Recalls: Ford P703 Ranger
Overview
Recalls are issued for defects or faults which have the potential to cause injury. Manufacturers or importers seek to inform the original buyer if their vehicle is subject to a recall and of the steps required to remedy the defect or fault. However, manufacturers or importers may not have the contact details of subsequent owners. Please note that the recalls below are for Australian-delivered vehicles only. Furthermore, the number of recalls should not be taken as an indication of a model’s reliability or its safety more generally.
Recalls: Ford P703 Ranger
2022 Ford P703 Ranger: driver’s seatbelt assembled incorrectly
In April 2023, recall campaign 23S14 was issued for Ford P703 Ranger vehicles. Due to a defect during assembly, some vehicles may have the driver’s seatbelt assembled incorrectly. The seatbelt may therefore not adequately restrain the driver if a collision occurred, increasing the risk of injury. For the VINs of the recalled vehicles, please see REC-005639.
2021-23 Ford P703 Ranger: transmission may shift into ‘Park’
In August 2023, recall campaign 23S40 was issued for 2021-23 Ford P703 Ranger vehicles. Due to a software issue, if the battery level dropped below a critical threshold and the vehicle was travelling at less than 6 km/h, the transmission may shift into ‘Park’. This could cause the vehicle to stop suddenly, without the rear brake lamps illuminating. Stopping suddenly could increase the risk of a collision and therefore injury to both vehicle occupants and other road users. For the VINs of the recalled vehicles, please see REC-005759.
2022–25 Ford P703 Ranger with 3.0-litre turbo-diesel engine: engine camshaft sprocket may fracture
In April 2025, recall campaign 25S39 was issued for 2022–2025 Ford P703 Ranger vehicles that had 3.0-litre “Lion” turbo-diesel engines. Due to a manufacturing defect, the left-hand engine camshaft sprocket could fracture – this could cause the engine to stall and a sudden loss of power whilst driving. These circumstances increased the risk of a collision and injury to vehicle occupants and other road users. For the VINs of the recalled vehicles, please see REC-006341.
2022-24 Ford P703 Ranger: rear-view camera may not display when reversing
In June 2025, recall campaign 25S49 was issued for 2022-2024 Ford P703 Ranger vehicles. Due to a software issue, the rear-view camera may not display the rear-view image whilst reversing. If this occurred, it could increase the risk of a collision and serious injury to persons behind the vehicle. To fix, an authorised Ford dealer was to update the vehicle’s software. For the VINs of the recalled vehicles, please see REC-006358.
2022-23 Ford P703 Ranger: rear-view camera may not work properly
In August 2025, recall campaign 25S72 was issued for 2022-23 Ford P703 Ranger vehicles. Due to an error in the SYNC software, the rear-view camera may not display the rear-view image whilst reversing, or the rear-view image may remain on display after reversing. Additionally, this may cause the infotainment screen to display a blank image, an incorrect language setting, and/or potential inability to perform software updates. If the rear-view camera did not operate as intended while reversing, this could increase the risk of a collision and injury to persons behind the vehicle. For the VINs of the recalled vehicles, please see REC-006401.
2025 Ford P703 Ranger: transmission main valve body and failure to reverse
In August 2025, recall campaign 25S19 was issued for 2025 Ford P703 Ranger vehicles. Due to a manufacturing defect, the transmission main valve body may not meet engineering specifications. As a result, when the gear selector was placed into “reverse”, the vehicle may fail to reverse. The vehicle may also move forward inadvertently when placed into “reverse” or “neutral”. These conditions increased the risk of a collision and injury to vehicle occupants, bystanders and other road users. When this malfunction occurred, the driver would be warned by illumination of the Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL) and Wrench light. For the VINs of the recalled vehicles, please see REC-006409.
2024-25 Ford P703 Ranger: reduced braking assistance
In September 2025, recall campaign 25S77 was issued for 2024-25 Ford P703 Ranger vehicles. Due to a software issue, the brake boost function may not operate as intended. Braking assistance may therefore be reduced, requiring greater pedal force to slow the vehicle and potentially increasing the vehicle’s stopping distance. This condition increased the risk of a collision and injury for vehicle occupants and other road users. If the brake boost function was not operating correctly, the Anti-lock Brake System (ABS), Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and Brake warning lights in the instrument cluster would illuminate – and audible alert would also sound. For the VINs of the recalled vehicles, please see REC-006430.
2022–25 Ford P703 Ranger with ARB Intensity Solis driving lights: auxiliary light wiring harness may cause vehicle fire
In December 2025, recall campaign 25SC8 was issued for 2022–25 Ford P703 Ranger vehicles. Due to a manufacturing defect, moisture may enter the wiring harness for the ARB Intensity Solis driving lights, causing corrosion. If this occurred, it could generate excessive heat and a vehicle fire, while the vehicle was parked or driving. This posed a risk of injury to vehicle occupants, other road users and bystanders, and property damage. Until the defect was rectified by a Ford dealership, owners were advised to park their vehicles in an open space and away from flammable materials and structures. However, Ford’s initial fix was to provide instructions so that customers could deactivate the ARB Intensity Solis driving lights, until replacement parts became available. For the VINs of the recalled vehicles, please see REC-006497.
2022 Ford P703 Ranger: transmission could shift into Park unexpectedly
In February 2026, recall campaign 25SF1 was issued for 2022 Ford P703 Ranger vehicles. Due to a software issue, if the battery level dropped below a critical threshold while the vehicle was travelling at speeds below 6 km/h, the transmission may shift into Park. This could cause the vehicle to stop suddenly without the rear brake lamps illuminating as intended. This condition increased the risk of a collision and serious injury to vehicle occupants and other road users. To fix, an authorised Ford dealership was to update the vehicle’s software. Ford advised that even vehicles previously repaired under a related recall (campaign 23S40) required this new software update. For the VINs of the recalled vehicles, please see REC-006541.
2024-25 Ford P703 Ranger: Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) valve defect
In March 2026, recall campaign 26S10 was issued for 2024-25 Ford P703 Ranger vehicles. Due to a manufacturing issue, the Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) valve may fail. If this occurred, the “check engine” light may illuminate in the instrument cluster. A failed EGR valve could lead to reduced acceleration, engine vibration and/or a loss of motive power whilst driving. A sudden loss of motive power increased the risk of a collision, and therefore injury to vehicle occupants and other road users. For the VINs of the recalled vehicles, please see REC-006572.
Problems and faults: Ford P703 Ranger
Overview
OverviewThis section identifies potential problems, causes and fixes based on the experiences of owners and repairers, online sources and technical service bulletins. This information is provided solely for reference purposes and AustralianCar.Reviews recommends that only properly qualified persons carry out repairs or modifications. Furthermore, the number of items below should not be taken as an indicator of a model’s reliability or the frequency with which they may occur.
To report a problem or fault to the AustralianCar.Reviews team, please use the Contact Us form. Note that AustralianCar.Reviews does not offer advice on automotive problems or disputes; such enquiries will not receive a reply. For vehicles purchased from dealers after 1 January 2011, please see our Australian Consumer Law fact sheet.
Ford P703 Ranger: driveline vibration (“The Thrum”)
For all Ford P703 Ranger vehicles, drivers have reported a “thrumming” or humming vibration that they can feel through the floor, pedals, and steering wheel. It typically occurs at two speed windows: 40–60 km/h and 80–100 km/h. This has been noted across all Ranger variants (e.g. XLS, XLT, Sport, Wildtrak and Platinum), and is caused by a misaligned driveline. Specifically, the angles of the multi-piece tailshaft and the centre bearing are often out of factory tolerance. The vibration is sometimes worse when the vehicle is unladen, as the “rake” (rear height) affects the shaft angle.
To fix this problem, Ford dealers typically attempt to re-balance the tailshaft. If that fails, the Ford dealers may install a centre bearing spacer kit to drop the bearing height and align the angles, or using differential shims to tilt the rear differential slightly.
Ford P703 Ranger: battery drain and “Deep Sleep Mode”
Ford P703 Ranger owners have reported receiving notifications via the FordPass app stating their vehicle has entered “Deep Sleep Mode” to conserve power. Furthermore, the vehicle may shut down remote features (like remote start) and, in some cases, fails to start at all after being parked for only 2 to 5 days.
This fault is caused by a combination of high parasitic electrical draw from the vehicle’s modem/sensors and a Battery Management System (BMS) that is calibrated to only charge the 12 volt battery to roughly 80% of its capacity to reduce alternator load and save fuel. Furthermore, the factory-fitted Enhanced Flooded Battery (EFB) often struggles to maintain the required voltage for the vehicle’s electrical load.
To fix this problem, Ford dealers can perform a BMS software update to increase the charging threshold. Furthermore, many Ford Ranger owners choose to replace the factory EFB with a higher-capacity AGM (Absorbent Glass Mat) battery and charge the battery (using the trickle charge mode) if the vehicle is not driven daily.
Ford P703 Ranger: harsh or clunky gearshifts from 10-speed automatic transmission
For the Ford P703 Ranger vehicles with 2.0-litre biturbo diesel and 3.0-litre V6 diesel engines, drivers have reported harsh or “clunky” gearshifts from the 10-speed automatic transmission (Ford’s 10R80 and 10R60 transmissions). Some owners have also reported a “thump” when slowing down to a stop or a “flare” (i.e. engine revs rising) between gear changes.
The 10R80 and 10R60 transmissions use adaptive learning software that can sometimes “learn” poor shift patterns if driven inconsistently. Mechanically, it can also be caused by sticking solenoids or valve body wear in early-production units.
To address this problem, the first step is for a Ford dealer to perform a PCM/TCM software calibration update and a “clear adaptives” procedure. If the harshness persists, the transmission solenoids or the entire valve body may require replacement.
Ford P703 Ranger: oil leaks from 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel engine
While a major recall exists for V6 camshaft sprockets (see REC-006341, above), Ford Ranger owners have reported other oil leaks that are a quality control issue. Specifically, oil drips from the rear of the engine or pools near the bellhousing. This is commonly attributed to a faulty Rear Main Seal (RMS) or an improperly sealed upper timing cover gasket.
Unfortunately, these are labour-intensive repairs: fixing a Rear Main Seal leak requires the transmission to be removed, while timing cover leaks require the front of the engine to be partially disassembled and resealed.
Ford P703 Ranger: SYNC 4 infotainment glitches
For Ford P703 Ranger vehicles, owners have reported that the touchscreen may go completely black, freeze while displaying the “Ford” logo, or intermittently lose the wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto connection.
These problems have been attributed to software “bugs” within the SYNC 4 operating system, often triggered by the wireless handshake with smartphones or background Over-the-Air (OTA) update attempts.
To fix, a soft reset often restores the screen – this can be performed by holding the “Volume Down” and “Seek Right” buttons for 10 seconds. For persistent issues, a dealer-installed firmware update or a “Master Reset” in the settings menu is required.
