Things You MUST KNOW Before Owning A Next Gen Ranger! 

Hi Ruben , I can only help you with the stop / start issue , there’s a load sensing wire that measures the battery voltage and that’s what activates the stop start function - it senses if the battery has enough capacity to restart the car when it stops , in the last gen Everest ( I imagine it would still be the same in next gen cars/utes ) it was a little black wire behind the battery with a red plug ( on the positive end ) if you unplug that the stop /start function is no longer an issue , a mate has a 2021 Everest and we disconnected it and it has not throw any codes or lights and so far ford hasent said anything and the cars still under warranty - just a thought mate , hope it helps. Cheers.

Best way to fix it is put a For Sale sign on it & jump back in the 200 mate.

Enabling and Disabling Lane Centering From the settings menu, press Driver Assistance. Press Cruise Control. Press Adaptive Cruise Control. Switch Lane Centering on or off.

I own a 2023 Hilux Rouge and love the fact that it has none of this crazy infotainment flog and yes can turn lain assist off once and stays off for good 👌🏼

The reality is that the average punter would have their warranty claims rejected due to modifications.

I wonder how average Joe would fare in the same circumstances (warranty claim) vs someone with a 50k+ social media audience?

You can turn stop start off permanently, there is a harness you can buy which reverses it so it’s always off and you have to press it to turn it on. Also if you get forscan you can do it through that plus much more;)

Ruben is not the average person. He is a qualified mechanic and he should have sought out the source of the leak. If you were to take your vehicle to a mechanic with an oil leak and asked him to fix it you would expect it to be fixed not just put out the door to wait for the motor to run out of oil. This was not the fault of the engine but a faulty or loose fitting which allowed the oil to leak out instead of returning to the sump. Ruben had been adding oil to the engine so he had a good idea of the seriousness of the leak. It should have been investigated more fully. This was not the fault of the engine.

Definitely Ruben, While I was working in the states my f150 did the same with the lane assist. I nearly had two accidents because I had to fight the damn truck to avoid deer in the road. If I had my blinker on, lane changes were easy, but not the other way around. The traction control threw me off the road completely. I was so pissed that I left the car next to the road and refused to drive the thing again. If only it was an option to turn on rather than off, that would be amazing. I am an experienced driver who spent 85% of my driving off road, grew up with the old landy’s and cruiser’s on dirt roads and farm tracks. We still drive stick and have no intention on letting tech take over my life. I feel unsafe when it tries to take control of the situation it thinks I might be in. Mostly my driving style does not support metalbrains thinking in the first place. Good luck to you, and thank you for the content.

As someone in their 40's, I agree with everything you said. Keeping my 20 year old rig going for as long as I can.

In the previous model Ranger you could turn the lane keeping off, and I think even the very early next gen models you could as well, but from what I hear to meet the 5 star ANCAP rating they had to change it so you couldn't turn it off, which I find is absolutely ridiculous. So, the safety bureaucrats now think we are too stupid to keep our cars between the lines. The day is coming when they won't let you have control of the vehicle at all, or your life either.

Suspension is a compromise - ultimately the Ranger is a tradie ute (in theory at any rate). So suspension is a trade off between guys carting a bunch of stuff and guys who just play on weekends (like me). Best comment I've heard to fix bouncy suspension with no travel is up chuck a couple of bags of concrete in the tub. The 80kg really helps. New suspension really helps more as it is no longer that compromise... You kinda wish there were Tradie or Weekender suspension options at the dealership.

The one thing that always makes me steer away from dual cab utes is the overly stiff suspension, I doubt the majority of dual cab ute owners carry 3.5t regularly? Great review Ruben. Cheers Pat

Like my suspension harsh, always have, just have developed a routine, get in, start car, turn off auto start stop, turn off lane doover, and switch on what gear I am in on side of the shifter, I rarely miss. Sure, would be good to have a setting to turn them off, but there isn't one, not gunna do a gasket over them, I have 15 or 20 years on you, love tech alot, saved me alot of money in Tasmania recently, did a tyre, deflating rapidly, warning came up, probably would have screwed it the prompt warning.

Do you remember to put it in gear? Then if you really hate stop/start you turn it off while your hand is there. Then you put your hand on the wheel after double hitting the lane assist to turn it off. My five match yours but with a good suspension and tyre upgrade, what a weapon.

Hey Reuben I totally agree especially the tech crap. Our good old mates in the USofA have thing called a pro cal snap that you plug into your Jeep and you can stop all the niggling Crap. You can even calibrate your Speedo when you put bigger tires on it. Just wondering if there is anything in the US to do this. Cheers Mike .

