Ford Ranger – Can The Ranger Be Flat Towed?

ByJohn Nelson

Thinking about taking a road trip in an RV and looking to flaw tow a vehicle behind your rig? Maybe you need to flat tow a truck for work. Regardless of why you need to flat tow a vehicle, the big question I want to address is can the Ford Ranger be flat towed? I wasn’t sure so I did a little research and this is what I found.

Can Ford Ranger be Flat Towed?

Yes, the Ford Ranger can be flat towed.

How to Flat Tow Your Ford Ranger in A Few Simple Steps

  • Get Inside Your Car
    • The first step is getting inside your Ford Range and pressing the start/stop button without stepping the brake pedal.
    • Note: If you have a vehicle with key ignition, then you just have to simply turn the key to the ON or ACCESSORY mode position.
  • Press the Brake
    • The next step is to press and hold the brake pedal and make sure it is in 2 HIGH on the four-wheel drive selector.
  • Put it in Neutral
    • Next, you will want to shift your transmission from PARK to NEUTRAL mode.
  • Use Your Controls
    • Use the controls on your steering wheel and go to where you see an OK button surrounded by four arrows, then press the arrow pointing to your left.
    • Then using the up and down arrows, go to SETTINGS, VEHICLE, and select NEUTRAL TOW.
    • Please do not move onto the next step until you are one hundred percent sure that your Ford Ranger is in neutral mode. We cannot stress enough how important this one step is. If your car is not in NEUTRAL mode, it will damage your transmission.
  • Go back to the OK button
    • Now we are going to go back to the OK button that is surrounded by arrows- it is the same button that we used in the previous step.
    • Next, press the OK button to initialize the NEUTRAL tow.
    • Be sure to hold the OK button until you see this message pop up on your display screen, “NEUTRAL TOW ENABLED, LEAVE TRANSMISSION IN NEUTRAL.”
    • Please do not go on to the next step until you see this message. If this message does not show up, then continue pressing the OK button until it does.
    • If after a while you do not see the message pop up on the display screen then you must perform this procedure over again from the beginning.
    • Repeat as necessary.
    • If after a few tries you still do not see this message, then we would suggest calling your local Ford dealer and asking them because there could be some sort of error in the engine.
  • Press the Start/Stop button
    • If your vehicle is key-less, then press the start/stop button once without pressing the brake pedal to turn it off.
    • If you have a key, then leave it in the ignition as you tow.
  • Message on Display
    • Please note that every time you open or close the driver’s door while you are on accessory mode, you will see this message pop up on your display screen, “NEUTRAL TOW ENABLED, LEAVE TRANSMISSION IN NEUTRAL.”
    • This is to reassure you that your vehicle is indeed in neutral tow mode.
  • How to Exit
    • To exit out of four wheels down towing, with your Ford Ranger still properly secured to the tow vehicle, turn the ignition to ACCESSORY MODE by pressing the start/stop button without pressing the brake pedal.
    • Then, press and hold the brake pedal while in accessory mode and shift the transmission out of NEUTRAL and into PARK.
    • If you have a key, then turn the key to the ON position.
    • Then press and hold the brake pedal and shift the transmission out of NEUTRAL.
  • Check your Display Screen
    • You will get a message saying your vehicle is out of NEUTRAL mode.
    • And that is it!
Can The Ranger Be Flat Towed?

Ford Ranger Trim Levels

No matter what Ford Ranger trim level you opt to go for, the transmission and drive are the same. All Ford Ranger trim levels for the all-new 2020 Ford Rangers have a 10-speed automatic transmission.

However, what differs is the drive-some Ford Rangers have the 4 x 2 while others have the 4 x 4. While 4 x 4 is preferred for flat towing, you can also flat tow on your 4 x 2 as well but with caution.

To be completely sure whether your Ford Ranger (2 x 2) can be towed, we would highly recommend reading your driver’s manual. If you have lost or misplaced it, then we would recommend giving your local Ford dealer a call.

