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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2023 | VISIBILITY | Windshield very easily cracked and not even where it was struck. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2023 | VISIBILITY | The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V142000 (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. Parts distribution disconnect. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2023 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | 2021 FORD F-150. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD TO NHTSA SAFETY RECALL 22V-142. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2023 | POWER TRAIN | Truck was due for oil change and tire rotation so I brought it to the dealer I purchased it from on Friday, 24-Feb-2024. When the service tech removed the driver side rear tire, the spindle nut securing the wheel hub to the axle fell on the ground due to a fracture (picture attached) in the mating threaded part of the axle. Was informed of customer satisfaction campaign 22B34 and a replacement part was ordered and installed the next day. The failure occurred sometime between 01-Sep-2022 at 19,384 miles when the tires were last rotated and 24-Feb-2023 at 28,085 miles. It appears to have occurred some time ago as the fracture portion is oxidized and there's quite a bit of marking to the outer circumference as I assume it was rattling around in the wheel assembly for some time. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2023 | VISIBILITY | 2021 FORD F-150. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD TO PARTS BEING UNAVAILABLE TO PERFORM NHTSA SAFETY RECALL 22V-842. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2023 | VISIBILITY | 2021 FORD F-150. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD TO NHTSA SAFETY RECALL 22V-842. THE DEALER STATED IF THE CONSUMER WAS NOT HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR, THE RECALL WILL NOT BE REPAIRED. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2023 | POWER TRAIN | Truck has 30,129 miles driven. As car shifted into gear to drive, it suddenly went into neutral gear while driving. This was following a loud bang like sound followed by a rough shift into neutral. Truck eventually shifted back into gear. Truck has been at dealership for about a month, waiting for parts to repair/replace the transmission. Dealer service provider stated that this was a manufacturing problem. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2023 | POWER TRAIN | Took our vehicle in for regularly scheduled maintenance - oil change and tire rotation. Received a call from the dealership stating that when they removed the left rear tire the axle retainer bolt was broken and fell out. The service technician phoned to let us know that this needs to be fixed and would have to order parts. Also informed us that there is CSP BULLETIN 22B34 issued on February 14, 2023 for certain 2021 F150’s. This recall only pertains to vehicles built between May and September 2021. Our truck was built in December 2021 and is not included in this bulletin. However, my vehicle has experienced the same critical failure as trucks built between May and September. In addition, this part is on a national back order with no known date of when the part will be available. I am bringing this matter to your attention because this is a serious safety issue and needs to be addressed. Unsuspecting individuals can be driving their vehicles without any knowledge of this potential safety issue. My truck is currently at the dealership and I only have the above information that was provided by the Ford dealership’s service department. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2023 | POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,VISIBILITY/WIPER | Ford has issued two recalls for my vehicle. I've included the Campaign/NHTSA# for each below. 22S53/22V623 22S26/22V250 In each case I have sought to have the vehicle repaired and in each case my dealer has said that Ford does not have parts available for their service department to make the repair. I've waited a reasonable time without any update from either Ford or my dealer prior to submitting this complaint. Ford has an obligation to make recall repairs within a reasonable time of announcing the recall. Their failure to do so could place consumers in danger. Otherwise, why would they initiate the recall in the first place? Anyway, I thought this was unacceptable and felt the need to complain. Thanks, [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2023 | SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | This is a link to the Dashcam footage. Traveling 45mph in stop and go traffic. I braked (indicated by my hood dipping downwards) but failed to stop. Possible defect? Haven't had my truck back since the accident on 6/24/2022. https://youtu.be/HL7Iau0463I | Crash: Yes Fire: No Towed | Unknown |
| Feb 2023 | POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | UNKNOWN: I was driving through light to moderate rain. I was following traffic probably at about 35 mph. I was driving in normal mode (no cruise control active) I saw a warning message out of the corner of my eye pop up on my dash (I didn't see what it was because it went away quickly after it came up). Soon after that, a bunch of warning messages started popping up on my dash one after the other. Then my engine shut off (dash still working, sync still working, power steering still working, brakes still working). Luckily, I was able make a turn and then coast into a gas station. Could have been a different story if I was somewhere else. I came to a stop, put it in park, (this is the unfortunate part, I franticly clicked through all the warnings without reading them), then I pressed the start button and turned the truck off. If I was the guess at what I remember seeing, I think I saw messages related to blind spot monitoring and other driver assistance stuff. After about a minute, I turned the truck back on. It turned over fine, but only idled about 20 seconds, and then turned off. Same situation as before except I wasn't moving this time. After calling a few people and a tow truck company (maybe 30 minutes later), I tried one more time to turn on the truck. This time it stayed on and idled normally. I left it on for about 10 minutes and then shut if off. I ended up having it towed because I didn't want to test my luck driving it. It is currently at a Ford dealership being serviced. The latest update that I have received is that the tech ran a diagnostic and could not duplicate the issue. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2023 | SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | When traveling on a divided highway in the left lane with no vehicle ahead of me, as I am passing a vehicle in the right lane, just when I am about even with that vehicle beside me my truck applies the brakes firmly and unexpectedly. There is no associated warning message on the instrument panel display or audio alert like there is when it goes into collision avoidance. When it happened the first time I was very startled and worried it saw something that required braking but as it happens almost every time I pass someone I am getting used to it. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2023 | VISIBILITY,VISIBILITY/WIPER | The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the windshield wipers were operating erratically. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V142000 (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 not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 17,888. Parts distribution disconnect. | Crash: No Fire: No | 17,888 |