Hey Rueben, you're only 40 your a young fellah bit I agree with your technology issues on 4wd's, you're always honest in your reviews and hates, keep up the good 👍 work

I have developed a little routine when I start mine (maybe it’s ADHD?) of pressing the auto stop start, the lane centering twice and the cruise button to get everything set for the drive. Agree re the rear suspension. I’ve got a MITS tray and canopy and upgraded to constant 600’s in the rear

Your right about a few things Yes the suspension sucks but that’s how they get sales The tech well that would be good if it didn’t stuff up 6600 klms on my V6 my alarms go off at the slightest thing Screen changes stations when it wants Tells me I have a trailer connected ( when I don’t ) I’m at a point where I’ll tell them to shove it

Hi Ruben I have a 22 next gen ranger xl 2.0 bi turbo we did a road trip of around 1000kms here in New zealand I saw your video on the leaking turbo when I got home I checked it for leaks & guess what it had a leak it wasn't major but it only has 8000 kms on it & yes those same things that piss you off piss me off too. When It went to the dealer to look at they told me it was a porley fitted lo pressure pipe or something it shouldn't happen. My 2012 Hilux with 150000kms on it never had any oil leaks of any kind sort. Love the content

I have the previous gen Ranger and I off-road it. The rear springs are too stiff, but not that bad. Obviously, Ford has to build a truck that’s safe to tow and is stiff enough to not flip during a moose test or aggressive swerve. That means it’s compromised for daily driving with no load. I wonder if the new Ranger is significantly stiffer than mine.

Hi Mate I have the stop start on my Ram and it is a pain but I was told that it is illegal to turn them off full time not sure if this true as for the lane assist I can turn mine off and it stays off until I switch it back on👍

I have a bt50. 2 weeks old drove it on the beach within 10 min of driving on compacted sand blew the front diff. Now it has the blind spot tech issues, noise in the steering rack and bump steer. The fails on these new car seem to be a common thread. Car manufacturers seem to slap them together and get them out there all for the profits. I had a d40 and a rodeo. Never missed a beat.

I want to know if the average battler would get the same customer service & help that you received from Ford Utes Australia because I reckon they would use the upgraded suspension as an excuse or some bullshit like that to get themselves out of it

Not everyone would’ve received the same spectacular service from ford. I love ford and i own a ranger but i wouldn’t go remote with it for overlanding. Recently saw rust on my chassis (25000km) and i told the technician about it and that they should fix it,because it falls under their corrosion warranty and he told me he has never heard of a corrosion warranty. Few hours later they sent me full details on how they going to repair the rust via a third party company.

I relate to what you’re saying Rubin I have recently purchased a new NextGen Everest sport absolutely love the car great car but the stop start is very frustrating and personally myself. I think they put too much tech in it. It’s just something else to go wrong but it’s a great toe vehicle and you get good range out of the fuel economy can’t complain too much for $80,000 Lol love your content. Keep it up. Good work.

I feel your frustration about auto start/stop in my soul.

Agree, lane assist should be an option not default. Auto stop start same, option. It is really distracting to operate navigation, audio or any other controls on the tablet, if you are driving you manage to find the selection you want but to hit that target when driving is impossible, cos the car hits a bump or whatever in that moment! It's a raffle!!!!

You should able to customise your settings however you want!

Mate, I am in my 70s, how do you reckon I feel? We had trouble with an earlier Ford ute, it rode so hard you would think it had no suspension.

Reben first up sometime you got to go high tech to go low tech forscan to mod the setting in rangers, sadly I have the same kinda frustration with the lane assist and start stop, I have the ranger raptor and even the lights default back to on when I start the car in the morning when I turn them off to warm it up low key

Sounds like you need a 79 series, or have a beer and chill technology moves along.

I feel your pain, I share the same passion and loathe the tech. Made the mistake of buying a new Ranger and after 6 months I flipped it and bought a new 79LC for the very exact reasons you mentioned. The most frustrating thing is Ford and most car manufacturers won’t listen, the only way these blokes listen is through their pockets not their ears. And these are the same reasons why the 70 series are so popular. Just keep warning people of it. It’s sounds all flash in their marketing brochure, they think their adding value with all the flash tech but the reality is its extremely frustrating and not enjoyable to drive. As long as all the metrosexuals keep buying them, they will keep making them. And when you have certain car review metrosexuals out their promoting useless tech in cars, measuring the interior hardness with a durometer, (I won’t mention any names) 🙄 the manufacturers will keep going in that direction. Anyways keep up the good work 👍🏼

i agree on finding things in menus. there seems to be a different kind of logic used on where to find and operate things. not talking about ford, just tech in general seems to be quite often that two related things will be hidden in two different sub menus.

