Best tires for the Ford Ranger (255/70R16, ranked by category)

Q: What's the best all-season tire for the Ford Ranger?

Our top all-season touring pick for the 255/70R16 OEM size is Pirelli Scorpion All Terrain Plus, selected by matching segment fitment, all-season compound class, and premium-brand quality bonus.

Q: Should I get a cheaper tire for my Ford Ranger?

The budget pick ranks by cost-per-warranty-mile. Trade-off is shorter warranty vs premium options, not actual safety risk.

Daily driver

Best all-season touring

Long warranty, low noise, balanced ride. The one-tire compromise that works for 80% of owners.

Pirelli

Scorpion all terrain plus

UTQG 600 with a 50,000-mile warranty; long-wear all-season compound built for the daily-driver mileage profile typical for Ford Ranger owners.

UTQG 600 50k mi warranty 73 dB all-season

BFGoodrich

All-Terrain T/A KO2

Reinforced sidewall all-season compound; balanced ride, grip, and tread life for everyday driving.

50k mi warranty 75 dB all-season

Bridgestone

Blizzak DM V2 255/70R16

Touring-tuned all-season compound; balanced ride, grip, and tread life for everyday driving.

Bridgestone

Dueler H/T 685

Touring-tuned all-season compound; balanced ride, grip, and tread life for everyday driving.

Lowest cost per mile

Best budget

Best price-per-warranty-mile in this size. Trade-off is shorter warranty vs premium options, not safety.

Michelin

Defender LTX M/S

Lowest sticker price in this size that still meets the OEM load index. Trade-off is shorter warranty vs premium options.

UTQG 800

BFGoodrich

Advantage T/A sport LT

Lowest sticker price in this size that still meets the OEM load index. Trade-off is shorter warranty vs premium options.

UTQG 740

Toyo

Open country H/T II

Lowest sticker price in this size that still meets the OEM load index. Trade-off is shorter warranty vs premium options.

UTQG 740

Yokohama

Geolandar H/T G056

Lowest sticker price in this size that still meets the OEM load index. Trade-off is shorter warranty vs premium options.

UTQG 720

Lowest cabin noise

Best quiet

Tread patterns engineered to break up the harmonic peaks that cause highway droning. Pick this if you commute long highway distances daily.

Pirelli

Scorpion all terrain plus

73 dB cabin-noise rating per the EU tire label; well below the segment median. Tread pattern engineered to break up the harmonic peaks that cause highway droning.

UTQG 600 50k mi warranty 73 dB all-season

BFGoodrich

All-Terrain T/A KO2

75 dB cabin-noise rating per the EU tire label; still quieter than most competitors in this size. Tread pattern engineered to break up the harmonic peaks that cause highway droning.

50k mi warranty 75 dB all-season

Side-by-side

Pick the trade-off that matches your driving

	All-season Pirelli Scorpion All Terrain Plus	Best budget Michelin Defender LTX M/S
UTQG treadwear	600	800
Mileage warranty	50,000 mi	-
Cabin noise	73 dB	-
Season class	all-season	-
Type	truck-suv	-

OEM tire sizes by year

What size does the ford ranger use?

Recommendations on this page are anchored to the latest model-year's OEM size. Confirm yours against the driver-door placard before purchase.

Year	OEM size
1983–2001	`215/75R15`	Year-specific fitment →
2002–2004	`245/75R16`	Year-specific fitment →
2005–2011	`255/70R16`	Year-specific fitment →
2013–2018	`255/70R16`	Year-specific fitment →
2019–2023	`255/65R17`	Year-specific fitment →
2024–2026	`255/70R17`	Year-specific fitment →

Browse Ford Ranger fitment by year →

How we ranked these tires for the ford ranger

We started with the latest model-year's OEM tire size; 255/70R16; and filtered our catalog of 22,000+ tires to those offered in that exact size. From there, four parallel rankings:

Best all-season ranks on a weighted score: tire type matches passenger car segment, season is "all-season", premium brand bonus (Michelin / Continental / Bridgestone / Pirelli / Goodyear / Nokian).
Best budget ranks on cost-per-warranty-mile; the lower the better. Premium brands get no bonus here.
Best quiet ranks on the EU tire-label dB rating; lower is quieter.
Best winter filters to tires marked 3PMSF severe-snow rated or all-weather class, with a small premium-brand bonus because winter-compound R&D is capital-intensive.

For sedans and compacts, the all-season touring tire below is the best default; long warranty, low cabin noise, reasonable cost per mile. Switch to the quiet pick if highway droning is a deal-breaker; switch to the winter pick if you see significant snow each year. Use the side-by-side comparison above to weigh the trade-offs against your specific driving; highway-heavy, winter-state, performance-oriented, or budget-constrained.

