2006 Ford Ranger Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls
Caution The 2006 Ford Ranger has a Complaint Index of 50 and ranks 9th worst out of 17 model years, earning a Caution verdict. Airbags dominate complaints at 64% of the total, and Ford issued four do-not-drive recalls over exploding Takata inflators.
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
YearToAvoid Scorecard
- Complaint Index
- 50/100
- #9 of 17 Ranger years
- Verdict
- Caution
- vs. other years of this model
- Complaints
- 271
- unique NHTSA reports
- Recalls
- 12
- 4 Do Not Drive
- Crashes
- 14
- reported in complaints
- Fires
- 2
- Injuries
- 10
- Top issue
- Airbags
- NHTSA overall rating
- Not rated
- EPA combined MPG
- 17
- 15 city / 20.5 hwy
- Injuries / deaths
- 10 / 4
Top 2006 Ford Ranger problems
Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Airbags174 (64%)
- Structure & Body27 (10%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires26 (10%)
- Engine22 (8%)
- Fuel System16 (6%)
- Other16 (6%)
- Electrical System11 (4%)
- Brakes5 (2%)
- Steering5 (2%)
- Visibility & Wipers5 (2%)
A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.
What owners report
- Driver or passenger front airbag inflators can rupture and send metal fragments into the cabin during a crash, sometimes causing fatal injuries.
- Airbags reportedly fail to deploy at all during rollover crashes despite severe front-end damage.
- Sudden loss of braking has been reported, with the vehicle failing to slow down even with the brake pedal fully depressed.
- Rear or front wheels have detached or emitted smoke while driving at highway speed, causing loss of steering control.
- A battery-related electrical fire was reported that destroyed the vehicle while parked.
2006 Ford Ranger recalls
12 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- NHTSA 23V306000Apr 28, 2023Airbags231,942 vehicles
Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module
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.
Risk: An incorrectly installed inflator may not properly inflate the passenger air bag, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and reinstall the front passenger air bag inflator, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 22, 2023. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 23S08. This recall expands and replaces previous recall number 23V-125.
- NHTSA 23V125000Feb 24, 2023Airbags98,550 vehicles
Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module
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.
Risk: An incorrectly installed inflator may not properly inflate the passenger air bag, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and reinstall the front passenger air bag inflator, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 5, 2023. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 23S08. This recall has been fully superseded by recall 23V-306.
- NHTSA 21V076000Feb 17, 2021Airbags144,340 vehicles
Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module
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.
Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the frontal air bag, an inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the driver and passenger air bag module, and replace either the module or the inflator, if necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 17, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S05.
2006 Ford Ranger fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 15 MPG
- Highway
- 20.5 MPG
- Combined
- 17 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $3,800
- 15,000 mi/yr
- Fuel
- Regular
- Current regular gas
- $4.32/gal
- national avg.
EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.
2006 compared with other Ranger years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2006 Ford Ranger reliable?
- NHTSA data gives the 2006 Ranger a Complaint Index of 50 and a Caution verdict, ranking 9th worst among 17 model years of the Ranger. Airbags are the dominant problem area, making up 64% of complaints.
- Does the 2006 Ford Ranger have an airbag recall?
- Yes. NHTSA lists 12 recall campaigns for the 2006 Ranger, all involving airbags, including four do-not-drive recalls tied to Takata inflators that can rupture and send metal fragments into the cabin.
- What is the most common complaint on the 2006 Ford Ranger?
- Airbags account for 174 of 271 complaints, or 64% of the total, with a median mileage at failure of 69,440 miles for the model year overall.
- How does the 2006 Ford Ranger compare to other years?
- Its Complaint Index of 50 is lower than 2008 (88), 2011 (75), 2019 (94), 2021 (81), and 2022 (100), all of which carry Avoid verdicts, but higher than years like 2010 (31) and 2023 (19).
- How many recalls does the 2006 Ford Ranger have?
- NHTSA lists 12 recall campaigns for the 2006 Ranger, and 4 of them are do-not-drive recalls related to airbag inflators.