Yes. I agree, I don't care if it costs more to manufacture put high-quality dials in.

Certainly not a whinger mate. People are paying huge dollars for these machines and deserve better. - Ex Ford Service Manager

You can get the stop start deleted permanently by ford or a car computer guy. Try the end of the indicator stem little push button turns off the lane departure stuff. As for the tec get a kid to do it 😂😂😂😂 As for the suspension I don't 1 new car that has actually nailed it from factory. I have heard about the engine issue previously, other than replacing it is there a way to upgrade/fix it before its an issue.

Pretty bad to have a blown engine in 20k was it the EGR cooler? .. Im sure you can turn off lane keeping in the settings and you can turn off auto stop in the settings too. Dobins IMS and tye MRA remote res set up is by far the best quality gear you can get a a resonable prise..great choice.👍

You are correct champ this lane assist stuff is a hazard

The auto start stop should default to off. If you’re one of those people who think they’re saving the environment or want to save a tiny amount of fuel, then you can turn the feature on. The rest of us want it off.

I totally agree on the tech mate but what can you buy now that doen't have it? I have a V6 XLT also now with just over 30000ks. I resited buying a new work ute for a long time because of the tech{I'm just over 50}. My 09 Ranger has done nearly 400k of legend service so I bit the bullet last year and I love the drive, power, comfort, but it pisses me off to have to cancel the lines and the auto stop EVERY TIME. I resisted upgrading the suspention because I didn't want to lose ride comfort. I dissagree with you on the suspention. I often have 400-800kgs on board and I tow a large pant trailer{not at the same time} I have found the suspention more than capable in both situations. It does F-all offroad so I don't need the height. {the apple car play has hissy fit once a month which is the worst problem I can talk about}Tech again!

I have the same gripes when driving my old mans XC40 volvo. He hates them too. I told him to get volvo to switch it off....they wouldn't as it was still under warranty. Wait till you get past that point and get it all switched off at the dealer. If you on-sell cars at 90k km...you're out of luck. Tech is there for the new gen who don't know how to use mirrors and are too easily distracted! 🤣 Their needed for ANCAP ticks though so won't go away anytime soon.

Of course Ford looked after you, you're an "influencer". I have my doubts that average Joe would receive the same treatment.

The first Amarok came out with a choice of softer or heavy rear blades

Not sure if anyone has already suggested it but in my PX3, you can turn off Lane Keeping Assist by pushing the button on the end of the indicator stork. Might be the same in the next-gen version. Took me ages to find it also. Very annoying to have on, especially when towing.

Im 65 and we bought a 2023 XLT Supercab 2.0l bi-turbo. It mainly serves as my work ute, but is very comfortable as a long distance traveller. I do a lot a driving on country roads, including unsealed roads and I agree that the suspension can be a little unforgiving. What actual shock and spring combo did you fit? On the other points, my model doesn't have the auto stop-start and the other settings dont really bother me that much. If anything I wish Ford had printed a full manual with better images, the online manual is not the easiest thing to navigate. As you're all aware, there's lots of tech to deal with and a lot I have found through my own trial and error and investigation. For example, the fog light that comes on when you turn a corner. I thought there was something wrong as I would turn into our drive at night and one fog light would be on.....worked that one out👍. Maybe im getting old but on the whole, I'm very pleased with the vehicle.

You can’t turn off the stop start full time because unless it’s on by default, the official fuel consumption test can’t allow for it. Ergo, if it’s on by default and not able to be permanently deactivated, its use in the test is allowed, and all these companies chase those headline figures. The lane keeping assist is the same; unless it’s on by default, it doesn’t count in the ANCAP crash test, which hurts the score. You can think it’s dumb, but it’s a massive deal when a car maker doesn’t get 5 stars anymore. Simple invasive tech that we all think is overreactive and panicky; without it the car wouldn’t get 5 stars. You may not care, but lots of people naturally correlate less than 5 stars with death, disfigurement, and agony.

Im late 30's and have a wildtrak v6 about 13000kms and dont really have those issues so far. My only really big complaint is the phone connectivity sucks about 50% of the time. I think suspension is fine for country roads. Maybe i got spoilt by my wifes santa fe with over 100K kms on it because the lane assist is much better on the ranger.

Ohhhhh mate!! You must be my brother from another mother!! 😂😂 I absolutely hate those same ‘little things’…I used to jab that fukken stop/start bastard switch every time I forgot to switch it off soooo hard that she said…you’re going to break that switch!! But geez…they must know that’s it’s a frustrating little bastard coz they made it tough!!! 😂😂

I have one and I love it!

