My Observations of the Ranger Lariat After 5 year.

[TJC]

When I got this Ranger, I looked at and test drove three Tacomas. I could not get them back to the dealership fast enough. They did not suit me or feel comfortable at all. But, with a model year change, who knows. The new Ranger may not suit me either. To each their own...happy driving.

When we were looking to replace our 2005 Ranger, we researched and narrowed down our choices to the 2020 Ranger or the 2020 Tacoma. We test drove several Tacomas. Seating felt all wrong and uncomfortable, transmission hunted, and it felt under powered. I tried to like it. Wife hated it. We then tested the Ranger, and it performed heads above the Tacoma. It wasn't even close.

Even with all the issues we have had I still like the way it drives.

I do think all modern cars are cursed with too much electronics. Too many points of catastrophic failure. Minor failures in older models have now become expensive and cascading failures in the newer models.

"If we can, we will" seems to be the technology mantra of the day.
I think maybe is should be "If we can, should we?"

Many times less is more.

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[JoedOH]

The actuator(s) that adjusts blend door(s) bind up and start clicking or tapping, then they fail, or they just outright fail with a snap. When they fail, the HVAC temp cannot be controlled. It is stuck in whatever position the door(s) binded up in. Seems like this happens to most people in the 30k-40k milage (if it happens) There are a couple of threads here on it.

To my knowledge this only happens on the climate control system where you set a temp and the system maintains it (at least till it fails). Both times on mine the driver side got nothing but heat while the passenger got AC at the lowest setting.

The time I got it repaired the dealer had it from Friday morning till Monday afternoon. They told me the dash has to come out to repair it.

If I were going to buy another Ranger it would not be a Lariat, I would go for the XL or XLT with only basic accessories. But Ford isn't smart enough to offer LED lighting on those models and that was my biggest reason for purchasing the Lariat.

 

[TJC]

It is unfortunate how the major auto manufacturers have incorporated so much electronics into modern cars.

The climate system is essentially the same on all three trim levels of the Ranger. The SW and controls are different, but the underlying air distribution systems are the same. All three have the same cheap air duct system installed and all three are prone to the warping failure.

I'll say it again. Sometimes less is more.

The AC controls in my 2005 Ranger have been flawless for 19 years. I don't need split cooling in a XLT Ranger cabin. I'd trade fancy "Sizzle" for reliability in a heartbeat. I don't need a touch screen either.

 

[Retirednavy2010]

I got 24k for the Ranger. As much as I liked that truck I was never so happy as when I pulled out in the Tacoma. There were way to many things going wrong with it. I never mentioned how any time the temp dropped below 36 degrees here in the winter the parking sensors quit working and if it snowed cruise control wouldn't work.

Another hilight was in March the battery needed replaced. That battery was $300 because it's no longer lead. That was actually something that I was OK with, it lasted just under 5 years but that's a decent life for a battery.

The heater box was 16 months from the first repair and They would not fix it for free. I just remember the $2700 for the extended warranty, $200 for the inspection and $1200 for the heater box. I thought how that was a lot of money for a five year old vehicle that kept having problems. All I can say about is Ford needs to learn how to build vehicles. Not the mechanical things, the high tech things that get added.

I got a 2019 just because I could flat tow it and couldn't with a Tacoma or Frontier. This Ranger has been a POS since day one. If it got totaled I certain wouldn't buy another Ford Ranger to replace it. It's a nice truck but mechanically isn't not well designed.

 

[Tony Robyn]

I purchased my Ranger on 4/20/19. I was in awe of the vehicle from the time I sat down. The first year I made 2 trips to Raleigh with it and loved how it handled on the WV Turnpike. The hills were unnoticeable. The Ranger did me well for 2 years.

The2nd year I put up with the bucking/surging problem at 33k. That took 2 months to get corrected. A few months later Sync3 problems started to plague me as it would lose SiriusXM from time to time and default to and obnoxious AM station every time the vehicle started. The first attempt to correct it the dealer installed a new part. It than worked for about 2 months and started messing up again. Seemed like every 6 months there was a problem that would show up.

The end of the 3rd year the heater box messed up only giving the driver heat and passenger AC. This was fixed with the extended warrantee and it took the dealer 3 days. The dealer told me it was a good thing I had the extended coverage. The 4th year the truck was plagued with Sync3 problems again.

In April 24 I got an email that my extended coverage ended at 60k and I had 61k. The very next day and after 16 months since being repaired the heater box messed up again. A trip to the dealer didn't help. I was told this repair was on me and would likely run $1200. I was also advised to pick up another Ford Extended warrantee at a cost of $2700 plus $200 for an inspection before coverage. They wanted to know when I wanted to schedule the inspection and repair. Told them I'd get back later week.

That was the last straw. I drove that truck to the Toyota dealer near me and drove away in a Tacoma. I'm done with Ford Vehicles. My biggest complaint is the tech stuff. All if it kept going bad for 5 years. The only way to own a Ranger is to avoid all the high tech accessories.

