Complaint volume
910 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
910 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2021 Ford F-150, grouped by component category.
910 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 203 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 45,841 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
27 Towed
3 Medical attention
What are the most common 2021 Ford F-150 complaint categories?
POWER TRAIN 201
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 75
VISIBILITY 64
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 52
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 52
VISIBILITY/WIPER 41
ENGINE 33
STEERING 24
SERVICE BRAKES 19
BACK OVER PREVENTION 18
910 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2023 | EXTERIOR LIGHTING | Driver side DRL are not working | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2023 | STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,LANE DEPARTURE | In April 2023, while driving to work, at least a dozen error messages were displayed on the instrument cluster. When I arrived at work and was driving at a slower speed, I noticed some irregular feedback in the steering wheel and quickly realized the power steering was intermittently disabling itself. The truck had just rolled over 30k miles at this point and was well within the manufacturer's warranty period. I took the truck to the dealer for repair and got the truck back within a few days and was told it was repaired. The very next morning while driving to work again, the same problem ensued again with a dozen error messages and the power steering intermittently disabling itself. I took the truck bad to the dealer, contacted Ford customer care, and they got an engineering team to help work the problem. The service advisor also told me there were 3 other vehicles at their dealer with the same problem. After more than 30 days of being at the dealer for repair, the truck was returned to me again. Everything seemed to be fine for a couple months and then it returned again with many error messages and power steering failures. On Monday this week I started to pull out in traffic and the power steering disabled and caused me to cross the 2-lane road into oncoming traffic. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2023 | VISIBILITY | The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V842000 (Visibility) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH in torrential rain, the windshield wipers were activated at the highest setting however, the windshield wiper blades were moving extremely slow, preventing the contact from having clear visibility while driving. The contact slowed to 20 MPH while driving. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact called a local dealer and had not received a call back. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The vehicle had not been repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 61,000. Parts distribution disconnect. | Crash: No Fire: No | 61,000 |
| Sep 2023 | POWER TRAIN | The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the interlock device failed and the vehicle unintendedly downshifted. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,360. The VIN was not available. | Crash: No Fire: No | 60,360 |
| Sep 2023 | EXTERIOR LIGHTING | The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the exterior passenger’s side daytime running lights failed to illuminate as designed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 94,900. | Crash: No Fire: No | 94,900 |
| Sep 2023 | SERVICE BRAKES | The electric trailer brakes only work intermittently. This results in dangerous situations where they fail without warning. An update was made in 2022 but failed to fix the issue. I have been on forums where many others are still having issues just like mine. It's very dangerous and needs to be addressed. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | While starting my truck, I was heard a very loud static sound coming from my speakers. It was so loud I could barely think. The static seemed to be at max volume and nothing besides turning the truck off and opening my door would make it stop. Even turning the volume down or screen/audio off completely would not help. I was parked at a store at the time and had to drive with the sound for 10 minutes. I was left disoriented and with a piercing headache that lasted over 24hours. That headache has subsided but I still have ringing in my ears. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2023 | ENGINE | Catastrophic engine failure that left vehicle disabled on Highway. Neither I or recovery technician was able to put into neutral after. Truck was powered on it was not possible to move the shifting lever from Park after it was engaged. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2023 | LANE DEPARTURE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | The vehicle no longer sends signal when blind spot monitors are triggered front parking camera access not available rear view mirrors do not have blinker lights or original camera working | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2023 | POWER TRAIN,VISIBILITY | The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle downshifted into first gear. The contact then attempted to shift gear manually, and while on an incline or going downhill, the vehicle failed to accelerate or shift into the intended gear. No warning lights was illuminated. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. Additionally, the contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V163000 (Visibility) and 22V142000 (Visibility) however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. An undisclosed dealer was contacted 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 notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 129,000. Parts distributions disconnect. | Crash: No Fire: No | 129,000 |
| Sep 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,BACK OVER PREVENTION | The reverse camera either doesn't work while backing up, or it freezes while backing up. I have video of it screen frozen showing in reverse while driving forward down the road. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2023 | BACK OVER PREVENTION | The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while reversing, the back over prevention camera failed to operate as designed. The contact stated that the screen showed a display of the company and then a black screen. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed; however, the technician was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the vehicle was not under warranty. The failure mileage was unknown. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2023 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | The front section of the panoramic sunroof on my 2021 Ford F150 unexpectedly shattered as I was driving down the road today. There were no cars immediately in front of or near me. None had passed by me. I was not driving underneath anything. The only thing I can deduce is that the glass spontaneously shattered due to unseen stress or faulty glass. I have owned the truck since new and had no issues or concerns with the sunroof previously. As a result of the glass shattering shards fell on me and inside of my truck. After getting out and shutting the door, the glass began collapsing inward and falling inside the truck. This is a safety concern as glass shards flying into a vehicle on a roadway can cause serious injury to the occupants inside. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2023 | POWER TRAIN | The dealer removed tires and broken axel bolt was found. It is my understanding that this is a safety issue and Ford has no parts to fix the problem. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | very loud ear piercing noise coming from the stereo system. had to remove the + battery cable to stop the noise. has happened multiple times since. cannot drive the vehicle during this condition. keep ear muffs in vehicle from now on. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2023 | VISIBILITY | The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V163000 (Visibility) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. 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. VIN tool confirms parts not available. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EQUIPMENT | On occasions my F150 has without warning had my volume increase to the max volume when operating the vehicle. I have not adjusted the volume when this happens and I am unable to lower the volume until I turn off the vehicle and open the door to the vehicle. The decibel level when this happens is over 100 and it is absolutely terrifying. I took my vehicle to Ford and they told me because they are unable to recreate the issue that it is not their responsibility. I have had this happen 6 times over the 8 months that I have had the vehicle. Ford charges me $197 each time to simply look at the car but again refuses to fix anything. When this event occurs it is terrifying and the only resolution is to turn off my vehicle. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | I just purchased a 2021 F-150. Immediately after getting the truck home, I began having issues regarding the truck’s door and tailgate locks. Just by having my keys in my pocket and walking around my house and in the vicinity of the truck in the driveway or garage, the truck will unlock itself, all of the lights come on, and you can hear the electronics power up. This is a huge inconvenience if I’m working in the yard on a project and make multiple trips from the yard into the garage—every time I do, it’s puts that huge strain snd wear and tear on the lights, onboard computers, and battery. But it’s also a huge safety issue, too. If I put hazardous or dangerous items in the cab like cleaning products or chemicals and safely lock the vehicle expecting them to be secure, sometimes just by walking around the house or even just having the keys on the kitchen counter, the truck will unlock by itself!! What if kids then get into my truck and accidentally poison themselves or hurt themselves with tools or chemicals I had safely locked inside?! It creates a hugely dangerous situation! I don’t know if it’s just my truck, or a part of a bigger nationwide issue, but the ONLY way the truck should power the electronics is IF I have the keys in my pocket AND I touch the driver’s side door handle or specifically press the unlock button. I have had the truck in to Weber Ford in Granite City, IL four times and they have been unable to resolve this issue, and the Ford corporate customer relations number keeps disconnecting me, so I’m escalating this issue. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | While towing trailers the right directional works but the right brake light does not on the trailer. The trailer light work fine with other vehicles. It appears to be a problem with the trailer brake control module. Also while towing will get trailer light fault alerts even though the lights are working properly. Right after disconnecting the trailer you still get the trailer light fault alerts and your back up alerts on the camera are still disabled for days. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2023 | VISIBILITY | The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V842000 (Visibility) and 23V163000 (Visibility) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was made aware of the issue. 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. Parts distribution disconnect. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2023 | POWER TRAIN,WHEELS | Heard a rattling noise from rear passenger side wheel. Axle nut is sheared off and freely moving around inside the hub. Looked online and this appears to be common with my vehicle. Ford has not issued a recall still. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2023 | SERVICE BRAKES | The Brake Pedal must be pressed very hard and the Pedal travels further than normal compared to my 2020 F150. The dealer told me the Brakes are OK but I can’t believe that Power Disk brakes don’t stop the vehicle easily. There’s is also extra brake necessary to come to a complete stop ! | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2023 | POWER TRAIN | HD rear axle bolt at end of axle shaft breaks. This WOULD be addressed by Ford customer satisfaction program 22B34, except the program only covers 2021 vehicles manufactured AFTER 01 May 2021. My vehicle was manufactured in November 2020. This program needs to be expanded to include ALL vehicles with the 9.75" 4/4-Float HD axle from the beginning of the model year build. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2023 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | A/C lines freezing therefore the Air Conditioning stop blowing cold air and I was sweating. I had to stop my trip, power off engine and wait 30 minutes with the hood open on the side of the highway. I was reading online and is a lot of people dealing with the same issue and Ford Co. is not fixing because there is not codes coming up. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2023 | POWER TRAIN | The exact circumstances highlighted in Customer Satisfaction Program 22B34, which outlines the recall necessary for replacement of axle bolts and axles after the axle bolt shears off while driving. The recall is for trucks from the Kansas City manufacturing plant and the recall only covers trucks made until 30 September 2021. My truck was manufactured in October 2021. This recall was in place for Certain 2021-2022 Model Year F-150 Vehicles Equipped with 9.75” HD Axle – ¾ Float Axle Rear Axle Half-Shaft and Hub Assembly Replacements The axle bolt sheared off my truck's drivers side rear axle. Ford is replacing it under the drivetrain warranty. They are unwilling to replace the other side because I am not included in the current recall (outside of the parameters by only few days). The recall specifically identifies that both sides should be replaced if one side breaks. The pictures outlined in Customer Satisfaction Program 22B34 look identical to the defect that my vehicle has experienced. You can see the pictures and the details of the recall here: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |