MOT Risk Index.co.uk

Ford Ranger — MOT statistics 2024

The Ford Ranger failed 27.66% of 108,814 first MOT attempts in 2024 ("first-time", excluding retests). Adjusted for the age of the fleet, its initial-failure ratio is 121.4 (100 = expected for its age profile). This pickup fails its MOT about 21% more often than expected for its age.

MOT risk index 121.4, 95% CI 120.3–122.6 (100 = national average) 100 121.4 0 200
Index
121.4
100 = age-normal
Raw fail rate
27.66%
n = 108,814
Dangerous /100
9
national ≈11
Rank
660 of 761
lower index = better

Ford Ranger common problems: what actually fails the MOT

Visibility is well below the reference at 8.8 per 100 tests, against 14.2 per 100 tests across UK vans and pickups of the same ages.

higher bar = fails more oftenrate per 100 tests

Ford Ranger common problems: what actually fails the MOT — 2024 UK MOT data

family vs national — matched to UK vans and pickups of the same ages — top component groups, per 100 tests. Legend: This family · National avg. Combined labels: family / national average. A gap here reflects how these vehicles are driven, used and maintained as well as how they were built — an MOT defect is a test outcome, not a breakdown.

Component-group comparison table

Each ratio carries a 95% interval. With 6 groups compared here, roughly one apparent difference in twenty is chance alone, and 1 of these is already inside an interval that includes 1.00×.

GroupThis familyCases behind itUK, same agesFamily / national
Lamps & electrical26.0134,01526.01.00×1.00–1.01 · not distinguishable
Suspension15.579,66418.50.84×0.83–0.84
Brakes14.876,03716.30.91×0.90–0.91
Body & structure12.363,24210.11.22×1.21–1.23
Visibility8.845,55814.20.62×0.62–0.63
Tyres5.226,6137.80.66×0.65–0.67
Named defects — items per 100 initial tests, this family vs UK national average; this model measured on 514,983 tests, 2019-2024, national column 2024
What failedper 100 tests (this family)per 100 tests (UK average)ratio family / UKWhat to check
Brake pipe damaged or excessively corrodedBrake pipe damaged or excessively corroded3.891.412.77×Look underneath for rust or cracks around subframe and suspension mountings
Spring or spring component fractured or seriously…A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened5.022.861.76×Ask the seller about: A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
Transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot…A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated2.741.481.85×Ask the seller about: A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely d
Transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot…A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc2.781.561.78×Ask the seller about: A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously…Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view3.412.361.45×Check wipers, washers and windscreen chips in the driver's view
Rear registration plate lamp or light source…A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources3.762.831.33×Try every light and switch — lamps are a top failure
Lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a…A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning2.612.091.25×Try every light and switch — lamps are a top failure
Suspension joint dust cover severely deterioratedA suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated2.311.901.21×Listen for knocks over bumps — worn joints show up on the test
Aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down…The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements2.532.570.99×Try every light and switch — lamps are a top failure
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the…Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements2.763.590.77×Check tyre tread depth across the full width

Named defects ranked by how much more often they appear than the national average — not by raw rate.

Ford Ranger MOT advisories: what gets flagged

Brakes are highest at 33.6 per 100 tests; Emissions & leaks are lowest at 5.8 per 100 tests — the gap is 27.8 per 100 tests.

higher bar = flagged more oftenadvisory items per 100 initial tests

Ford Ranger MOT advisories: what gets flagged — 2024 UK MOT data
Advisory rates table
GroupAdvisories per 100
Brakes33.6
Tyres27.6
Suspension17.5
Body & structure10.2
Non-component advisories5.9
Emissions & leaks5.8

Advisories are wear the tester noted but didn't fail — what will need money soon.

Tyres, brakes and suspension: Ford Ranger against cars of the same age

AgePartFord RangerSame age, petrol and dieselDifference
3 yearsTyres3.294.17-0.88
3 yearsBrakes2.691.770.92
3 yearsSuspension3.570.632.94
4 yearsTyres3.344.54-1.20
4 yearsBrakes4.032.431.60
4 yearsSuspension5.661.214.45
5 yearsTyres3.515.06-1.55
5 yearsBrakes4.723.091.63
5 yearsSuspension7.392.195.20
6 yearsTyres3.645.54-1.90
6 yearsBrakes5.383.811.57
6 yearsSuspension9.593.725.87
7 yearsTyres3.675.95-2.28
7 yearsBrakes5.834.551.28
7 yearsSuspension10.985.685.30
8 yearsTyres3.646.31-2.67
8 yearsBrakes7.035.381.65
8 yearsSuspension12.787.785.00

Failing items per 100 initial tests, 2019-2024. The comparison group is every petrol or diesel car tested at the same age, so weight and drivetrain show up rather than fleet age.

If a pickup like this fails, does it fail again?

A failure rate does not say whether a failure is a one-off or the start of something. This follows the same vehicles into their next ordinary MOT a year later — retests after a repair are excluded, because they follow a failure by definition. 2019-2024.

After this year's testFails next yearVehicles followed
It failed33.7%33,564
It passed26.0%252,028

A failed test raises next year's chance of failing again by 7.7 percentage points. The failure most likely to come back is visibility — 31.9% of those vehicles fail again next year. Some of this is the vehicle and some is the owner: a car that was let go once tends to be let go again. One caveat: a car that fails may be sold or scrapped rather than tested again, so these figures describe the vehicles that came back.

Adjusted for how much these are actually driven

The headline index adjusts for the fleet's age. Wear, though, follows mileage: a three-year-old taxi and a three-year-old garage queen sit in the same age band. These two rows compare every pickup with vehicles of the same age, and then with vehicles of the same age and the same annual mileage, 2019-2024, on 510,816 tests. Both stand on the six-year corpus so they are measured on identical data — compare them with each other, not with the headline index above, which is measured on 2024 alone.

Standardised forIndexReading
Age only114.8fails more often than expected
Age and annual mileage104.0fails more often than vehicles driven as much
Share doing under 3,000 miles a year2.1%a normal spread of use

Mileage matters here: matching on how much these are driven moves the figure by 10.8 points — this fleet works harder than the vehicles it is measured against, so the age-only view penalises it — but it does not change which side of normal the pickup sits on. One limit to keep in mind: mileage is partly a result of how often a car breaks down — one that spends weeks in the workshop covers fewer miles — so the mileage-matched figure can understate a real weakness. Tests with no usable odometer reading are left out of it.

How the Ford Ranger compares with cars of its own age and size

Not against the whole fleet — against other light commercials tested at the same age, 2019-2024.

AgeFord RangerSame class, same ageDifferenceTests
3 years16.08%20.17%-4.09 pp79,497
4 years19.4%23.14%-3.74 pp67,196
5 years22.67%25.59%-2.92 pp59,724
6 years25.63%29.05%-3.41 pp48,713
7 years27.38%32.51%-5.13 pp36,662
8 years30.66%35.79%-5.13 pp27,811
9 years34.06%38.53%-4.47 pp19,236
10 years36.45%40.97%-4.52 pp16,095
11 years39.58%43.15%-3.57 pp14,953
12 years42.41%44.96%-2.54 pp16,483
13 years43.78%46.13%-2.35 pp18,224
14 years44.88%46.91%-2.02 pp19,455
15 years45.78%47.44%-1.66 pp20,024
16 years45.74%47.63%-1.89 pp17,931
17 years46.32%47.54%-1.22 pp15,321
18 years46.9%47.47%-0.57 pp11,949
19 years46.16%46.96%-0.8 pp8,786
20 years44.51%46.14%-1.64 pp6,080

Raw first-time failure rates within each age, so fleet age cannot flatter either side. A positive difference means this model fails more often than its own class at that age.

How does the Ford Ranger perform as it gets older?

The Ranger at age 6 stands out at 24.5%, against 17.5% for all vehicles of the same age.

higher = larger sharecompare shares in percentage points

How does the Ford Ranger perform as it gets older? — 2024 UK MOT data

Chart axes: pickup age, years · failure-rate scale 0–51%.

Takeaway: a 10-year-old Ranger has roughly a 34% chance of failing its MOT; from about age 3 it stays above the national age curve.

Data table
AgeFord RangerAll vehiclesGap
317.0%12.4%+4.6 pp
419.3%13.1%+6.1 pp
522.1%15.1%+7.0 pp
624.5%17.5%+7.0 pp
725.4%20.2%+5.2 pp
827.5%23.3%+4.2 pp
933.2%26.5%+6.7 pp
1033.9%30.1%+3.8 pp
1134.4%33.2%+1.3 pp
1238.1%35.7%+2.4 pp
1341.6%38.2%+3.5 pp
1443.0%40.4%+2.6 pp
1544.1%41.6%+2.5 pp
1643.2%43.1%+0.1 pp
1743.4%43.1%+0.2 pp
1847.1%43.9%+3.3 pp
1944.2%43.5%+0.7 pp
2043.6%41.0%+2.5 pp

Is a Ford Ranger ULEZ compliant?

The share of classifiable 2024 Ford Ranger MOT tests likely ULEZ compliant by first-registration date is 71.3%.

Based on 108,564 classifiable initial MOT tests. This describes the tested fleet, not a specific car. MOT data do not record Euro class, so likely compliance is inferred from fuel and first-registration date. For the only authoritative answer, check the registration with TfL's official ULEZ checker.

higher = larger share likely compliantinferred from fuel and first-registration date; not a recorded Euro class

Age-band estimate from classifiable initial MOT tests
Vehicle age at testLikely ULEZ-compliant shareTests
Under 3 yearsSuppressed — sample below publication threshold
Check a registration with TfL
n = 479
3–5 years100.0%
Check a registration with TfL
n = 40,519
6–7 years100.0%
Check a registration with TfL
n = 23,795
8 years100.0%
Check a registration with TfL
n = 10,031
9 years43.0%
Check a registration with TfL
n = 5,988
10–14 years0.0%
Check a registration with TfL
n = 11,556
15–17 years0.1%
Check a registration with TfL
n = 7,253
18 years0.1%
Check a registration with TfL
n = 2,407
19 years0.0%
Check a registration with TfL
n = 1,984
20+ years0.0%
Check a registration with TfL
n = 4,552

How dangerous are Ford Ranger MOT failures?

Major defects stand out at 63.3 per 100 tests, against 52.8 per 100 tests nationally.

higher bar = fails more oftenrate per 100 tests

How dangerous are Ford Ranger MOT failures? — 2024 UK MOT data
Severity table
SeverityThis family /100National /100Family / national
Minor18.6414.221.31×
Major63.3252.751.20×
Dangerous9.4011.150.84×

Chart values: Minor 18.6 · Major 63.3 · Dangerous 9.4.

Per 100 tests on this family. National average: Minor 14.2 · Major 52.8 · Dangerous 11.2 per 100.

Does the month of a Ford Ranger MOT matter?

Jan is highest at 31.6%; Sep is lowest at 28.3% — the gap is 3.3 percentage points.

higher = larger sharecompare shares in percentage points

Does the month of a Ford Ranger MOT matter? — 2024 UK MOT data

Chart scale: 27%–33%.

bars: Ford Ranger · dashed: all class-4 cars

Month-by-month table
MonthFord RangerAll vehiclesGap
Jan31.6%31.12%+0.5 pp
Feb31.34%29.99%+1.4 pp
Mar28.96%28.26%+0.7 pp
Apr29.59%29.78%-0.2 pp
May29.31%28.79%+0.5 pp
Jun28.84%28.15%+0.7 pp
Jul29.82%29.33%+0.5 pp
Aug29.09%29.2%-0.1 pp
Sep28.34%28.19%+0.1 pp
Oct30.41%30.34%+0.1 pp
Nov30.67%30.58%+0.1 pp
Dec29.04%29.33%-0.3 pp

Takeaway: the spread between best and worst month is 3.3 percentage points — noticeable seasonality. Seasonality partly reflects registration-date clustering, not weather.

Before reading the shape: most of it is not about cars. Britain changes its registration plates twice a year, and 18.9% of these cars were first registered in March with another17.1% in September — 36% in two months against the 17% an even spread would give. An MOT falls due three years after first registration, so the buying calendar becomes the testing calendar. That shapes how many cars are tested each month — not how often they fail: the busiest months here are not the worst ones, so read the failure line on its own and the volume behind it separately.

Ford Ranger average mileage by age

At age 8, the middle half of Rangers runs from 59,969 miles to 102,378 miles, against 79,664 miles as the median.

further right = more milesmedian is the typical car; band is p25–p75

Bars: Ford Ranger · dashed: all class-4 cars — 2024 UK MOT data

Chart axes: pickup age, years · odometer scale 0–174k mi.

Does high mileage mean more Ford Ranger MOT failures at the same age?

Within the same age group, split by odometer (2024 MOTs), so this separates wear from age: at ages 3–5, 14.8% of those with under 40,000 miles failed first time versus 22.4% of those with over 140,000 miles.Inside this age group, higher mileage goes with more failures.

Does high mileage mean more Ford Ranger MOT failures at the same age? — 2024 UK MOT data
Ford Ranger: first-time failure by mileage within each age group (2024)
AgeOdometer% failing95% intervalTests
3–5<40k miles14.8%14.3–15.4%15,942
3–540-70k miles20.5%19.8–21.1%16,262
3–570-100k miles25.7%24.6–26.8%6,179
3–5100-140k miles27.6%25.6–29.6%1,833
3–5140k+ miles22.4%18–27.5%299 (rough estimate)
6–9<40k miles17.8%16.7–19%4,275
6–940-70k miles23.7%23–24.4%13,613
6–970-100k miles28.9%28.1–29.7%12,821
6–9100-140k miles32.7%31.6–33.8%7,066
6–9140k+ miles32.8%30.8–34.8%2,023
10–14<40k miles19.1%15.2–23.6%341 (rough estimate)
10–1440-70k miles30.6%28.4–32.9%1,619
10–1470-100k miles36.1%34.5–37.8%3,396
10–14100-140k miles39.2%37.7–40.7%3,954
10–14140k+ miles41.1%39.1–43.2%2,229
15+<40k miles29.7%24.3–35.7%246 (rough estimate)
15+40-70k miles36.3%33.6–39.2%1,123
15+70-100k miles42.1%40.3–43.9%2,871
15+100-140k miles45.1%43.8–46.4%5,536
15+140k+ miles46.2%44.9–47.4%6,320

line: median · band: middle half of the fleet (p25–p75)

Mileage by age (p25 / median / p75)
Agep25Medianp75Tests
326,81338,76954,28615,706
432,59146,12164,34811,114
540,04256,15776,99413,699
647,37965,40588,28313,461
753,30572,23994,63810,334
859,96979,664102,37810,031
966,22986,775110,8165,988
1073,15695,118119,0673,869
1177,275100,736126,5132,833
1283,723106,858134,8061,868
1388,298115,328147,6811,554
1489,640118,289148,8761,432
1594,061123,279155,0012,323
1697,217127,436159,1832,101
17104,213133,551165,5332,829
1899,120128,556159,3062,407
1993,918122,849153,6151,984
20+98,848128,637159,2304,552

A typical 8-year-old Ranger has ~79,664 miles on the clock. Much more — ask why; much less — check for gaps in the MOT history.

