AI Damage2006 Ford Ranger: common problems
Owners of the 2006 Ford Ranger filed 272 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and structure. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 272
- involving a crash
- 14
What fails most often
- 1 Air bags 64% of all complaints
- 2 Structure 10% of all complaints
- 3 Suspension 7% of all complaints
- 4 Engine 4% of all complaints
- 5 Electrical system 4% of all complaints
- 6 Fuel system 3% of all complaints
- 7 Engine and cooling 3% of all complaints
- 8 Fuel/propulsion system 3% of all complaints
- Air bags: 175 complaints (64% of all), 10 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Structure: 26 complaints (10% of all).
- Suspension: 20 complaints (7% of all).
- Engine: 12 complaints (4% of all).
- Electrical system: 11 complaints (4% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 2.3 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- 3 L · petrol · 6 cylnamed in 2 complaints
- 4 L · petrol · 6 cylnamed in 1 complaints
- automatic, 5-speed
- manual, 5-speed
Drive: RWD, AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 272 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 175 | 10 | 0 |
| Structure | 26 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 20 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 9 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| Steering | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 5 | 2 | 0 |
| Visibility | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 4 | 1 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
During the crash, one of the other vehicles crashed into the contactâs vehicle, causing severe damages to the front-end of the vehicle; however, the air bags failed to deploy. The Fire Department was called to the scene and removed the front driverâs side door to free the contact from the vehicle.
The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the dealer refused to diagnose or repair the vehicle under the recall until the SRS system and passenger seat belt were repaired since it was locked. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and was transferred to the NHTSA Hotline.
The first incident occurred on 12/15/2011 as I was traveling from savannah, ga. To atlanta, ga. I was getting off my exit to the i675 and slowed down by hitting the brake and the vehicle started to speed up. I was not using the speed control at all as I missed my exit and shut the vehicle off in order to stop.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 ford ranger. The contact stated the rear passengers tire blew. The contact was unable to maintain control of the vehicle and collided into another truck. The driver of the other vehicle lost control from the impact of the contacts vehicle and flipped over.
My airbags did not deploy. Most of the damage was to the wall and the interior of the building. There was little damage to my truck other than a few scratches on the bumper. Luckily no one was walking in front of me or near the inside of the building.
The air bags failed to deploy. The police and ambulance were called to the scene and a police report was filed. The driver was transported to the hospital and sustained moderate injuries. The vehicle was towed to a collision center. The insurance company has not determined the damages that the vehicle sustained.
Problem with fuel pump city switch keeps burning up and causing my truck to to die while Iâm driving it. I have got it checked by a mechanic shop and the problem keeps happening. The fuel pump, the cut off switch and the connector and wires have all been replaced and it still continues to happen.
The spare tire stabilizing bracket rusted away and fell off. The rear shackles for the springs broke on both sides, and is coming up through the bed. The frame has rusted apart and itâs not possible to bolt a new shackle for the rear springs on. The body is not rusting out.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 1,490 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 4% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Ranger has 194 complaints (44 years in the data). This year has 272, above average.
What to check before buying
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
- Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
Other years of this model
- Ranger 198311 sources
- Ranger 198412 sources
- Ranger 198527 sources
- Ranger 198635 sources
- Ranger 198750 sources
- Ranger 198889 sources
- Ranger 198973 sources
- Ranger 1990105 sources
- Ranger 1991132 sources
- Ranger 1992189 sources
- Ranger 1993232 sources
- Ranger 1994438 sources
- Ranger 1995321 sources
- Ranger 1996413 sources
- Ranger 1997411 sources
- Ranger 1998576 sources
- Ranger 1999755 sources
- Ranger 2000670 sources
- Ranger 2001515 sources
- Ranger 2002346 sources
- Ranger 2003243 sources
- Ranger 2004405 sources
- Ranger 2005289 sources
- Ranger 2007270 sources
- Ranger 2008326 sources
- Ranger 2009169 sources
- Ranger 2010156 sources
- Ranger 2011235 sources
- Ranger 20173 sources
- Ranger 2019405 sources
- Ranger 2020267 sources
- Ranger 2021232 sources
- Ranger 2022125 sources
- Ranger 202384 sources
- Ranger 2024204 sources
- Ranger 2025120 sources
- Ranger 202631 sources
- Ranger 999924 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2006 Ford Ranger?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, structure, suspension. Total complaints: 272. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: rust, corrosion (12%), warning lights, check engine (4%), fuel system, fuel smell (3%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2006 Ford Ranger?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2006 Ford Ranger from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2006 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.