NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2021 Ford F-150. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026
The strap is fraying significantly for the main buckle. This part is not one that’s regularly retracted and extended as it’s a fixed size.
vehicle accelerated while running several times. The transmission knocking when shifting when the transmission warming up in short and long travel. The front brakes comes mad after clean the truck.
The contact’s wife owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that on numerous occasions while shifted into drive, reverse, or decelerating, there was a squeaking sound for approximately five minutes. No warning light was illuminated. The dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the possible cause was due to weather. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V533000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unavailable.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle made an abnormal clunking sound. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed, but the cause of the failure could not be determined. The contact stated that the failure progressively worsened. The contact stated that the vehicle made an abnormal grinding sound and jolted erratically while driving, and upon coming to a stop. The dealer diagnosed that the transmission had failed and needed to be replaced. The dealer replaced the transmission; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the transmission, the catalytic converter, and other unknown parts had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150.
This vehicle has a transmission problem relating to how it shifts gears at low speeds. This results in delayed shifts, missed gears, and sometimes a jerk and loud "clunk" when the shift occurs. This is not only distracting (the first time I literally looked back to see if I had hit something, or if something had broken off). This will likely contribute to premature wear and failure which could happen at an inopportune time.
My brand new F150 2021 had a powertrain malfunction with power totally reduced. I had no ability to accelerate. I had to glide over to the side of the road. I restarted the car. It reset, i went to accelerate and again i had an error code and my car froze. I was able to restart again and drive over to my Ford dealership i purchased it from at 15 miles per hour. The problem was reproduced once and confirmed by the dealer. The dealer has contacted Ford and was told they have never seen that error code for a F150. The GM of Ford here in Montana told me if they cant reproduce the problem again, i can have the truck back. This truck is 3 weeks old. I am terrified.
Trucks been in to Ford for repairs 38 times for force motor shuts down while driving. Ford wasn’t able to duplicate so they kept blowing me off. Finally morries of Okemos actually drove truck 45 minutes like I requested because it only shuts down after truck warms up. They have got it to finally shut down and have realized the panic of not being able to start back up until it’s in park and how dangerous it is to be driving 70 on highway and if you break it does force motor shut down. Ford refuses buy back and vehicles not safe to drive. They still have no answers. At this point I’ve went 245 days without a vehicle while being in and out of shop. Mine isn’t the only one out there. There telling people if they can’t duplicate when they drive it they can’t fix it. Problem is these dealerships aren’t driving consecutive enough to fix it. Thankfully mirrors did thinking I was crazy and dealership says they have never seen this actually happen. Just from talking I know several people with same issue.
The automatic 10 speed transmission 10R80 covered by TSB24-2176 will violently downshift or upshift causing passengers and contents of the vehicle to be thrown around the vehicle. This happens at random events, sometimes while accelerating, sometimes while decelerating, and without warning, which leads to violent decelerating and lurching on the road, which is a safety concern in heavy traffic. The transmission has been serviced 3 times by Ford of Homewood, twice under warranty and once out of warranty (60K powertrain) but there is no fix or remedy to repair this issue. I own several other identical 10 speed equipped trucks that operate fine, perhaps a bit jerky with shifting, but this truck is a safety hazard that cannot be repaired.
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.
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.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated while he was in a pharmacy drive-through, the vehicle accelerated independently. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated he was depressing the brake pedal to the floorboard but failed to stop the vehicle from driving over the landscape of the pharmacy and over a boulder. The contact stated the vehicle continued moving forward for half a block until he was able to regain control of the vehicle by pumping on the brake pedal. The contact stated he was able to make a left turn at a near urgent care parking lot and park the vehicle. The contact stated the front passenger hit her head and right shoulder on the front passenger door due to the seat belt not retracting and sought medical attention at the emergency room. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was not drivable. The contact towed the vehicle to a local dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 4,133.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH at night, the low-beam headlights were very dim. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact took the vehicle back to his residence and noticed that both headlights were completely fogged over. The contact drove the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and the contact was informed that the fogging was normal. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure and the contact was informed that the headlamp fogging was normal. The failure mileage was approximately 597.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact received an email notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V986000 (Power Train, Structure) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. 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. VIN tool confirms part not available.
Cluster will randomly shut off causing all gauges to act like the vehicle isn't on. Then it will turn back on. I notice that transmission temp gauge will be the only gauge that wouldn't go back to normal. It will take several minutes for gauge to reset. The risk is not knowing your speed and causing a distraction to what is happening while driving. No dealer could redo the problem.
