FordRanger2021Overview/ford/ranger/2021/base/

2021 Ford Ranger

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2021 Ranger.

Transmission Automatic (S10)

The 2021 Ford Ranger is a midsize pickup truck powered by a engine requiring 6.2 quarts of oil with a recommended viscosity of 5W-30 or 0W-30, and it comes paired with an automatic transmission, achieving EPA-rated fuel economy of 21 mpg city, 26 mpg highway, and 23 mpg combined; with 106 total owner complaints logged and six recalls issued, this model year falls within a broader complaint history spanning 1990 to 2020, a period during which the nameplate's recorded complaints peaked at 818 in 1999 and reached a low of just 1 in 2014, suggesting that while recent reliability metrics show notable issues concentrated in the powertrain, the model's long-term track record has demonstrated substantial variability in owner-reported problems.

Model year202620252024202320222021202020192011

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity6.2 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type5W-30 / 0W-30OEM · verified
EPA fuel economy21/26/23 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI Only use AGM VRLA Battery. 48 · 760 CCA battery, LAMPS low-beam bulbs. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI Only use AGM VRLA Battery. 48 · 760 CCAOEM · verified
Low beam bulbLAMPSOEM · verified
Tire size265/60R18 110TOEM · verified
Wheel / rim8 inOEM · verified

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

TransmissionAutomatic (S10)

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length211 in
Overall width73.2 in
Overall height71.3 in
Wheelbase126.8 in
Curb weight4352 lb
Track (front / rear)61.4 / 61.4 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)57/43

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined21 / 26 / 23 mpg
DrivetrainRear-Wheel Drive
Recommended fuelRegular Gasoline

Performance & power Independent road tests

0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.

Independent road tests for the Ranger of this era, listed by trim and engine — this page spans more than one engine, so no single horsepower figure is shown.

6.8–7.6 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 6.80 sec — 2021 XLT Tremor SuperCrew (5'1" Bed)
YearTrim / engine0–60¼ mileHPDrivetrain
2021XLT Tremor SuperCrew (5'1" Bed) 2.3L Turbo I-46.80 sec15.30 sec270 hp4x4
2021Lariat Tremor SuperCrew (5'1" Bed) 2.3L Turbo I-47.00 sec15.30 sec270 hp4x4
2021XLT Tremor SuperCrew (5'1" Bed) 2.3L Turbo I-47.61 sec16.08 sec270 hp4x4
2019XL STX SuperCab (6' Bed) 2.3L Turbo I-46.00 sec14.60 sec270 hpRWD
2019XL STX SuperCab (6' Bed) 2.3L Turbo I-46.30 sec14.90 sec270 hpRWD
2019XLT FX4 SuperCrew (5'1" Bed) 2.3L Turbo I-46.50 sec15.00 sec270 hp4x4
2019XLT FX4 SuperCrew (5'1" Bed) 2.3L Turbo I-46.50 sec15.00 sec270 hp4x4
2019Lariat SuperCrew (5'1" Bed) 2.3L Turbo I-46.70 sec15.20 sec270 hp4x4

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 6.2 qt of 5W-30 / 0W-30 engine oil, 80W-90 in the differential, Dot 4 brake fluid. The firing order is 1-3-4-2.

Lubricants & capacities

Automatic Transmission FluidATF
Automatic Transmission Fluid Capacity12.8 qt
Brake FluidDot 4
Differential Gear Oil80W-90
Differential Gear Oil Capacity0.79-0.85 Qts.
Differential Gear Oil80W-90
Engine Coolant Capacity11.6 qt
Engine Oil5W-30 · Synthetic · 0W-30

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order1-3-4-2

Battery & A/C

RefrigerantR1234yf
Refrigerant Capacity1.50 lbs
Oil GroupPAG
Oil TypeYN-35
Oil Capacity2.71 oz
Standard BCI Group NumberOnly use AGM VRLA Battery. 48
Standard BCI Cranking Performance760 cca
Optional BCI Group NumberOnly use AGM VLRA Battery: 94R

Service checks

Fuel Pump Pressure MinimumLow Pressure Side: 50.8 psi
Fuel Pump Pressure MaximumLow Pressure Side: 75.4 psi
Engine Oil Pressure27.6-37.7 psi
Engine Oil Pressure RPM1

Brakes

Minimum Pad Thickness0.059 in

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the spark plugs every 100,000 mi; coolant at 200,000 mi. The big-interval services (at 200,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 10,000 miBrake Line (inspect) · Brake Linings (inspect) · Brake Rotor (inspect) · CV Joint Boot (inspect) · Drive Axle Assembly (inspect) · Driveshaft (inspect)
Every 20,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Cabin Air Filter (replace)
Every 30,000 miEngine Air Filter Element (replace)
At 100,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect)
Every 100,000 miSpark Plugs (replace)
At 150,000 miDrive Axle Assembly (drain & refill) · Drive Belt (replace) · Transfer Case Assembly (drain & refill) · Transmission Fluid & Filter (replace)
At 200,000 miEngine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

The 2021 Ford Ranger lands near the beginning of the modern generation's federal record, following a 2019 reintroduction that logged 260 complaints and 11 recalls and a 2020 model year that improved to 121 complaints and 7 recalls. Across the broader nameplate history, complaints peaked in the late 1990s at 818 in 1999 before declining through the 2000s, with a long low-activity gap from 2014 through 2017 that recorded only one complaint per year and zero recalls. For 2021 specifically, the data shows Power Train as the dominant complaint category with 38 reports, followed by Service Brakes at 8, Engine at 5, and Unknown/Other at 4, plus 6 crash-related and 3 fire-related complaints; full federal year-by-year totals for 2021 are not included in this record. Because the top reported issue count for 2021 is lower than 2020's full-year complaint total and well below 2019's, the trajectory suggests the modern Ranger line was stabilizing rather than worsening. That makes the 2021 Ranger a reasonably promising used-truck choice within this generation, provided a buyer verifies any open recalls and inspects the powertrain and brake systems.

6
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
110
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
0
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
106
Owner complaints
6 involved a crash · 3 a fire
NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars
Rollover★★★★★

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 106 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Power Train38
Service Brakes8
Engine5
Unknown Or Other4
Power Train,Engine,Fuel/Propulsion System3
Power Train,Vehicle Speed Control3
Engine,Fuel/Propulsion System3
Structure3

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

No recall campaigns on record with NHTSA for this vehicle as of the last data refresh.

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 110 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
25B512026-05-08EngineCertain 2021-2024 Model Year Bronco, 2021-2024 Model Year Bronco Sport, 2020-2022 Model…
SSM 547202026-04-02Electrical SystemVarious 2020-2026 Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with blind spot information system…
SSM 547192026-04-02Power TrainFor 20212026 vehicles equipped with the 10R80 transmission, a new Transmission Clutch…
25N172026-03-25Unknown Or OtherAdvance Notice – Customer Satisfaction Program 25N17 Certain 2015-2025 Model Year…
SSM 546742026-03-19Power TrainFor 2021-2026 vehicles equipped with the 10R80 transmission, a new Transmission Clutch…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Ranger. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2021 Ranger take?

6.2 qt of Motorcraft 5W-30 Synthetic; Motorcraft 0W-30 Synthetic can be used for temperatures below -22° F., per the factory manual.

Does the 2021 Ranger have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 6 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the Ranger get?

EPA figures are 21 city / 26 highway / 23 combined mpg.