The start stop can be tricked by driving style. Just hold your foot on brake at lights etc when waiting, just enough to stop forward movement and it never switches off. It requires a full press on brakes to action it

On a dmax you can put a business card in front of camera to disable lane assist etc

Do you have to add a J brace to the vehicle to have a canopy installed?

For scan can give you the ability to reprogram the computer. You can unlock and turn off settings.

Tech is great but as U said there’s a lot that starts to become a problem & it’s to hard to change it or impossible I have a 2021 ranger & that’s bad enough without getting the nextgen with more tech I’m thinking about getting the toyota landcruiser 79 because of this & they are overpriced but the good thing is they hold there price 😎

I totally agree with all this. I would like to buy a new vehicle but I loath lane assist. I live in the country and the loaner cars have no dam idea and driving gets unpleasant as I fight the bastard on the highway. And I am in my lane. So I keep driving the aging 2014 Colorado which does have hard suspension but that's fine for me because I load it with extremely heavy loads at times. Stop start in a truck is just stupid especially in the country. Perhaps link it to GPS. If your in the city it activates!

Well the engine would not have blown up as you put it if you had bothered to find out what was causing the leak when you first noticed the oil under the vehicle and in the engine bay. You said you are a qualified mechanic in the video of the engine failure so considering where you were in the northern territory at the time you should have made every effort to find the leak which would have prevented the engine failure. As for the other observations i totally agree. All new vehicles have too much stuff to go wrong and go wrong they do. Does not matter what make of vehicle it is they all have the same problems. The remark about the 79 series is probably right as they have no mod cons at all, but still cost more than the vehicles that do. Paying a lot for not much.

I dont own a ford but i on the new dmax and bt50's, you turn all the lane assist and emergency breaking off with the steering wheel and on the dash setting. Have a play with them and you might find it.

Ruben I’m with you, I’d love to see what you can do with a mahindra s11. Take 1 for a test no stop start no tech safety admittedly an auto locker at the back but it is also under 40k as a new vehicle. Actually I’d actually drive down and let you drive mine

You are 100% correct,,

It’s quite funny how many city slickers on the owners groups claim the suspension is fine, clearly never leave the black top. I agree with you mate, I’m a farmer and when I got mine home I was extremely disappointed how it handled the off road and towing. A set of bp51’s fixed that but it’s still a bloody leaf spring vehicle. Your engine failure has certainly got me worried though. 50,000kms in 12 mths and all good so far though. Just soo many tech issues.

Duct tape over the sensors is the best quick fix that's what I do on my new bt50

😂 great video mate! 👌🏼

start stop is for fuel economy? why would you like to turn it off? it shuts down the car if u stand in traffic, so it saves you to press the button / turn the key.

Forscan is the way to fix your button issues. Find somebody skilled with forscan and disable the settings. Could also set your fuel gauge for a long range tank.

I own the 2023 Ranger Raptor, but I really dislike a few features. Firstly, the stop-and-start function and the vibrating steering wheel for lane assist. Another frustration is having to access the infotainment screen to activate the differential lockers, which was a key reason for choosing this vehicle. It's disappointing that it's not a physical button. Additionally, all 2023 Ranger Raptors in the UAE lack a rear tow hitch receiver; they only have two recovery hooks at each side. Lastly, the absence of a remote start function on the key fob is something I really dislike about my truck 😢

A couple of other thinks that piss me off...when towing a trailer the car senses you have a trailer but you still have to switch it to tow mode, and every time you turn it off you got to remember to switch to tow mode. Fark it's annoying

Gotta agree some of this tech is not needed in these vehicles nowadays drive a 2024 Freightliner and absolutely hate the puddle crap tech in it that keeps you in your lane and fallowing distance thing I despise since it freaks out with no one in front of you and automatically slams on the breaks while cruising at 65 mph which pisses me off and makes me feel unsafe in the vehicle

Lane keep assist, turn off permanently on side of right lever. SS can be turned off permanently with FORSCAN, very easy.

I like with Toyota that you can turn the auto lane assist and whatnot off and it won’t turn on without your input, every car should be like that

Blind spot assist annoys me. We had an old way of doing this. It’s called looking over your shoulder. All that technology annoys me as well.

