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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 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 while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost drive power in the middle of the road. The contact stated that the failure occurred while crossing a four-lane highway. The contact stated that the contact's brother and the contact's son were additional occupants of the vehicle. The contact and the contact's brother pushed the vehicle across the road to a nearby parking lot. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was confirmed that the failure was due to the unrepaired recall. In addition, the contact was informed that the parts were not available. The contact stated that the vehicle had been at the dealer for more than five and a half months. The contact stated that the NHTSA.GOV website indicated that the parts were available; however, the dealer and the manufacturer advised that the parts were not available to repair the vehicle. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, but there was no more communication from the manufacturer. The failure mileage was approximately 19,500. | Crash: No Fire: No Towed | 19,500 |
| Nov 2025 | POWER TRAIN | The transmission will downshifting and the transmission starts jerking then the engine starts missing for about 30 seconds to a minute but the ford dealership said it's not showing any codes so it's not happening now I can't get it fixed they didn't think having a vehicle that starts missing for no reason isn't a problem but the torque converter won't throw codes and it's attached directly to the crankshaft so it's messing with the engine to get it to start missing | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2025 | EXTERIOR LIGHTING | DRLs have partially failed on both headlights, vehicle is available for inspection. This seems to be a common problem for similary F-150 according forums and personal observations of other vehicles. The DRLs are a safety feature and not functions DRLs create a safety issue, as on coming drivers are not able to see the vehicle as clearly. Has not been reproduced or confirmed by dealer. Has not been inspected by manufacturer, police or insurance. I did report to Ford Customer Service but was told there was nothing they could do about it. No lights, messages or warnings. Problem has been visible for a least a year, but have not experienced further failure. Only way to fix is to replace the entire headlight assembly with a total cost of around $4000 for both assemblies. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2025 | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | Fuel pump went out while driving causing the vehicle to sputtering and so running while driving up a hill. Couldn't restart and stick in park that prevented it from being moved out of roadway. Vehicle had only 64000 miles but wasn't included in recent 2025 recall that covered other vehicles with the dave fuel pump issue. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2025 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Catalytic converter has failed and needs replaced | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2025 | POWER TRAIN | The transmission shifts hard from 1st to 3rd during the first few minutes of operations. When I make the turn out of my resident each morning, it nearly fishtails due to the fat that the transmission stays in 1st gear until around 2500-3000 rpms, then shifts violently to 3rd gear. The tires actually spin. After a few stop and goes, and the transmission has cycled through the gears several times, it shifts normally. I have taken it to the Ford dealer in Royal Palm Beach, FL. They said that there were no recalls, despite there being several complaints from other truck owners about the same issue. Ford knows that the 10 speed transmission in the F150 has shifting issues. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2025 | POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | Transmission downshift to first gear on the highway | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2025 | BACK OVER PREVENTION | The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated the infotainment center was frozen or blacked out intermittently, preventing the contact from being able to access the cameras and systems controlled through the infotainment system. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V315000 (Back Over Prevention); however, when the dealer was contacted, it was confirmed that the vehicle was not included. A second dealer was contacted, McClary Ford Inc (1104 US Hwy 72 E, Athens, AL 35611) and it was confirmed that the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 95,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 95,000 |
| Nov 2025 | EXTERIOR LIGHTING | right running light has went out. yes, it will be available for inspection. lack of lighting causes trouble seeing at night while driving. brought to the dealership was told they would need to change the entire headlight. that woul cost around $2000.00. (both sides are now out). from research the 2021 ford f150 running lights are known for going off. $2000.00 all the time get to be big. the running lights do dim a little right before they go completely out. the running lights are all connected to the head light. there is no way to replace the running lights with out change a $2000.00 head light. not to may people have $4000.00 to replace headlights on a 4 year old truck. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2025 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | The windshield wipers on my 2021 Ford F-150 are inoperable. The wipers suddenly stopped working with no warning. The vehicle had already received Recall 23S10, which was supposed to replace the defective wiper motor arm. However, the wipers have failed again, suggesting the recall remedy was inadequate or that defective components are still being used. Ford and the servicing dealer refuse to reopen the recall or provide coverage, even though this is clearly the same safety issue. Without functioning wipers, the vehicle is unsafe to drive in rain or snow. I request that NHTSA investigate whether Ford’s recall 23S10 remedy is effective and whether additional corrective action or a new recall should be issued to address continued wiper motor failures on these vehicles. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2025 | ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | I started smelling gas in the cabin of the truck when I came to a stop. As I was driving on the freeway I noticed my gas gauge going down rapidly. Within minutes I ran out of gas. Got the truck towed to Ford dealer. After diagnosing the issue I was made aware by Ford service department that one of the high pressure fuel injector cracked and was spraying gas out which caused me to run out of gas. With gas spraying in the engine I was at severe risk of a fire. No warning lights or messages appeared when this happened. After investigating I noticed Ford has a recall for this issue for other vehicles but not the F-150. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2025 | FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE,POWER TRAIN,BACK OVER PREVENTION | The contact owns a 2021 Ford F150. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 23V896000 (Power Train), 25V315000 (Back Over Prevention), 25V455000 (Fuel system, Gasoline), and 25V729000 (Visibility). The contact stated that the part to do the recall repair of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V896000(Power Train) was not yet available. The contact stated that the first month that the vehicle was purchased, the vehicle experienced failures. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal clicking and rattling sound coming from the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to CarMax and then to the dealer. The dealer confirmed that the rear-end axle hub bolt needed to be replaced. The vehicle remained at the dealer unrepaired. 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 failure mileage was approximately 22,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 22,000 |