NHTSA-reported issues for ford ranger

913

Complaints

77

Crashes

66

Injuries

7

Deaths

Top issue category: Tires (General)

Most reported: Tires (General) (468) · Tread / Belt (331) · Sidewall (66) · Spare Tire (40) · TPMS (4)

Reported across: 1985 – 2021 (29 years)

What owners described

Blowout or sudden deflation is the most common description, in 20% of these reports. Percentages are shares of the 589 reports covering every model year of the Ford Ranger that include a written account; a single report can describe more than one problem, so they do not total 100%.

Reported problem	This subject	All tire complaints	Relative
Blowout or sudden deflation	20%	20%	1.0×
Tread or belt separation	16%	13%	1.2×
Sidewall failure	15%	15%	1.0×
Cracking or dry rot	12%	9%	1.3×
Loss of control, rollover or collision	10%	8%	1.2×
Bubble or bulge in the tire	2%	6%	0.3×

Mileage at failure

134 of these reports state an odometer reading. The middle report is at 22,926 miles, with 8 in 10 falling between 6,000 and 93,697 miles.

In owners' own words

Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA about Ford Ranger. Reports are published by NHTSA as filed and are lightly cleaned here only to remove intake codes.

THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD RANGER EQUIPPED WITH GOODYEAR WRANGLER RADIAL (P) TIRES, SIZE P235/75R15. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SHAKE. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD AND NOTICED THAT ALL FOUR TIRES HAD BUBBLES ON THE SIDEWALLS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP WHERE THE TIRES WERE REPLACED WITH ANOTHER SET OF THE SAME TIRES. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT A WEEK LATER THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS ADVISED THAT ALL FOUR TIRES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 44,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 50,000.

NHTSA complaint 1005608 · 2002 vehicle

THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 FORD RANGER EQUIPPED WITH MICHELIN GOODRICH RADIAL TIRES, SIZE P225/70/R14. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER ROTATING THE TIRES, A CRACK WAS DISCOVERED ON THE SIDE WALL OF THE TIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO SEE THE CRACK. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE TIRE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 15,000 AND THE VEHICLE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 180,000.

NHTSA complaint 1100007 · 1996 vehicle

THE CONTACT OWNS A 1989 FORD RANGER EQUIPPED WITH HERCULES H/P 4000 TIRES, SIZE: 215/70R14 (NA). THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE TIRE WAS CRACKING AND EXPERIENCED TREAD SEPARATION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS RECOMMENDED TO REPLACE ALL THE TIRES. THE TIRES WERE REPLACED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE TIRE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150 AND THE VEHICLE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,400.

NHTSA complaint 1216938 · 1989 vehicle

THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD RANGER. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE LOW TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT DISCOVERED THAT ALL FOUR TIRES WERE LOSING AIR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN ADDED AIR TO THE TIRES. THE FAILURE RECURRED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 29,500. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

NHTSA complaint 1255898 · 2005 vehicle

Complaints are voluntarily submitted to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation and are not verified by NHTSA; they represent owner-reported problems, not proven defects. Counts can be useful as a relative quality signal across comparable tires or vehicles.

FAQ

What's the best all-season tire for the Ford Ranger?

The all-season touring slate above ranks the top options for the 255/70R16 OEM size. The leader is selected by matching ford-segment fitment, all-season compound class, and premium-brand quality bonus. For most Ford Ranger owners, the all-season touring pick is the best one-tire compromise; long warranty, low noise, reasonable cost per mile.

Should I get a cheaper tire for my Ford Ranger?

The budget slate above ranks tires by cost-per-warranty-mile, ignoring brand premium. The budget pick is genuinely competitive on durability metrics; the trade-off is shorter warranty and slightly higher cabin noise, not actual safety risk. If you drive less than 15,000 miles a year, the budget pick will outlast your replacement window regardless.

Does the Ford Ranger need winter tires?

If you see more than 5 snow days a year or drive at sustained temperatures below 7 °C, yes; winter compounds stay pliable in cold where all-season rubber hardens, which translates directly to shorter braking distances. The winter pick above is 3PMSF severe-snow rated and works for the 255/70R16 OEM fitment. Storage cost is real (4 extra tires somewhere), but the safety margin in winter conditions is substantial.

Can I run a different tire size on my Ford Ranger?

Plus-size and minus-size alternatives within ±3% overall diameter are typically safe per the ETRTO standard. See the 255/70R16 upsize options for the full categorised alternatives table with verdicts.

Where can I buy these tires?

Each tire links to its detail page with live pricing from our online retailer partners. Out-the-door cost (including mount, balance, TPMS service, and disposal) varies by state; use the install cost calculator for a realistic estimate.