8.8

pretty bad
Typical Repair Cost:
$1,580
Average Mileage:
115,950 miles
Total Complaints:
10 complaints

Most common solutions:

  1. not sure (5 reports)
  2. pay to rebuild transmission (2 reports)
  3. replaced the valve body and control solenoids (1 reports)
  4. save money and just replace transmission with new (1 reports)
  5. throw it out, because Ford sucks (1 reports)
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problem #10

Sep 152008

Ranger 4x4, Extended Cab 3.0L V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 120,000 miles

Purchased a clean used Ranger, 3.0, 4x4 from a Ford dealer in Maryland with 79K on it. Ran very well and in excellent shape. 2 years later with about 120K it started to shift hard from first to second gear so I 'baby'd' it and always accelerated very gently so the truck wouldn't slam into second gear. Eventually other gears would bang into gear as well and the O/D light came on which indicates a trans problem on this truck.

I took it to a Mr. Transmission place and had them do a 'rebuild'. This is a total waste of time and money. There is only fix for this poorly designed, or should I say, redesigned Bordeaux transmission. Ford took an old car transmission and redesigned it once for other vehicles, then redesigned it again for use in this truck. Bad idea. The only real fix in my experience is to get a rebuilt transmission from Jasper or in my case bought a new one from Ford. It cost 2,000.00 dollars and Ford gave me a 3yr, 30K warranty, Now, 49,000 miles and 5 years later the truck runs strong and shifts fine although I still baby it and do not accelerate hard when driving. The over all condition of the vehicle is very good otherwise I would not have bothered so you'll have to make that call when it happens to you.

Save the money and skip the useless step of having a trans shop "rebuild/repair" it though. This is a major flaw when it occurs and a Band-Aid fix is ineffective. Bite the bullet and get a new trans.

- swnc, Arden, NC, US

problem #9

Nov 162011

Ranger Edge 3.0L V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 158,000 miles

I was sold this truck a week ago and told it was in running order!!!! i specifically asked if the transmission had any problems and was told no!!! I bought it used. With $5000 cash! I scrimped and saved for over a year! every penny i could put away so that i could buy a decent truck and not have any debt! I feel Lied to and cheated! there are no words to describe how ripped off i feel! It literally makes me feel like a sh*tty person who some how didn't deserve the respect of being told the truth! WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY ME!!!!! is all i can think! I don't know what i'm going to do! I Now have nothing to drive to work to start saving again! This is quite honestly the worst experience I've ever had! IN MY LIFE! I wish some one or something could help but I don't think that will happen!!! Basically this has nearly ruined my life! it will take me over a year to save this amount of money again and that's if i can actually get to my job without a truck!

- byronodmon, salem, UT, US

problem #8

Jun 192011

Ranger XLT 3.0L V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 116,068 miles

I have had problems with this hunk of garbage. My first problem was a reluctance to shift, which i fixed by changing the fluid. Then a few weeks later, i found that the goddamn air filter and coolant were f*cking filthy. the previous owner obviously did not take care of this truck, and i didnt check it out so i guess thats on me. then i blew a radiator hose, a nuisance, but easy to fix. then i discovered, my water pump is f*cking sh*t. then i fried my alternator, which was f*cking annoying trying to get that hunk of junk home. and now my transmission is f*cked. please for the love of god, if youre going to get a ford, make it a diesel. do not get anything else. ford SUCKS!

- ford sucks ass, Manorville, NY, US

problem #7

Jun 152011

Ranger

  • Automatic transmission
  • 168,000 miles

When we put it into Drive it acts like the brakes are stuck and tries to go but cant. Samething when in reverse , but will go in 2nd and 1 st gear. the Over Drive light keeps flashing. When we are driving down the road in 2nd and throw it up in drive it will pull until you slow down.

