2021 Ford Ranger problems: engine and transmission complaints and recalls
61% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2021 Ford Ranger are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. Well over half of everything owners reported is the drivetrain. That is a severe model-level pattern; every model year we track at this level has a documented failure behind it.
Worse than 82% of the 1,789 model years we track (2010–2023).
Looking at a specific Ranger?Check its VIN: the full report, quotes about its own engine, and whether its recalls are still open. First report free.
Check a VINDoes the 2021 Ford Ranger have transmission problems?
Owner complaints say yes, heavily, as a model-year pattern. 70 of 117 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2021 Ford Ranger concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (61%), and the largest group is filed under power train (59). For comparison, the 2020 scores 55% and the 2022 scores 62%. On a test drive, check for shuddering, slipping, delayed or harsh shifts, or a whine at speed. This describes the model year, not any one car: a well-maintained or already-repaired example can be fine, and a clean model year can still have a bad car in it.
Complaints by component
The years either side
Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.
Cleaner alternatives
Same car, a better year
Other midsize pickups with no elevated signal
The percentage is each model year's drivetrain complaint share. No elevated signal describes the model year, not any one car; a well-kept example of a flagged model can still be the right buy, and any of these still needs an inspection.
What owners reported
Three of 70 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.
Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2021 Ford Ranger?
Yes. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign on the 2021 Ford Ranger involving the engine, transmission or fuel system, out of 6 in total. A recall is the manufacturer admitting a defect and paying to fix it; whether a specific car still has one open depends on its VIN, which the full report checks. The owner complaints above are a separate record and often point at problems that never became a recall.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2019 Lincoln MKC, 2016-2023 Explorer, 2019-2020 Fusion, 2019-2024 Ranger, 2020-2022 Lincoln Corsair, Escape, 2021-2024 Bronco, Bronco Sport, and 2022-2024 Maverick vehicles. The engine block heater may crack and develop a coolant leak, causing it to short circuit when the block heater is plugged in.
Risk: An electrical short circuit can increase the risk of a fire.
Fix: Owners are advised not to plug in their block heater until the vehicle is remedied. Dealers will replace the block heater, free of charge. Owners will also have a alternative option to replace engine block heater…
5 other recalls on this model year (airbags, lighting, brakes and the rest)
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns filed against this year, make and model; one of NHTSA's listings did not answer when this page was built, so the list may be incomplete. Checked October 3, 2026.
Before you buy a 2021 Ford Ranger
- Ask the seller whether the transmission has ever been repaired or replaced, and whether the car has shown shuddering, slipping, delayed or harsh shifts, or a whine at speed.
- Drive it from a cold start and long enough to warm up. Many transmission faults hide once the car is warm.
- Get an independent pre-purchase inspection from a mechanic you choose, and tell them to focus on the transmission.
- 6 recall campaigns on this model year. Whether a specific car still has one open depends on the VIN; the report checks that.
- Ask for service records. A transmission already replaced under warranty is a different car from one that was not.
Questions people ask about the 2021 Ford Ranger
Does the 2021 Ford Ranger have transmission problems?
Owner complaints say yes, heavily, as a model-year pattern. 70 of 117 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2021 Ford Ranger concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (61%). Before buying one, have an independent mechanic check the transmission and ask the seller whether it has been repaired or replaced.
Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2021 Ford Ranger?
Yes. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign on the 2021 Ford Ranger involving the engine, transmission or fuel system, out of 6 in total: 25V685000 (equipment: electrical: engine block heater). Whether a specific car still has one open depends on its VIN.
Which Ford Ranger years are better?
Among the Ford Ranger years we track, the 2010 (23%), the 2011 (39%) and the 2019 (48%) have a lower engine and transmission complaint share than the 2021 (61%). Manufacturers fix things mid-generation, so the year before or after can be a different car.
Should I buy a 2021 Ford Ranger?
That depends on the car in front of you, not just the model year. The 2021 Ford Ranger has an elevated transmission complaint pattern, so treat it as a car that needs proof: service records showing transmission work, a cold-start test drive, and an independent pre-purchase inspection focused on the transmission. A well-kept or already-repaired example can be a fine car; an unknown one is a gamble.
Have the VIN?Paste it and get the full report for that car. First report free, then a 30-day pass covers a whole car search.
Check a VINExperimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition of any individual vehicle. Combined across 2 body styles NHTSA files separately.