Where in Britain the Ford Ranger fails its MOT most

Torquay area is highest at 41.1%; Ilford area is lowest at 16.6% — the gap is 24.5 percentage points.

higher = larger sharecompare shares in percentage points

Where in Britain the Ford Ranger fails its MOT most — 2024 UK MOT data
Toughest areas% failingvs model overall
Torquay (TQ)41.05%+11.3 pp
Exeter (EX)40.76%+11.0 pp
Plymouth (PL)40.25%+10.5 pp
Dorchester (DT)40.02%+10.3 pp
Bath (BA)39%+9.2 pp
Easiest areas% failingvs model overall
Ilford (IG)16.56%-13.2 pp
London E (E)17%-12.8 pp
Enfield (EN)17.13%-12.6 pp
Croydon (CR)17.61%-12.2 pp
Harrow (HA)17.79%-12.0 pp

Why do areas differ?

For each external factor we correlate the area fail rate with the factor across postcode areas that have ≥800 tests of this family, then compare the bottom vs top fifth (quintile) of the factor. Correlation, not causation — factors travel together (the north is colder and often poorer; urban areas are denser and less salted). Road surface condition is joined now, for the 91 English areas the DfT publishes, and it explains nothing: the correlation with suspension failures is −0.01 and with body and structure failures 0.07. Potholes wreck wheels and tyres between tests, but by the time a car reaches the bay the road it drives on leaves no measurable trace.

In areas with the highest urban share this model fails 13.1 pp less often than in the lowest fifth (r=-0.70, n=112 areas with ≥800 tests).

In areas with the highest mot centre density this model fails 12.6 pp more often than in the lowest fifth (r=0.66, n=112 areas with ≥800 tests).

In areas with the highest terrain gradient this model fails 4.4 pp more often than in the lowest fifth (r=0.32, n=69 areas with ≥800 tests).

Ford Ranger Why do areas differ? — 2024 UK MOT data
Values shown in the quintile chart
FactorLow QHigh QGapCorrelation
Urban share34.6%21.5%-13.1 ppr=-0.70
MOT centre density21.7%34.3%+12.6 ppr=0.66
Terrain gradient27.9%32.2%+4.3 ppr=0.32

Factors that only mean something combined

Some conditions are useless on their own and informative multiplied together. Frost days alone say little — Britain barely freezes. Salt tonnage alone says little — it tracks frost. Distance to the sea alone says little. Multiply the first two and divide by the third and you get an index of how hard an area attacks a car's underside, and it lines up with the corrosion defects we actually record. We built five such combinations and tested each against our own data. Three survived; two did not, and the failures are listed here on purpose — a proxy that was never checked is decoration. One survivor only survived on the second attempt: built from a crude stand-in for street parking it failed outright, and rebuilt from the census — terraced streets carrying more cars than they have driveways — it works, and carries information the salt index does not.

Composite area indicators, each tested against a defect rate we measure
CompositeBuilt fromTested againstrVerdict
Underbody corrosionfrost days × salt load ÷ (distance to coast + 1)share of tests with a corrosion defect+0.42holds (116 areas)
Tyre wearrain days × annual miles ÷ age at first tyre advisoryshare of tests failing on tyres+0.45holds (116 areas)
Overnight corrosionterraced housing × cars per household × frost daysshare with a corrosion defect+0.41holds (102 areas) — and adds signal beyond the first index
Deferred maintenancedeprivation × advisory-to-failure conversion ÷ labour ratecars repeating the same advisory−0.26fails (118 areas)
Powertrain stressengine capacity ÷ kerb weightsuspension, brake and emissions failures−0.16fails (22 models)

The deprivation result is the one worth dwelling on. The intuition that poorer areas defer repairs is strong enough that most people treat it as established. We tested it twice — once on raw failure rates (r = 0.04) and again, more fairly, on whether an advisory turns into a failure — and it did not hold any of the three times we tried it — on raw failure rates, on advisory-to-failure conversion, and again with deprivation measured properly inside each nation rather than England alone. We are closing it. What does predict local failure rates is the density of test centres, which is a statement about testing, not about cars.

All external-factor correlations (machine-readable)
Factorrn areasLow-Q fail %High-Q fail %Gap ppLow-Q factorHigh-Q factor
Urban share (0–1)-0.70411234.621.5-13.10.41
MOT centre density (per 10k vehicles)0.65711221.734.3+12.65.19
Terrain gradient (% grade)0.3216927.932.2+4.40.54.2
Frost days (days/year)0.30811228.331.5+3.211.738.4
Road-salt proxy (g/m²-yr)0.29911226.631.5+5.0223.8682.9
Income deprivation (score)-0.2939329.324.9-4.40.10.2
Distance to coast (km)-0.28111232.427.6-4.85.879.5

Deprivation uses England IMD 2019 income score only (Scotland SIMD is a different scale). Salt proxy is a simplified NWSRG-style dry-salt sum from air Tmin; coastalness is distance from the area centroid to the nearest coastline.

Every dot is a postcode area — size = how many were tested there, colour = share failing. These figures are not age-adjusted: coastal and rural areas often run older fleets and salted roads, so higher raw fail rates do not automatically mean a worse local stock of this model.

Map labels: Scotland · N. England · Wales · London · S. West. Colour scale: 18%–39% failing.

Ford Ranger survival: which cars are still on the road

By age 19 is well below the reference at 15.0%, against 100.0% at the ages 4–6 reference level.

higher = larger sharecompare shares in percentage points

Ford Ranger survival: which cars are still on the road — 2024 UK MOT data

Chart axes: pickup age, years · survival vs ages 4–6 · scale 0–105%.

Survival vs fail rate by age
AgeTestsSurvival vs ages 4–6Fail %
379,497100%16.08%
467,196100%19.4%
559,724100%22.67%
648,71383.2%25.63%
736,66262.6%27.38%
827,81147.5%30.66%
919,23632.9%34.06%
1016,09527.5%36.45%
1114,95325.5%39.58%
1216,48328.2%42.41%
1318,22431.1%43.78%
1419,45533.2%44.88%
1520,02434.2%45.78%
1617,93130.6%45.74%
1715,32126.2%46.32%
1811,94920.4%46.9%
198,78615%46.16%

By age 19, only about 15% as many cars of this family present for MOT as at ages 4–6 (reference n≈58,544); survivors still fail at 46.2% vs 19.4% at age 4. Older cars that still appear are a selected subset — weaker ones have already left.

How many miles does a Ford Ranger last?

100,000+ miles is highest at 30.3%; 200,000+ miles is lowest at 1.8% — the gap is 28.6 percentage points.

higher = larger sharecompare shares in percentage points

OdometerTests ≥ thresholdShare of sample
100,000+ miles155,05330.33%
150,000+ miles47,7309.34%
200,000+ miles8,9261.75%

Of 511,138 tests of this family with a usable odometer in 2024, 30.3% had reached 100k miles, 9.3% had reached 150k miles, 1.8% had reached 200k miles. This is a cross-section of cars still presenting for MOT, not a full birth cohort.

