FordRanger2020Overview/ford/ranger/2020/base/

2020 Ford Ranger

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2020 Ranger.

Transmission Automatic (S10)

The 2020 Ford Ranger is equipped with a 6.2‑quart 5W‑30 oil capacity and an Automatic (S10) transmission, delivering EPA ratings of 21 city, 26 highway and 23 combined mpg. Owner reports show 121 complaints, the majority targeting the power train, and the model has been subject to seven recalls. In the broader Ranger history spanning 1990‑2020, the 2020 total sits far below the 1999 peak of 818 complaints but well above the 2014 low of just one, positioning this year as a moderate point in the nameplate’s reliability trajectory.

Model year202620252024202320222021202020192011

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity6.2 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type5W-30OEM · verified
Lug nut torque100.0 ft-lbsOEM · verified
EPA fuel economy21/26/23 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI H6 · 720 CCA battery, LAMPS low-beam bulbs. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI H6 · 720 CCAOEM · verified
Low beam bulbLAMPSOEM · verified
Tire size265/60R18 110TOEM · verified
Wheel / rim8 inOEM · verified

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

TransmissionAutomatic (S10)

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length211 in
Overall width73.2 in
Overall height71.3 in
Wheelbase126.8 in
Curb weight4352 lb
Track (front / rear)61.4 / 61.4 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)57/43

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined21 / 26 / 23 mpg
DrivetrainRear-Wheel Drive
Recommended fuelRegular Gasoline

Performance & power Independent road tests

0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.

Independent road tests for the Ranger of this era, listed by trim and engine — this page spans more than one engine, so no single horsepower figure is shown.

5.3–7.6 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 5.30 sec — 2024 Raptor SuperCrew (4'11.6" Bed)
YearTrim / engine0–60¼ mileHPDrivetrain
2019XL STX SuperCab (6' Bed) 2.3L Turbo I-46.00 sec14.60 sec270 hpRWD
2019XL STX SuperCab (6' Bed) 2.3L Turbo I-46.30 sec14.90 sec270 hpRWD
2019XLT FX4 SuperCrew (5'1" Bed) 2.3L Turbo I-46.50 sec15.00 sec270 hp4x4
2019XLT FX4 SuperCrew (5'1" Bed) 2.3L Turbo I-46.50 sec15.00 sec270 hp4x4
2019Lariat SuperCrew (5'1" Bed) 2.3L Turbo I-46.70 sec15.20 sec270 hp4x4
2019Lariat SuperCrew (5'1" Bed) 2.3L Turbo I-46.80 sec15.20 sec270 hp4x4
2021XLT Tremor SuperCrew (5'1" Bed) 2.3L Turbo I-46.80 sec15.30 sec270 hp4x4
2021Lariat Tremor SuperCrew (5'1" Bed) 2.3L Turbo I-47.00 sec15.30 sec270 hp4x4

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 6.2 qt of 5W-30 engine oil, SAE 80W · SAE 80W in the differential, DOT 4 brake fluid. Torque lug nuts to 100.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-3-4-2.

Lubricants & capacities

Automatic Transmission FluidMERCON® ULV Automatic Transmission Fluid
Automatic Transmission Fluid Capacity12.5
Brake FluidDOT 4
Differential Gear OilSAE 80W · SAE 80W
Engine Coolant Capacity11.6
Engine OilSAE 5W · Synthetic
Engine Oil Capacity6.2 qt
Fuel Tank Capacity20.1 gallons

Engine torques

Crankshaft Position (CKP) Sensor Bolt(s)8.0 ft-lbs
Camshaft Position (CMP) Sensor Bolt(s)8.0 ft-lbs
Engine Coolant Temperature (ECT) Sensor Bolt(s)8.0 ft-lbs
Oxygen (O2S) Sensor Bolt(s)35.0 ft-lbs
Knock Sense (KS) Bolt(s)18.0 ft-lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts18.0 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts39.0 ft-lbs
Oil Pan to Block Bolts18.0 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Differential Fill PlugFront: 21.0; Rear: 20.0 ft-lbs
Differential drain PlugFront: 21.0; Rear: 20.0 ft-lbs
Driveshaft Flange to TransmissionRear: 81.0 ft-lbs
Leaf Spring to Axle (U-bolts)Stage 1: 26 lb.ft
Leaf Spring to Chassis Bracket119.0 ft-lbs
Leaf Spring to Rear Shackle76.0 ft-lbs
Lug Nuts100.0 ft-lbs
Steering Track (Rod End) Bolts35.0 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order1-3-4-2
Spark Plug ManufacturerMotorcraft
Spark Plug Type12405
Spark Plug Gap0.0295 in
Spark Plug Torque8.8 ft-lbs

Battery & A/C

RefrigerantR1234yf
Refrigerant Capacity1.487 lbs
Oil GroupPAG
Oil TypeYN-35
Oil Capacity2.70 oz
Standard BCI Group NumberH6
Standard BCI Cranking Performance720 cca
Standard BCI Group NumberH7

Service checks

Fuel Pump Pressure Minimum50.8–75.4 psi
RPMEngine running - 2.3L GTDi
Engine Oil Pressure29–60 psi
Engine Oil Pressure RPMhot @ 2,000 rpm
Intake Valve Lash0.0075–0.0122 in
Exhaust Valve Lash0.0118–0.0165 in

Brakes

Brake Caliper Bolt to Carrier TorqueFront: 48; Rear: 22
Brake Caliper Carrier to Hub Bolt TorqueFront: 111; Rear: 111
ABS Sensor TorqueFront: 4.25; Rear: 6.0
Minimum Pad ThicknessFront: 0.059; Rear: 0.059 in
Vented Rotor Minimum Thickness for ReplacementFront: 1.260; Rear: 0.866
Vented Rotor Minimum Thickness after RefinishStamped on rotor
Variation from Parallelism Thickness VariationStamped on rotor
Maximum Rotor RunoutFront: 0.002; Rear: 0.002

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Camshaft Bearing/Carrier Cap Bolts or Studs — tightening sequence 1 stages
15.1 ft.lbs. Step 2: 11.85.1 ft.lbs
Camshaft Sprocket and/or Gear Bolt(s) — tightening sequence 1 stages
126.0 ft. lbs. Step 2: 135°26 ft. lbs
Connecting Rod (Large End) Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages
114.75 ft. lbs. Step 2: 30.0 ft. lbs. Step 3: 90°14.75 ft. lbs
Crankshaft Pulley and/or Center Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
174.0 ft. lbs. Step 2: 90°74 ft. lbs
Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 1 stages
15.1 ft. lbs. Step 2: 11.08 ft. lbs. Step 3: 41.0 ft. lbs. Step 4: 90° Step 5: 90°5.1 ft. lbs
Flex or Driveplate Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
137.0 ft. lbs. Step 2: 59.0 ft. lbs. Step 3: 83.037 ft. lbs
Main Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages
13.6 ft. lbs. Step 2: 18.0 ft. lbs. Step 3: 90°3.6 ft. lbs
Oil Pump to Cylinder BLock Bolts/Studs — tightening sequence 1 stages
111.08 ft. lbs. Step 2: 45°11.08 ft. lbs

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the spark plugs every 100,000 mi; coolant at 200,000 mi. The big-interval services (at 200,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 10,000 miBrake Drum Assembly (inspect) · Brake Line (inspect) · Brake Linings (inspect) · Brake Rotor (inspect) · CV Joint Boot (inspect) · Drive Axle Assembly (inspect)
Every 20,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Cabin Air Filter (replace)
Every 30,000 miEngine Air Filter Element (replace)
At 100,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect)
Every 100,000 miSpark Plugs (replace)
At 150,000 miDrive Axle Assembly (drain & refill) · Drive Belt (replace) · Transfer Case Assembly (drain & refill) · Transmission Fluid & Filter (replace)
At 200,000 miEngine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

The 2020 Ford Ranger demonstrates a positive trend in reliability compared to the 2019 model year. Complaints fell significantly from 260 in 2019 to 121 in 2020, while recalls decreased from 11 to 7. The most frequent complaints for 2020 were related to the Power Train (38), though the provided data does not specify the root cause of these failures. Despite a high volume of TSBs (135) and one investigation, the 2020 model shows a clear reduction in overall federal complaints relative to the start of this generation. Because the 2020 model year shows marked improvement in stability over the 2019 version, it is a good year to buy.

7
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
135
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
1
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
121
Owner complaints
6 involved a crash · 1 a fire
NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars
Rollover★★★★★

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 121 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Power Train38
Unknown Or Other9
Engine8
Service Brakes6
Visibility5
Exterior Lighting4
Seat Belts4
Visibility/Wiper3

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 7 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

21V765000Seats:Mid/Rear AssemblyReported 30/09/2021

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Ranger Super Cab vehicles equipped with rear seats containing fixed head restraints. The fixed head restraints may interfere with proper installation of certain… Remedy: Dealers will inspect the rear-lower child restraint anchorages for correct alignment and adjust as necessary. Separately, dealers will replace the non-removable head restraints…

21V811000Seat Belts:Front:WebbingReported 15/10/2021

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Ford Ranger Super Cab vehicles. The front passenger outboard seat belt may not have been assembled properly, allowing the seat belt to be misrouted. As such… Remedy: Ford will provide owners with instructions to perform a preliminary inspection of their front seat belts. Owners that detect an issue with the driver's seat belt, are unsure of…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 135 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
25B512026-05-08EngineCertain 2021-2024 Model Year Bronco, 2021-2024 Model Year Bronco Sport, 2020-2022 Model…
SSM 547202026-04-02Electrical SystemVarious 2020-2026 Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with blind spot information system…
25N172026-03-25Unknown Or OtherAdvance Notice – Customer Satisfaction Program 25N17 Certain 2015-2025 Model Year…
SSM 546012026-02-23Electrical SystemFord and Lincoln vehicles equipped with wired keyless entry keypad systems and accessory…
SSM 545922026-02-17Power TrainFor 20172026 vehicles equipped with a 10R transmission, a revision to the Road Testing…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Ranger. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2020 Ranger take?

6.2 qt of SAE 5W-30 - Synthetic Blend Motor Oil, per the factory manual.

Does the 2020 Ranger have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 7 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the Ranger get?

EPA figures are 21 city / 26 highway / 23 combined mpg.