The failed component is a small wheel speed sensor on the rear axle. The sensor is designed in a way where it inserts into the axle and sits close enough to the gears that it can be hit by the gears during bumps/potholes/etc. The issue puts myself and others at risk as when the sensor malfunctions or breaks, it disables multiple safety features of the truck including: Antilock brakes, traction control, power steering, hill assist, and collision avoidance system. Other systems affected include cruise control. The problem has been reproduced with three separate speed sensors, two OEM sensors and one after market. I have had the vehicle inspected by a Ford dealership for the issue. Issues prior to the first replaced sensor was the sensors have issues with cold climate. When snow or ice is on the roadway, the sensors have issues and disable all the above features. Appears the design cannot withstand the cold weather.
2019 Ford Ranger: false forward collision warnings
6 of the 272 complaints about the 2019 Ford Ranger describe false forward collision warnings.
- owner complaints
- 6
- of this car's complaints
- 2%
- recalls
- 2
False forward collision warnings by model year
- 20241
- 20214
- 20207
- 20196
What owners say
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Ranger. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH and approaching traffic, while depressing the brake pedal the vehicle failed to slow as needed. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the Forward Collision Avoidance Emergency Automatic braking activated and stopped the vehicle. The contact took the vehicle to a local dealer however, the mechanic was unable to duplicate the failure. The contact stated that he had experienced the failure a second time. The contact took the vehicle back to the local dealer who was unable to duplicate the failure. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 11,000.
My rear camera stopped working and I think the front collision alert is affected as well. I understand there was/is a recall for this issue but not my vehicle. I do not understand why.
This is not the first time, but I will randomly get a collision warning while I am driving my car. The last incident happened on a 2 lane road with no traffic within visible distance in front of me. It was early in the morning with the sun ahead of the vehicle (approx 7am) and the collision warning indicator came on for no reason. This has happened before. Another incident occurred when I was turning right onto an on ramp and there was a car traveling next to me (who would continue straight) and the warning was going off for no reason. These incidents are extremely dangerous as the flashing and chiming from the alert system is very distracting and causes someone to react to this as opposed to focusing on driving the vehicle. For some people this could lead to a crash by itself as there is no training on what your vehicle will do in one of these situations (ie, like a push to test in an aircraft to know what is making the noise).
Sometimes truck stays in gear after shifting into park. Has rolled forward after I exited the vehicle. Lane keep assist has misjudged lane & turned the wheels sharply causing unwanted lane change. Pre collision warning often sounds alarms & shows visual warnings with no traffic nearby, the system has emergency braking & I'm afraid of it applying brakes when I'm on the interstate. Crash detected audible & visual warnings often appear when there has never been a crash. Driver's door mirror is not secure, vibrates/rattles when truck is at highway speeds. Front & rear differentials make grinding noises & front end jumps, wheels lock up when using 4x4l. Does not always shift into 4x4h. Vehicle has overheated & stalled while in traffic. Pedestrian detection system is non-functional. A man stepped off the sidewalk in front of my truck on monday, jan 06 2020, I was traveling about 15-20 MPH. Luckily I saw him in time and put the brakes on, when I came to a stop the man was a mere 2" from the front of my truck & we were both extremely shaken. Had I applied the brakes 1 second later the man would be dead. The pedestrian detection system never alerted me to the pedestrian with any type of warning, audible or visual. The system never assisted with emergency braking as a result. The parking & cross traffic sensors rarely work correctly, almost never detect cross traffic when pulling out of a parking spot. I can pull up to a vehicle, with my front license plate touching the receiver bar on the hitch of the vehicle in front of me before the sensors detect the vehicle. As a disabled veteran I'm more cautious than most, but all of these issues, of which there are more, make this truck a severe hazard, I do not feel safe driving it. Dealership refuses to service anymore, has been in shop 5 times, they have witnessed some issues but won't acknowledge them. Uploaded list of defects
The truck will display a warning on the dash as well as make audible warnings saying that a camera in the grille is blocked or malfunctioning. Another warning that also happens a lot is something saying that a crash has been detected, it has loud chimes that go off as well as a flashing red display on dash. The pre collision warning also frequently alerts with visual and audible warnings. All of these will happen at any random time, and of all the couple dozen times these warnings have happened there hasn't been a single time that there was any traffic nearby, nor was there anything blocking any camera or sensor. The vehicle is barely more than a month old and has been back to the dealership a few times to fix body alignment issues and programming issues with the ecu, PCM and tcu. The service department told me that the pre collision system only works if you also have adaptive cruise control, which my truck does not. They said there is no way to fix the system to get it to stop giving false warnings unless they add the adaptive cruise control module and other components. However, the dealership is refusing to add the additional parts and also refusing to replace the vehicle with one that does. They told me ford is aware of this issue, and admits that a false warning may activate the braking system on its own, which can cause an accident, but they stated that ford will not pay correct the issue. This is a serious safety issue and ford needs to issue a recall for their faulty, and dangerous, collision warning system. They need to install adaptive cruise control in vehicles without if that's all it would take to fix the issue and make vehicles safe to drive.