How many years is a Ford Ranger likely to last?

Bought at age 10 is highest at 9.4 years; Bought at age 15 is lowest at 3.2 years — the gap is 6.2 years.

bigger number = longer remaining lifeyears on the observed survival curve

Age nowTypical mileage (p50)Expected years left
5—5.5
8—6.9
10—9.4
12—7.3
15—at least 3.2

estimateEstimate only — not a warranty: a typical 10-year-old example of this family has about 9.4 expected years of further MOT-present life on the 2024 survival curve. Derived from how many cars of each age still appear for test, not from a longitudinal panel.

Ford Ranger faults that come together

Emissions & leaks + Speedometer stand out at 6.49×, against 1.00× if the faults were independent.

above 1.0× = more than expectedbelow 1.0× = less

Group AGroup BTogetherLift
Noise, emissions and leaksSpeedometer and speed limiter226.49× (rough estimate)
Seat belts and supplementary restraint systemsSteering5886.26×
Identification of the vehicleRoad Wheels536.23× (rough estimate)
Identification of the vehicleSeat belts and supplementary restraint systems1826.19× (rough estimate)
Body, chassis, structureSpeedometer and speed limiter476.14× (rough estimate)
Road WheelsSteering1445.29× (rough estimate)
Road WheelsSeat belts and supplementary restraint systems635.26× (rough estimate)
Noise, emissions and leaksSeat belts and supplementary restraint systems8295.19×
BrakesSpeedometer and speed limiter415.02× (rough estimate)
Speedometer and speed limiterVisibility354.86× (rough estimate)
BrakesSeat belts and supplementary restraint systems1,8534.82×
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipmentSpeedometer and speed limiter684.81× (rough estimate)
Body, chassis, structureSteering3,9044.77×
Identification of the vehicleSteering3164.73× (rough estimate)
Body, chassis, structureSeat belts and supplementary restraint systems1,6754.65×
BrakesNoise, emissions and leaks6,5964.45×
BrakesSteering3,8754.44×
Road WheelsTyres2134.38× (rough estimate)
Noise, emissions and leaksRoad Wheels2024.37× (rough estimate)
Noise, emissions and leaksSteering1,5734.34×
SteeringSuspension4,5454.29×
Identification of the vehicleNoise, emissions and leaks4754.19× (rough estimate)
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipmentSeat belts and supplementary restraint systems2,7534.13×
BrakesRoad Wheels4454× (rough estimate)
Identification of the vehicleLamps, reflectors and electrical equipment1,8763.96×
BrakesIdentification of the vehicle1,0823.96×
Body, chassis, structureIdentification of the vehicle1,0053.93×
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipmentSteering5,8343.86×
Identification of the vehicleTyres4603.85× (rough estimate)
Body, chassis, structureRoad Wheels3973.81× (rough estimate)
Body, chassis, structureBrakes12,6413.78×
Seat belts and supplementary restraint systemsSuspension1,7643.78×
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipmentRoad Wheels7213.74×
Body, chassis, structureNoise, emissions and leaks4,9863.59×
Identification of the vehicleVisibility8603.57×
Seat belts and supplementary restraint systemsTyres5973.55×
Speedometer and speed limiterSuspension343.43× (rough estimate)
Seat belts and supplementary restraint systemsVisibility1,1503.39×
Road WheelsSuspension4583.39× (rough estimate)
Road WheelsVisibility3313.37× (rough estimate)
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipmentNoise, emissions and leaks8,6443.36×
Body, chassis, structureLamps, reflectors and electrical equipment19,3023.33×
BrakesLamps, reflectors and electrical equipment20,4963.31×
Noise, emissions and leaksTyres2,0863.21×
Body, chassis, structureSuspension12,9413.19×
BrakesSuspension13,5123.12×
BrakesTyres4,8083.08×
SteeringVisibility2,3263.02×
Noise, emissions and leaksSuspension5,2902.94×
SteeringTyres1,1152.92×
Identification of the vehicleSuspension9672.92×
Body, chassis, structureVisibility8,3972.85×
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipmentVisibility15,5142.84×
Noise, emissions and leaksVisibility3,6632.8×
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipmentTyres7,4932.77×
BrakesVisibility8,6502.75×
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipmentSuspension20,5642.74×
SuspensionTyres4,8842.58×
TyresVisibility3,5572.58×
Body, chassis, structureTyres3,5712.44×
SuspensionVisibility8,5842.25×
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipmentSeat belt installation check17too few (rough estimate)
Seat belt installation checkSuspension14too few (rough estimate)
Speedometer and speed limiterTyres13too few (rough estimate)
Speedometer and speed limiterSteering11too few (rough estimate)
Seat belt installation checkVisibility10too few (rough estimate)
BrakesSeat belt installation check10too few (rough estimate)
Seat belts and supplementary restraint systemsSpeedometer and speed limiter7too few (rough estimate)
Body, chassis, structureSeat belt installation check7too few (rough estimate)
Identification of the vehicleSpeedometer and speed limiter5too few (rough estimate)

Defects in «Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems» and «Steering» appear together 6.26× more often than chance (588 co-occurrences in the same test; lift≥1.3, n≥500).

Lift = how many times more often both groups appear on the same test than if independent. A pair is listed from 5 tests with both faults; the lift is shown from 20, and called above chance only when its 95% interval excludes 1 (see rough estimates).

Is low mileage better for a Ford Ranger?

Cars driven under 5,000 miles a year is well below the reference at 20.6%, against 32.8% for cars driven 8,000–12,000 miles a year.

higher = larger sharecompare shares in percentage points

BandFail %Tests
<5k miles/year20.55%21,400
8–12k miles/year32.81%102,720
Gap (low − normal)-12.25 pp—
By fuel and age

Diesel

AgeLow-use fail %nNormal fail %nGap pp
513.344,31021.5518,681-8.2 pp
615.723,42825.1816,479-9.45 pp
715.812,61227.5613,449-11.75 pp
818.031,99131.1810,632-13.15 pp
920.571,43435.387,604-14.8 pp
1023.021,24739.146,597-16.12 pp
1125.681,25841.256,151-15.57 pp
1228.821,34345.267,010-16.45 pp
1330.611,70246.587,843-15.97 pp
1433.642,06646.958,235-13.31 pp

At matched ages 5–14, cars averaging under 5k miles/year fail at 20.6% vs 32.8% for 8–12k miles/year — 12.2 pp lower (n_low=21,400, n_normal=102,720). In this family low annual use is associated with fewer MOT fails, not more — the ‘garage queen’ penalty is not visible in overall fail rates. Diesel alone: 20.5% low-use vs 32.8% normal (-12.3 pp).

