At a Glance
The Ford Ranger has 43 identified common problems across 4 generations, with the Mk1 (1999-2006) being the most affected generation and brakes the most common problem category. Based on 1.1M MOT tests from DVSA data.
Problems are patterns in the DVSA data that occur significantly more often on a specific model than the UK average — confirmed at 99% statistical confidence. Read our DVSA MOT data methodology →
Below: generation-by-generation comparison of Ford Ranger common problems, MOT failure types, and pass-rate data drawn from DVSA records. Click any generation to see fuel- and engine-specific fault patterns, mileage-banded repair guidance, and the most common MOT failures testers record.
MOT Tests & Failures by Generation
Ford Ranger generations by MOT tests, failures, and identified problems from DVSA data
Hover over each bar for a full breakdown. Tap any bar to view that generation's problems.
Showing total MOT tests, failures, and known problems per make. Hover over each bar for a full breakdown.
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Browse Ford Ranger Generations
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Most Common Ford Ranger MOT Failures
Every reason Ford Ranger vehicles fail their MOT, ranked by frequency. Select an individual year to see only that year’s failures, or stay on ‘All time’ for the combined picture across our 20 years of DVSA data. Scroll inside the table for the full list.
| # | Failure | % of failures |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brake hydraulic component worn | 7.47% |
| 2 | Number plate lamp not working | 7.23% |
| 3 | Wiper blades deteriorated | 6.81% |
| 4 | Driveshaft fault | 6.40% |
| 5 | Tyre tread depth below limit | 5.14% |
| 6 | Brake performance below minimum | 4.61% |
| 7 | Stop lamp not working | 4.51% |
| 8 | Windscreen washer not working | 3.66% |
| 9 | Position lamp not working | 3.61% |
| 10 | Front lamp not working | 3.26% |
| 11 | Rigid brake pipe corroded or damaged | 3.26% |
| 12 | Suspension joint or bush worn | 3.19% |
| 13 | Headlamp fault | 3.12% |
| 14 | Headlamp aim defect | 2.73% |
| 15 | Shock absorber worn or leaking | 2.56% |
| 16 | Brake pads or linings worn | 2.51% |
| 17 | Exhaust system fault | 2.03% |
| 18 | Tyre condition | 2.02% |
| 19 | Windscreen damage affecting view | 1.58% |
| 20 | Chassis condition | 1.40% |
| 21 | Indicator fault | 1.40% |
| 22 | Ball joint dust cover split | 1.17% |
| 23 | Coil spring broken or corroded | 1.11% |
| 24 | Track rod end worn | 1.05% |
| 25 | ABS fault | 1.03% |
| 26 | Rear lamp not working | 0.97% |
| 27 | Fog lamp not working | 0.92% |
| 28 | Body corrosion or damage | 0.90% |
| 29 | Vehicle structure corrosion | 0.89% |
| 30 | Compression ignition emissions above threshold | 0.77% |
| 31 | Battery loose or leaking | 0.71% |
| 32 | Seat belt condition | 0.63% |
| 33 | Front suspension fault | 0.59% |
| 34 | Suspension linkage fault | 0.57% |
| 35 | Parking brake performance below minimum | 0.57% |
| 36 | Mirror damaged or missing | 0.55% |
| 37 | Rear fog lamp not working | 0.52% |
| 38 | Wheel bearing worn | 0.48% |
| 39 | Brake disc or drum worn | 0.48% |
| 40 | Spark ignition emissions above threshold | 0.40% |
| 41 | Horn not working | 0.37% |
| 42 | Suspension mounting corroded | 0.34% |
| 43 | Spring mounting corroded | 0.30% |
| 44 | Rear reflector damaged or missing | 0.30% |
| 45 | Drag link end worn | 0.29% |
| 46 | Front suspension joint worn | 0.28% |
| 47 | Flexible brake hose damaged | 0.27% |
| 48 | Airbag warning light on | 0.26% |
| 49 | Bumper damaged or insecure | 0.21% |
| 50 | Brake pedal fault | 0.19% |
| 51 | Leaf spring broken or corroded | 0.19% |
| 52 | Brake pedal movement restricted | 0.18% |
| 53 | Headlamp levelling device fault | 0.17% |
| 54 | Electrical wiring fault | 0.17% |
| 55 | Brake fluid leak | 0.16% |
| 56 | Dashboard warning lamp fault | 0.15% |
| 57 | Tyre valve stem damaged | 0.14% |
| 58 | Tyre size or type not matched | 0.13% |
| 59 | Tyre pressure monitoring system fault | 0.13% |
| 60 | Propshaft fault | 0.13% |
| 61 | Fuel cap damaged or missing | 0.13% |
| 62 | Fuel pipe corroded or damaged | 0.12% |
| 63 | Rear suspension fault | 0.12% |
| 64 | Electrical switch fault | 0.10% |
| 65 | Brake fluid level low or contaminated | 0.10% |
| 66 | Brake lever fault | 0.09% |
| 67 | Brake caliper fault | 0.09% |
| 68 | Engine oil leak | 0.09% |
| 69 | Parking brake condition | 0.08% |
| 70 | Towbar fault | 0.07% |
| 71 | Handbrake cable fault | 0.07% |
| 72 | Suspension arm worn or corroded | 0.07% |
| 73 | Fuel tank corroded or leaking | 0.07% |
| 74 | Brake cable, rod, lever or linkage fault | 0.06% |
| 75 | Power steering pipe or hose leaking | 0.06% |
| 76 | Bonnet catch or hinge fault | 0.06% |
| 77 | Anti-roll bar worn or corroded | 0.06% |
| 78 | Steering lock fault | 0.06% |
| 79 | Steering box fault | 0.05% |
| 80 | Steering lock stop fault | 0.05% |
| 81 | Brake fluid warning light on | 0.05% |
| 82 | Steering free play excessive | 0.05% |
| 83 | Brake fluid reservoir fault | 0.05% |
| 84 | Subframe mounting corroded | 0.05% |
| 85 | Body security fault | 0.05% |
| 86 | Steering arm worn | 0.04% |
| 87 | Reversing lamp not working | 0.04% |
| 88 | Load sensing valve fault | 0.04% |
| 89 | Electronic stability control fault | 0.04% |
| 90 | Spare wheel fault | 0.04% |
| 91 | Hydraulic brake cylinder fault | 0.03% |
| 92 | Handbrake lever fault | 0.03% |
| 93 | Driver door fault | 0.03% |
| 94 | Driver seat fault | 0.03% |
| 95 | Steering rack fault | 0.03% |
| 96 | Exhaust leak | 0.03% |
| 97 | Steering intermediate drop arm worn | 0.03% |
| 98 | Suspension retaining or locking device fault | 0.03% |
| 99 | Tailgate damaged or insecure | 0.03% |
| 100 | Front passenger door fault | 0.02% |
| 101 | Transmission oil leak | 0.02% |
| 102 | Brake valve fault | 0.02% |
| 103 | Rear fog lamp warning light fault | 0.02% |
| 104 | Speedometer fault | 0.02% |
| 105 | Front fog lamp not working | 0.02% |
| 106 | Boot lid damaged or insecure | 0.02% |
| 107 | Steering operation fault | 0.01% |
| 108 | Suspension linkage attachment bracket or mounting corroded | 0.01% |
| 109 | Vehicle floor corroded | 0.01% |
| 110 | Power steering pump fault | 0.01% |
| 111 | Fuel hose damaged or leaking | 0.01% |
| 112 | Anchor bracket corroded | 0.01% |
| 113 | Securing bolts missing or insecure | 0.01% |
| 114 | Daytime running lamp not working | 0.01% |
| 115 | Driver airbag fault | 0.01% |
| 116 | Main beam warning light fault | 0.01% |
| 117 | Passenger seat fault | 0.01% |
| 118 | Brake air or vacuum system fault | 0.01% |
| 119 | Electronic braking system fault | 0.01% |
| 120 | Leaf spring eye worn or broken | 0.01% |
| 121 | Hydraulic fluid leak | 0.01% |
| 122 | Suspension unit fault | <0.01% |
| 123 | Body strengthening plate corroded | <0.01% |
| 124 | Steering wheel damaged or insecure | <0.01% |
| 125 | Subframe corrosion or damage | <0.01% |
| 126 | Window damaged or won't operate | <0.01% |
| 127 | Dip switch fault | <0.01% |
| 128 | Brake master cylinder fault | <0.01% |
| 129 | Undertray damaged or missing | <0.01% |
| 130 | Brake wheel cylinder fault | <0.01% |
| 131 | Hinged tailboard damaged or insecure | <0.01% |
| 132 | Mirror or camera fault | <0.01% |
| 133 | Spring saddle corroded | <0.01% |
| 134 | MacPherson strut worn | <0.01% |
| 135 | Additional braking device fault | <0.01% |
| 136 | Outline marker lamp not working | <0.01% |
| 137 | Catalytic converter efficiency low | <0.01% |
| 138 | Engine mounting worn or broken | <0.01% |
| 139 | Tie bar or rod worn or corroded | <0.01% |
| 140 | Suspension rod worn or corroded | <0.01% |
| 141 | Loading door damaged or insecure | <0.01% |
| 142 | Seat belt or padding damaged | <0.01% |
| 143 | Brake servo fault | <0.01% |