DOOR LOCK In freezing temperatures, the door locking mechanism can become inoperable (the door will not unlock and you cannot enter or exit the vehicle using that door). The door fails to unlock using manual key, auto unlock with keyfob in hand, pressing the button on the handle or entering the security code. Sometimes after a few attempts, you will be able to open the door despite the lock pin at the top of the down frame is still down. However, once in the vehicle, you will not be able to get back out until the vehicle is warm. This is a risk in case of accident or fire. The issue is currently being diagnosed by dealership. No other warnings. Only happens in freezing temperatures (in my case temps in the mid-teens and below).
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V986000 (Power Train, Structure) 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 made aware of the issue and a case was opened. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford-150. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the under-body panel, power train malfunction, and engine malfunction warning lights illuminated. The contact then heard a scraping sound coming from underneath the vehicle. The contact was able to safely exit the highway. The vehicle was driven back to the residence with no further issues. On another occasion, while stopped in a parking lot, the check engine and power train warning lights illuminated. The contact’s daughter exited the vehicle and the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was restarted and driven back to the residence. The vehicle was then taken to the local dealer to be diagnosed. A multipoint inspection was performed and the contact was informed that the waste gate actuator needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The contact requested a buy back which was declined. The approximate failure mileage was 3,032.
1) Pre-collision assist not available---- when starting after vehicle has been sitting off for one hour. Service AvanceTrac----when starting after vehicle has been sitting off for one hour. Hill start assist not available-----when starting after vehicle has been sitting off for one hour. Check brake system-------when starting after vehicle has been sitting off for one hour. All these warnings appear when starting the engine after vehicle has been sitting off for one hour. Yes, it is available. 2) I don't know if I restart the vehicle and warnings do not reappear if the components at fault still work. 3) Don't think it was reproduced. Showed dealer photos of warnings displayed on my dash. Dealer said no fix currently available. 4) No 5) All these warnings appear on the dash when starting the engine after vehicle has been sitting off for one hour. First appeared after starting on multiple occasions.
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.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the transmission suddenly downshifted into first gear, and the contact almost lost control of the vehicle. The contact pulled over and turned off and restarted the vehicle. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic and the vehicle was diagnosed with a cracked oil pan. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 1,200.
Transmission is shifting very hard at different times, points, speeds, up shifting and down shifting. It jerks so hard at different times that my wife’s neck was sore, the dealer is taking 3 weeks before they will look at it!
Automatic stop and go stopped working and dealer is unable to repair it. It has been to the dealer twice. It stopped working for the second time on October 25, 2021. The dealer has had the vehicle since December 30, 2021. As of today January 13, 2022 they still haven't found the problem
The standard trailer brake controller does not function. I have tried it on 2 known trailers that function with other trucks and this truck's does not work.
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.
"Trailer disconnected" randomly pops up accompanied by a chime. Sometimes once a day, some times multiple times, time after time. Some times skipping a day. This is with NO trailer connected. Brought to the dealer with a code u0143 saying it is a network code and they cleared it and test drive it. But still happening. Had this truck not even 2 weeks and im not very happy to say the least. Never towed with it.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that when the vehicle was started and the gear shifter was shifted into drive(D), the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the failure could not be duplicated. The contact also stated that no failure codes displayed. The contact stated that the failure had been persistent since the vehicle was purchased in October 2021. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 10.
After driving the vehicle for 14,000 miles I was traveling out of state when my wife and I discovered that the passenger seat belt was not anchored to the floor. When we arrived home there was a recall notification in our mail. I immediately went to Serramonte Ford in Colma, CA and scheduled the required inspection for November 1. They assured me that any necessary repair would be done at that time. Later that day they called and told me that I needed a new part but they were required to order it from a special source because it was a recall item. (What)! They called two weeks later and advised that the part arrived and I made an appointment for November 16 and dropped the vehicle off. Later that day they called and told me that they needed a gasket so the repair couldn’t be done. I picked up the vehicle and they told me they would call me to reschedule the repair. It is now January 2022 and I have been driving this vehicle for eleven months without a seatbelt. They can’t tell me when to expect the repair.
