Ford apologises for Ranger vibrations, electrical gremlins

The boss of Ford Australia has apologised to Ranger customers who have experienced vibrations or electrical gremlins with their new-generation ute.

Ford says it has addressed most if not all the issues presented to dealerships so far, and has escalated the concerns with the factory so they can be addressed on the production line.

Ford dealers in Australia have also been instructed to complete more thorough pre-delivery test drives to check for any tailshaft vibrations – on both 2.0-litre four-cylinder and 3.0-litre V6 diesel vehicles. In most cases, the faulty or unbalanced component is replaced rather than repaired.

In an interview during the media preview for the Ranger Raptor, the boss of Ford Australia, Andrew Birkic, told Drive: “We have had some Rangers that have exhibited some harshness or vibrations at certain times when driving.

“So as part of the pre-delivery process, dealers will do a road test and work with the customer if any issues are identified. If the driveshaft needs to be repaired or replaced, then we will do that.”

When asked to clarify if the tailshafts were out of balance, Mr Birkic said: “We’re not going into details, but we always take customer concerns very seriously and we are heavily focused on quality as a company.

“Our (focus) right now needs to be on identifying the issues and, if we do have an issue with a vehicle, we need to address it as soon as possible and as appropriately as possible.”

When asked what message Ford would like to convey to customers who’ve experienced a problem with their new Ranger, Mr Birkic said: “Thank you for your patience and please know that we will do our best to make sure they have a great ownership experience.

“We’re really thankful to customers for not only their patience, but their investment in the Ford brand and in the new Ranger.

“Quality has been an absolutely number one priority for us, and is one of the key drivers of our business both in Australia and globally.”