Selling an old or dead Ford Ranger

If yours is a 2004 to 2011, check the air bag recall before anything else. NHTSA lists eight Takata inflator recalls on these trucks with a do-not-drive notice. Pickup is free anywhere in the US, so it can stay parked until the tow truck loads it.

The air bag recalls come first

Takata's inflators use a propellant that breaks down over years of heat and humidity. Ford's 19S01 notice warns that "a ruptured inflator can send inflator parts toward vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death." On the Ranger it splits by model year:

• 2004-2006, driver and passenger. Recalls 15V322 (passenger) and 16V036 (driver) came first, on about 362,000 trucks each. In December 2017, recalls 17V787 and 17V788 set the final repair: an alternate inflator on each side, plus a notice to stop driving the truck until it's done. In January 2018, recalls 18V022 and 18V023 pulled in 33,310 more 2006 Rangers with the same warning.
• 2007-2011, passenger only. Recall 16V384 began with trucks sold or ever registered in hot, humid places such as Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina and Texas. Recalls 17V024, 18V046 and 19V001 widened it year by year. Ford's Safety Recall 19S01 folded the earlier campaigns into one.

Of the 2,120 complaints on 2004-2011 Rangers, 1,484 name the air bags; on the 2008 it's 294 of 326. NHTSA opened engineering analysis EA15-001 on inflator ruptures in 2004-2005 Rangers in February 2015, and no closing date appears in its file. The replacement costs the owner nothing at a Ford dealer.

Ranger by generation

1983-1992. Built in Louisville, Kentucky, and St. Paul, Minnesota. Fours and Cologne V6s at first, then 3.0 and 4.0 V6s from 1990. Fire is what stands out: 145 of the 712 complaints on these trucks report one, about one in five. Year after year from 1984 to 1992, electrical faults top the Ranger's complaint tags. NHTSA's PE87-012 traced engine-bay fires on 1986 Rangers to spring-lock fuel couplings that let go and sprayed gasoline.

1993-1997. A new body, a second plant in Edison, New Jersey, and from 1994 a Mazda B-Series twin built by Ford. Hydraulic brakes are the most-named part on 1993-1996 trucks. On 1993-1994 Rangers, recall 94V169 added a wedge because the parking brake pawl could slip a tooth and stop holding. Its 835,791 figure counts the whole campaign, which also reached F-Series pickups, Broncos, Explorers and Mazda's versions. Recall 96V024 counted 108,000 vehicles across 1991-1994 Rangers, Explorers and their Mazda twins: master cylinder studs could crack from stress corrosion after long service in Southern California, and dealers replaced the brake booster. Recall 95V231 covered ice that could hold the throttle open in northern winters.

1998-2011. The longest run, from St. Paul and Edison. A 2.5 four gave way to a 2.3 Duratec in 2001, beside the 3.0 Vulcan and the 4.0 V6, which went to a single overhead cam that year. The 1999 draws more complaints than any other Ranger, 760, and tires are the most-named part on 1997-2000 trucks. Those write-ups name a mix of tire brands, and we found no Ranger recall for them.

The frame is the other story. Structure tops the tags on the 2001 and 2003. A 1998 owner wrote that the "rear suspension is detaching from frame," and a 2000 owner's whole subframe was "cracking and disintegrating." We found no recall, warranty extension or NHTSA investigation for Ranger frame rust. Ford also built an electric Ranger EV from 1998 to 2002.

Cruise control is the third thread. Recall 07V336 covers 1998-2002 Rangers, and 09V399 covers 1995-1997 and 2001-2003 trucks, both for a speed control deactivation switch that can leak inside and then overheat. NBC News reported Ford's explanation that the switch system "could corrode over time, overheat and ignite." Automotive Fleet called the 4.5-million-vehicle campaign "Ford's eighth recall involving the same switch."

2019-2023. After a gap with no U.S. retail sales, the Ranger returned as a mid-size truck from Wayne, Michigan, with one powertrain: a 2.3 EcoBoost four and a 10-speed automatic. Power train leads the complaints in every year since 2019, with owners describing harsh shifts and the truck not finding the right gear. Three recalls touch the shifter: 19V071 (a shifter that could come out of Park with no foot on the brake), 19V366 (loose shift cable bracket bolts) and 20V197 (a shift cable clip not fully seated on 55,158 2020 Rangers, F-150s and Expeditions). Other recalls on these years cover tail lamp connectors, a blower motor that could short, SuperCab seat belts and, on the 2022, windshields that might not stay attached in a crash.

2024 on. The 2.3 EcoBoost makes 270 hp, an optional 2.7 V6 makes 315, and the Ranger Raptor's 3.0 V6 makes 405. Every one uses the 10R60 10-speed. NHTSA lists 13 recall campaigns for the 2024 already: curtain air bags that can tear on deployment (25V541, 100,900 trucks), visor or headliner wiring that can short in the A-pillar (26V238) and loose seat height bolts (26V268). The ninth do-not-drive recall, 23V283, covered 2023 Broncos and Rangers with driver-side lug nuts that may not have been tightened properly.

Complaints, crashes, fires and recalls by model year

Rows show what NHTSA had on file for each Ranger year on October 10, 2026, and a campaign spanning several years counts in each. Deaths and injuries are left out because single records skew them: one 1996 complaint lists nine deaths, and the 2022 shows 99 injuries across 37 complaints.

Repair it or let it go?

Our sources carry no Ranger repair prices. Price the job in writing, then compare it with the truck's value running. Three things can change the answer:

1. The air bag work is free. It lifts the do-not-drive warning, but does nothing for rust or a tired engine.
2. A frame or subframe rusted through has no recall or Ford program behind it in our sources. That repair is yours alone; failed inspection covers the decision.
3. A 2019 or newer that shifts badly. Make sure 19V071, 19V366 or 20V197 was done. On a recent truck, ask a Ford dealer whether the powertrain warranty still applies to your VIN; Ford's current terms are 5 years or 60,000 miles.

Parked for a few seasons? See car sitting for years.

Handing over the truck

1. Get an offer online, or call (877) 421-6008, with the VIN, the mileage and what's wrong.
2. Describe where it's parked, whether that's a driveway, a field, a backyard or a shop lot. Mention flat tires, a seized brake or a frame that's soft, so the right tow truck comes.
3. Keep it whole. Don't pull the air bags, the engine or the tailgate. Missing parts change the offer, so say what's already gone.
4. At pickup, have the title, the keys if you have them and a photo ID. Plate rules depend on your state; see after you sell.

Title lost years ago? Start with selling without a title. Other Fords: the Bronco II, F-150 and Maverick, or the full Ford list.