Best year for a Ford Ranger, and the years to avoid

Build year 2020 is highest at 110.8; Build year 2016 is lowest at 94.9 — the gap is 15.9 points.

below 100 is betterabove 100 is worse100 = normal for this model at that age

build year vs the same model at the same age · 100 = as expected

Ford Ranger build year vs the same model at the same age · 100 = as expected — 2024 UK MOT data
Ford Ranger by build year, tests 2019–2024. Below 100 is better than the model's own age norm.
Every build year with its confidence interval
Build yearvs own age norm95% CIRaw fail %TestsVerdict
2020110.8107.5–114.219.04%22,281worse
2019103.4101.1–105.619.36%42,226worse
201810098.2–101.920.38%55,320no different
201796.394.5–9820.65%56,306better
201694.993.3–96.522.18%62,835better
2015108.9106.8–110.928.7%38,058worse
2014101.499.1–103.729.59%24,875no different
201397.995.4–100.431.29%18,740no different
2012102.399.3–105.435.51%12,374no different
2011102.299.1–105.338.22%10,940no different
2010102.699.5–105.740.89%10,115no different
2009100.798.4–10342.11%17,559no different
200896.193.9–98.441.85%16,680better
200799.397.4–101.244.5%24,209no different
2006101.899.8–103.846.47%21,352no different
200599.497.3–101.545.94%18,347no different
200410299.8–104.247.31%16,808no different
2003100.197.2–10346.29%9,803no different
200299.195.6–102.545.41%7,021no different
2001100.496.1–104.745.93%4,640no different
200098.393–103.644.55%2,952no different
199997.588.3–106.643.93%988no different

The best build year here is 2016 and the weakest is 2020. Comparing build years sounds simple and is not: within a single year of testing, a car's build year and its age are the same number, so a naive comparison of years is a comparison of ages wearing a disguise. Each year below is measured against the same model at the same age in other cohorts, across six years of testing — 6 of 22 years come out distinguishable from their own model's age norm.

Two limits worth knowing before you act on this. Age, test year and build year are locked together by arithmetic, so the test-year effect is taken from the observed national failure level of each year rather than estimated — it is an adjustment, not a solution.

Ford Ranger MOT repair costs

The MOT-failure repair budget per test runs from £91.18 to £173.24, against £54.85 for the test itself.

bigger number = costs morepounds per test, MOT-failing faults only

MOT repairs, budget
£91–173
per test, repairs only
The test itself
£54.85
statutory cap, unchanged since 2010
How the figure is built: chance of failing × typical price of that repair
ComponentFails per 100 testsTypical repairIts priceContribution
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment26.0 (nat. 18.09)Battery replacement (standard 12V lead-acid)£140£36.40
Suspension15.5 (nat. 15.36)Suspension coil spring (single corner)£180£27.90
Brakes14.8 (nat. 11.25)Front brake pads (parts + labour, typical hatchback)£150£22.20
Tyres5.2 (nat. 8.7)Tyre (single mid-range 16" fitted)£90£4.68

Multiply how often each component fails on this model by what that repair usually costs, and you get the amount an owner should expect to budget per test for MOT-failing faults only — roughly £91 to £173, on top of the test fee itself. It is a budgeting figure, not a quote: the spread between a set of pads and a set of discs is most of the range.

Prices are modal quotes from a hand-kept catalogue of published UK garage guides — we do not scrape the booking sites, their terms forbid it, so this list is short and updated by hand with a source and date against each line. Each line prices one typical repair in that group, not a full remedy, and only groups our catalogue actually covers are counted. The contrast worth noticing is the second card: the legal maximum for the test has been £54.85 since 2010, while the repairs it uncovers have followed inflation the whole time.

For scale from a different direction: Warrantywise, which sees used-car warranty claims rather than test failures, puts the average claim at £2,052 across the ten highest-claim models it ranks and £539 for Honda, the lowest-claim make in its index (Warrantywise index 2026, 1.6 million claims, cars aged 3–15). Those sit an order of magnitude above the figures in this table, and the gap is the point: a warranty claim is a gearbox or an engine, which almost never fails an MOT, while the faults that do fail one are corrosion, lamps and tyres, which no warranty pays for. The two numbers answer different questions and neither replaces the other.

Ford Ranger running costs for a fleet

Vehicles failing at age 10 stand out at 34.0%, against 22.0% at age 5, tested in the same year.

higher = larger sharecompare shares in percentage points

Fails per 100 at age 5
22
vehicles needing work
At age 10
34
other cars of this model tested at age 10 in 2024
Repairs per 100
£9,118
plus £5,485 in test fees
Off the road
1d
median; 27.76% cleared same day
Failure rate and typical odometer by age
AgeFailsMedian odometerTestsGap vs age 5
317.04%38,76915,706-5.1 pp
419.25%46,12111,114-2.9 pp
522.1%56,15713,699+0.0 pp
624.5%65,40513,461+2.4 pp
725.38%72,23910,334+3.3 pp
827.54%79,66410,031+5.4 pp
933.23%86,7755,988+11.1 pp
1033.94%95,1183,869+11.8 pp
1134.42%100,7362,833+12.3 pp
1238.12%106,8581,868+16.0 pp
1341.63%115,3281,554+19.5 pp
1443.02%118,2891,432+20.9 pp
1544.12%123,2792,323+22.0 pp
1643.22%127,4362,101+21.1 pp
1743.37%133,5512,829+21.3 pp
1847.15%128,5562,407+25.0 pp
1944.2%122,8491,984+22.1 pp

The number a fleet manager needs is not the failure rate, it is the year the car starts costing more. Between cars aged 8 and cars aged 9, both tested in 2024, the failure rate of this model is 5.69 percentage points higher — the steepest one-year step in this cross-section of different cars, and a natural planning point for replacement.

Repair spend uses the same modal prices as the section above, so it inherits the same limits: one typical repair per component group, not a full remedy. Downtime is the gap between the failed test and the passed re-test, which is the window a vehicle is legally off the road.

Ford Ranger rust problems: where they corrode

Age-standardised corrosion susceptibility stands out at 5.61×, against 1.00× for the national age-standardised rate.

above 1.0× = rusts more than averagebelow 1.0× = rusts less

How it rusts
5.61×
4.3% of tests record a corrosion defect vs 0.77% typical — age-standardised
Salt Belt exposure
90th
percentile among the models published here, from its tests across 112 postcode areas

This Ford Ranger fails on corrosion far more often than average once age is held constant, and its owners live in areas that are saltier than most for the models we publish.

Corrosion is the one failure mode that is as much about geography as about the car. We keep the two apart on purpose: a model can look rusty simply because it is popular in Scotland, and a model can look clean simply because it is bought in Surrey. Blending them into a single score would hide which of the two is doing the work.

Exposure is this model's tests weighted by an area corrosion index built from frost days, salt load and distance to the coast — the composite validated at r = 0.42 against corrosion defects we actually record. It is published as a rank, not a raw score, because every mainstream model skews towards low-corrosion areas for the simple reason that most of Britain's cars are in the south. Susceptibility is standardised to the national age profile, so an old fleet does not get labelled a rusty model.

Does a Ford Ranger advisory become a failure?

Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment are highest at 33.9%; Non-component advisories are lowest at 0.0% — the gap is 33.9 percentage points.

higher = more likelypercentage is the observed transition probability

chance the same component fails at the next MOT, given an advisory now

Ford Ranger chance the same component fails at the next MOT, given an advisory now — 2024 UK MOT data
Ford Ranger, advisory → failure conversion by component group, chained tests 2019–2024. Chart labels and rates: Lamps & electrical 33.9% · Body & chassis 26.1% · Suspension 19.5% · Brakes 15.2% · Steering 10.9% · Tyres 6.9% · Noise, emissions, leaks 6.7% · Seat belts & restraints 5.7%.
Advisory today → failure at the next test, with how long you have
ComponentFails next timeTypical lead timeMiles of warningAdvisories tracked
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment33.9%12.1 months5,6067,531
Body, chassis, structure26.1%12.1 months4,41624,463
Suspension19.5%12.1 months5,65437,698
Brakes15.2%12.1 months5,37176,258
Steering10.8%12.1 months6,25014,876
Tyres6.9%12.1 months7,01659,553
Noise, emissions and leaks6.7%12.1 months6,27619,095
Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems5.7%12.1 months5,0083,392
Identification of the vehicle4.5%12.1 months5,1078,824
Non-component advisories0.0%——19,690

This is the question an advisory note actually raises, and it needs six years of test history to answer. We followed the same vehicles from one MOT to the next across 2019–2024 and measured how often a component that was merely advised came back as a genuine failure at the next test.

Read it as a budgeting horizon, not a prophecy: the most likely component above turns into a failure for about 34 in 100 cars, and the median gap is 12.1 months and roughly 5,606 miles. The rest were repaired, sold, scrapped, or simply held. Rows with fewer than 500 tracked advisories are not shown.

What will fail next on a Ford Ranger?

Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment after a failure at age 12-14 are highest at 34.8%; Brakes after a passed at age <3 are lowest at 3.1% — the gap is 31.7 percentage points.

higher = more likelypercentage is the observed transition probability

Probability of each component failing at the next test, by age and last result
AgeLast testMost likely next failuresCars tracked
<3passedSuspension 4.9% · Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 4.5% · Brakes 3.1%29,187
<3advisorySuspension 6.7% · Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 6.5% · Brakes 4.8%8,177
<3failureLamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 8.5% · Suspension 6.9% · Brakes 5.1%6,761
3-5passedSuspension 7.3% · Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 6.8% · Brakes 4.1%81,479
3-5advisorySuspension 9.4% · Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 9.4% · Brakes 5.8%28,899
3-5failureLamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 12.7% · Suspension 10.2% · Brakes 6.6%29,280
6-8passedLamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 11.1% · Suspension 10.8% · Brakes 4.9%31,380
6-8advisoryLamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 15.9% · Suspension 14.6% · Brakes 8.1%14,485
6-8failureLamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 20.1% · Suspension 15.7% · Brakes 9.8%19,310
9-11passedLamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 15.6% · Suspension 9.2% · Brakes 8.0%11,631
9-11advisoryLamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 23.5% · Brakes 13.6% · Suspension 13.2%10,149
9-11failureLamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 29.8% · Brakes 16.6% · Suspension 16.2%13,830
12-14passedLamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 18.4% · Body, chassis, structure 14.0% · Brakes 11.0%11,886
12-14advisoryLamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 27.1% · Body, chassis, structure 19.1% · Brakes 15.1%14,051
12-14failureLamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 34.8% · Body, chassis, structure 23.4% · Brakes 19.0%20,475
15-19passedBody, chassis, structure 18.5% · Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 17.4% · Brakes 10.7%11,071
15-19advisoryLamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 26.4% · Body, chassis, structure 25.3% · Suspension 16.7%14,770
15-19failureLamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 32.9% · Body, chassis, structure 28.3% · Suspension 20.4%21,860
20+passedBody, chassis, structure 15.0% · Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 13.7% · Suspension 11.2%1,414
20+advisoryBody, chassis, structure 22.0% · Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 21.6% · Suspension 18.6%2,180
20+failureLamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 31.0% · Body, chassis, structure 26.2% · Suspension 23.1%2,717

The same chains, cut differently: given a car's age and how its last test went, which component most often causes trouble at the following one.

The pattern that repeats across every family: a failure at one test roughly doubles the chance of a failure on the same component at the next one, and an advisory sits about half-way between a clean pass and a failure. Age bands in years; probabilities are per car, not per defect item.

Ford Ranger ownership: what six years of MOTs show

The ten-day re-test pass rate is highest at 66.3%; The later re-test pass rate is lowest at 5.9% — the gap is 60.4 percentage points.

higher = larger sharecompare shares in percentage points

Fixed same day
27.76%
of failures re-tested
Fails /10k miles
0.372
miles actually driven
Clean streaks
40.71%
3+ tests, nothing noted
Odometer anomaly
0.744%
reading went backwards

Failing is usually a same-week event, not a disaster. Of 106,850 failures followed through to their re-test, 27.76% were repaired and passed the same day and 66.31% within ten days; the median gap is 1 day. 302,155 defect items were cleared in the process.

Per mile driven, not per year. Dividing failures by the miles that actually went onto the odometers between consecutive tests gives 0.372 failures per 10,000 miles, on a median of 6,873 miles a year across 111,898 chains. This is the number to compare between models — an annual rate quietly rewards cars that barely leave the drive.

Two populations hide inside one model. 40.71% of these cars strung together three or more tests with nothing recorded at all, while 21.31% carried the same advisory three times or more — the same fault, noted, ignored, noted again. When you buy used you are buying one of those two histories, and the MOT record shows which.

Odometer anomalies: 0.744% of 112,008 chains show a reading lower than the previous test, with a median drop of 17,455 miles. We call this an anomaly and not fraud on purpose — instrument swaps, imports, unit mix-ups and keying errors all land in the same bucket. Obvious typos (drops under 100 miles or over 90% of the reading) are already excluded.

Ford Ranger safety recalls and how to check yours

DVSA recall campaigns stand out at 59.

bigger number = more recorded casescompare like-for-like scope, not sample size alone

