Recalls (9)
NHTSA lists 9 recall campaigns for the 2005 Ford Ranger. Check whether yours was repaired with NHTSA's free VIN lookup ↗
Only NHTSA and your automaker know whether your specific car was repaired. PlainVIN shows every recall campaign listed for a model year, with the official text and how many cars have been fixed so far.
Check on NHTSA ↗Listed for 2005 Ford Ranger. Not checked against your VIN.
Replacement Air Bag Inflator Incorrectly Installed
Air bags · frontal · passenger side · inflator module
Official NHTSA text
- Summary
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2004-2006 Ranger vehicles that received replacement front passenger air bag inflators under a previous recall. The replacement front passenger air bag inflators may have been installed incorrectly.
- Consequence
- An incorrectly installed inflator may not properly inflate the passenger air bag, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and reinstall the front passenger air bag inflator, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 22, 2023. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 23S08. This recall expands and replaces previous recall number 23V-125.
21% repairedof 231,942 vehicles
Manufacturer report to NHTSA · Source: US DOT recall completion data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026
Check your VIN on NHTSA
or ask a dealer to check campaign 23V306000
Listed for 2005 Ford Ranger. Not checked against your VIN.
Replacement Air Bag Inflator Incorrectly Installed
Air bags · frontal · passenger side · inflator module
Official NHTSA text
- Summary
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2004-2006 Ranger vehicles that received replacement front passenger air bag inflators under a previous recall. The replacement frontal passenger air bag inflators may have been installed incorrectly.
- Consequence
- An incorrectly installed inflator may not properly inflate the passenger air bag, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and reinstall the front passenger air bag inflator, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 5, 2023. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 23S08. This recall has been fully superseded by recall 23V-306.
Repair progress not yet reported98,550 vehicles potentially affected
Manufacturer report to NHTSA · Source: US DOT recall completion data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026
Check your VIN on NHTSA
or ask a dealer to check campaign 23V125000
Listed for 2005 Ford Ranger. Not checked against your VIN.
Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Explode
Air bags · frontal
Official NHTSA text
- Summary
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2004-2006 Ranger vehicles that may be equipped with a driver or passenger frontal air bag inflator used as a replacement service part, that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
- Consequence
- In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the frontal air bag, an inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the driver and passenger air bag module, and replace either the module or the inflator, if necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 17, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S05.
36.2% repairedof 144,340 vehicles
Manufacturer report to NHTSA · Source: US DOT recall completion data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026
Check your VIN on NHTSA
or ask a dealer to check campaign 21V076000
Listed for 2005 Ford Ranger. Not checked against your VIN.
Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Explode
Air bags · frontal
Official NHTSA text
- Summary
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2005-2014 Mustang, 2004-2011 Ranger, 2009-2011 Mercury Milan, 2006 Ford GT, 2008-2012 Fusion, 2007-2010 Edge and Lincoln MKX, and 2009-2010 Lincoln MKZ vehicles. These vehicles may be equipped with a driver or passenger frontal air bag inflator used as a replacement service part, that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
- Consequence
- In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the frontal air bag, an inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the driver and passenger air bag module, and replace either the module or the inflator, if necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 17, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S05.
42.8% repairedof 1,067 vehicles
Manufacturer report to NHTSA · Source: US DOT recall completion data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026
Check your VIN on NHTSA
or ask a dealer to check campaign 21V081000
Listed for 2005 Ford Ranger. Not checked against your VIN.
NHTSA: Do not drive. NHTSA says owners should not drive these vehicles until the recall repair is done. What a Do Not Drive recall means
Driver Side Air Bag Inflator May Rupture
Air bags · frontal · driver side · inflator module
Official NHTSA text
- Summary
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is superseding a previous recall for certain 2004-2006 Ford Ranger trucks to implement a final repair. Upon deployment of the driver side frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.
- Consequence
- In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy
- Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the repair has been performed. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began January 16, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17S42. Note: This recall supersedes recall 16V-036 which was an interim repair. Vehicles that received a replacement air bag inflator under the previous campaign need to return to a dealer to have an alternate inflator installed.
51.2% repairedof 328,213 vehicles
Manufacturer report to NHTSA · Source: US DOT recall completion data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026
Check your VIN on NHTSA
or ask a dealer to check campaign 17V787000
Listed for 2005 Ford Ranger. Not checked against your VIN.
NHTSA: Do not drive. NHTSA says owners should not drive these vehicles until the recall repair is done. What a Do Not Drive recall means
Passenger Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Rupture
Air bags · frontal · passenger side · inflator module
Official NHTSA text
- Summary
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is superseding a previous recall for certain 2004-2006 Ford Ranger trucks to implement a final repair. Upon deployment of the passenger side frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.
