Ford South Africa

I bought a new 2026 Ford Ranger Wildtrak V6 on the 14th of April 2026 and took possession on the 17th of April 2026. The vehicle suffered a significant failure which caused me to lose all confidence in its reliability and safety. What is of a huge concern is that the vehicle exhibited and recorded errors from the date I took possession being the 17th of April and recorded errors daily up until the unfortunate incident. These errors were present unbeknownst to me from the 17th of April when I took possession of the vehicle. On the 13th of May while driving in peak traffic the vehicle would not engage gears whilst in drive mode, the vehicle got stuck in first gear and the vehicle was unresponsive. The incident placed me in a position, where I was compelled to pull off the side of the road during peak traffic in circumstances that were unsafe, both from a traffic-safety perspective and from a personal-security perspective. I remain deeply concerned that a recurrence of the same or similar failure may place me, my family, passengers, and other road users at risk of serious harm.

What is important is that the same U0415 ABS-data fault was logged repeatedly over a 27-day period. What this means is that the ABS module supplies important vehicle dynamics data used by other systems, including power steering, traction control, stability control, hill assist, braking support, and driver-assistance systems. U0415 is generally treated as a safety-relevant communication or da******egrity fault, not merely a cosmetic warning. General diagnostic references describe U0415 as invalid data from the ABS control module, commonly linked to ABS module faults, wiring/connectivity faults, wheel-speed sensor data problems, software/configuration issues, or CAN-bus communication problems.

The diagnostic history reflects repeated, recurring communication/da******egrity faults between safety-critical vehicle modules from at least 394 km to 543 km. The faults involve the ABS control module, Power Steering Control Module and Image Processing Module A. The presence of a TSB indicator further suggests that Ford’s diagnostic system recognises a possible technical service bulletin or known diagnostic path relevant to the fault. I therefore require a full written root-cause analysis and not merely confirmation that the codes were cleared.

Despite the seriousness of the matter, Ford South Africa has to date failed and / or refused to provide a proper substantive response to my written demands and have dealt with the matter in a frivolous manner. I have specifically requested technical reports, diagnostic findings, internal assessments, and any relevant information relating to the failure experienced, yet Ford South Africa has not had the courtesy to respond meaningfully to the concerns raised. Their conduct has left me with the impression that my safety as a consumer, and the seriousness of the defect complained of, are not being treated with the urgency and diligence required.