Yep get rid of the bloody ipad for a start, button handbrake, toggle dial 4x4 settings lol....the only ute on the market that looks like a 4x4 in and out is a jeep...but there unreliable buckets lol...next best thing is older vehicles looked after, just my opinion 👍

On the left hand side of the steering wheel, in the cluster of buttons on the right, there is a button that looks like 2 dotted lines with arrows either side. Push that twice and the lane keeping assist is disabled. It cannot be permanently disabled

Im glad i ended up buying a troopy

Ive had to put a piece of cardboard to jam in the start stop switch.

But overall, do you still like the car? I'm thinking about pulling the trigger on one very soon. I'll be switching from a N80

Totally agree auto stop does my head in f.

All the reasons why I traded mine in on a dual cab 79 cruiser Im 10 times happier with it & it doesn't give me any trouble, no way u could drop a ranger on its side like you did with your 79 then drive it home

I’ll stick with the 79 cruiser thanks.. 👍🍻

Rueben stick with the Y62 patrol mate

As a guy who still in his 20s, i do find its more annoying when the manufacturer going from physical buttons to a full screen display especially when doing outdoor trips. I had the other car same with all these features but sometimes i found it irritating.

@DMW as a 21 year old, I hate modern software settings. Its always in the wrong menu. It took me a full hour to fully work out all the controls for a BMW X5 my grandparents hired.

The same with my new Hilux mate

My 2002 4x4. No beeping, no chimes, no sensors, ac and heat. 250k miles. I’m swapping a new motor in it before I get rid of this thing. They don’t make trucks like this anymore lol

Don’t have an issue with anything with our next gen WildTrak, maybe it’s the roads we drive, lane assist is never an issue, start/stop is fine. Tech is fine and the suspension is fine as you stated, you adjusted for your needs, genuinely feeling that this video was click bait and obviously it worked be here I am commenting about first world issues.

Some of those Tech features that are so annoying is because these modern cars comply with the high ancap safety rating. You can't have a permeant off feature for the stop start feature because modern cars are built to those specs.

There is a module that you can buy for under $15, that you can put in to stop the stop/start feature. No wires to cut. Fits in most makes and models. If you would like more information, reply and I will contact you.

Best 4wd ford mad was the old turbo cooz

Ive been in the industry 37 years. I got a new company car every 15,000km. Ive driven everything. Including all the dual cabs. My personal vehicle of choice is landcruiser (and i have miss world fj45 with 112,000km on clock). The tech in modern cars is dangerous, inconsistant and varies from car to car. With the new 2.8 70 coming, i sold my v8 and bought a hilux to see if inliked the combination before buying a new 70. Im delighted to say- my SR hilux doesnt beep/gong/whistle/ talk/no auto turn off and!!!! The lane wandering- i have to turn it ON if i want it.. well done toyota. Nearly bought a ranger but woth the issues (in the background in the industry), im glad i didnt. New 70 on the way and im happy 👍👍👍

Hate all the tech! Especially agree with the bloody lane assist. So useless!

to be clear the Stop Start function is ADR required for emissions which is why you cant default it to off. just FYi

I know it doesn't solve it but you can overide the start stop button cut out issue in a bmw by flicking the gear leveriIn sports mode or pressing sport button, i wonder if it works in a ranger.

Disagree about the rear springs and the ride... Its a Ute after all. I would be more disappointed if you had to upgrade springs to carry weight. Get the Everest if you want a plush ride. Its designed to carry weight.

Best dual cab on the market by a mile and I’m normally a Toyota person.

G'day guys. I'm a stout supporter of the theory of KISS. Keep IT simple stupid. Keep calm Ruben

It’s really a spit in the face their advertising of it too; “tough, reliable etc…”, it’s clearly meant for a soft roader type vehicle in suburban areas. When I got a modern 4wd I’ve kept to a late ‘16 PX2 ranger. Right amount of tech and simplicity to it. The whole engine and software failures that a fair few have experienced really shows that it isn’t built right and really not worth its price. I’ve seen some even go as far as trying to SELL their next gen to get a PX3 simply because of them issues and the simplicity the older models have (no auto start/stop, lane assist can stay off when the vehicle is turned on/off, and a well known 3.2L engine that’s been proven well). Guess we’ll have to see what happens with the PN2 (if there ever will be).

Forscan can disable all

that's why I bought a 76 series .it just does what its meant to do.

100 % Auto stop start it gets me every time in my Everest 🤬 Lane keep assist one button press on the steering wheel and its off.

The sad thing is, now days for manufacturers to meet 5 star ancap rating in Aus, they need the lane keep assist and smart cruise, even base models come out with it, there are cars that get 5 stars in the crash testing yet still don't get rated as 5 star ancap because they didn't have the smart cruise and lane keep, the manufacturers then had to implement the systems to get that 5 star rating. So there is no way of turning off these systems unfortunately.