- Consequence
- In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants, potentially resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy
- Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the repair has been performed. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger's frontal air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began January 16, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17S42. Note: This recall supersedes recall 15V322 which was an interim repair. Vehicles that received a replacement air bag inflator under the previous campaign need to return to a dealer to have an alternate inflator installed. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17S42.
51.2% repairedof 328,213 vehicles
Manufacturer report to NHTSA · Source: US DOT recall completion data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026
Check your VIN on NHTSA
or ask a dealer to check campaign 17V788000
Listed for 2005 Ford Ranger. Not checked against your VIN.
Driver Side Air Bag Inflator May Rupture
Air bags · frontal · driver side · inflator module
Official NHTSA text
- Summary
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2004-2006 Ranger vehicles manufactured March 24, 2003, to May 4, 2006. Upon deployment of the driver side frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.
- Consequence
- In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began February 26, 2016. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S03. Note: This recall supersedes 14V-343 and only applies to Rangers manufactured in North America.
0.2% repairedof 361,692 vehicles
Manufacturer report to NHTSA · Source: US DOT recall completion data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026
Check your VIN on NHTSA
or ask a dealer to check campaign 16V036000
Listed for 2005 Ford Ranger. Not checked against your VIN.
Passenger Front Air Bag Inflator May Rupture
Air bags · frontal · passenger side · inflator module
Official NHTSA text
- Summary
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2004-2006 Ranger trucks manufactured March 24, 2003, to May 4, 2006. The affected vehicles are equipped with a passenger side frontal air bag that may be susceptible to moisture intrusion which, over time, could cause the inflator to rupture.
- Consequence
- In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on December 4, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15S22. Note: This recall partially supersedes recall 14V-787.
30.4% repairedof 362,327 vehicles
Manufacturer report to NHTSA · Source: US DOT recall completion data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026
Check your VIN on NHTSA
or ask a dealer to check campaign 15V322000
Listed for 2005 Ford Ranger. Not checked against your VIN.
STEERING COLUMN MULTIFUNCTION SWITCH/FMVSS 108
Exterior lighting · brake lights
Official NHTSA text
- Summary
- FORD IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011 RANGER TRUCKS BUILT FROM JANUARY 25, 2011, THROUGH APRIL 25, 2011 AT THE TWIN CITIES ASSEMBLY PLANT, AND SERVICE PARTS DISTRIBUTED TO DEALERS FOR CERTAIN 2004 THROUGH 2011 MODEL YEAR RANGER TRUCKS, 2002 THROUGH 2005 MODEL YEAR EXCURSION VEHICLES, AND 2002 THROUGH 2007 MODEL YEAR F-250, F-350, F-450, AND F-550 TRUCKS FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." THE MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH WAS SHIPPED WITH A SUBCOMPONENT (SLIDER) THAT MAY EXPERIENCE DEFORMATION. A MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH WITH A DEFORMED SLIDER MAY MALFUNCTION CAUSING THE TURN SIGNAL, TAIL LIGHTS, HAZARD WARNING SIGNAL FLASHERS AND/OR BRAKE LIGHTS NOT TO ACTIVATE.
- Consequence
- NON-FUNCTIONING LIGHTS COULD INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.
- Remedy
- DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE SWITCHES FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 15, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD MOTOR COMPANY CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP CENTER AT 1-866-436-7332.
Repair progress not yet reported26,715 vehicles potentially affected
Manufacturer report to NHTSA · Source: US DOT recall completion data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026
Check your VIN on NHTSA
or ask a dealer to check campaign 11V352000
PlainVIN shows public government records for education. It isn't a vehicle inspection or legal advice. Check your own VIN with NHTSA or your dealer.
Owner complaints (289)
289 complaints filed with NHTSA (owner reports, not verified findings). The air bags is mentioned most often.
23involved a crash
5involved a fire
23injuries reported
0deaths reported
As reported by owners in their complaints. These are reports, not NHTSA findings.
Most-reported components
| Component | Complaints | % of 289 |
|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 132 | 45.7% |
| Fuel system | 37 | 12.8% |
| Structure | 34 | 11.8% |
| Suspension | 26 | 9% |
| Electrical system | 21 | 7.3% |
| Unknown or other | 21 | 7.3% |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 13 | 4.5% |
| Engine and engine cooling | 10 | 3.5% |
| Service brakes | 9 | 3.1% |
| Power train | 8 | 2.8% |
How 2005 compares with other Ranger years
Best and worst Ranger years →2001515
2002346
2003243
2004404
2005289
2006271
2007270
2008326
2009169
2010156
| Model year | Complaints | Recall campaigns |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 515 | 4 |
| 2002 | 346 | 3 |
| 2003 | 243 | 1 |
| 2004 | 404 | 10 |
| 2005 | 289 | 9 |
| 2006 | 271 | 12 |
| 2007 | 270 | 5 |
| 2008 | 326 | 5 |
| 2009 | 169 | 7 |
| 2010 | 156 | 8 |
This year (2005)Other yearsStill collecting reports
Counts are owner reports, not failure rates. Higher sales years tend to draw more reports. Owners are still filing reports for recent model years, so these counts will grow. Source: NHTSA ODI, retrieved Oct 6, 2026.