| Nov 2025 | VISIBILITY | The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that since purchasing the vehicle, there was an abnormal film-like substance visible inside the windshield. The substance obstructed the vision while driving and worsened while driving at night. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where the vehicle was purchased and detailed the windshield in an effort to remove the film-like substance. Despite the independent mechanics best efforts, the film-like substance remained. The contact called a dealer and was informed that the diagnostic fee to inspect her vehicle would be $300 an hour, and the contact declined the service. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact back to the dealer for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 48,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 48,000 |
| Nov 2025 | FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed in traffic, the vehicle unexpectedly stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle did not need to be restarted. 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 vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer confirmed that parts were unavailable 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 60,000. The VIN was not available. | Crash: No Fire: No | 60,000 |
| Nov 2025 | POWER TRAIN | I have taken my truck to two seperate ford dealerships. Both acknowledging something strange on the transmission with the hesitations, the jerkiness and the hard shifting that happens. The first replaced the trans fluid and the filter. The second dealer replaced the valve body. During the 5th visit. They had me drive around their foreman to show him the problems. While he did feel the jerkiness and hesitations I feel, he said that its pretty much not bad enough yet and that the dealership would be held responsible for the cost of a new transmission if they replaced it and ford deemed it not needing to be replaced. Ford corp told me they wouldn't intervene with their attempt to fix it. The ford dealer sent me home and didn't fix anything the 5th time, even after explaining I felt harsh jerking on the way home to the point it felt like it was kicking me and a bunch of white smoke came out of the tailpipe. I even provided them a video of the white smoke when completely stopped after had been driving for 3 hours. The service on this truck is completely up to date and absolutely no reason at 41k miles I should have all these issue with this transmission. Ford has been resisting to replace this transmission but is willing to sell me a $4k extended warranty. Its getting old. This saga needs to end. Ford needs to just recall these transmissions already. This fight has been ongoing long enough! And ford corporate wont even help me. During the 3rd and 4th visit they replaced the valve body sent me home and the next day I had to bring it back after coming out of my work and transmission fluid being all over the ground right after they "fixed" it. They didnt give me a tow truck but rather made me drive almost 20 miles to their dealership. They claim the transmission pan warped but they just didnt screw the pan on correctly and ensure the pan seal was in good shape. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2025 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | I purchased my vehicle in October 10th of 2025. I drove the vehicle home 2hrs away on the Friday. On Sunday the 12th I started the vehicle with a error of " Park brake fault Service now" I had the car taken to the nearest Ford dealership as it sat for 3 weeks. I was told the recall for the vehicle around this issue has been done twice so Pundmamm Ford the local dealer did not want to do it again. They ended up replacing the driver rear brake caliper bled the brakes and said this fixed it. They did not replace the harness as they said twice repaired was weird that Ford allowed this. I ended up paying for the repairs caused by this recall of over 1000.00 dollars. I have drove it now for two days and already the brake light engaged. Luckily it released and I was able to drive home. I have called Ford on this multiple times as well talked with supervisors and need escalation at this point. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2025 | POWER TRAIN | Recall for rear axel has not been repaired this is now overdue my ford dealer claims parts have not been provided by Ford Corporation. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2025 | EXTERIOR LIGHTING,VISIBILITY/WIPER | Both Running Daytime Lights have stopped working. This is a common issue with 2021 and up F150's. The issue results in a loss of visibility during daylight hours, creating a safety issue during daytime hours. This also seems to be negligence on the manufacturer's side. My understanding of the issue is a part of the headlight gets too hot under normal operating conditions and results in a melting or possible burning of a section of the headlight assembly. This is also a potential fire hazard from this area which is close to the engine also. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2025 | EXTERIOR LIGHTING | The daytime running lights (DRLs) on my Ford F-150 failed and it is clear from online research that they are prone to failure. Yes, it is available for inspection upon request. The failure of the DRLs put safety at risk because they are important for visibility, protecting the driver and pedestrians. A dealership confirmed the issue. No, it has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police or any other 3rd party. No, there were no warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms prior to the failure. The issue was not noticed until I, the owner, was outside the vehicle and observed it. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2025 | EXTERIOR LIGHTING | Running lights on the headlight of the truck continue to go out on the truck. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 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 | Unknown |
| Oct 2025 | POWER TRAIN,EXTERIOR LIGHTING | Daytime running lights quit working. This happens on numerous f150s with reflector headlights. Transmission issues hard shifting and downshifting that could cause wreck due to sudden slowing of vehicle. Known issue with f150 2021-2023 | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2025 | SEAT BELTS | The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 MPH, the contact was cut off by another vehicle that had pulled out in front of the vehicle. The contact depressed the brake pedal with force to keep from crashing into the vehicle. The contact stated that the seat belt pretensioner held firmly in place; however, the passenger's seat belt failed to restrain the passenger in the seat. The contact stated that the passenger almost crashed into the front passenger’s side dashboard. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the passenger’s side seat belt retractor and pretensioner needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V653000 (Seat Belts); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 46,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 46,000 |
| Oct 2025 | POWER TRAIN | When making right turn to get on highway accelerate pedal pressed vehicle wont take of after releasing pedal and pressing again few times thn it takes off. Its been twice already i was gonna get rear ended | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2025 | POWER TRAIN | The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that upon taking the vehicle into the dealer for regular service, the contact was informed that the rear axle hub was fractured. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V896000 (Power Train); the VIN was included, but the vehicle had not yet been repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 32,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 32,000 |