Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2006 Ford Ranger, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Air bags175
- Structure26
- Suspension20
- Unknown or other16
- Engine12
- Electrical system11
- Fuel system, gasoline9
- Engine and engine cooling7
- Fuel/propulsion system7
- Vehicle speed control5
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 10 injuries and 4 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 45 2006 Ranger vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 31 people died inside them, and 13 of the vehicles rolled over. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 2006 Ford Ranger failed the safety check 2.62% of the time — 12% more often than the average 2006 passenger car (2.34%). Median odometer at inspection: 130,772 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
MOT test results in Great Britain
In 2023, 2,899 of these cars first registered in 2006 took their annual MOT test. 53% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2006 the figure was 56%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 2006 |
|---|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 27.3% | 21.5% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 18.9% | 8.6% |
| Brakes | 17.6% | 13.1% |
| Suspension | 16.1% | 17.3% |
| Visibility | 7.6% | 7.3% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 4.6% | 6.6% |
DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023 (Department for Transport) · Open Government Licence v3.0 · first tests only; a fix made at the test station within the hour still counts as a fail
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 8 variants: combined 10.1–15.2 L/100 km (about 15–23 mpg US), CO₂ 232–350 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ranger · Pickup truck: Standard · Regular gasoline | 11.3 | 8.7 | 10.1 |
| Ranger · Pickup truck: Standard · Regular gasoline | 12.6 | 9.7 | 11.3 |
| Ranger · Pickup truck: Standard · Regular gasoline | 14.7 | 11.1 | 13.1 |
| Ranger · Pickup truck: Standard · Regular gasoline | 15.1 | 11.3 | 13.4 |
| Ranger · Pickup truck: Standard · Regular gasoline | 15.5 | 11.5 | 13.7 |
| Ranger · Pickup truck: Standard · Regular gasoline | 16.0 | 11.7 | 14.0 |
| Ranger 4X4 · Pickup truck: Standard · Regular gasoline | 16.8 | 12.8 | 15.0 |
| Ranger 4X4 · Pickup truck: Standard · Regular gasoline | 16.8 | 13.3 | 15.2 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
7 Transport Canada recalls for the 2006 Ford Ranger.
| 2024100 11 Feb 2024 | Airbag Issue: On certain vehicles, the front passenger airbag may have been installed incorrectly during a previous recall repair. As a result, the airbag may not inf… |
| 2021077 19 Feb 2021 | Airbag Issue: This recall is for certain vehicles that had the driver-front and/or passenger-front airbag inflator replaced after a collision or theft. An obsolete a… |
| 2018024 11 Jan 2018 | Airbag Issue: On certain trucks, the driver and/or passenger-front airbag inflator could rupture when the airbag deploys in a crash. If this happens, the airbag may … |
| 2017633 15 Dec 2017 | Airbag On certain vehicles, the driver and/or passenger frontal airbag inflator could produce excessive internal pressure during airbag deployment. Increased pressure … |
| 2016033 25 Jan 2016 | Airbag On certain vehicles, the driver frontal airbag inflator could produce excessive internal pressure during airbag deployment. Increased pressure may cause the inf… |
| 2015231 28 May 2015 | Airbag On certain vehicles, the passenger frontal airbag inflator could produce excessive internal pressure during airbag deployment. Increased pressure may cause the … |
| 2005356 10 Nov 2005 | Other On certain vehicles, the windshield wiper motor may have been produced without grease applied to the output shaft gear. After a period of continuous use on the… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2004-2006 Ranger vehicles that received replacement front passenger air bag inflators under a previous recall. The replacement front passenger air bag inflators may have been installed incorrectly.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2004-2006 Ranger vehicles that received replacement front passenger air bag inflators under a previous recall. The replacement frontal passenger air bag inflators may have been installed incorrectly.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2004-2006 Ranger vehicles that may be equipped with a driver or passenger frontal air bag inflator used as a replacement service part, that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2005-2014 Mustang, 2004-2011 Ranger, 2009-2011 Mercury Milan, 2006 Ford GT, 2008-2012 Fusion, 2007-2010 Edge and Lincoln MKX, and 2009-2010 Lincoln MKZ vehicles. These vehicles may be equipped with a driver or passenger frontal air bag inflator used as a replacement service part, that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2006 Ford Ranger trucks. Ford is requesting owners NOT TO DRIVE these vehicles until they have been repaired. On January 11, 2018, Ford Motor Company (Ford) notified NHTSA that they are recalling 2,700 model year 2006 Ranger vehicles built with driver-side air bag inflators . As of February 9, 2018, Ford is expanding the recall to a total of 33,310 model year 2006 Ranger vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver side frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to explode.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2006 Ford Ranger trucks. Ford is requesting owners NOT TO DRIVE these vehicles until they have been repaired. Upon deployment of the passenger side frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to explode. On January 11, 2018, Ford Motor Company (Ford) notified NHTSA that they are recalling 2,700 model year 2006 Ranger vehicles built with passenger-side air bag inflators. As of February 9, 2018, Ford is expanding the recall to a total of 33,310 model year 2006 Ranger vehicles built with passenger-side air bag inflators. Upon deployment of the passenger side frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to explode.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is superseding a previous recall for certain 2004-2006 Ford Ranger trucks to implement a final repair. Upon deployment of the driver side frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is superseding a previous recall for certain 2004-2006 Ford Ranger trucks to implement a final repair. Upon deployment of the passenger side frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2004-2006 Ranger vehicles manufactured March 24, 2003, to May 4, 2006. Upon deployment of the driver side frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2004-2006 Ranger trucks manufactured March 24, 2003, to May 4, 2006. The affected vehicles are equipped with a passenger side frontal air bag that may be susceptible to moisture intrusion which, over time, could cause the inflator to rupture.
FORD IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011 RANGER TRUCKS BUILT FROM JANUARY 25, 2011, THROUGH APRIL 25, 2011 AT THE TWIN CITIES ASSEMBLY PLANT, AND SERVICE PARTS DISTRIBUTED TO DEALERS FOR CERTAIN 2004 THROUGH 2011 MODEL YEAR RANGER TRUCKS, 2002 THROUGH 2005 MODEL YEAR EXCURSION VEHICLES, AND 2002 THROUGH 2007 MODEL YEAR F-250, F-350, F-450, AND F-550 TRUCKS FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." THE MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH WAS SHIPPED WITH A SUBCOMPONENT (SLIDER) THAT MAY EXPERIENCE DEFORMATION. A MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH WITH A DEFORMED SLIDER MAY MALFUNCTION CAUSING THE TURN SIGNAL, TAIL LIGHTS, HAZARD WARNING SIGNAL FLASHERS AND/OR BRAKE LIGHTS NOT TO ACTIVATE.
ON CERTAIN TRUCKS, PASSENGER CARS AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR MAY HAVE BEEN PRODUCED WITHOUT GREASE BEING APPLIED TO THE OUTPUT SHAFT GEAR.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Ford told its dealers about the 2006 Ford Ranger: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 10240415 | Certain 2005-2014 Mustang, 2005-2006 GT, 2004-2011 Ranger, 2006-2012 Fusion and MKZ/Zephyr, 2006-2011 Milan, and 2007-2010 Edge & MKX Vehicles Driver & Passenger Airbag Module Quality Control Inspection REASON FOR THIS SUPPLEMENT Updated Ranger Technical Information to include images of a pass and fail airbag inflator inspection for 2007-2011 model years. |
| 10209374 | Certain 2005-2014 Mustang, 2005-2006 GT, 2004-2011 Ranger, 2006-2012 Fusion & MKZ/Zephyr, 2006-2011 Milan, and 2007-2010 Edge & MKX Vehicles Driver & Passenger Airbag Module Quality Control Inspection: Ford Motor Company has determined that some vehicles claimed by dealers as repaired under Takata Airbag Safety Recalls 15S21, 17S42, 18S02, 19S01, and 21S12 may not have received the claimed repairs. The propellant in certain Takata airbag inflators can experience an alteration over time with exposure to certain climate conditions. A combination of time, high temperature fluctuations, and humid |
| 10140325 | Please check FSA Vin Lists for vehicles involved in 18S02. Contact owners affected immediately to schedule an appointment. |
| 10138526 | Please check FSA Vin Lists for vehicles involved in 18S02. Contact owners affected immediately to schedule an appointment. |
| 10109070 | The Powertrain Control/Emissions Diagnosis (PC/ED) manual has been revised for diagnosing electronic throttle bodies (ETBs). The ETC_ACT and ETC_DSD PIDs should not used to diagnose possible ETB concerns. The IDS has a limited refresh rate when reading these PIDs and cannot display quickly enough to validate a concern. The PCM automatically monitors these inputs more accurately and will set diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) when appropriate. Using these PIDs for diagnostics will lead to inaccurate results and improper ETB replacements. If a concern is intermittent and no DTCs are present, refer |
| 10021051 | POSSIBLE ENGINE DAMAGE - INSTALL SPECIAL SERVICE TOOLS PRIOR TO REMOVING CRANKSHAFT PULLEY BOLT. *KB |
| 10021046 | DRIVEABILITY CONCERNS AND/OR DTCP0340 - INSPECT CRANKSHAFT PULLEY. *KB |
| 10020173 | POSSIBLE ENGINE DAMAGE - INSTALL SPECIAL SERVICE TOOLS PRIOR TO REMOVING CRANKSHAFT PULLEY BOLT - SERVICE TIP. *TT |
| 10019947 | NEUTRAL TOW CAPABILITY - SERVICE KIT REQUIREMENTS. *TT |
| 10019028 | LIMITED OR RESTRICTED INWARD MOVEMENT OF EXTERIOR REAR VIEW MIRROR GLASS. *TT |
| 10018950 | MIL ON WITH VARIOUS MISFIRE RELATED DTC'S P0300-P0306 AND P0316 - 3.0L-2V VULCAN ENGINE. *TT |
| 10018938 | VIBRATION DIAGNOSIS - TIRE/WHEEL RUNOUT. *TT |
| 10018934 | NEUTRAL TOW CAPABILITY -- SERVICE KIT REQUIREMENTS. *TT |
| 10017886 | NO START/HARD START/ROUGH RUNNING DURING COLD WEATHER - INCORRECT SEASONAL FUEL BLEND. *TT |
| 10014138 | SAFETY BELT RETRACTION SPEED. *TT |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)