Reliability, what owners report, and what it costs to keep.
AVOIR's read: a solid ownership case with specific caveats below.
Owners have filed 127 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 Ford Ranger, and it carries 7 recalls. These are owner allegations rather than confirmed defects, but the pattern of what people complain about is the most useful signal a used buyer has.
| Area | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Power train | 41 | 32% |
| Engine | 9 | 7% |
| Unknown or other | 9 | 7% |
| Service brakes | 6 | 5% |
| Visibility | 5 | 4% |
| Suspension | 4 | 3% |
| Exterior lighting | 4 | 3% |
| Seat belts | 4 | 3% |
| Visibility/wiper | 3 | 2% |
| Air bags | 3 | 2% |
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint records, trimmed for length.
Left rear leaf spring broke at the axel. When left the house truck was acting funny. Crossed a RR track and the truck became eratic/hard to steer. Pulled into shop across the street. They inspected the truck and foun
NHTSA complaint: Suspension
While driving my 2020 Ford Ranger, the transmission has repeatedly exhibited unexpected and unintended gear changes, including sudden downshifts or gear changes without driver input, hesitation, and abrupt loss of power
NHTSA complaint: Power train
I was traveling south on I-35 going up a long steep hill and my transmission started to hard shift and then I would lose power and when I would accelerate, I had no power it would just stall out so I merged to the right
NHTSA complaint: Power train
1. Transmission is going out dealership never said a word about the 6 recalls on it one being transmission 2. Front seat belts are in backwards and the child safety hook in back seat has a recall on it that the 3 of the
NHTSA complaint: Power train
Coolant intrusion defect that affects other 4 cyl ecoboost Ford engines occurred on this regularly serviced per Ford recommendations vehicle as well. Engine failure at highway speeds could cause a severe accident as the
NHTSA complaint: Engine
The truck is currently at a certified ford dealer for diagnosis with a drive train fault. I suspect it is transmission-related, but was not given the history of all stored, pending and history of the codes. The truck e
NHTSA complaint: Power train
Transmission replacement needed. Truck has been at dealership going on 3 months with continued delays. It was acknowledged cooperate was covering replacement now story changed that owner/myself having to pay $4000+. Coop
NHTSA complaint: Engine
I previously submitted another complaint about a 2020 Ford Ranger I own (tracking number 11707667). I own a 2020 Ford Ranger and had to have the transmission replaced at 86k miles. Since having it replaced, I have experi
NHTSA complaint: Power train
NHTSA lists 7 recall campaigns for the 2020 Ford Ranger. Recalls are free to have fixed at a franchised dealer regardless of who owns the car now, but only if they were never done, so check the VIN of the specific car rather than trusting the model.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Ranger Super Cab vehicles equipped with rear seats containing fixed head restraints. The fixed head restraints may interfere with proper installation of certain types of child seats. Additionally, the child seat may not attach properly to th
Risk: An improperly attached child seat can increase the risk of injury in a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the rear-lower child restraint anchorages for correct alignment and adjust as necessary. Separately, dealers will replace the non-removable head restraints with removable head re
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Ford Ranger Super Cab vehicles. The front passenger outboard seat belt may not have been assembled properly, allowing the seat belt to be misrouted. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Risk: A misrouted seat belt may not adequately restrain an occupant in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Ford will provide owners with instructions to perform a preliminary inspection of their front seat belts. Owners that detect an issue with the driver's seat belt, are unsure of the results, or do not
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020 Ford F-150, F-250, F-350, F-450, F-550, Explorer, Mustang, Transit, Expedition, Escape, Ranger and Edge, and Lincoln Nautilus and Corsair vehicles. Due to a poor electrical connection, the rearview camera may intermittently display a blank or dist
Risk: Reduced rearward visibility can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rearview camera, free of charge. The recall began November 17, 2020. Remedy became available on February 1, 2021. Owner notification letters we
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020 Ranger and F-150 vehicles equipped with 10-speed automatic transmissions and certain 2020 Expedition vehicles equipped with a "police" package. The transmission shift cable lock clip may not be fully seated, allowing the transmission to actually b
Risk: If the transmission selection does not match the indicated gear selection, and the parking brake is not applied, unintended vehicle movement can occur, increasing the risk of injury or crash.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and correct the shift cable locking clip installation, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began April 27, 2020. Owners may contact Ford custom
| Reliability raw | 88 | excellent |
|---|---|---|
| Longevity est. | 78 | good |
| Maintenance | 77 | good |
| Depreciation | 84 | excellent |
| Performance | 60 | average |
| Efficiency | 42 | below average |
| Safety | 73 | good |
Percentile ranks against other pickup trucks in the catalog.
What stands behind each score for this car:
Owners have filed 127 complaints with NHTSA for this model-year, and power train is the most reported area with 41 of them (32%). There are 7 recalls on record. Check any specific car against its VIN before buying.
AVOIR scores its reliability 88/100 (excellent) from NHTSA recall campaigns and complaint density. That figure is a raw complaint count, not yet adjusted for sales volume, so a high-volume model scores worse than it deserves.
AVOIR scores its longevity 78/100, but that figure is an estimate built from the powertrain and the brand's record, not a measurement. A 2020 car has no 200,000-mile population to observe yet, so treat it as a prior rather than evidence.
AVOIR's read: worth a look, because a solid ownership case with specific caveats below. Its overall ownership score is 76/100. Condition, mileage and service history still matter more than any score, so get a pre-purchase inspection on the specific car.
Sources: NHTSA recalls and complaints, EPA fuel economy, IIHS awards, and live market listings. A score describes a model-year, not the individual car in front of you. Get a pre-purchase inspection.