| Feb 2023 | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | I Have owned my 2021 F150 less than 2 weeks. I purchased the car with 200 mile on it. I was pulling out of a parking lot tonight and heard a clunk. 50 feet later the engine quit and there was a strong fuel smell and something was scraping on the pavement. We got out of the car and there was a big puddle of fuel under the vehicle. Upon further inspection, the front fuel tank bracket was unhooked from the right side and the front of the fuel tank was resting on the pavement. The fuel tube connection at the front of the gas tank was sheared off. We had the truck towed to Anderson Ford in Rockford, IL. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2023 | LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES | When the weather reaches freezing temperatures or below. The drivers side door will not unlock or open. It will not unlock using the Remote unlock, Key Fob, manual Key, unlock button on the door or pulling the handle from the inside. If there were an incident that would require exiting the vehicle quickly or emergency services needed to extricate the driver quickly, this would not be possible since the door can not be opened. This only occurs during cold weather. I live in Wisconsin and the temperatures during winter are consistently below freezing. The dealer will not get me in to address for another month to look at it. The truck was purchased February 2022. First sign of the issue occurred December 2022. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2023 | SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle performed as if the parking brake was engaged. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the failure could not be determined. The vehicle was then taken to another dealer where it was diagnosed that the tires were rubbing against the brake line and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the vehicle needed to be taken to the dealer for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 47,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 47,000 |
| Feb 2023 | LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES | The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while the garage door was opening, the tailgate erroneously opened, striking the garage door, and causing cosmetic damage to the garage door and the tailgate door. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were not yet notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 14,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 14,000 |
| Jan 2023 | VISIBILITY | The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number 22V142000 (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 not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2023 | POWER TRAIN | Rear Axle bolt broke while driving. I have visited the dealer and made an appointment. They have told me that the truck should not be driven aggressively, and that they will have the truck for a few days for the repair. After being on Ford Forum, I am seeing that this is a common faulty part that seems to be occurring quite often. In some cases both axle bolts on the same vehicle has broken. We are in the winter months and this is causing my 4 -Wheel drive to not operate/function correctly. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2023 | VISIBILITY | The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the windshield wipers were inoperative on various occasions. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V142000 (Visibility) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not available for the recall repair. 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 failure. The approximate failure mileage was 46,000. Parts distribution disconnect. | Crash: No Fire: No | 46,000 |
| Jan 2023 | VISIBILITY | The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact received notification of the NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V1420000 (Visibility) however, the contact stated that the windshield wipers intermittently failed to operate as designed. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The local dealer was notified of the issue and confirmed that parts were not available for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The failure mileage was unavailable. Parts distribution disconnect. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2023 | VISIBILITY | The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact received notification of the NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V142000 (Visibility) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The local dealer was notified of the issue and confirmed that the parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was notified of the issue and the contact was informed that the parts were not yet available, and to continue driving the vehicle. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 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 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 not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2023 | ENGINE | The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, an abnormally loud banging sound was heard coming from the front of the vehicle. The contact stated that the sound was still present after turning off the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact made various local dealers aware of the failure; however, the vehicle was not yet diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The approximate failure mileage was 19,448. | Crash: No Fire: No | 19,448 |
| Jan 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated while his wife was driving approximately 45 MPH, the instrument cluster and the navigation screen went black. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing to reprogram the electronic system. The vehicle was repaired but experienced the failure for a second time. The contact took the vehicle back to the local dealer, but the mechanic was unable to duplicate the failure. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 16,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 16,000 |