Complaint volume
941 consumer-submitted complaints are matched to this model year. Treat the count as a research signal, then read the actual summaries for repeated symptoms.
Complaint records
2021 Ford F-150 Complaints
941 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2021 Ford F-150, grouped by component category.
941 Total complaints
13 Crash reports
4 Fire reports
6 Injury reports
Complaint data reflects consumer-submitted reports. A complaint is not proof
of a defect, recall, or manufacturer fault. Enriched severity fields come
from official bulk records when the complaint can be matched by ODI number.
Buyer interpretation
How to use these complaints before buying
Complaint records are most useful when they turn into inspection points, seller questions, and comparison checks against nearby model years.
Pattern to inspect
The most common categories are power train, exterior lighting, visibility. Use those categories as a test-drive checklist instead of judging the vehicle from the total count alone.
Severity flags
Enriched records include 13 crash reports, 4 fire reports, 6 injury reports, and 0 fatality reports. These fields come from complaint records and should be read in context.
Mileage clue
Mileage is available on 206 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 46,358 miles. Compare that with the mileage on the listing.
Questions to ask the seller
- Have you had any problems related to power train, exterior lighting, visibility?
- Can I see recent maintenance and repair records?
- Has the vehicle ever been towed, involved in a crash, or repaired for the same issue twice?
- Can we also check the recall record for this 2021 Ford F-150?
Used-car checklist
Use these complaints before the test drive.
Build a buyer checklist to turn these issues into questions and inspection points.
2021 Ford F-150
Build buyer checklist Compare with other years Sends year, make, and model to pre-fill your checklist.
How severe are the 2021 Ford F-150 complaints?
13 Crash
4 Fire
6 Injury
0 Fatality
28 Towed
3 Medical attention
What are the most common 2021 Ford F-150 complaint categories?
POWER TRAIN 210
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 80
VISIBILITY 64
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 54
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 53
VISIBILITY/WIPER 42
ENGINE 34
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 24
STEERING 24
SERVICE BRAKES 19
941 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 2025 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | Black screen on main vehicle screen. Ford has a Customer Satisfaction Program (12M02) that extended the warranty coverage for the Accessory Protocol Interface Module (APIM), a key component of the SYNC system in certain Ford vehicles. This program covers the APIM for 5 years from the warranty start date, regardless of mileage, which is a longer coverage than the vehicle's original warranty provisions for this part. The coverage automatically transfers to subsequent owners. However, Ford is saying that I do not qualify and cannot define the qualification criteria. If some affected vehicles are eligible for repair under this CSP, then all affected vehicles should be. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2025 | POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? -The electrical system malfunctioned causing a complete system failure and shutdown of the vehicle. The vehicle came to a sudden stop in an intersection and could not be moved. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? -The vehicle instantly died going through an intersection causing the steering column to lock up, the parking brake to engage and transmission to remain in drive while the vehicle was stopped without any power. This was a sudden and abrupt stop where all control over the vehicle was lost, and I came to an immediate stop in the middle of an intersection. The vehicle would not restart. I could not disengage the parking brake to move the vehicle out of the intersection due to the complete loss of power. The transmission would not shift into Neutral due to the complete loss of power. The hazard lights would not turn on due to the complete loss of power. If this happened on the interstate, I would have very likely been in a serious life threatening /taking accident. This is as big of a near miss that I can think of, and only because it happened on a neighborhood street when no other vehicles were approaching from in front or behind. This is a major safety issue. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? -The vehicle is currently at the dealer for a diagnostic review. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? -in process at the ford dealership Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? -the vehicle had been running for 30-45 minutes prior to this happening without any warning lights / symptoms. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2025 | BACK OVER PREVENTION | The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while reversing into their driveway, the back over prevention display rear view camera was frozen, no warning lights were illuminated, and in the process, the contact crashed into the corner of their house with the rear passenger tail light. The image displayed 20 feet away in distance, however the house was closer than the image display. Property damage was not reported. The vehicle came to a stop upon impact. The air bags did not deploy. The vehicle was going less than 5 MPH at the time of the crash. The vehicle did not need to be towed. No warning lights were illuminated. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was not destroyed. No injuries were reported. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where the vehicle was inspected however, it was not diagnosed, and the vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number : 25V315000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION) as probable cause for the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 60,000. | Crash: Yes Fire: No | 60,000 |
| Jul 2025 | BACK OVER PREVENTION | The contact called on behalf of the owner of a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V315000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION). However, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact was the caller's son. The contact's mother stated that the rearview camera displayed a black screen while the vehicle was in reverse(R). The contact's mother stated that the failure had obstructed the driver's visibility, which prevented the driver from safely operating the vehicle. Due to the failure, the contact stated that her son had been involved in a low-speed, parking lot accident. Unknown if any warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that her son suffered from minor back pain. The contact's son has been going to a chiropractor. A police report was filed. Unknown if the vehicle was taken to a dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. Unknown if the failure persisted. 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 failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available. | Crash: Yes Fire: No Injuries: 1 | Unknown |
