2001 Ford Ranger XLT review from North America

Serpentine belt replaced under warranty (miles unknown).

Serpentine belt replaced again at my cost at 39,596 miles.

Oil pressure sensor replaced under warranty (miles unknown).

Engine pinging at part throttle acceleration within month of buying it new-still pings even after taking it to dealer several times.

Engine surging at 41,214 miles. Fixed by dealer at cost to me.

Clunking, rubbery sound coming from front suspension. Dealer says lower ball joint and tie rod needs replacing.

41,657 miles on truck.

Howling sound coming from transmission at 41,657 miles. Don't know yet what trouble that could mean.

The performance of the truck is not bad. The 4.0 V6 is strong enough to accelerate nicely in traffic. I feel comfortable driving the truck. The air conditioner is quite powerful and the dashboard controls and gages are well placed.

Quality is another issue. I have not abused the truck -using it mainly on road going and coming from work and some long trips. A vehicle with 41,657 miles should have no major problems with it. My biggest complaint is the engine pinging. Supposedly it is normal to have some pinging, but I think it indicates faulty design, adjustment, or manufacture. Also a ball joint and tie rod should not wear out at 41,214 miles.

Test driving a vehicle for even an hour may not indicate future problems.

I did not get the pinging problem until later on down the road.