Ford F-150 Complaints (2021)

1,308 consumer complaints on file.

#11684308September 1, 2025
ENGINE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I had driven the car about 15 residential miles to Home Depot and back. As I was driving into my driveway I smelled smoke and looked forward to see a puff of smoke coming out from the front, driver's side wheel well. I put the car in park and pulled the hook release control under the steering wheel. Suddenly flames were coming out the sides of the hood, about 12" high. I pulled the car quickly away from the house and trees. Put the car in park, as the flames were now engulfing the entire hood. I quickly got away from the car and called 911. The Fire Department is close to my house, yet by the time they arrived the car, including interior cabin, was fully engulfed in flames.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11684196August 31, 2025
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Left Side Day Time Driving Light went out on top half on my 2021 F150 Ford Truck. Ford has many complaints of this happening to the Day Time Driving Lights from 2021 to 2024. The light is a complete replacement of the entire head light assembly for $ 2000 at the dealer. Day Time Driving Lights are a Safety Feature of Automobiles and should be part of warranties. This is a major problem with the Ford lighting system and it shouldn't cost $2000 to replace a daytime driving light. Being a Safety Item it should be recalled and Ford should be made to replace these head light assemblies to ensure the safety of all drivers.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11684131August 30, 2025
VISIBILITY/WIPER
I was driving in a torrential rain storm in Florida. My wipers were on as I have the Platinum edition which has numerous sensors. I heard a strange sound then nothing the wipers stopped and I could not see a thing. I was in traffic so i put my hazard lights on and I indicated to the right and pulled over. I could not drive the vehicle so I had to wait the storm out before I could drive. When I got home I noted that this was a common problem with the 2021 F150 and in Particular the Platinum edition. I called Greenway Ford who told me it was covered under warranty but when I got there they advised me that my vehicle was not part of the recall. They advised that a technician could take a look at $179 to assess the damage. I said its clearly wiper motor as there is no sound at all when you try to turn on the wipers its completely dead. I wondered if any other owners had suffered the same fate. Unfortunately I cant drive the vehicle right now as we have regular storms in Orlando. I have only had the vehicle a few months and I was pretty disappointed in their response as it was really dangerous when this happened. I am not a mechanic but it appears by the VIN my vehicle was not part of the recall. I am reporting this in case there are other owners who suffered the same issue and it may warrant a recall. I thank you in advance for any help you can provide and thank you for keeping us safe.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11684005August 29, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while opening the front driver’s side door, there was an abnormal grinding coming from the motor for the retractable running board on the front passenger’s side, and the running board failed to deploy as designed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the motor in the retractable running board had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact attempted to replace the motor for the retractable running board himself and failed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 81,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11683963August 29, 2025
POWER TRAIN, VISIBILITY, BACK OVER PREVENTION
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 21V090000 (VISIBILITY), 23V896000 (POWER TRAIN), and 25V315000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle jerked abnormally. On another occasion, the tailgate failed to function as intended. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but was not diagnosed. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was unknown.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11683462August 27, 2025
POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V896000 (POWER TRAIN); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11683366August 27, 2025
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
The LEDs in the daytime running lights have failed. They are partially burned out. Based on research, I’ve done online this is apparently a common problem.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11683336August 27, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, STEERING
Random times my clockspring makes clicking sounds and the car iant able to be driven. Getting many messages about issues with the vehicle
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11683245August 26, 2025
POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V896000 (Power Train). The contact stated that the dealer was contacted several times regarding parts availability; however, the contact was informed that parts were on a national back order. The contact stated that the most recent letter stated that parts were available; however, when the contact called the dealer, the dealer stated that parts were still not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11683237August 26, 2025
BACK OVER PREVENTION
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V315000 (Back Over Prevention). The contact stated that the camera was flashing, the image was blocked, and the camera became inoperable. The driver had to use the mirrors while reversing. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where the software update was completed, but the failure persisted. The contact was informed that further inspection of the vehicle was needed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 35,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11683058August 26, 2025
AIR BAGS
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while her husband was stopped, a 2023 Dodge Ram 1500 reversed at approximately 55 MPH, causing the rear to crash into the front of her husband's front of vehicle. No air bags deployed. The contact's husband and grandfather, who was a passenger in the vehicle, were injured. The grandfather sustained neck and facial injuries, primarily around the neck and chin area. The husband suffered injuries to his hands. Medical attention was required for both occupants. A police report was filed, and the vehicle was towed. The insurance company was pending an inspection to determine if the vehicle was destroyed or not. The contact informed the dealer of the incident, and referred the contact to the manufacturer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 59,000.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
2
Deaths:
0
#11682828August 25, 2025
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V455000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11682792August 25, 2025
POWER TRAIN
My 2021 Ford F-150 5.0L V8 with the 10-speed automatic transmission has ongoing and severe transmission issues that create a dangerous safety hazard. The vehicle intermittently loses power and feels like it slips completely out of gear while driving, including at highway speeds. This sudden loss of acceleration is unsafe and could easily lead to an accident. The most severe issues occur between 2nd and 4th gear. The truck slams in and out of gear, hesitates, and lurches violently. Shifting often feels like the transmission is “hunting” for the right gear, and hesitation occurs throughout other gear ranges as well. At times, it feels like a new driver learning to operate a manual transmission—jerky, unpredictable, and unsafe. This is not an isolated problem. After researching on multiple owner forums, I found many other 2021 F-150 owners reporting the exact same issues: slipping out of gear, hard shifts between 2nd–4th, hesitation, loss of power, and violent shifting. These widespread complaints strongly suggest a defect in the design or function of this 10-speed transmission. This is not just a drivability issue—it is a critical safety concern. I have lost power while merging and while traveling at highway speeds, leaving me unable to accelerate when needed. In city driving, the hesitation and gear slamming create dangerous situations when crossing intersections or pulling into traffic. Given the number of owners reporting similar problems, I believe this is a systemic defect that requires immediate investigation and action. Ford needs to address this transmission failure before it leads to crashes, injuries, or fatalities.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11682309August 22, 2025
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Right side headlight had partial failure resulting in insuffient lighting. had it replaced because Ford said its not a covered item. Three months later the left side headlight went partially out. ive spoke to a few Ford owners who has had the same problem and Ford is not recognizing this issue as a defective part. I think this problem needs to be addressed.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11682166August 21, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Fords Sync system fails to connect to internet and won’t update resulting in transmission failing to relearn as you drive
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11681552August 19, 2025
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN, STEERING
Power steering rack failure, while driving though a puddle less than 6 inches deep. Cost over $1900 to replace. My wife's 2014 volkswagen passat is able to drive though deeper water.. on 8/13 I was unable to move over on a road that had some puddles due to oncoming traffic. After driving though the small puddle my power steering went out. Took to the mechanic and he said its a known issue due to how Ford did not seal their wiring well under the trucks and it hangs lower allowing the water to seep into the cables and cause the powering steering rack to fail.. this is unacceptable its a truck a puddle should not cause a truck to loose power steering.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11681388August 18, 2025
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost automotive power. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that prior to the failure, the vehicle hesitated to start. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle failed to restart or shift out of neutral(N). The vehicle was towed to a local residence, where it was diagnosed with a fuel pump failure. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V455000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 51,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11681308August 18, 2025
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V455000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11681301August 18, 2025
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact remote started the vehicle from the office and walked up to the vehicle, and became aware that the front driver’s side vertical daytime running lights failed to function as intended. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed. The contact was informed that the failure might be related to the headlight assembly and that the headlight assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and the contact was informed that the repair would be an out-of-pocket expense for the replacement of the headlight module because the failure was not covered under recall or warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 52,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11680937August 15, 2025
POWER TRAIN
Last Monday, I was driving [XXX] near Jacksonville, Fl. While in an outer lane the truck pulled to the right during rain, not like a hydroplaning. I could not regain control and hit a barrier. Airbags deployed. After, I got out saw the rear passenger tire was somehow off. When PSA arrive they found it ~200 feet down the road. It had snapped off. Complete break at the axle hub. Given the recall issued on 2023-2025 models I thought I should report this. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0

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