Fuel economy: up to 23 mpg combined
23
mpg combined
21
city
27
highway
- EPA annual fuel cost
- $2,900
- CO₂ tailpipe
- 386 g/mi
- EPA class
- Standard Pickup Trucks
What it costs you to run
$2,840per year
$237per month
652gallons a year
Miles ÷ 23 mpg × $4.354 (EIA US average regular, week of Oct 5, 2026, all taxes included). Source: EPA · EIA.
EPA label estimates from lab tests; your mileage will vary.
Specs by configuration
| Engine · transmission | Drive | City / Hwy / Comb | EPA $/yr | CO₂ g/mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.3 L 4-cyl · 5-speed manual | Rear-Wheel Drive | 21 / 27 / 23 | $2,900 | 386 |
| 2.3 L 4-cyl · 5-speed automatic | Rear-Wheel Drive | 19 / 24 / 21 | $3,200 | 423 |
| 3 L 6-cyl · 5-speed automatic | Rear-Wheel Drive | 16 / 21 / 18 | $3,700 | 494 |
| 3 L 6-cyl · 5-speed manual | Rear-Wheel Drive | 16 / 21 / 18 | $3,700 | 494 |
| 4 L 6-cyl · 5-speed manual | Rear-Wheel Drive | 16 / 21 / 18 | $3,700 | 494 |
| 4 L 6-cyl · 5-speed automatic | Rear-Wheel Drive | 15 / 21 / 17 | $3,950 | 523 |
| 3 L 6-cyl · 5-speed manual | 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive | 15 / 19 / 17 | $3,950 | 523 |
| 3 L 6-cyl · 5-speed automatic | 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive | 15 / 19 / 16 | $4,200 | 555 |
| 4 L 6-cyl · 5-speed automatic | 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive | 14 / 18 / 16 | $4,200 | 555 |
| 4 L 6-cyl · 5-speed manual | 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive | 14 / 17 / 15 | $4,450 | 593 |
Source: EPA fuel economy data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026. Configurations are listed when EPA and NHTSA records match.
Looking at a 2005 Ranger for sale?
Print a one-page buyer's checklist: each recall campaign with a box to tick when the seller shows proof of repair, the top complaint areas to inspect, crash stars, MPG, and a link back to this page.
Where to next
2005 Ford Ranger FAQ
How many recalls does the 2005 Ford Ranger have?
NHTSA lists 9 recall campaigns: 23V306000 (air bag), 23V125000 (air bag), 21V076000 (air bag), 21V081000 (air bag), 17V787000 (air bag), 17V788000 (air bag), 16V036000 (air bag), 15V322000 (air bag), 11V352000 (brake). Use NHTSA's VIN lookup to see whether a specific car was repaired.
What are the most common 2005 Ford Ranger problems?
Owners filed 289 complaints with NHTSA. Air bags (132), Fuel system (37), Structure (34) are mentioned most. These are owner reports, not verified findings.
What mpg does the 2005 Ford Ranger get?
EPA rates the 2.3 L 4-cyl · 5-speed manual version at 21 city, 27 highway and 23 combined mpg. Other configurations are listed in the fuel economy section.
How does the 2005 Ranger compare with other years?
Among the 2001–2010 Ford Ranger model years at least five years old, the 2010 drew the fewest complaints (156) and the 2001 the most (515). The 2005 drew 289. Counts are owner reports, not failure rates.
How this page was madeSources, processing, limits, review and changes
Data sources
- NHTSA recalls by vehicle
Retrieved Oct 6, 2026 - US DOT recall completion rates (data.transportation.gov)
Retrieved Oct 6, 2026 - NHTSA ODI owner complaints
Retrieved Oct 6, 2026 - NHTSA NCAP 5-Star Safety Ratings
Retrieved Oct 6, 2026 - EPA fuel economy data (licence confirmation pending)
Retrieved Oct 6, 2026 - EIA weekly retail gasoline prices
Weekly, all taxes included
Processing
- Complaints are counted per component. One complaint can list several, so component totals add up to more than the total.
- Fuel cost = miles per year ÷ EPA combined mpg × EIA weekly price for your region.
Limitations
- Complaint counts are owner reports, not verified findings or failure rates. There is no sales denominator.
- Recall campaigns are listed for the model year. Only NHTSA and the automaker know whether a specific car was repaired.
- Recent model years are still collecting reports.
Review
Data compiled automatically from the official files listed here.
Changelog
- 2026-10-06 Data refreshed from the official files.
Was this report useful?Report a data error