Complaint volume
942 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
942 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2021 Ford F-150, grouped by component category.
942 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 211
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
942 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2022 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | Recall still not repaired | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2022 | SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an unknown speed and depressing the brake pedal, the traction control and several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The failure reoccurred while driving at various speeds and after depressing the brake pedal. The vehicle was then taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with needing to replace the electric brake booster. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V533000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) as a possible solution however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that VIN was not included in the recall. The contact was advised to file complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The approximate failure mileage was 35,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 35,000 |
| Sep 2022 | POWER TRAIN | The bolts that holds the wheel assemblies to the axle have both broke off. Right side in February and the left side in September. It allows the wheel and brake rotor assembly to move in and out on the axle shaft. The only thing holding the wheel on the truck is the brake rotor assembly. It was found during a tire rotation. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2022 | POWER TRAIN | 9.75HD Rear axle retaining bolt sheared off. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2022 | POWER TRAIN | No part failure confirmed by Ford. Transmission has very hard downshift at highway speeds from 10th gear to 8th gear under moderate throttle causing the rear wheels to chirp. Had this happened during cold months it could have caused me to spin out. Ford states transmission is normal yet previous TSBs show consistent issues with the 10r80 transmission from My 2018 and up in regards to harsh, delayed shifts. No warning lamp other than traction/stability control flashed. I have had the dealer look but was told it is normal as with other drivers. I can't understand how chirping the tires on a down shift under moderate throttle can be considered normal. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2022 | POWER TRAIN | I took truck in for an oil change and the service sept advised me that during the tire rotation they discovered the Axle bolt sheered off of driver side rear axle from normal use of truck. Dealer said ford advised them that the truck must sit till the axle is replaced due to it being a safety hazard to drive. My truck is now sitting at dealer waiting for a replacement axle. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2022 | POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Driving the truck the transmission shifts down hard depends on the day it’s hard trying too get used to braking when it downshifts like it does. Then when leaving and up shifting sometimes it wants to jerk the truck and hesitates. My father owns a 2019 and his transmission is amazing. Mine is horrible. Since I bought the truck it’s been like this and I just don’t want to be stuck with a broke transmission when my warranty expires one day for it. The speed it jerks when it’s low speed like taking off, the down shifting is going from like 50 down. This happens all the time. I just see people with my year truck getting new transmission because their transmission already is no good. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2022 | POWER TRAIN | Upon getting into the vehicle, it was noticed that there was gear oil leaking all over the rear passenger wheel prompting me to remove the wheel cap. Inside, the axle nut that connects to the axle shaft was completely sheared off and not connected. I am not sure how long it was like this, but from my experience without this nut the axle could have slid into the differential causing a rear axle failure, if that were at highway speeds, or in descent while pulling a trailer that could have been very serious. The broken parts are with the vehicle at the servicing dealership Currently the vehicle is at the dealer being repaired. Due to part shortages and as noted by the dealer being unsafe to drive I will be without a vehicle for 3-4 weeks possibly. The problem has been reproduced by multiple other truck owners noted online in group forums etc., and the dealership was well aware of the issue noting there were 3 other similar trucks in for the same repair needed. There has been no inspection by they manufacturer, only by the dealership where purchased and servicing the vehicle. No noticeable issues right before the problem occurred. Approximately 4000 miles prior to the issue it was noted that the same wheel seemed to be locking and stuttering while turning. Almost as if the brakes/axle were locking right when taking the vehicle in for routine service. It was noted to the dealership, but being that only light service mechanics were on duty they could not do a full inspection. They did inspect brakes for locking etc. found no issues and the locking / stuttering was no longer noticeable. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2022 | SUSPENSION | The bolt that holds the rear axle in place sheared off. This seams to be a common issue on the Max Tow equipped trucks, but Ford hasn't done a recall or even placed a TSB. On top of that my truck is out of service for a back ordered part to fix a safety issue. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2022 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | I have been waiting for the wiper motor recall for months. Called Ford and they said there isn’t a recall after all. I am to wait for the wiper motor to quit and then they will order parts. Doesn’t sound safe to drive in the rain without a operating wiper motor. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2022 | POWER TRAIN | Right real axle bolt is sheared. This appears to be a big issue with 2021 Ford F150's with the max tow option with the 3.5 ecoboost. Parts back ordered for over a month. Dealer will not release the truck due to safety issues and unsafe to drive. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2022 | ENGINE | At 1200 miles the engine shook while driving and a puff of white smoke came out the tailpipe. The dealership claimed it was a faulty sparkplug. 150 miles later the low oil pressure light came on while driving at 75mph. After the local dealership offering nothing to resolve the problem over many weeks, another dealership found oil was passing through the heads. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2022 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | Nothing happened, I'm filing a complaint about inaction on Ford remedying this recall. It's been 4 months and counting on getting this wiper recall fixed due to no parts available. How can that be when Ford is still building F150's and filling orders but leave the vehicles driving on the roads hoping the windshield wipers don't fall off. Unreal! | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2022 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Nothing happened. My complaint is about inactivity on performing recall # 22V263 for underbody insulators that can become detached and destroy the driveshaft which can cause the vehicle to loose control. I received the recall notification electronically over 2 weeks ago and was told a followup letter would arrive telling me parts were available and when I could schedule getting the repair done.To date I have not received any such letter. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2022 | EQUIPMENT | 2021 FORD F150. CONSUMER STATED THAT THEIR INFOTAINMENT SYSTEM WAS HACKED. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2022 | VISIBILITY | The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact received a notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V142000 (Visibility); however, the parts for the repair were unavailable. The dealer had been notified about the recall and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer had been notified of the recall. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the repair. The contact had not experienced a failure. Vin tool confirms parts not available. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2022 | POWER TRAIN,ENGINE | The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated when he started up the vehicle, it would not start up. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where they replaced the transmission and the engine, but the vehicle still would not start. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the vehicle would be repaired under warranty. The failure mileage was 17,500. | Crash: No Fire: No | 17,500 |
| Aug 2022 | 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 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. VIN tool confirms parts not available. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2022 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while towing a trailer, he attempted to make a right turn while driving downhill. The trailer began to push into the vehicle and slide into the back end of the truck. The contact attempted to manually apply the trailer brakes but the trailer brakes failed. The traction control warning light appeared on the instrument panel as the contact began to lose control of the vehicle. The trailer pushed the vehicle off the road and onto a mount of dirt and stone. The trailer damaged the rear bumper and rear right corner panel of the vehicle due to the failure. The contact did not suffer any injuries due to the failure. A police report was not filed since the failure occurred on his property. The dealer was initially notified of the failure and offered no assistance. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic where the vehicle was repaired for the damage. The contact then received a recall notice for NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V193000 (Electrical System). The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the recall was serviced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The vehicle had been repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 10,000. | Crash: Yes Fire: No | 10,000 |
| Aug 2022 | 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 contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2022 | SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | I was driving with my wife and our one month old baby on I-25 in Albuquerque on a hot day (truck screen indicated 106 F) when suddenly the AdvanceTrac traction control, forward pre-collision braking, adaptive cruise control, and ABS system warnings all came on the dashboard. At the same time the brake pedal went limp (no braking action for the first ~50% of the pedal press). I slowed the truck by coasting for over a mile and picked an off-ramp that I expected to be empty before getting off the highway. Upon exiting the highway, I pressed the brake pedal all the way down and at 90-95% of the pedal compression the brakes finally engaged but locked up the rear wheels leading us to skip and skid across two lanes. We were able to come to a stop in the middle of the ramp and then gently moved over to the side of the exit, again locking up the rear wheels when we came to a stop. Upon turning the truck off and turning it back on again everything went back to normal suggesting that it was some subsystem that caused the electronic brake booster and ABS to become unresponsive. After a week at the local Ford dealer, the service technicians were able to find the error code C05CF. This error code appears to be officially only triggered by "Brake Master Cylinder Piston Position Sensor "B" -This DTC sets due to incomplete or improper module programming procedures." Which suggests this problem may have been lingering for over 30k miles of use. Ford technicians updated the traction control module firmware, body control module firmware, and then reproduced the issue leading them to perform an ABS system calibration which they claim fixed the issue. It is claimed that no component replacement was necessary, only software updates and calibration. Full dealer notes attached as .pdf It's crazy to think a software bug caused our brake system to almost entirely fail on the highway, particularly with an error code that should only have been able to been generated at the factory. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2022 | POWER TRAIN | Drive shaft on 21 F150 broke in half while driving on 07/01/2022. I was traveling at 35+ MPH. This could have been much worse at a higher speed. Truck has been to local dealer (Mac Haik) for service twice in last few months, they never mentioned the recall. Dealer contributed to failure by not evaluating issue for over 20,000 miles. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2022 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated while using windshield wipers, the wiper arms detached. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V250000 (Visibility). The approximate failure mileage was 15,200. | Crash: No Fire: No | 15,200 |
| Jul 2022 | POWER TRAIN | truck lurches and shudders when sifting, been back to dealer several times but they can't fix the problem. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2022 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | During early morning hours and in the late evening during sunset the navigational screen goes blank for several minutes . The radio still works been nothing can be seen on the screen. If using the navigation this could create a problem because you can see where to turn .The problem has not been reported to a dealer but I have a video of the problem with date and time. This has happened several times already. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |