Ranger

Make
Ford
Segment
Sports Car

The Ford Ranger received a lukewarm welcome from US customers, but a Ford representative recently stated that the truck's flaws would be fixed when the new model rolls in.

At first, Ford struggled to get near Chevrolet Colorado sales, but eventually, it outsold the Jeep Gladiator, Nissan Frontier, and Chevrolet Colorado during the second quarter of 2021.

It's good news for the next-generation Ranger, which made its debut just a few days ago. Ford did quite a stunning job, and after listening to the V6 model roar, we can see it causing some severe damage locally. Hopefully, we'll also finally get access to the Ranger Raptor, which received glowing reviews everywhere it's sold.

In other parts of the world, Ford had serious reliability issues. It was recalled a few times in the USA, but nothing like the problems it had in Australia. In 2019, Ford stopped production for a short while to fix a problem with faulty diesel fuel injectors. Ford Australia also had to recall 20,000 Ranger and Everest (an SUV based on the Ranger) models for a flaw in the ten-speed gearbox. The older 3.2-liter five-cylinder turbocharged diesel also had a bad reputation, both in Australia and South Africa. All of these flaws were related to diesel models, which we don't get in the USA.

News.com in Australia recently had the opportunity to chat with Pritika Maharaj, Ford's global program manager for the Ranger. "We are aware of the engine issues and the transmission issues," said Maharaj. "We're not necessarily very proud of those."

Ford will take advantage of its mistakes, however. While designing the new powertrains, Ford implemented what it learned from the real-world application of the Ranger. "We're very confident we've addressed the issues, both with the engine and with the transmission," said Maharaj.

Unfortunately, local fans of the Ranger still have a long wait ahead. Production of the new Ranger will start in Thailand early in 2022, while production in South Africa will start shortly after. US assembly will only begin in mid-2023, after which sales will start.