FORD RANGER · model year

2011 FORD RANGER

259 NHTSA complaints, 14 crash reports, and 6 active recalls for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

2 / 5 ★

New Car Assessment Program

The 2011FORDRANGER carries 259 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 14 crashes, 2 fires, 10 injuries, and 0 fatalities. For crash performance, NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gave this cohort an overall 2/5 rating, with 2/5 front crash, 3/5 side crash, and 3/5 rollover scores derived from standardized barrier and dynamic tests.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2011 RANGER is air bags with 193 filings, followed by service brakes (8) and exterior lighting (8). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 6 active recall campaigns, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle, the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.

NHTSA currently has 177 investigation files overlapping the 2011 RANGER, and 8 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page, a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

259
Complaints
14
Crashes
2
Fires
10
Injuries
0
Deaths
2011 FORD RANGER - NHTSA crash-test profile NHTSA NCAP crash-test star ratings for the 2011 FORD RANGER. Overall composite: 2.0 of 5 stars across 3 safety dimensions. Front CrashSide CrashRollover 2.0 NHTSA NCAP of 5 stars
  • Front Crash 2.0 ★
  • Side Crash 3.0 ★
  • Rollover 3.0 ★
NHTSA overall 2.0/5 stars, with front-crash, side-crash and rollover ratings from standardized NCAP barrier and dynamic tests.

Total Complaints

259 filings

Crashes Reported

14 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

Above median complaint volume, review patterns below.

NHTSA NCAP overall: 2/5 - Below-average NCAP rating · Front: 2/5 · Side: 3/5 · Rollover: 3/5

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
AIR BAGS193
SERVICE BRAKES8
EXTERIOR LIGHTING8
STRUCTURE:BODY7
POWER TRAIN5
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM5
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL4
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM4
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE2
WHEELS2
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE2
UNKNOWN OR OTHER2
ENGINE2
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL1
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS1

Recalls (6)

16V38400031/05/2016

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2007-2011 Ford Ranger vehicles, 2006-2011 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan and Lincoln Zephyr/MKZ vehicles, 2007-2010 Ford Edge, Lincoln MKX vehicles, 2005-2006 Ford GT vehicles, and 2005-2011 Ford Mustang vehicles originally sold, or ever register

21E01300016/02/2021

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain air bag inflator and/or module replacement service parts that may have been used as part of a collision repair. The parts include certain driver-side air bag inflators and/or modules, designed to fit 2005-2014 Ford Mustang and Mustang GT500. It also i

21V08100016/02/2021

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

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

11V35200013/07/2011

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TAIL LIGHTS

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 TH

21V15800010/03/2021

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

19V00100007/01/2019

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. Vi

Recent Complaints

20250702AIR BAGS

I'm looking to buy this truck from a private sale. If I do, and the recall has not been completed, will the manufacturer still fix it for free?

20241007ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

HIGH BEAM LIGHTS FAILED ON, THE HI-LO BEAM SWITCH IN TURN, HAZARD, WIPER COMBO SWITCH LATER OVERHEATED, BURN UP, SMOKE IN CABIN CAUSING COMPLETE LOSS OF LAMPS, WIPERS AT NIGHT IN RAIN. CLEARLY A COMMON ISSUE BASED ON WEB. IF YOU ARE GOING TO SEND FULL LOAD CURRENT WITH NO CONTROL RELAYS FORCE A HIGHER STANDARD ON DESIGN MARGINS AND AND MTTF. YOU HAVE (4) HEAD LAMPS ON A CAR NO REASON A DESIGN SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO CAUSE ALL (4) TO FAILURE. FORCE MULTIPLE RELAYS, MODULES, AND CONTACTS, WIRING CIRCUITS AND FUSES. ALSO FIX THE BLINDING HEADLIGHT ISSUES. I SEE ALMOST NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LO AND HI BEAMS ON NEW CARS AND SEE SPOTS FOR 30 SECONDS AFTER PASSING CARS ON LO. SET STANDARDS AND FORCE CERTS ON EVERY NEW HEAD LIGHT DESIGN. DOT/NHTSA SHOULD BE LIABLE FOR ANY CRASHES RELATED TO BEING BLINDED WITH HEADLIGHTS

