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2019 Ford Ranger: hesitation when accelerating

9 of the 272 complaints about the 2019 Ford Ranger describe hesitation when accelerating.

owner complaints
9
of this car's complaints
3%
recalls
2
Is there a fix? There are 2 recalls and 25 service bulletins for this area of the car. See below

Hesitation when accelerating by model year

What owners say

Filed Aug 5, 2026 · Transmission · OH

Auto transmission is failing to shift when taking off from a stop or hesitating to shift to next year causing traffic behind me to get close to rear bumper.

Filed Apr 17, 2026 · Transmission · 951 miles · NC

The contact owns a 2019 Ford Ranger. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle hesitated, and the transmission was shifting hard. Additionally, the vehicle vibrated abnormally while shifting from 1st to 3rd gear. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the TCM was reprogrammed, and various fluids were replaced; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 951.

Filed Jul 3, 2025 · ID

The transmission in my truck has worked excellently with no sign of wear or degredation in performance, that was until the transmission suddenly began hesitating and slamming into gear. This is a common problem with this vehicle and is reported online incredibly frequently, while this may seem like a simple mechanical issue it did cause a completely lost of power when making a left hand turn which nearly caused me to be T-bone'd by oncoming traffic, and the hard shifting makes throttle response incredibly unpredictable. Please help us with this, there are recalls on the transmission in these trucks in multiple other countries with the chance of death as a consequence being openly stated. Me and my loved ones were almost killed because of this transmission which has widespread problems and NEEDS to be recalled before someone does lose their life. Ford has claimed this to be due to the adaptive learning software in the truck, but coincidentally has also redesigned a critical component in the transmission that causes these types issues three times now, but with zero effort to notify the customer of the risk or to openly address the problem.

Filed Nov 19, 2024 · Transmission · CA

Transmission 10R80, 10 speed. Had HARD shifting, 1st to 2nd gear, excessive engine RPM in 1st gear then dropping hard into 2nd causing tire squawk. Hesitation in power after hard shift causing loss of acceleration, dangerous in heavy traffic. No warning lights and no fault codes produced. Warranty time period expired mid June 2024. Mileage at 52236 was under 60000 limit. Ford dealership refused to cover any costs. Complaints filed with Ford Motor Company twice. Corp refused any support or compensation. Vehicle was taken to independent Certified Mechanic who verified the problems. Mechanic followed Ford Technical Bulletins to make repairs. Three separate steps in the repair process produced no favorable results. Transmission had to be removed and rebuilt with Ford factory OEM parts. Several parts replaced were of new design, indicating Ford knows of the problems and is attempting to redesign the transmission, but NOT supporting customers out of warranty. Since this was our only vehicle a rental was needed for two weeks while the repair process was followed per Ford Technical Bulletins. Total cost of repairs $7301.82 for vehicle 2 months out of warranty with less than 53000 miles. Also having problems with the Sync System that the dealership also refused to even test at no charge. Since we did not feel safe with this vehicle, nor did it seem reliable, we traded the truck in for a Nissan. We are seeking reimbursement for all costs of repairs and rental cars. Ford needs to issue a recall and reimburse customers regardless of miles and warranty expirations. I have receipts for all expenditures and all parts removed and replaced on/in the transmission. Documents can be supplied upon request.

Filed Jul 23, 2024 · Engine, Fuel system · OK

There is insufficient shielding to prevent water from reaching the top of the engine. This results in water dripping on the coil packs and also entering the spark plug wells, causing loss of spark and reduced engine output. Over time, this issue also leads to rust in the engine head, potentially resulting in engine failure. Additionally, water can reach the EGR DPFE sensor, causing the engine to hesitate and shutter at various speeds. Both of these issues together cause a misfire when applying the accelerator and will cause the vehicle to initially hesitate then surge forward. Even with the engine cover, the venting at the base of the windshield allows water to drip down on the engine head, causing the above issues. Ford does recognize that there is an issue and have written several TSBs on the it.

Filed Jun 6, 2024 · Transmission · TX

[XXX] my transmission, went out on my 2019 Ford Ranger 4 x 4. I was driving on the interstate in Houston, TX during the Friday afternoon rush-hour, when I completely lost power. It was very difficult to get off the interstate due to the traffic. I had experienced some transmission issues in the week before it failed there had been some jerking, hesitation, and the truck would lurch forward when accelerating from a stopped position and while driving there was harsh shifting. I had checked the transmission fluid and it was normal. There were no warning messages prior to it going out. I had the truck towed to a Ford dealership where I was told the transmission was still under warranty. It took the dealership nine weeks to repair the transmission. It is now one year later, and I have just started experiencing the same harsh shifting on the interstate, jerking and hesitation. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Jan 22, 2024 · Transmission · 68,000 miles · CA

The contact owns a 2019 Ford Ranger. The contact stated that there was a mixture of fluid and oil inside the rear passenger’s side wheel, and onto the brake calipers and the rear axle. The dealer determined that the passenger's side rear axle seal was leaking. The dealer replaced the passenger's side rear axle seal. Additionally, the contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle jerked and jolted while the transmission skipped from 1st to 3rd gear. The contact also stated that the vehicle hesitated to respond and made an abnormal sound while accelerating and decelerating, and then jolted when shifting into gear. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring more increasingly. The dealer was notified of the failure and an appointment was scheduled for a diagnostic test. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 68,000.

Filed May 12, 2023 · Transmission · 62,000 miles · CA

The contact owns a 2019 Ford Ranger. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle hesitated. The contact then stated that the vehicle failed to shift while accelerating. As a result, the contact had to use the automatic shift to manually drive the vehicle. The power train warning light illuminated. The dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that a technician was unavailable at the specific location and advised to take the vehicle to a sister dealer where the vehicle remained and diagnosed that the transmission had failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was offered half the cost of the repair, but no further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 62,000.

Filed Feb 1, 2021 · Transmission · 20,000 miles · CA

I have had my 2019 ford ranger xlt supercrew in the dealers shop twice. Both for automatic transmission related problems. The first issue happened just shy of 20k miles. The truck would shake and jerk when starting from a light or stop. The transmission was pretty much overhauled. The second issue happened around 8k miles later as I hit 28k miles. This time the truck would hesitate between gears. I took it back to the dealership and they replaced the.module for a second time after first replacing it at the time they overhauled the transmission. In addition they also replaced the converter. I have been the only owner of the vehicle and don't mistreat it.

Service bulletins that may apply

Related recalls

Power train: automatic transmission: lever and linkage: floor shiftReported May 13, 2019 · 2,534 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2019 Ranger vehicles. The fasteners that attach the transmission shifter cable bracket to the transmission may loosen allowing the transmission to be in a different gear than indicated by the gear shift lever position.
Risk
If the gear shift lever position does not match the actual transmission gear, the vehicle may move in an unexpected direction. Additionally, despite selecting 'Park', if the parking brake is not applied before the vehicle is exited, the vehicle may roll. Either scenario increases the risk of crash or injury.
Remedy
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and tighten the transmission shift cable bracket fasteners as necessary, and verify the proper transmission shift operation, free of charge. The recall began July 1, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S15.

Recall number 19V366000 · Recall details

Power train: automatic transmissionReported February 1, 2019 · 2,992 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2019 Ranger vehicles equipped with 10-speed automatic transmissions. In some of these vehicles, the transmission shift lever can be moved from the "Park" position without the key in the starting system and without depressing the brake pedal. As a result, these vehicles fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 114, "Theft Protection."
Risk
If the vehicle can be shifted out of Park without the brake applied, the vehicle may unexpectedly move. Unintentional vehicle movement can increase the risk of injury or crash.
Remedy
Ford has notified owners, and dealers will inspect and repair the transmission floor shift selector interlock assembly, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began February 22, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19C02.

Recall number 19V071000 · Recall details

Questions about the 2019 Ford Ranger hesitation

Is hesitation when accelerating a common problem on the 2019 Ford Ranger?

9 of 272 owner complaints about the 2019 Ford Ranger (3%) mention hesitation when accelerating. The model year with the most reports is 2021.

Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2019 Ford Ranger?

There are 2 recalls and 25 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 9Adaptive cruise 8Misfire 8Collision warning 6Engine failure 6Won't shift 6No deployment 5Grinding brakes 5Knocking 5Fire or smoke 5

All model years of the Ford Ranger

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