Driving down a steep mountain road when a passing vehicle tripped the pre collision alarm while vehicle was being braked. The ABS, Traction Control, Brake, and just about all other visual alarms went off and the vehicle lost the brakes. the emergency brake would come on and lock up the rear tires then release rendering the vehicle unable to stop going down the steep road. Vehicle came close to crashing into other vehicles multiple times while trying to come to a stop. Vehicle was brought to a Ford dealership where the issue was verified. Dealer noted no recalls or TSB's on this vehicle. Dealer cleared the faults and test drove the vehicle and said the issue is now gone. Vehicle was in the process of being driven home when another vehicle in front slowed and tripped the pre collision sensor again and again all alarms came on and the brakes were lost. The vehicle in front was almost collided with. Contacted Ford customer service to report the issue. Ford cs said to tow the vehicle to an authorized ford dealership and call back to open a case file. Vehicle is currently at a Ford dealership awaiting service.
The Pro Trailer Assist program won't load or work along with constant electrical lamp fault messages when trailering my boat. This is a safety concern because you can't tell if the trailer lights are really working or not while driving. I also experience the turn signals blinking really fast like a bulb is out - when none are actually out. The local dealer's electrical technician has reproduced and confirmed my issues. The manufacturer is aware of my problem and is currently offering to put me in a 2022 truck that will be built in February. The Pro Trailer Assist program never would load or work from day one. The electrical lamp fault messages started as soon as I trailered my boat. All the lamp fault messages and fast blinking turn signals only happen while trailering my boat. The local dealer had my new truck forty days and replaced the APIM Module twice with no success. Mileage then (328), mileage now 1,255.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50 MPH, the transmission suddenly shifted to neutral and the vehicle would no longer accelerate. The vehicle began to roll forward and rolled off the road. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that the transmission and transfer case had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 2,000.
when connecting my truck to a know working trailer the truck would not enable the trailer brakes. tried different vehicle and the brakes work fine.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150 equipped with Pirelli Tires, Tire Line: Scorpion: Tire Size: 265/70/R17. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, the low tire pressure warning light illuminated. The contact had pulled over to the side of the road and noticed that the driver’s side front tire was flat. The contact placed the spare tire on the vehicle and continued driving to his residence. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic who inspected the vehicle and the tire and diagnosed the failure as a split in the middle of the tire. The mechanic replaced all 4 tires on the vehicle. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage on the vehicle and tire was approximately 4,000. Vehicle has been repaired.
I was pulling into my spot at work and the power steering assist light and pre collision assist lights cam on along with advance trac. At this point I had no power steering. Luckily I was basically stopped. I cycled the key on and off twice and it finally went back to normal. Then later that same day I started the truck up and proceeded to leave from work and the seatbelt restraint light, abs system, and tpms stopped working and I was notified of the faults via ford pass. The lights then went away right after. I have a service apt 9/29 at the dealer to see what is going on but I’d like to get this documented in case it becomes a recurring issue. Thanks
I was standing next to my vehicle, which was parked and had not been driven for 2 days, and the rear windshield exploded.
I make a panic stop with my 5,000 lb boat, ABS light came on break light came on flashing warning light said to inspect brakes. Moved truck and found I had only partial breaking, carefully drove home with partial breaking.. At home all lights went out and brakes worked fine. Took to dealer they said a sensor went bad and they ordered part will be here in a few days. Truck only has 7500 miles on it, replacing a sensor does not fix the problem of a sensor that can at any time go bad again. This is a major design flaw similar to the original 121 brakes on trucks. This is going to get someone killed . There is no reason to install a sensor that can disable any part of the breaking system.
After connecting my boat trailer, I had ZERO trailer brakes. The lights all worked, brake, running, signal-but no trailer brakes. I turned the integrated trailer brake gain to the highest setting-still zero trailer brakes.
On multiple occasions my ABS system doesn’t work (no collision assist fault and ABS fault comes on). Brakes don’t work without great force when this happens. Ford service saw the errors in history but said couldn’t fix / find current issue. This is intermittent so active fault lights and issue come and go. Dangerous condition that Ford isn’t addressing!
