2011 Ford Ranger: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
235 NHTSA owner complaints · 6 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Owner complaints: 235 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 15.67
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
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?
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 cau…
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 d…
Recalls: 6 campaigns (5 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 19V001000 | 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… |
| 21V158000 | 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… |
| 11V352000 | 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 THROUGH 2007 MODEL YEAR F-250, F-350, F-450, AND F-550 TRUCKS… |
| 21E013000 | 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. |
| 21V081000 | 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 a replacement service part, that may explode due to… |
| 16V384000 | 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 registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii,… |
What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a pickup of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 20 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $3,100
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Air Bags196 complaints · typical job: Airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$600–$1,700
- Exterior Lighting9 complaints · typical job: Headlamp assembly or lighting-module replacement (1.5 h labour + parts)$360–$1,380
- Structure8 complaints · typical job: Body, subframe or corrosion repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,070–$2,920
- Service Brakes8 complaints · typical job: Pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles (3.0 h labour + parts)$580–$1,140
- Electrical System5 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Power Train5 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
Other Ford Ranger years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2011 Ford Ranger?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Air Bags (196 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2011 Ford Ranger a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 75/100, computed from 235 NHTSA complaints and 6 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2011 Ford Ranger's most common problem?
196 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2011 Ford Ranger sit in the Air Bags group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement: about 2.5 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $600–$1,700 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2011 Ford Ranger cost to run per year?
About $5,887 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $29,438 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Does the 2011 Ford Ranger have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 6 recall campaign(s) for the 2011 Ford Ranger, 5 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 07/01/2019. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other pickups of about the same age.
What will a 2011 Ford Ranger really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Strong evidence — 235 complaints, 6 recalls on record
- 235 NHTSA complaints on record (15.7/yr of exposure) — better than a typical year of this model (21.0/yr)
- 6 recall campaigns, 5 touching safety-critical systems