Mileage: 110,000

20241007EXTERIOR LIGHTING

HIGH BEAM LIGHTS FAILED ON, THE HI-LO BEAM SWITCH IN TURN, HAZARD, WIPER COMBO SWITCH LATER OVERHEATED, BURN UP, SMOKE IN CABIN CAUSING COMPLETE LOSS OF LAMPS, WIPERS AT NIGHT IN RAIN. CLEARLY A COMMON ISSUE BASED ON WEB. IF YOU ARE GOING TO SEND FULL LOAD CURRENT WITH NO CONTROL RELAYS FORCE A HIGHER STANDARD ON DESIGN MARGINS AND AND MTTF. YOU HAVE (4) HEAD LAMPS ON A CAR NO REASON A DESIGN SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO CAUSE ALL (4) TO FAILURE. FORCE MULTIPLE RELAYS, MODULES, AND CONTACTS, WIRING CIRCUITS AND FUSES. ALSO FIX THE BLINDING HEADLIGHT ISSUES. I SEE ALMOST NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LO AND HI BEAMS ON NEW CARS AND SEE SPOTS FOR 30 SECONDS AFTER PASSING CARS ON LO. SET STANDARDS AND FORCE CERTS ON EVERY NEW HEAD LIGHT DESIGN. DOT/NHTSA SHOULD BE LIABLE FOR ANY CRASHES RELATED TO BEING BLINDED WITH HEADLIGHTS

Mileage: 110,000

20241007VISIBILITY/WIPER

HIGH BEAM LIGHTS FAILED ON, THE HI-LO BEAM SWITCH IN TURN, HAZARD, WIPER COMBO SWITCH LATER OVERHEATED, BURN UP, SMOKE IN CABIN CAUSING COMPLETE LOSS OF LAMPS, WIPERS AT NIGHT IN RAIN. CLEARLY A COMMON ISSUE BASED ON WEB. IF YOU ARE GOING TO SEND FULL LOAD CURRENT WITH NO CONTROL RELAYS FORCE A HIGHER STANDARD ON DESIGN MARGINS AND AND MTTF. YOU HAVE (4) HEAD LAMPS ON A CAR NO REASON A DESIGN SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO CAUSE ALL (4) TO FAILURE. FORCE MULTIPLE RELAYS, MODULES, AND CONTACTS, WIRING CIRCUITS AND FUSES. ALSO FIX THE BLINDING HEADLIGHT ISSUES. I SEE ALMOST NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LO AND HI BEAMS ON NEW CARS AND SEE SPOTS FOR 30 SECONDS AFTER PASSING CARS ON LO. SET STANDARDS AND FORCE CERTS ON EVERY NEW HEAD LIGHT DESIGN. DOT/NHTSA SHOULD BE LIABLE FOR ANY CRASHES RELATED TO BEING BLINDED WITH HEADLIGHTS

Mileage: 110,000

20240724CrashAIR BAGS

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Ranger. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V158000 (Air Bags) however, the dealer wanted to charge the contact to complete the repair because the air bag was deployed. The contact stated that prior to the recall appointment, he had a crash with a deer which deployed the driver's side front air bag. The contact stated that he was driving at approximately 20 MPH during the impact. The contact stated that the deer crashed into the passenger side of the vehicle and only cracked the passenger side front headlight. The contact stated that the dealer was unwilling to complete the recall. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 235,000. Parts distribution disconnect.

Mileage: 235,000

20230718AIR BAGS: AIR BAG/RESTRAINT CONTROL MODULE:SOFTWARE

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Ranger. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the air bags needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The dealer informed the contact that the system needed to be reset. While driving, the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the air bag module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but provided no additional assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 161,484.

Mileage: 161,484

20230525CrashAIR BAGS

The airbags did not deploy during accident. I was injured. No, the problem was not reproduced or confirmed by dealer or independent service center yet. The vehicle was inspected by police. There were no prior warnings.

