2023 Ford Ranger Pricing and Specs

First instinct says the clutch is broken and not disengaging properly or at all. If that’s the case, the gearbox internals will be whirring around the whole time the engine is running and will not allow you to select a gear. If the clutch was working properly, you could disengage it, allow the gearbox internals to slow down and this would enable gear selection. That’s – very simply - kind of what a clutch does.

The fact that you can stop the engine (and, therefore, the bits inside the gearbox) select a gear and then restart the engine, also suggests that the clutch is worn or damaged and requires replacement.

Or you might be lucky and this is a simple case of the clutch hydraulics having failed. If that’s the case and the hydraulic system that links the clutch actuating arm to the clutch pedal inside the cabin has failed or seized up or run out of fluid, then you’ll get the same symptoms (because the clutch isn’t disengaging) but in a much cheaper to fix form.

The first thing to check is the level of hydraulic fluid in the clutch’s master cylinder under the bonnet. If it’s low or empty, you may have just found the culprit. Either way, these are sealed systems, so any loss of fluid suggests a leak somewhere. For the record, this model Ford Ranger did have a reputation for noisy clutch release bearings and problems with the clutch slave cylinder, the latter of which could certainly cause a fluid leak.

Your Ranger was sold with a factory warranty that should cover it for the first five years and with no limit on the kilometres covered. Provided you’ve maintained and serviced the vehicle properly (with the paperwork to prove it) then the warranty should definitely be intact.

But whether that warranty applies to an EGR valve is the real question. Ultimately, it will depend on why the valve has failed. That’s because most warranties don’t cover wear and tear, so a build-up of carbon and soot inside the EGR system may not be covered. But if the valve has failed due to a materials or manufacturing fault, then it should, on the surface, be Ford’s responsibility to replace the unit.

If there’s any form of dispute between Ford and yourself on this matter, the best advice is to have the vehicle (and EGR) independently tested (motoring clubs are a good place to start). That way the facts should determine the outcome, rather than opinions.

As an aside, don’t be tempted to drive the vehicle any farther with a coolant leak within the EGR system. Eventually enough coolant will be lost that the engine could overheat. And even before that happens, a leaking EGR valve can allow coolant inside the combustion chamber and the turbocharger with equally devastating results.

Start with the basics. Is the coolant level correct (and the radiator overflow tank intact)? Are the fan belts that drive the water pump tight and not slipping? Is the electric fan turning on? Is the second electric fan turning on with the air conditioning? Are the radiator hoses in good condition and not collapsing when you rev the engine? Are the car’s brakes dragging and causing the engine to work harder than it should? Is the radiator clean and flowing properly? Is the radiator cap holding the correct pressure? Is there a build-up of mud, bugs and grass on the radiator’s surface? All these things can lead to overheating.

If all that checks out, you might have to dig a bit deeper, including a check of whether the water pump is pulling its weight (and not worn internally) whether the thermostat is operating correctly and even a test to see whether the head gasket has failed. Ford’s Ranger engines have also ben known to experience failures of the Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) valve’s cooler which is part of the overall cooling system. The 2.2-litre and 3.2-litre Ranger engines seem more susceptible to this, but it shouldn’t be automatically ruled out on the 2.0-litre engine.