2021 Ford Ranger transmission and drivetrain problems
58 of the 116 complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the 2021 Ford Ranger name the transmission and drivetrain (NHTSA’s “Power Train” heading — the transmission, transfer case, driveshafts, axles and differentials — NHTSA files them under one heading). Filed under the same heading: 38 manufacturer bulletins. Every figure below is a document in a federal file, linked; none is a failure rate, and none is a verdict on any one car.
What owners filed about the transmission and drivetrain
Source: NHTSA complaint database2 of the 58 reports a crash · 1 a fire · 0 injuries. Self-reported, unverified.
Filed per year: 2022: 1 · 2023: 5 · 2024: 10 · 2025: 20 · 2026: 22
Too few of these complaints carry an odometer reading to say when the problem shows up.
116 complaints in all about the 2021 Ford Ranger, 22 filed in 2026. The whole picture, every system →
Counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many of these were sold; nothing here is a rate. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so “Power Train” means the same area of the vehicle, not one fault.
Across model years: Ford Ranger transmission and drivetrain problems, every year on file →
In owners’ own words
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseFiled with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, about the transmission and drivetrain. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed; unverified reports — what was said, not a finding that it was true.
We love Ford Rangers. This is my 4th. It has been wonderful, until . We had to replace an A/C, but that's normal. We've also noticed a very few times that when the transmission shifted, there was a little jolt. But that was rare.
2021 Ford Ranger - 10R80 Transmission Failure while driving. Hard shifting, lurching, slipping gears then abrupt failure. It is available. Currently at Diehl Ford in New Brighton, Pennsylvania. - It went from being 90% drivable to coming to complete stop with no transmission engagement at all.
This is what is going on with my 2021 Ford Ranger automatic 10-speed transmission and the vehicle's drivability. When bringing the vehicle to a stop, the shifting down to a 1st gear is often executed so harshly that I can hear the driveshaft ringing in reaction to the transmission hard shift nearly locking the rear wheels.
Truck has hard shifting and loss of power, usually on startup and at low speeds (like in a parking lot) that cause lurching and no response from gas pedal. These events are not reliably repeatable, and result in no dash lights.
Harsh shifting into D, loss of power when accelerating while cold. Sometimes would start across an intersection then buck, loose power and slow down then SLAM back into gear and chirp the rear tires. Technical Service Bulletin 23-2350 was performed on 11/15/2023 which updated the trans tables and cleared some codes.
What is on file about the transmission and drivetrain
Source: NHTSA recalls, investigations and manufacturer communications38 manufacturer bulletins filed under this heading
- SSM 54719 Service bulletinApr 2, 2026
- For 20212026 vehicles equipped with the 10R80 transmission, a new Transmission Clutch Circuit Leak Test has been introduced in the Ford Diagnosis and Repair System (FDRS). This test utilizes the pressure and vacuum transducer (PVT) when available. When referred to a specific clutch (A-F) test by a pinpoint test in Workshop Manual (WSM), Section 307-01 > Diagnosis and Testing, the Clutch Assembl
- SSM 54674 Service bulletinMar 19, 2026
- For 2021-2026 vehicles equipped with the 10R80 transmission, a new Transmission Clutch Circuit Leak Test has been introduced in the Ford Diagnosis and Repair System (FDRS). This test utilizes the pressure and vacuum transducer (PVT) when available. The Workshop Manual (WSM) has been updated under Section 307-01 > Diagnosis and Testing to include this procedure. The new test improves the accurac
The 2 newest are listed; every one is on the model year’s page. Quote the document number at a service desk — it is a diagnosis the maker has already written down.
Trouble codes named on this system
P0766 P0733 P0734 P0772 P2703 P2704 P0729 P0731
Codes a bulletin or an owner’s complaint about the 2021 Ford Ranger names on this model year; a code with a record of its own links it.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA complaint database, recalls and manufacturer communicationsAre transmission and drivetrain problems common on the 2021 Ford Ranger?
They are documented: NHTSA holds 58 owner complaints naming the transmission and drivetrain on this model year (50% of everything owners filed about it), and 38 manufacturer bulletins are filed under the same heading. Whether it is a problem on one particular car is a diagnosis, not a count, and a count says nothing about how many were sold.
Is there a recall for the transmission and drivetrain on the 2021 Ford Ranger?
No recall campaign is filed under this heading for this model year (there are 6 filed under other headings). A bulletin is not a recall: it carries no federal duty to repair for free.
When do transmission and drivetrain problems show up on the 2021 Ford Ranger?
Too few of the complaints carry an odometer reading to say. The model year's page shows the mileage curve across every system where it can.
What does NHTSA's "Power Train" heading cover?
The transmission, transfer case, driveshafts, axles and differentials — NHTSA files them under one heading. Owners choose the heading when they file, so it says which area of the vehicle the complaint is about, not which part failed.