recall campaigns launched per year

Ford Ranger recall campaigns launched per year — 2024 UK MOT data
Campaigns launched per year for the Ford Ranger. Source: DVSA vehicle safety recalls. Chart values: 2012: 1 · 2013: 0 · 2014: 0 · 2015: 1 · 2016: 0 · 2017: 2 · 2018: 1 · 2019: 4 · 2020: 3 · 2021: 1 · 2022: 2 · 2023: 9 · 2024: 10 · 2025: 13 · 2026: 9.
Most recent safety recall campaigns for the Ford Ranger
ReferenceLaunchedVehiclesConcern
R/2026/12322/06/2026126S19 Ranger PHEV - High Voltage Battery Tray Retaining Bracket Replacement
R/2026/17408/05/2026225S19 Ranger – Automatic Transmission no reverse
R/2026/17408/05/2026925S19 Ranger – Automatic Transmission no reverse
R/2026/16015/04/202641426S10 - Kuga Ranger - Potential Exhaust Gas Recirculation Valve Failure
R/2026/16015/04/202610526S10 - Kuga Ranger - Potential Exhaust Gas Recirculation Valve Failure
All 59 campaigns
ReferenceLaunchedBuild datesVehiclesConcern
R/2026/12322/06/202625/08/2025 – 25/08/2025126S19 Ranger PHEV - High Voltage Battery Tray Retaining Bracket Replacement
R/2026/17408/05/202604/03/2025 – 05/03/2025225S19 Ranger – Automatic Transmission no reverse
R/2026/17408/05/202604/04/2025 – 05/05/2025925S19 Ranger – Automatic Transmission no reverse
R/2026/16015/04/202627/02/2025 – 27/03/202541426S10 - Kuga Ranger - Potential Exhaust Gas Recirculation Valve Failure
R/2026/16015/04/202628/03/2025 – 27/07/202510526S10 - Kuga Ranger - Potential Exhaust Gas Recirculation Valve Failure
R/2026/16015/04/202603/09/2025 – 03/09/2025126S10 - Kuga Ranger - Potential Exhaust Gas Recirculation Valve Failure
R/2026/12727/03/202606/03/2019 – 18/04/201983Ranger: 10R80 Transmission Oil Pump Gears Software Update
R/2026/12727/03/202630/04/2019 – 08/11/2019366Ranger: 10R80 Transmission Oil Pump Gears Software Update
R/2026/12727/03/202611/11/2019 – 12/11/20196Ranger: 10R80 Transmission Oil Pump Gears Software Update
R/2025/43315/10/202507/05/2025 – 07/05/2025125S98 Ranger - Rear Brake Caliper Anchor Bolts Torque Inspection
R/2025/36124/09/202529/09/2022 – 23/06/2023985Frozen Rearview Camera Screen
R/2025/36124/09/202518/03/2023 – 29/02/20245,285Frozen Rearview Camera Screen
R/2025/36124/09/202509/02/2024 – 22/04/20245Frozen Rearview Camera Screen
R/2025/35908/09/202519/07/2019 – 04/10/20192CrossCar: Sync3 Rear-View Camera Software Update
R/2025/35908/09/202518/03/2021 – 11/04/20212CrossCar: Sync3 Rear-View Camera Software Update
R/2025/32615/08/202510/09/2024 – 20/06/202513,95225S77 – Ranger – Potential loss of brake assist
R/2025/32615/08/202521/06/2025 – 28/08/202560025S77 – Ranger – Potential loss of brake assist
R/2025/32615/08/202501/09/2025 – 18/02/202618425S77 – Ranger – Potential loss of brake assist
R/2025/30105/08/202526/01/2023 – 16/06/20231225S39 Ranger - Potential Camshaft Sprocket Failure
R/2025/30105/08/202507/07/2023 – 01/12/2023825S39 Ranger - Potential Camshaft Sprocket Failure
R/2025/30105/08/202522/02/2024 – 05/12/20241,25625S39 Ranger - Potential Camshaft Sprocket Failure
R/2025/30105/08/202517/01/2025 – 04/03/2025325S39 Ranger - Potential Camshaft Sprocket Failure
R/2024/43904/11/202430/05/2022 – 09/02/20232,09524S68 – Ranger Driver Seatbelt Webbing Inspection
R/2024/43904/11/202402/04/2024 – 02/04/2024424S68 – Ranger Driver Seatbelt Webbing Inspection
R/2024/24524/07/202403/11/2023 – 06/04/20243Ranger Idler Gear Failure
R/2024/04819/04/202410/03/2023 – 23/06/202329123S67 – Ranger Platinum Child Lock
R/2024/04819/04/202417/07/2023 – 27/11/202326723S67 – Ranger Platinum Child Lock
R/2024/04819/04/202417/07/2023 – 27/11/2023023S67 – Ranger Platinum Child Lock
R/2024/04819/04/202410/03/2023 – 23/06/2023023S67 – Ranger Platinum Child Lock
R/2024/04218/02/202412/06/2023 – 27/06/202357823C27 - Ranger - Front wiper motor linkage inspection
R/2024/04218/02/202419/06/2023 – 27/06/20238323C27 - Ranger - Front wiper motor linkage inspection
R/2024/03305/02/202414/02/2023 – 27/04/20233The incorrect Front Propeller Shaft may have been installed.
R/2023/32010/11/202301/04/2022 – 26/05/2023152Ranger vehicles where the High Pressure (HP) Pipes connecting with the Fuel Pump may not h
R/2023/28503/10/202305/04/2023 – 05/04/20233Ranger vehicles that may have been produced with incorrect bolts for the rear axle ring ge
R/2023/24724/08/202305/12/2022 – 20/04/20238Affected vehicles may have been produced with the propeller shaft flange to transmission b
R/2023/24116/08/202321/07/2022 – 06/04/2023785Ranger vehicles that have a manual rear door child lock which is activated near the rear d
R/2023/20125/05/202304/07/2022 – 18/10/2022163When the turn signal / hazard lamp audible indicator is activated an Event Warning Chime
R/2023/15223/05/202322/09/2021 – 12/10/202218On the affected vehicles the Brake Fluid Level Low warning message will not appear on the
R/2023/08530/03/202324/08/2022 – 28/08/202213The driver s seat belt might have the webbing routed through the anchor rubber trim sleeve
R/2022/19622/03/202301/12/2016 – 28/02/201920,370THE VEHICLE COULD DEVELOP A CRACK AROUND THE EXHAUST MUFFLER FLANGE
R/2023/01431/01/202304/07/2022 – 18/10/2022163On several Ranger vehicles an incorrectly configured Headlamp Control Module (HCM) is caus
R/2022/14201/11/202201/09/2018 – 31/05/201914,717VEHICLES COULD SUFFER A DIFFERENTIAL DRIVE PINION FAILURE
R/2022/30828/10/202212/01/2022 – 01/04/2022433THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT THE STEERING COLUMN BOLT MAY NOT BE CORRECTLY TIGHTENED TO SPE
R/2019/15531/07/202107/04/2003 – 04/05/2006211,055AIRBAG INFLATOR MAY RUPTURE UPON DEPLOYMENT
R/2019/15621/08/202008/06/2007 – 16/12/20112,966TAKATA AIR BAG INFLATOR MAY RUPTURE ON DEPLOYMENT
R/2020/12618/05/202013/11/1998 – 30/09/19993,339OVER TIME THE FUNCTION OF THE TAKATA NADI AIRBAG INFLATOR CAN DEGRADE DUE TO AIR AND MOIST
R/2020/10328/04/202029/11/2017 – 15/10/20196,330TRANSMISSION FLUID PUMP GEAR FAILURE CAN CAUSE A LOSS OF HYDRAULIC FLUID PRESSURE IN THE T
R/2019/33504/10/201905/08/2005 – 15/12/200516,520AIR BAG INFLATOR MAY RUPTURE ON DEPLOYMENT
R/2019/06117/09/201902/02/2004 – 02/09/201441,475AIR BAG INFLATOR TO BE REPLACED
R/2019/15312/07/201901/06/2016 – 30/08/201828,780RUPTURED FLEXIBLE FRONT BRAKE HOSES MAY OCCUR DURING SUSPENSION AND STEERING ARTICULATIONS
R/2019/15312/07/201904/06/2016 – 28/08/201828,780RUPTURED FLEXIBLE FRONT BRAKE HOSES MAY OCCUR DURING SUSPENSION AND STEERING ARTICULATIONS
R/2018/11809/05/201807/10/2016 – 17/11/201650SIDE AIRBAG INITIATOR MAY BE DEFECTIVE
R/2017/27329/09/201717/11/2015 – 24/02/20163,277REAR DRIVESHAFT MAY BECOME DAMAGED RESULTING IN LOSS OF DRIVE
R/2017/00906/02/201729/09/2011 – 30/03/201251AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION MAY NOT OPERATE AS INTENDED
R/2015/02511/02/201524/10/2014 – 13/01/201513,853ENGINE MAY CUT OUT
R/2012/11320/10/201205/09/2011 – 10/05/2012478SEATBACK MAY NOT ENGAGE CORRECTLY
R/2010/12822/09/2010784GEARBOX MAY NOT PERFORM CORRECTLY
R/2003/05522/04/2003386POSSIBLE CASTING DEFECT IN FRONT STEERING KNUCKLES
R/1999/02106/04/199901/05/1996 – 31/03/19995,363THROTTLE MAY NOT RETURN TO IDLE WHEN CRUISE CONTROL IS DISENGAGED

DVSA lists 59 safety recall campaigns for the Ford Ranger, covering roughly 426,918 vehicles in total. A recall is the manufacturer fixing a fault for free, so an open recall on your car costs nothing to clear.

