Same issue with my 2.7 and at 3K miles they replaced the motor, long block. I am not going to go into all the details but, short story is they RR'd the motor by dropping it out of the bottom and it just wasn't the same truck handling wise and the knock was still there..perhaps even louder. This...
If you are even a little bit handy just fix that yourself. As Sauce said, it's likely just a clip that isn't seated. RR the offending side of the bumper and see if it snaps back into place. I've learned to only use the dealership for major warranty issues.
Then you need to examine the definition of civil. No one has been uncivil to you and yet you feel they have. They just didn't agree with you is all, so stop it.
The 2.7 Ranger is wonderful.
Like others have said very smooth, and always has power on tap for passing, towing, hauling.
I test drove the 2.3 Ranger, as well as the Tacoma (non hybrid) and both were too ratty for my taste. The 2.7 in Ranger just feels at home, as do the FX4 shocks.
In other...