2024 Ford Ranger: 8 Month Ownership Update

In February 2025, I provided a 60 day update on my ownership experience with a 2024 Ford Ranger.  Now that I am at the eight month mark, I am happy to report that this remains a good vehicle purchase decision.

After 60 days, I reported a vibration concern and some early attempts to fix it.  Those details are captured in the related article below.  That saga continued until recently.

Related:  2024 Ford Ranger: 60 Day Update

Mechanical Complaint:  Vibration

Shortly after buying my Ranger, I noticed a vibration at idle and at speeds above 45 mph.  My dealer was attentive to my concerns, but it took three visits to get a good technician to work on it.  They originally balanced the front wheels and proclaimed it fixed. It was better, but not close to fixed.

After that visit, I took the following actions to finally correct this concern:

• My local Discount Tire performed a road force balance on all four wheels.  This helped a lot, but I still felt a slight vibration.  I chose to buy a set of Michelin Defender tires (known for high quality ride).
• I went back to my dealer two more times.  They claim the condition is no worse than other Rangers, but did perform a transmission “relearn.”  

DIY Vibration Repair

I have no argument or bad feelings about my dealer, but I needed to explore the remaining vibration at idle myself.  That type of vibration is usually caused by the engine or exhaust grounding out against the body or frame.  

After spending some time under the hood, I discovered two things: 

• The air filter housing was not seated properly.  This put a load on the two filter housing mounts (one on the fender, the other on the core support).  I reseated the filter housing and added rubber washers under the two filter housing mounts.
• One of the hard coolant pipes was laying against the air filter housing.  Moving it over one inch stopped the engine vibration from transmitting through the housing and fender.

With the extra time I spent chasing this down myself, I was able to correct that last remaining issue.  Should the dealer have caught it?  Yes, if they were given the time to do so.  Factory warranty labor time guides discourage the kind of detective work needed on some of these repairs.  They ruled out enough things that I could pick up the ball and get it over the goal line.

Sound Deadening

With the vibration under control, I turned my attention to adding my personal touches.  The Ranger is not a loud vehicle, but I wasn’t thrilled with the tinny sound from closing the doors.  My wife is a door slammer (no doubt the result of driving older cars growing up).  After a few of those slams, I decided to add some sound deadening to all four doors.

I won’t go into detail about that process here, so check out my article on Ford Ranger Sound Deadening if you want more information.  Bottom line, the cabin is quieter, the door speakers sound better, and the perceived quality from the door closures is much improved.

Custom Vinyl Graphics

Now for the best part of vehicle ownership: personalization.  Of all of the different vehicles owned, two are the most fun to add custom touches–MINI Coopers and pickup trucks.

Around the time that I bought my Ranger, I also bought a Cricut vinyl cutting machine.  I have had more fun creating and installing custom graphics!  Vinyl is easy to shape, install and remove, so I use it a lot.  The pictures below demonstrate the many ways to use vinyl for a custom look, including a way to tone down the brightness of the Ford logo!

Hood Accents

Growing up,  I was a big fan of hood scoops and things that gave texture to the hood of my cars.  After all, every time you drive you are looking over the hood.

I found some fake Ranger Raptor hood vents on eBay, and placed them on the hood using 3M double sided emblem tape.  These looked great, but I felt like a poser wearing those vents.  I took them off, then started playing around with vinyl graphics and ultimately 3D printed trail sights.

The images below show the progression of my ideas.  I’m feeling good about those 3D printed trail sights, which were inspired by the ones on the new Ford Bronco.  Now that I am exploring 3D printing, my customization world is limitless!

Running Board Replacement

My Ranger came equipped with the factory running boards.  These are good quality parts that can handle a lot of duty.  At 6’4” tall, I do not need any assistance getting into this truck.  My wife (all 5’1” of her), however, does need an assist step.  

My problem with the running boards is that they hit the back of my leg as I exit the truck.  I thought about removing the running board on just my side of the truck, but that would just be odd.  Instead, I found the side steps shown in the image below.  These still provide a step up for those in need, but the space between the front and rear steps is wide enough that I can step out of the truck without hitting it.

Problem solved, plus I think it gives the truck a more rugged look.

Tires/Wheels

As I mentioned earlier, I replaced the stock Goodyear Wrangler tires with a set of Michelin Defenders.  I tried to sell the Wranglers, but didn’t get any bites from Facebook Marketplace.  As a result, I decided to keep those tires for future use.

Something inspired me to look for used Bronco wheels.  They are the same size and offset as the Ranger wheels and seem to be plentiful in the market.  I found a set of five Bronco Big Bend wheels for $200 on Marketplace.  Full story below:

Related: Facebook Marketplace Wheel Shopping

I like those wheels but felt they needed a little more pop.  I painted one of the pockets on each wheel to add an accent.  See image below for the transformation. 

I just had the original Goodyear Wrangler tires mounted on the Bronco wheels and installed on the Ranger.  The ride is similar to the Michelin Defenders.  I now have all-terrain tires for winter and the Michelins for good weather.

Final Assessment

Overall, I am very pleased with the Ranger and am happy with my purchase. I am extremely sensitive to rattles and vibrations–more so than the average consumer.  Luckily, the Ranger is free of any dash rattles, and is now running smooth and vibration-free.

I’ll check back in at the one year mark, but don’t expect much to change.  If you are considering one of the midsized pickups in the market, check out the Ranger.  It’s a great vehicle and less expensive than the GM twins.