- Samantha C., Martin, KY, US

problem #6

Mar 142003

Ranger 3.0L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 166,000 miles

I have an 2002 ford ranger. The dam transmission sucks! Every time I go faster then 50 on the freeway the damn light comes on...OHHH YOUR TRANSMISSION light is telling you that YOUR SH*T IS BROKEN!!!! anyways after that every gear it shifts into, makes you smack your damn head on the steering wheel!! Don't ever get a ranger, get a F-250-450

- Joe J., Weed, CA, US

problem #5

Sep 082009

Ranger XLT 2.3L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 140,000 miles

This peace of crap has been a problem from day one!!!!!! I will never by a ford crap ever in this life time. This dam thing has almost cost me half of what I paid for it. I thought I got a good price at the time but nooooo. I had to by American! Next time not Ford. Ihave Honda and it has 30k more miles than this junker. Plus only one set of brakes, not four like the dam truck. Drag links, tie rods wheel bearings, both front and back! unijoints, two times! You bet Ford has a better idea.... on how to make junk! I know some part are made hear in the U.S. But dame stop getting the cheapest crap you can. Heres a novelty for Ford have your dam parts made here! Then maybe, just maybe, you could build something worth more than scrap. By the way this junker is being traded for another Honda. Good by Frod.

- choffi, Lincoln, R.I, US

problem #4

Dec 122007

Ranger XLT 4.0L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 14,400 miles

This truck only had 14,400 actual miles when this failure occurred! The filtering software on this site would not accept that low mileage hence my entering 99,999!!!!!!!!

2002 Ford Ranger XLT Off Road 4x4 4.0L V6 purchased new Jan 2, 2002.

December 2007 the 5R55E transmission began to shift erratically and occasionally flare a shift. OD light would intermittently flash on and off. The vehicle was purchased new and only had 14,400 actual miles at the time of failure in Dec. 2007 but was out of Ford factory warranty due to the age of the vehicle. Ford dealer would not negotiate any kind of good will repair. I immediately took the vehicle to an independent transmission shop owned by a friend where we replaced the valve body and control solenoids with a remanufactured unit that had all the latest updates. Cost $463.00. The vehicle was only operated for a max of eight miles after the failure. Upon dropping the trans pan I was expecting to find a pile of metal but lucked out, it was clean as a pin. The remanufactured valve body and solenoids seem to have solved the problem for now.

400 miles later the 4x4 electronic control module behind the passenger foot well kick panel failed during a blizzard and was replaced by me with a new superceded Ford unit that I ordered online from a Las Vegas Ford dealer for $110.00 less than what any local Ford dealer here in Colorado could or would match. Cost $136.00 including shipping.

This is my last Ford. I purchased this thing new because my Dad was a Ford retiree. Could have and should have bought a new 2002 Tacoma for the same money. The truck now has a total of 16,600 miles as of July 2, 2009 and I’m going to take a bath trading it for a new Tacoma. The only thing worse than a Ford vehicle is the Ford dealer. Stay away.

- Stan S., Erie, CO, US

problem #3

Jun 232009

Ranger Edge 4.0L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 140,000 miles

Ok so this is amazing all these people have the same issues....like I have never posted on 1 of these before but whatever...I got a ranger and had the trans rebuilt at 120000 mi and knew this year had bad trannies but figured well now its good to go cause it has been rebuilt.. Wrong.. yesterday the od light starts flashing and it wont shift unless I take my foot off the gas for a while and let it, so I took it back to the same guy that did my trans and told him about the light and he mentioned a solonoid and said he will look at it tomorrow so ok...well see ...so now I am online writing about this because it seems to be that I am not the only one with the issue...now i gotta go to bed and will prolly forget what site this is tomorrow when I find out the verdict....but there's my 2 cents later....

- gregyamaha350, Uvuyhv, FL, US

problem #2

Dec 172008

Ranger 4.0V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 37,000 miles

Just bought this truck about two weeks ago. The trans is shot but the dealer won't come forth and repair it. No codes no fix...fu*ing bullsh*. I shift the truck into gear and have to wait 5 seconds for it to get into drive or reverse. Shifts extremely hard sometimes the tires squeal. I was trying to pull out onto the highway the other day and it losts all its gears. Took about 10 seconds for the trans to catch. But apparently the dealer says there is no problem with the truck..uugh wtf

- fordsux, Pequannock, NJ, US

problem #1

Oct 162007

(reported on)

Ranger

  • Automatic transmission
  • 100,000 miles

I will never ever buy a Ford again, we have owned our 2002 Ford Ranger for 3 years we are still paying it off and we have spent over 5 grand getting it fixed. at 100,000 miles the transmission went out without any warning if we were not still paying for it we would take the f*cking thing to the junkyard, 3000 dollars to rebuild a tranny?!!!!!!! The brakes also go out non stop, I would say that the thing breaks down every 6 months, what ever you do do not buy a Ford, get a Honda they never break down. Ford can rot in hell!

- aimees, Tacoma, WA, US