Counter-intuitive, and measured on our own data: across the 25 families published here, more recalls go with a lower MOT Risk Index (r = −0.52). Heavily recalled models are not worse cars in the test bay — an active manufacturer removes the fault before it becomes an MOT failure.

Check whether a specific car has an outstanding recall — free, by registration — at DVSA's recall service. Source: DVSA vehicle safety recalls (check-vehicle-recalls.service.gov.uk), OGL.

Ford Ranger technical service bulletins: what dealers are told

US market, Ford RANGER and its variants, model years 2019–2022 only. A count of bulletins, not a UK failure rate.

NHTSA manufacturer communications are 178.

bigger number = more recorded dealer communicationsnot affected vehicles or confirmed faults

These are the issues the manufacturer fixes quietly: service communications sent to dealers without a public recall campaign. They show what the service network has been told even when the issue never became news.

United States · NHTSA manufacturer communications

US technical service bulletins by communication year; leading subjects cover the full file
Communication yearBulletinsLeading subjects across all years
20197
  • Electrical system (70)
  • Powertrain (48)
  • Equipment (45)
  • Other / uncategorised (32)
  • Engine and cooling (20)
  • Communication (7)
  • Seats (7)
  • Structure (6)
202028
202143
202234
202322
202416
202512
202616

Caveat worth stating plainly: this is NHTSA data about US-specification cars. British cars sold under the same name often use different gearboxes, engines and equipment, so a bulletin may describe a component that was never fitted here. The file counts dealer communications, not affected vehicles or confirmed failures, and it cannot tell you whether an individual UK car has the issue. A communication can carry more than one subject tag, so topic counts do not have to add up to the total. Source: NHTSA Manufacturer Communications API (US-market vehicles; queried model years 2015-2022). Licence: U.S. Government work / public domain · retrieved 2026-09-25.

Ford Ranger owner complaints: what goes wrong

US market, Ford RANGER and its variants, model years 2019–2022 only. A count of owner complaints, not a UK failure rate; NHTSA has no UK denominator.

Transmission (not MOT-tested) is highest at 214; Suspension is lowest at 25 — the gap is 189.

bigger number = more recorded casescompare like-for-like scope, not sample size alone

Owner complaints (US) against actual MOT failures (UK) for the same component groups
ComponentComplaintsShareMOT fail items per 100MOT rankAgreement
Transmission (not MOT-tested)21439.3%not in top 6—complained about, rarely an MOT failure
Lamps & electrical9016.5%26.0#1complained about and fails often
Engine (not MOT-tested)7113.0%not in top 6—complained about, rarely an MOT failure
Brakes478.6%14.8#3complained about and fails often
Visibility366.6%8.8#5complained about, fails occasionally
Suspension254.6%15.5#2complained about and fails often

Two different populations answering two different questions: the MOT records what an inspector can measure once a year, the complaint file records what annoyed or frightened an owner on the road. A component high in one column and absent from the other is the interesting case — driver-assistance and electronics dominate complaints while almost never appearing as an MOT failure item.

What the reports actually say
Driver side rear leaf spring cracked at front mount. This happened with low mileage 20k and no towing or off-road driving. In town driving only.
NHTSA complaint, filed 09/22/2026 · SUSPENSION
My 2019 Ford Ranger with 10 speed transmission has been harsh shifting and will not always find the right gears. It will sometimes Surge forward or at other time not respond to acceleration. It has 100,000 miles. Never used it for towing or hawling heavy items.
NHTSA complaint, filed 09/04/2026 · POWER TRAIN

US owners have filed 545 complaints about the equivalent Ford Ranger to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, including 26 that mention a crash, 6 a fire and 120 an injury. These are owner reports, not verified findings — but they are the only large public record of what drivers themselves notice, and they cover the years between MOT tests.

Caveat worth stating plainly: US-specification cars, self-selected reporters, no denominator — complaint counts scale with how many cars were sold there and how motivated owners are to file. The mechanical gap matters as much as the statistical one: American cars of the same name often carry different gearboxes, engines and equipment — automatics where Britain buys manuals — so a drivetrain complaint filed in Ohio may describe a part that was never fitted here. Read the ranking inside a model, not between models, and treat drivetrain entries with particular caution. Source: NHTSA ODI consumer complaints (US market, public domain) — US-spec vehicles, indicative only.

Ford Ranger MOT: quick answers

Ford Ranger MOT Risk Index stands out at 121.4, against 100 for a car with the same age profile.

below 100 is betterabove 100 is worse100 = normal for this model at that age

What is the Ford Ranger first-time MOT pass rate?
72.34% of first attempts passed in 2024 (108,814 tests). This is the first-time figure: retests after repair are excluded. Basis: first-time, excluding retests.
Why does this number differ from other sites?
Other sites often report a pass rate that includes retests or counts all attempts. Our 27.66% figure is the first-time initial failure rate, using 108,814 primary tests as the denominator (first-time, excluding retests). The age-adjusted MOT initial-failure ratio 121.4 is shown separately because raw rates compare fleet age as well as cars.

Compare the Ford Ranger with other cars

Peugeot 3008 is highest at 121.9; Nissan Juke is lowest at 120.3 — the gap is 1.6 points.

below 100 is betterabove 100 is worse100 = normal for this model at that age

Same brand

All Ford MOT statisticsFord Transit MOT statsFord Transit Connect MOT stats

Similar risk

Peugeot 3008 (index 121.9)Seat Ibiza (index 120.6)Nissan Juke (index 120.3)

Same size class

how Renault Trafic compareshow Audi Q5 compareshow DS 3 compares

By build year

Ford Ranger 1999Ford Ranger 2000Ford Ranger 2001Ford Ranger 2002Ford Ranger 2003Ford Ranger 2004Ford Ranger 2005Ford Ranger 2006Ford Ranger 2007Ford Ranger 2008Ford Ranger 2009Ford Ranger 2010Ford Ranger 2011Ford Ranger 2012Ford Ranger 2013Ford Ranger 2014Ford Ranger 2015Ford Ranger 2016Ford Ranger 2017Ford Ranger 2018Ford Ranger 2019Ford Ranger 2020

By area

Ford Ranger MOT failure rate by postcode area

By failure group

Ford Ranger body, chassis and structure failuresFord Ranger brakes failuresFord Ranger vehicle identification failuresFord Ranger lamps, reflectors and electrics failuresFord Ranger noise, emissions and leaks failuresFord Ranger road wheels failuresFord Ranger seat belts and airbags failuresFord Ranger steering failuresFord Ranger suspension failuresFord Ranger tyres failuresFord Ranger visibility failures


Data details & how to cite

Scope: class-4 vehicles (cars), initial tests only, outcomes pass / fail / fixed-on-the-spot at the station (PRS counts towards the failure rate — the defect was present at arrival). Index = observed initial failures ÷ failures expected for this fleet's exact age profile, ×100; margin of error is a 95% confidence interval. Covers ALL generations together — a 3-year-old and a 15-year-old are very different cars; a generation split is on the roadmap. Dataset release dataset_release_id=dvsa-2024-v2, frozen baseline; headline claim_id=family-stats:ford-ranger:dvsa-2024-v2. Full method: methodology.

Cite: MOT Risk Index (2026). Ford Ranger MOT statistics 2024 (data release dvsa-2024-v2; downloadable dataset motriskindex-families-2024-v5, doi:10.5281/zenodo.22975051). https://motriskindex.co.uk/cars/ford-ranger/ · Published 2026-07-30.