Please note: The current Ford Ranger has four different trim levels and thirteen configurations. Check them out down below:

●     XL Pickup Box Delete

  • The first trim level is the XL Pickup Box Delete.
    • Style: XL PickUp Box Delete 4×2 SuperCab 6 ft. box 126.8 in. WB
    • Engine: 270-hp, 2.3-liter I-4 (regular gas)
    • Transmission:10-speed automatic w/OD and auto-manual
    • Drive: 4x 2

●     XL

  • The second trim level is the XL.
    • Style 1: XL 4×2 SuperCab 6 ft. box 126.8 in. WB
    • Engine:  270-hp, 2.3-liter I-4 (regular gas)
    • Transmission: 10-speed automatic w/OD and auto-manual
    • Drive: 4 x 2
  • Style 2: XL 4×2 SuperCrew 5 ft. box 126.8 in. WB
    • Engine: 270-hp, 2.3-liter I-4 (regular gas)
    • Transmission: 10-speed automatic w/OD and auto-manual
    • Drive: 4 x 2
  • Style 3: XL 4×4 SuperCab 6 ft. box 126.8 in. WB
    • Engine: 270-hp, 2.3-liter I-4 (regular gas)
    • Transmission: 10-speed automatic w/OD and auto-manual
    • Drive: 4 x 4
  • Style 3: XL 4×4 SuperCrew 5 ft. box 126.8 in. WB
    • Engine: 270-hp, 2.3-liter I-4 (regular gas)
    • Transmission: 10-speed automatic w/OD and auto-manual
    • Drive: 4 x 4

●     XLT

  • The third time level is the XLT.
    • Style 1: XLT 4×2 SuperCab 6 ft. box 126.8 in. WB
    • Engine: 270-hp, 2.3-liter I-4 (regular gas)
    • Transmission: 10-speed automatic w/OD and auto-manual
    • Drive: 4 x 2
  • Style 2: XLT 4×2 SuperCrew 5 ft. box 126.8 in. WB
    • Engine: 270-hp, 2.3-liter I-4 (regular gas)
    • Transmission: 10-speed automatic w/OD and auto-manual
    • Drive: 4 x 2
  • Style 3: XLT 4×4 SuperCab 6 ft. box 126.8 in. WB
    • Engine: 270-hp, 2.3-liter I-4 (regular gas)
    • Transmission: 10-speed automatic w/OD and auto-manual
    • Drive: 4 x 4
  • Style 4: XLT 4×4 SuperCrew 5 ft. box 126.8 in. WB
    • Engine: 270-hp, 2.3-liter I-4 (regular gas)
    • Transmission: 10-speed automatic w/OD and auto-manual
    • Drive: 4 x 4

●     Lariat

  • The last and fourth trim level is the Lariat.
    • Style 1: Lariat 4×2 SuperCab 6 ft. box 126.8 in. WB
    • Engine: 270-hp, 2.3-liter I-4 (regular gas)
    • Transmission: 10-speed automatic w/OD and auto-manual
    • Drive: 4 x 2
  • Style 2: Lariat 4×2 SuperCrew 5 ft. box 126.8 in. WB
    • Engine:270-hp, 2.3-liter I-4 (regular gas)
    • Transmission: 10-speed automatic w/OD and auto-manual
    • Drive: 4 x 2
  • Style 3: Lariat 4×4 SuperCab 6 ft. box 126.8 in. WB
    • Engine: 270-hp, 2.3-liter I-4 (regular gas)
    • Transmission: 10-speed automatic w/OD and auto-manual
    • Drive: 4 x 4
  • Style 4: Lariat 4×4 SuperCrew 5 ft. box 126.8 in. WB
    • Engine:270-hp, 2.3-liter I-4 (regular gas)
    • Transmission: 10-speed automatic w/OD and auto-manual
    • Drive: 4 x 4

Final Thoughts

Now you know the Ford Ranger can be flat towed. Whether you are flat towing for work or pleasure, now you know the Ranger pickup truck should be on your buying list.

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