have to take my attention off the road to bring the truck back into normal two-wheel drive high (2H) mode. I have contacted both Ford Motor Company directly and my local Ford Dealer Service Center to try to have the vehicle inspected but have not been able to due their delay in being able to diagnose the vehicle. This has been going on for 4+ months and the date provided below is the last occurrence of the issue.

NHTSA complaint #11682811 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Cranford, NJ

POWER TRAIN

When driving truck especially in rolling traffic truck has hard time downshifting and clunky and lunches as transmition tries to figure what gear to be in. It is an intermittently happening but now evolved to completely dropping out of gear goes into neutral were you can rev engine without truck moving foward. This has only happened twice both time as I was slowing down to make a turn and the trying to Accelerate after turn truck would go limp. Dealer could not replicate issues and could not find any issues advised to return is issue consistent

NHTSA complaint #11679678 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Bellefontaine, OH

POWER TRAIN

Transmission on this brand new vehicle with less than 3500 miles is bad. Safety issue as well. Periodically you will go to press accelerator and nothing will happen. The truck will fall out of gear and will not accelerate randomly. I've had this incident occur when trying to get into the highway which is unsafe and I've had this happen on standard roadway as well. This is a big safety concern because of vehicle won't go into gear and accelerate then it could cause rear collision from other vehicles on the road. In addition to this if you drive the vehicle, turn it off, and then a few hours later go to drive the vehicle again the transmission slams into gear so hard that the entire truck jumps. This Ford Ranger has huge transmission issues and after looking online many owners of this same vehicle have this problem yet Ford won't do anything about it because the maintenance light doesn't pop up on the dash despite the obvious and dangerous issue happening.

NHTSA complaint #11660910 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Saucier, MS

POWER TRAIN

1. The vehicle will sometimes randomly switch between drive modes with no influence from the driver. I believe it could be a faulty drive mode sensor and the vehicle is available to be inspected. 2. Having the vehicle switch drive modes at random could cause an increase in danger while driving. Going from Normal to Baja or other modes while at highway speeds is very concerning, considering it changes from 2-wheel to 4-wheel drive. 3. No. 4. No, the vehicle will be taken to a Ford dealership soon for the current window recall. 5. No prior warnings. The first couple of times, I thought I may have bumped it, but on multiple occasions I have realized it did it by itself with no influence from the operator. 6. For the additional details below: I put in the most recent incident, but it has occurred multiple times over the past year.

NHTSA complaint #11653397 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 2,000 miles Grand Junction, CO

POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2024 Ford Ranger. The contact stated that while attempting to leave a parking lot while on an incline, the transmission was shifted into drive(D); however, the vehicle began to slowly reverse. The contact quickly proceeded to depress the brake pedal and shift back to park(P). There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that there was no failure found with the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V164000 (POWER TRAIN); as a possible cause for the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 2,000.

NHTSA complaint #11652847 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Napoleon, OH

POWER TRAIN

When stopped or turning from a stop I will lose acceleration for 3-4 seconds at such time I will almost over accelerate when it does catch which I almost will lose control especially in icy weather. I have no codes have taken to dealership for repairs 4 times they can't find any issues. The issues appeared day 1 asked them to look at it they said it was fine.

NHTSA complaint #11644616 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Other 2024 Ford Ranger problems

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