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Ford Recalls North American Ranger Over Taillamps Problem

Ford Ranger FX2 Package 11 photos
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We’ve waited long enough for the Ranger to return to the United States, yet Ford proves once again that quality control isn’t up to snuff. Almost 80,000 units made for the 2019 model year are recalled over the inline electrical connector terminals for the taillamps, which “may be misaligned or not properly seated.”

Modern automobiles are built to tight tolerances, and such a mess-up is simply too hard to justify for an automaker of the Blue Oval’s caliber. If misaligned or not properly sealed, the terminals may result in intermittent taillamps or inoperative taillamps for the mid-sized pickup truck. In other words, Ranger drivers may love the reverse, rear position, turn, and stop lamps, thus reducing the vehicle’s visibility.

If you’ve ever found yourself behind a car with inoperative brake lamps, then you know what kind of risks this problem poses out on the highway and in the urban jungle. On the upside, the center stop lamp mounted up high is not affected by this issue. The Ford Motor Company isn’t aware of any accidents or injuries related to this condition, but nevertheless, lots of pickups have to report to dealers for repairs.

All told, the Michigan-based automaker is aware of 72,718 vehicles in the U.S. and 5,546 in Canada potentially affected by the condition. Dealerships across both nations are instructed to inspect the underbody inline connector and pin back the terminal into a replacement connector. This recall’s reference number is 19S43, and the Rangers in question were built from June 4th, 2018 to August 16th, 2019.

For the 2020 model year, the Ranger starts at $24,410 for rear-wheel drive, the XL trim level, and SuperCab body style with the six-foot bed. The SuperCrew starts at $26,810 excluding destination charge, and opting for 4WD levels up the sticker price to $30,970 for this configuration. As ever, the XL is joined by the XLT and Lariat and all three feature the EcoBoost engine as standard.

Paired to a 10-speed automatic transmission, the turbocharged gasoline four-cylinder cranks out 270 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque. These figures are hugely impressive for a mid-sizer, more so when compared to naturally aspirated V6 options from General Motors and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles.
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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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