20230220AIR BAGS

Took my 2011 Ford Ranger to the local dealer for the mandatory airbag and knee plate replacement pick up the vehicle they gave me paperwork saying the parts have been replaced happened to be working under the dash yesterday and found that parts were not replaced bolts were missing whether or not they removed anything or not I would doubt it and highly doubt that the airbags were replaced being as the main structural replacement wasn't replaced as the repair order says it was obviously there's a fraud involved here because the dealers claiming they repair the car per a safety recall and didn't or did a half-ass job and replace some parts or not all I don't really know is I'm not taking apart the steering column to get to the airbags but I do know that the knee plate which was should have been replaced and the repair order says was was not which makes me believe nothing was replaced I had issues right from the get-go trying to get this repair done now to find out it was fraud so I am now

20230206AIR BAGS

My vehicle has a safety recall the dealership refuses to repair and the manufacturer has been no help.

20221127TIRES:TEMPORARY/EMERGENCY SPARE TIRE

The spare tire fell off the vehicle, including the hoist, while driving down the road. The frame crossmember holding the hoist is rotted through, with virtually no other rust anywhere else on the body and frame. Yes, you can come see it at any time. I have not bothered taking it to a dealership. Since no property damage occured, I did not call the police. Unable to find a replacement crossmember- this vehicle is now out of service, as only the bumper and bed mounts are holding the rear frame together.

20221013AIR BAGS

The faulty airbag is unable to be replaced due to Ford not being able to get replacement parts. It puts me at risk every day that I drive it because if I got into an accident and the airbag deploys, it can project metal shards into my body which can be life threatening or even cause death.

20220927AIR BAGS

Takata recall. The contact owns a 2011 Ford Ranger. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V158000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that the parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was contacted and was unable to confirm when parts would be available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

20220826AIR BAGS

Takata recall. The contact owns a 2011 Ford Ranger. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V158000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

20220724AIR BAGS

Made several attempts with Ford Dealership to remedy the recall without success.

20220628AIR BAGS

I live in Florida. It has been 15 months since Ford notified me that a second airbag needed replacing. I have not heard from them since then. This is not what I would consider a timely replacement. The truck is a 2011 and I'm 73 years old. I feel the Ford is trying to run out the clock on my repair.

20220531AIR BAGS

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Ranger. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V001000 (Air Bags) and 21V158000 (Air Bags) however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The local dealer and Earnhardt Ford (7300 W Orchid Ln, Chandler, AZ 85226:(480) 893-0000) were contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect on NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V001000 (Air Bags). VIN tool confirms parts not available on NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V158000 (Air Bags).

20220525AIR BAGS

Ford has failed to make a remedy available for a safety recall from 14 months ago

20220328STRUCTURE:BODY:BUMPERS

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Ranger. The contact stated that on two separate occasions, the front bumper detached from the vehicle without incident. The first time the failure occurred, the contact noticed the failure before entering the vehicle. The contact placed the bumper into the bed of his truck and drove to the dealer where he had the bumper re-attached. Despite the repair, the failure occurred again and also discovered that the bumper was only repaired with duct tape. The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was 77,983.

Mileage: 77,983

20220303AIR BAGS

Recall was issued almost a year ago (March 25, 2021). This is a potential life-threatening defect and apparently Ford still does not have the parts needed to effect the fix.

20220202AIR BAGS

Takata recall. The contact owns a 2011 Ford Ranger. The contact received a notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V158000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The dealer had been notified about the recall; however, the contact was informed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer had been notified of the recall. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

Compare 2011FORDRANGER to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 8 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2011 FORD RANGER have?
The 2011 FORD RANGER has 259 NHTSA complaints, 14 crashes, 2 fires, 10 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What is the safety rating for the 2011 FORD RANGER?
The 2011 FORD RANGER received an overall NHTSA safety rating of 2/5, front crash rating of 2/5, side crash rating of 3/5, and rollover rating of 3/5.
Are there any recalls for the 2011 FORD RANGER?
Yes, the 2011 FORD RANGER has 6 recall(s). The most common affected component is AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2011 FORD RANGER?
The most-complained component for the 2011 FORD RANGER is AIR BAGS with 193 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SERVICE BRAKES and EXTERIOR LIGHTING.
Is the 2011 FORD RANGER safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. The 2011 FORD RANGER has an NHTSA safety rating of 2/5. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.