Service bulletins that may apply
- Advance Notice – Customer Satisfaction Program 25N17 Certain 2015-2025 Model Year Multiple Vehicle Lines...
- Some 2019-2020 Edge/F-150/Fusion/Continental/MKZ/Nautilus, 2019-2021 Mustang/Ranger/Transit Connect,...
- Some 2018-2021 vehicles supported by FDRS may not list a software update for a module under the SW Updates...
- Various SYNC performance related concerns
Related recalls
Back over prevention: sensing system: camera
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Lincoln MKC, Mustang, F-350 SD, F-250 SD, F-450 SD, 2015-2017 Lincoln Navigator, Expedition, 2015-2018 Edge, Transit Connect, 2016-2019 F-550 SD, Transit, 2017-2019 Econoline, and 2019 Ranger vehicles. The rearview camera may display a distorted, inverted, or blank image when the vehicle is in reverse.
- Risk
- A rearview camera that displays an inverted, distorted, or blank image can reduce the driver’s view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and replace the rearview camera as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 13, 2026. Ford owners will receive letters in phases, beginning January 2026 and June 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S89. This recall expands previous the federal safety agency recall number 25V270. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on beginning September 8, 2025.
Recall number 25V572000 · Recall details
Back over prevention: software
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2022 Transit Connect, 2019-2020 MKZ, MKX, Edge, Continental, F-150, Nautilus, Fusion, 2019-2023 Ranger, Mustang, 2020-2021 EcoSport, Expedition, Navigator, 2020-2022 Escape, F-250 SD, Corsair, 2020-2023 Aviator, Transit, 2020-2024 Explorer, 2021-2024 Bronco Sport, and 2022-2024 Maverick vehicles. A software error may cause the rearview camera to display a blank image, or the image may remain on the display after the backing event has ended.
- Risk
- A rearview camera that displays a blank image can reduce the driver's view behind the vehicle. A rearview image that continues to be displayed after the vehicle is shifted out of reverse may distract the driver. Both of these situations can increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will update the rearview camera software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 4, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S72.
Recall number 25V442000 · Recall details
Questions about the 2019 Ford Ranger collision warning
Is false forward collision warnings a common problem on the 2019 Ford Ranger?
6 of 272 owner complaints about the 2019 Ford Ranger (2%) mention false forward collision warnings. The model year with the most reports is 2020.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2019 Ford Ranger?
There are 2 recalls and 4 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2019 Ford Ranger
Jerking 25Harsh shifting 22Check engine light 15Loss of power 12Sudden acceleration 12Slipping 11Stalling 11Transmission failure 11Backup camera 9Hesitation 9Adaptive cruise 8Misfire 8Engine failure 6Won't shift 6No deployment 5Grinding brakes 5Knocking 5Fire or smoke 5
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