| Jun 2025 | ENGINE | My engine failed. They recalled this engine but mine wasn't recalled. My engine did the same thing as the recalled engine did. Excessive oil consumption. When I first took it to Ford dealership it was under 60K. I have had problems with my truck since Easter have taken it to them a few times. The problem was never fixed and now Ford will only cover 4,950. The engine is 12k. I feel since the engine in my truck was a recall on alot of engines. Mine should be covered under recall or warranty up to 60,000 miles. I have nothing but problems since I bought the truck. I started taking the truck to have it looked at since March to other places they couldn't help me so they told me to take it to the dealership. They keep fixing something on the truck but never the part that was broken. They told me it would be ok to drive it and so now I am over the mileage for my warranty. I don't think I should have to pay to replace my engine when it only has 61K miles on it. so they told me to drive it and then it started knocking and the engine failed. The service manger told me it was a failed bearing. certanily no lack of maintenance so why am I stuck paying for this when it wasn't my fault. they found some damge on one of the rod bearings on the bottom. 2021 Ford F-150 V8 that engine had a recall on it. Not sure why mine wasn't recalled. Can you please help me. My truck is at Larry H Miller Ford in Draper Utah. It has been there for 5 weeks this time. Still no engine in it. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2025 | POWER TRAIN,EXTERIOR LIGHTING | Headlight DRL went out causing less visibility: Transmission is always losing slamming into gears and searching. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2025 | SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the brake pedal became significantly hard to depress. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to stop the vehicle by depressing the brake pedal with added force. The contact stated that the failure recurred while driving. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 40,000 |
| Jun 2025 | ENGINE | The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact became aware of oil underneath the vehicle. The contact stated that after turning off the vehicle, the steering wheel failed to lock as designed. The vehicle was taken to a mechanic for an oil change, and it was determined that there was an oil leak; however, the mechanic was unsure where the oil was located. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to determine the cause of failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,600. | Crash: No Fire: No | 60,600 |
| Jun 2025 | SERVICE BRAKES | Brake trailer module failure leading to loss of trailer brakes. Second incident. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2025 | POWER TRAIN,WHEELS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | The rear axle hub bolt on my 2021 Ford F-150 PowerBoost failed to meet design safety standards and is subject to Recall 23S65. The vehicle is currently at a Ford dealership and is available for inspection upon request. My safety was put at risk because the bolt can shear off without warning, causing the rear axle shaft to disengage. This can result in sudden loss of propulsion or vehicle rollaway, especially if parked on an incline. Ford has acknowledged this risk but has not made a final repair available for PowerBoost models. I was not offered a loaner, and I cannot confirm if the vehicle is safe to drive. The problem has been confirmed by the dealership. They told me they are unable to perform even the interim repair until at least July 22 and that there is no ETA at all for the final fix specific to hybrid (PowerBoost) models. The vehicle was inspected by a Ford dealer but not by Ford Motor Company representatives directly. Ford customer service has failed to provide any meaningful support or confirmation of safety. There were no warning lamps or messages prior to the recall. Ford states the failure may occur without symptoms, which makes the defect more dangerous. I have not personally experienced a failure yet, but I'm being asked to either drive the vehicle in this condition or go without transportation indefinitely. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2025 | EXTERIOR LIGHTING | Vertical headlight seems to have burned out on both sides after reading online and couple forms. It seems to be a common issue and Ford should be held accountable. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2025 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | My gear shifter was sticking, making hard to shift gears. I had to pay $1100. 00 dollars to get it fixed. The truck has only 37,000 miles. This seems like a defect not a random component gone bad. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2025 | POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | My transmission has failed and is slipping it's jolting and has cling sound. The rpms indicator fluctuates. Sometimes stays on 10 speed. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2025 | STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | The side rails that come out when door is opened to assist with getting inside the truck does not work properly. It has come out and will not go back in. The door is closed and I have to drive the truck with the rails hanging down. That is a hazard. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2025 | POWER TRAIN | When driving the vehicle there is a hard shift condition from 2-3 3-4 4-5 and 6-5. This condition worsened to where the vehicle we entering an intersection in a 4 lane road and when shifting into 3rd the transmission would not engage. It then shifted to 4th then 5th still not engaging. The rpm increased and truck was out of fear in the intersection then engaged in 2nd while rolling at roughly 30mph in a 10r80. Tires sheared traction for a moment as it dropped to a gear lower than the speed it was going. Hard shifting was followed by a Malfunction indicator light (MIL). Truck was shut off then restarted and MIL was no longer present but hard shifting continued then the above incident. Truck was taken to dealer for confirmation. Mileage 61,159. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2025 | PARKING BRAKE,SEAT BELTS | The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 21V653000 (SEAT BELTS), 23V509000 (PARKING BRAKE), 22V142000 (VISIBILITY) and 23V163000 (VISIBILITY). The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the parking brake independently activated. The contact pulled over to the side of the road. The contact turned off the vehicle and, after waiting for a short while, the vehicle was restarted. The message "Service Parking Brake" was displayed. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, while turning off the vehicle, the parking brake fail to function as intended. The contact stated that recently the seat belt failed to retract and remained loose. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the dealer refused to repair the vehicle under the Seat Belts and Parking Brake recalls. The contact stated that the recall repairs for Visibility were performed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 119,000. Parts distribution disconnect. | Crash: No Fire: No | 119,000 |
| Jun 2025 | ENGINE | Vehicle is consuming excessive amounts of motor oil, requiring the addition of 1-2 quarts every 1,200-1,500 miles. Check engine light has illuminated once when engine was five quarts low, this was when I realized the problem. Ford has attempted to correct with TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN 19-2365, (5.0L - Excessive Oil Consumption) which I had performed on my vehicle and it did nothing to correct the issue. My greatest concerns are with premature parts failure and unexpected engine failure. I have written letters to Ford regarding this issue and have not received any response to date. I do have records of additional oil added since first realizing the issue existed. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2025 | POWER TRAIN | Transmission failure Transmission slips between 4th and 7th gears Yes its available for inspection Yes its been diagnosed by FORD No there were no warning lamps or messages, just noticed the shifting problem and took it in. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2025 | ENGINE | My truck falls in the recall for the valve failures and they finally have parts to do the test but there is tons of documents and articles saying Ford agreed with NHTSA to provide a 10 year 150k warranty to people who fall in this recall. per you guys investigation EA23007 under 24N12. When I talked to Ford and the dealer they say that's not a number. Just on principle this is crazy. I bought my truck thinking well atleast Ford is taking care of people on this. After reading the states summary saying Ford would provide that. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2025 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | Related to TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN Various Gear Shift Module Concerns 25-2045 I experienced an issue where my truck was stuck in drive and the engine off. The truck could not be turned on if it wasn't in park, but couldn't be shifted unless it was on. This appears to be a very common issue as I made a post on Reddit [XXX] ) and many other users noted the same issue (low milage, relatively new tucks) with the same fix - a tow to a ford dealer and a $1000+ replacement of the shift module. The service manager told me it was "a common issue". It should be categorically impossible for a $70k+ tuck with less than 40K miles to be unable to shift gears due to faulty computer components. Ford didn't consider this issue under warrantee. Ford should have this module recalled - it is unfair for consumers to foot the bill to replace what should be a life time/never fail component. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2025 | SERVICE BRAKES | The same brake booster that allegedly only had 51 vehicles included in it? Same exact issue as this link: [XXX] not working seems like a pretty big safety issue. DTC Code: C0594 Brake Booster Motor "A" Performance DTC Code: C0594 Right rear solenoid circuit INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2025 | POWER TRAIN | The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. In addition, the contact stated that the transmission shifted hard, and the vehicle jerked while moving forward. The contact stated the vehicle jerked extremely hard and the contact's head jerked forward. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 62,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 62,000 |
| Jun 2025 | ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,POWER TRAIN | The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60-65 MPH, there was fluid leaking from the vehicle, and the engine was overheating. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact checked the Ford Pass App and became aware that the transmission had been serviced four times. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 40,000 |
| Jun 2025 | ENGINE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | While stopped at a traffic light or in an intersection preparing to make a turn, the vehicle’s engine will randomly shut off. Simultaneously, a pre-collision warning appears on the display. This causes the vehicle to become temporarily disabled, even as oncoming traffic approaches. To recover, the driver must shift the vehicle into park, restart the engine, and quickly accelerate out of the way to avoid a potential collision. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2025 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Since my truck was brand new, the infotainment screen very often blacks out so that I can not see navigation, back up camera, radio, etc. It keeps resetting itself until it comes back on. A couple of times when I brought it in for service I asked them to check it out and it was always "Seems to be working fine". Today I backed into a sign as the back up camera was frozen and I did not notice that it was not real time. After I hit the sign, the screen went black and then the Ford insigna came up and it repeated 3 times and then everything was fine. Ford service has never been able to fix it as the don't see it when they start the vehicle. I will start taking videos with my phone. Anyway now that the extended warranty just ran out, it is getting worse where it happens almost all the time. I talked to some friends and they tell me they have the same issue so you need to be aware that this dangerous situation might be a common problem. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |