2011 Ford Ranger Problems, Recalls & Reliability
Verdict
AvoidComplaint Index
82/100
#3 most-complained of 12 Ranger years
The 2011 Ford Ranger has a Complaint Index of 82 and ranks 3rd worst out of 12 model years, earning an Avoid verdict. Airbags account for 83% of complaints (196 of 235), with 2 do-not-drive recalls tied to airbag inflators and modules.
- Complaints
- 235
- Recalls
- 5
- incl. Do Not Drive
- Crashes / fires
- 9 / 1
- Injuries / deaths
- 9 / 0
- NHTSA overall rating
- 2 / 5 ★
- EPA combined MPG
- 17.5
- 15.5 city / 20.5 hwy
Top 2011 Ford Ranger problems
NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Airbags196 (83%)
- Electrical System11 (5%)
- Brakes8 (3%)
- Structure & Body8 (3%)
- Engine7 (3%)
- Fuel System6 (3%)
- Transmission & Powertrain5 (2%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires4 (2%)
- Other3 (1%)
- Steering1 (0%)
What owners report
- Airbags fail to deploy during frontal or side-impact crashes, sometimes with no prior warning light.
- Front wheels have detached while driving, in one case at 45 mph and in another causing the truck to roll off the road.
- Brake pedal is depressed but the vehicle fails to slow or brake lights fail to illuminate, leading to rear-end collisions.
- Electrical system issues include rear turn signals and stop lights not working, and one report of an engine-bay fire after shutdown.
- Fuel spills from the filler neck onto the vehicle and ground while refueling.
2011 Ford Ranger recalls
5 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- NHTSA 21V158000Mar 10, 2021Airbags2,602,668 vehicles
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2007-2011 Ranger, 2006-2012 Fusion, Lincoln Zephyr, Lincoln MKZ, 2006-2011 Mercury Milan, 2007-2010 Ford Edge, and Lincoln MKX vehicles. The driver's side air bag inflator may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.
Risk: 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 replace the driver-side airbag inflator or module with an alternate one, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on April 9, 2021 for the passenger side, and November 14, 2022 for the driver side. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S12.
- NHTSA 21V081000Feb 16, 2021Airbags1,067 vehicles
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module
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.
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.
- NHTSA 19V001000Jan 7, 2019Airbags782,384 vehiclesDo Not Drive
Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2014 Ford Mustang vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." Additionally, Ford is recalling certain 2011 Ford Ranger and Mercury Milan vehicles, 2011-2012 Ford Fusion and Lincoln Zephyr/MKZ vehicles and 2011-2014 Ford Mustang vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B." Ford is also recalling certain 2010 Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX vehicles, 2010-2011 Ford Ranger and Mercury Milan vehicles, 2010-2012 Ford Fusion and Lincoln Zephyr/MKZ vehicles, and 2010-2014 Ford Mustang vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of AK, CO, CT, ID, IA, ME, MA, MI, MN, MT, NH, NY, ND, OR, RI, SD, UT, VT, WA, WI, and WY or "Zone C." These vehicles are equipped with air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, used as original equipment or replacement equipment (such as after a vehicle crash necessitating replacement of the original air bags), that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the repair has been performed. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began February 13, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall 19S01.
2011 Ford Ranger fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 15.5 MPG
- Highway
- 20.5 MPG
- Combined
- 17.5 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $3,700
- 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.
2011 compared with other Ranger years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2011 Ford Ranger reliable?
- Compared to other Ranger model years, the 2011 ranks 3rd worst out of 12 years tracked, with a Complaint Index of 82 and an Avoid verdict based on NHTSA complaints and recalls.
- What is the main problem with the 2011 Ford Ranger?
- Airbags are the top problem area, making up 83% of complaints (196 of 235), including reports of non-deployment during crashes and two do-not-drive recalls for airbag inflators and modules.
- Does the 2011 Ford Ranger have a recall?
- Yes, NHTSA lists 5 recalls for the 2011 Ranger, including 2 do-not-drive recalls covering airbag inflators and modules, plus one electrical recall for faulty switches.
- At what mileage do 2011 Ford Ranger problems occur?
- NHTSA data shows a median mileage at failure of 49,500 for the 2011 Ranger overall, with airbag complaints centered around 50,000 miles.
- How does the 2011 Ford Ranger compare to the 2010 model?
- The 2010 Ranger has a much lower Complaint Index of 36 and a Good verdict, while the 2011 Ranger's Complaint Index of 82 places it among the worst years for this model.