Ford is one of the most successful and popular American automakers, and that’s especially true in terms of the pickup truck segment. The Ford F-150 has been the best-selling vehicle in America for decades, but Ford also has other great truck options that typically sell well. Here’s a look at how Ford’s pickup truck sales are doing, and how the Ranger is the only Ford truck that’s struggling.

This is how Ford’s truck lineup is doing so far in 2023

Ford Authority has the latest sales data from the first quarter of 2023 available, and unsurprisingly, Ford’s truck segment is doing well. Overall, truck sales increased by almost 20% compared to the same time last year. In raw numbers, the automaker has already sold over 254,000 trucks. For comparison, the company has sold a total of 456,000 vehicles overall. 

That means that trucks represent over 55% of the company’s sales in the first quarter of 2023. The F-Series is, of course, the best-selling Ford truck as it’s sold 170,000 units so far in the year. The Maverick is the Detroit-based automaker’s latest truck offering. The company has already sold about 21,500 units of the Maverick year-to-date.

Both the F-Series and the Maverick have seen a significant jump in sales compared to last year. The F-Series had a 21% growth, while the Maverick had an 11% growth.

In comparison, the Ranger, which is the automaker’s midsize truck option, saw a decline in sales. It’s only sold 11,500 units so far this year. That’s a nearly 35% drop from the first quarter of 2022.

There are a couple of reasons why the Ford Ranger may be struggling

It’s unclear why the Ranger is struggling while the other two main Ford trucks aren’t. However, it likely doesn’t help that the Ranger is competing in a segment that’s dominated by the Toyota Tacoma. As far as trucks go, the full-size segment is dominated by Ford, Chevy, and Ram. But in the midsize segment, options from other automakers have been more competitive.

As such, it’s entirely possible that truck shoppers who are looking for a midsize truck simply think that the Tacoma is the better option. There’s also the possibility that Ford fans are choosing the Maverick over the Ranger. Technically speaking, the Maverick is in a different segment than the Ranger, but compared to the F-150, both trucks are on the smaller side.

That’s why it’s also possible that the Maverick, which is brand-new while the Ranger is a few years older, has been eating away at the Ranger’s customer base.

Another possibility is that Ford fans are simply holding off on buying the latest Ranger. After all, the Detroit-based automaker is redesigning the midsize truck for the 2024 model year, and the updates may make it worth waiting for. 

Ford, as a company, had a great start to 2023 however

Despite the Ranger’s weak sales, Ford saw a growth in sales overall. In the same period last year, the company sold about 413,000 vehicles. This means that, for the first quarter of 2023, Ford has already sold about 11% better than it did last year. Most of that sales growth was due to the vehicles that Ford is well-known for.

The F-Series’ continued popularity played a big role, but so did the automaker’s SUVs. The Explorer, for example, is the company’s best-selling vehicle that’s not a truck. It’s a midsize SUV, and Ford has already sold 58,000 units of the Explorer year-to-date. That represents a nearly 36% increase compared to last year.