| 144 | Steering coupling worn | <0.01% |
| 145 | CV joint worn | <0.01% |
| 146 | Leaf spring slipper worn | <0.01% |
| 147 | Step damaged or insecure | <0.01% |
| 148 | King pin or swivel pin worn | <0.01% |
| 149 | Handbrake mechanism or mounting fault | <0.01% |
| 150 | Leaf spring shackle bracket corroded | <0.01% |
| 151 | Axle corroded or damaged | <0.01% |
| 152 | Brake back plate corroded or damaged | <0.01% |
| 153 | Brake master cylinder or servo mounting fault | <0.01% |
| 154 | Universal joint worn | <0.01% |
| 155 | Bonded suspension condition | <0.01% |
| 156 | Seat belt pre-tensioner fault | <0.01% |
| 157 | Access panel damaged or insecure | <0.01% |
| 158 | Steering drive system fault | <0.01% |
| 159 | Brake relay lever fault | <0.01% |
| 160 | Steering column fault | <0.01% |
| 161 | Brake linkage mounting fault | <0.01% |
| 162 | Power steering ram fault | <0.01% |
| 163 | Reversing lamp switch fault | <0.01% |
| 164 | Transmission drive belt fault | <0.01% |
| 165 | Torsion bar worn or corroded | <0.01% |
| 166 | Brake pressure or vacuum buildup insufficient | <0.01% |
| 167 | Brake clevis joint worn | <0.01% |
| 168 | Indicator warning light fault | <0.01% |
| 169 | Exhaust emissions above threshold (non-catalyst) | <0.01% |
| 170 | Dropside damaged or insecure | <0.01% |
| 171 | Seat belt anchorage fault | <0.01% |
| 172 | Full power hydraulic brake fault | <0.01% |
| 173 | Passenger airbag fault | <0.01% |
| 174 | Electric power steering fault | <0.01% |
| 175 | Halfshaft fault | <0.01% |
| 176 | Hazard warning light fault | <0.01% |
| 177 | Air brake cylinder or actuator fault | <0.01% |
| 178 | Exhaust heat shield or sound insulation damaged | <0.01% |
| 179 | Headlamp washer not working | <0.01% |
| 180 | Passenger compartment corrosion | <0.01% |
| 181 | Suspension air bellows damaged | <0.01% |
| 182 | Cab corrosion or damage | <0.01% |
| 183 | Handbrake fails on gradient | <0.01% |
| 184 | Steering shaft fault | <0.01% |
| 185 | Axle beam corroded or cracked | <0.01% |
| 186 | Brake slack adjuster fault | <0.01% |
| 187 | Steering damper fault | <0.01% |
| 188 | Torque or reaction arm worn | <0.01% |
| 189 | Hand-operated brake valve condition | <0.01% |
| 190 | Stub axle worn | <0.01% |
| 191 | Suspension coupling worn | <0.01% |
| 192 | Speed limiter fault | <0.01% |
| 193 | Electronic parking brake fault | <0.01% |
| 194 | Seat belt load limiter fault | <0.01% |
| 195 | Steering head bearings worn | <0.01% |
Showing all 195 reasons — scroll inside the table for the full list.
Ford Ranger MOT Failures by Category
Total MOT failure occurrences for the Ford Ranger, grouped by category. Same data as the failures table above — just sliced by category instead of fault title. Hover a slice for the top failures in each category.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most common Ford Ranger problems?
Based on analysis of 1.1M Ford Ranger MOT tests from DVSA data, we have 43 identified common problems across 4 generations. The most frequently flagged issue is "Fog lamp not working". Brakes is the most common problem category.
Which Ford Ranger generation has the most problems?
The Ford Ranger Mk1 (1999-2006) (1999–2006) has the highest number of identified common problems (33). Click the generation card above for the full breakdown.
How is this data calculated?
We analyse anonymised DVSA MOT test records under the Open Government Licence. An issue is classified as a "Common Problem" when it occurs significantly more often on a specific model than the UK average, confirmed at 99% statistical confidence. Read the full methodology page for details.
Can I report a problem with my Ford Ranger?
Yes — use the "Tell Us About Your Problem" form on this page. Your report helps other Ford Ranger owners spot problems early. All submissions are reviewed before being added to the public database.
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