What was the bucking/surging fix?!? Please share.

 

[JoedOH]

What was the bucking/surging fix?!? Please share.

It's posted on here under bucking/surging. The part that goes bad is something with the EGR. Drove me nuts when it malfunctioned. The dealer told me it was normal until I showed them what was posted on this site.

 

[TomSim]

Wow alot of bad luck that can happen with any vehicle. I like fords tech but it's an after thought in the ranger. The F150 was very nice.

I hate the climate control on this pos ranger. It's like an after thought. I came to the conclusion that I'm not doing any extras to this thing because I'm not going to keep it.

Our 23 Rav4 XSE Hybrid is bad arse. I'm waiting for there hybrid trucks... My ranger stays in the garage most of it's life. LOL

i've been reading a lot of good things about the Rav4Hybrid PHEV what can you say about the one you have?

 

[Jason B]

That's funny. My Merkur Scorpio had that same problem. There was a little plastic gear in the blend motors that would break with age.

OK, so this might possibly be a DIY repair, (3d print a new part perhaps?) but I bet the real bugger is tearing down the dash and getting to the items in question.

IIRC, it was not a defect with the actuator itself, it was the plenum(?) warping and binding the diverter, causing the actuator arm to snap. If it was only the actuator, that could be replaced without the dash tear down.

 

[kendive]

i've been reading a lot of good things about the Rav4Hybrid PHEV what can you say about the one you have?

I don't have an PHEV and I would never own one. They are junk. I rented one one time and it's a joke a 10 gal tank you can charge the battery and it's hybrid. Now it was not a yoda it was made be Mitsubishi but the range on it totally sucked because the gas tank was so small and having the battery fully charged was not getting you anywhere.

We have the regular 23 Rav4 XSE Hybrid and love it. I said it before. If I did not need truck I would trade the ranger today for another Rav4 Hybrid in a heart beet...

I would never own an electric car full electric that is. I see someone on here got a lightning LOL what a joke.

If you charge an electric car from the grid you are doing it wrong and a fake. LOL Just Saying.

We have full solar and batteries on the house and I don't get even a penny electric bill. Enphase system. I still would not own an electric car. We have the batteries for backup power does the whole house we would never be without power. Batteries do not help with the bill. The solar does. We sell back to the company they give us a credit each Jan that washes the 26.98 meter fee. Solar system os 100% paid for no stupid loan crap forever and a day. That kinda takes away the good stuff of having it.

Good Luck.



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[uthunter]

I took delivery in January 2019, so it's an early build. My heater coil went out in the first few weeks and was fixed under warranty.

She's been great since then. I love the truck so much I just put an offset hitch on the front for a winch and rejected my Raptor at delivery two weeks ago.

I'll keep this truck at least until they come out with a Tremor, but maybe longer

 

[JoedOH]

I realize a vehicle is hit or miss but I thought there would be more not singing the praises. I will say mine was trouble free for 2 years, the 3rd year it just started to disintegrate and showed no sign of stopping.

Also not pleased with the dealer I used as that heater problem should have been covered after failing in less than 2 years. Still I would have gotten rid of the vehicle had it been covered.

 

[TomSim]

I don't have an PHEV and I would never own one. They are junk. I rented one one time and it's a joke a 10 gal tank you can charge the battery and it's hybrid. Now it was not a yoda it was made be Mitsubishi but the range on it totally sucked because the gas tank was so small and having the battery fully charged was not getting you anywhere.

We have the regular 23 Rav4 XSE Hybrid and love it. I said it before. If I did not need truck I would trade the ranger today for another Rav4 Hybrid in a heart beet...

I would never own an electric car full electric that is. I see someone on here got a lightning LOL what a joke.

If you charge an electric car from the grid you are doing it wrong and a fake. LOL Just Saying.

We have full solar and batteries on the house and I don't get even a penny electric bill. Enphase system. I still would not own an electric car. We have the batteries for backup power does the whole house we would never be without power. Batteries do not help with the bill. The solar does. We sell back to the company they give us a credit each Jan that washes the 26.98 meter fee. Solar system os 100% paid for no stupid loan crap forever and a day. That kinda takes away the good stuff of having it.

Good Luck.



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[TomSim]

How big is the gas tank on the 2024 RAV4 Prime?

up to 979 kilometres range

2024 RAV4 PrimeWith a full tank and a full electric charge, RAV4 Prime delivers a total combined driving range of up to 979 kilometres*.

14.5 gal.

 

[Friday yet?]

don't need a touch screen either.

+1!!!!
OMG so +1.

Freaking touch screens suck. Knobs and switches people!!!!

 

[RedlandRanger]

+1!!!!
OMG so +1.

Freaking touch screens suck. Knobs and switches people!!!!

While I agree (I like buttons and switches) - I did hear a reasonable argument for touch screens the other day - due to all the "features" that modern vehicles have, if you had a button or switch for everything the dashboard would look like the cockpit of a 747 - Touch screens allow them to put a lot more functionality is a small space - plus it saves them money.

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