On September17. 2021, on my way to work my vehicle suddenly accelerated as I was merging into highway traffic in a construction zone. I repeatedly applied hard pressure to the brake pedal. Each time I released pressure, the vehicle surged ahead and immediately reached high speeds. After several attempts to regain control of my vehicle, I finally reached an exit point in the construction zone, pulled over and turned off the ignition. I removed the key from the ignition and after 60 seconds, reinserted it. The engine rpms idled normally when I restarted the vehicle and I proceeded to my destination. Returning home that afternoon and while driving through a different construction zone - my vehicle for the second time in one day unexpectedly accelerated and ran "wide-open" with the foot off the gas pedal and hard braking being applied. I shifted to neutral and was able to pull off the expressway. This time, I shut off the vehicle, but didn't remove the key from the ignition. When I restarted the engine 30 seconds later - the truck immediately surged forward at full rpms. I plan to have this vehicle towed from my residence to my dealership and have not driven it since September 17, 2021. I do not use the cruise control option provided on this vehicle.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle shuddered and jerked forward. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact continued driving to his residence. The failure recurred several times. The contact took the vehicle to a local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that there was a communication error between the gear shifter and the transmission causing the transmission to not know what gear the vehicle was in. The dealer informed the contact that there was no fix for the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 200.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 5 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed to the floorboard however, the vehicle failed to stop with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that within several seconds, the brakes would engage and stop the vehicle. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer to be diagnosed however, the mechanic was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 6,000.
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.
While pulling a trailer, truck stops recognizing trailer brake connection without warning. Driver only notices truck brakes are no longer working because trailer is pushing truck while stopping. All other trailer connections, lights, turn signals, are working. When applying trailer brakes from truck controller, truck message says no trailer connected. This problem is intermittent and unpredictable. Sometimes it can be corrected by reconnecting 7 pin adapter but sometimes this does not work and the truck battery has to be disconnected and reconnected. Online forums show this to be a common problem.
The back up camera works intermittently.
The front wipers failed to work properly. It is available for inspection, but scheduled to be fixed. We have actual video of it not working properly before it stopped working completely. Our safety was put at risk. We were driving on 94E in Montana when it started raining. The wipers were working and then suddenly stopped. We were doing 64mph and were passed by trucks which splashed more water on the windshield. Once it stopped raining we drove to the nearest Ford dealer - All American Ford - Glendive Montana where a Tech tried to help but was unable to resolve the issue. We had to stop driving for the night and wait for the storm to pass. We had 2 kids in the car and were trailering a 21ft camper. We nearly crashed after the trucks splashed water all over the windshield.
I purchased the truck early 2021. After about 6500 miles, upon starting the vehicle a warning message to the effect of "Oil Level Low, Add Oil" appeared. After manually checking my oil dipstick, I found the oil level to be below the safe oil line. I promptly took the truck to the Ford Dealership in which I purchased it. The service technician informed me of one other case he has personally experienced where the PCV system was defective, allowing an excessive amount of oil to be consumed. Ford was unable to receive my vehicle for service for 1-2 weeks due to a full service schedule. It was at this point I attempted to go to a 3rd party vendor for an oil change. That vendor checked my oil level and confirmed the reading was below the safe oil line. They advised I return to Ford. Concern for my safety and the continued safe operation of the vehicle, I requested the 3rd party vendor to add a quart of oil. In the end, it took 2 quarts of oil to return the oil level to a safe operating zone. I then promptly returned to Ford and spoke to the service department manager. They will accomplish and oil change and return the vehicle to me to perform an oil consumption test over the course of approximately 1,000-1,500 miles, before returning to Ford for further evaluation.
Tow mirrors were provided by ford OEM ML3Z17696CA The side marker lights will not function on the new 2021 models due to inability to program them. Ford dealerships do not know how to program them. They said there is no official documentation on how to do this. This is a safety concern as these are large tow mirrors that extend far out on the sides of the vehicle. At night they require side marker lights.
At random times the idle is very rough and the truck has stalled out 2 times at traffic lights. (Auto start) was disabled so it should not have turned off at all. If I give it just 100 more RPM it seems to be issue free.
Phantom dead battery truck died
2021 FORD F150. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO WINDSHIELD SAFETY RECALL. THE CONSUMER REFERENCED RECALL 21S28/NHTSA RECALL 21V407. THE CONSUMER STATED THE PARTS NECESSARY TO COMPLETE THE RECALL REPAIR WERE UNAVAILABLE AND IT WAS UNKNOWN WHEN THE VEHICLE WOULD BECOME AVAILABLE. THE CONSUMER STATED THE DEALER DID NOT HAVE RENTAL VEHICLE AVAILABLE.
Transmission in truck shudders and does not down shift in maneuvers required to avoid some near miss situations.