2017 Ford Ranger 3.2L Diesel · FA57 KJL

The 2017 Ford Ranger presents a mixed maintenance picture. The most recent test on 29 September 2025 at 36,091 miles passed, but the tester flagged worn and pitted front brake discs, thin front pads, both front tyres worn to the legal limit, and a front oil leak. This marks a clear deterioration from the clean pass recorded on 29 September 2022 at 29,636 miles. The trend since 2022 is worsening, with recurring front brake and tyre wear now joined by corrosion-related disc pitting and fluid seepage that were absent three years ago. The mileage profile raises its own questions. The vehicle covered just 6,455 miles between September 2022 and September 2025, averaging roughly 2,150 miles per year over that three-year window. Yet the front brake discs are described as pitted and worn, and both front tyres have worn to the legal limit in the same period. Disc pitting of this nature on a vehicle doing such low mileage often points to long periods of standing, which allows surface corrosion to form on exposed discs and accelerate wear. The low annual mileage does not correlate with the level of front-end wear recorded, suggesting the vehicle may have sat stationary for extended periods between uses. Buyers should treat the front axle as the primary inspection focus. The fractured offside front coil spring identified in the 22 September 2023 failure at 31,268 miles was rectified before the retest three days later, but a broken spring on a vehicle of this age and mileage warrants close inspection of both coil springs for cracks, sag, or corrosion, along with the top and bottom mounts. The recurring front tyre edge wear across multiple tests indicates possible tracking or suspension geometry issues. Have the front wheel alignment, suspension bushes, and ball joints checked thoroughly. The persistent oil leak, first noted nearside front at the transfer box drive shaft seal in 2024 and then flagged as a general front oil leak in 2025, needs proper identification. Determine whether this is a transfer box seal, a crankshaft seal, or a power steering leak, and verify whether the repair was carried out or simply masked between tests. The central exhaust minor leak flagged in 2023 does not appear in the 2024 or 2025 records, suggesting it was addressed. Still, inspect the full exhaust system for corrosion, particularly around joints and hangers, given the vehicle's low-use pattern. Surface rust on brake lines, fuel lines, and the underside chassis should be examined carefully. Vehicles that stand for long periods often develop corrosion in areas that high-mileage vehicles keep dried out through regular heat cycles. A thorough underside inspection is essential before purchase.