2021 Ford F-150 Complaint Log

AC quits working while on the road. Air does not come out of the vents no matter how high the fan setting is. This is dangerous because it also applies to the defrost vents and becomes difficult to see out of the front windshield. Ford has issued a TSB (22-2089) so they are aware of the issue but no recall yet.

Right rear axle bolt sheared off. This was first reported to dealer in mid 2025 and recall repair has not yet been completed. This is Ford recall 23S65, NHTSA recall 23V896.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power, leaving the contact stuck in the middle of the roadway. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the transmission. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 127,000. The VIN was not available.

The passenger side daytime running light vertical led strip in the passenger side headlight assembly has quit working as of 7/11/2025. I noticed that there seemed to be a reduction in the lighting on the passenger side of my vehicle that night. When I checked my vehicle lighting, I noticed that the above mentioned part of the headlight assembly was not working. This seems to be an integral part of the headlight assembly and I cannot find any replaceable bulb or lighting strip. After searching online, this seems to be a common problem with this series of trucks. The only remedy seems to be replacement of the entire headlight assembly vs. simply replacing a bulb or led strip.

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 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.

My f150 has 47k miles and it’s been serviced every time it was supposed to and the engine failed. Oil leaking into the engine destroyed it. I looked up 2021 F150 v8 coyote engine and it’s a known issue

When I drive at highway speeds and going to slow down this transmission will sometimes shift very hard on down shift from 9th to 8th gear and it jolts the truck. Also sometimes when I am in town going from 4th to 5th gear it is delayed in 4th making the RPM go high then shifting hard into 5th. Getting out of 1st going into 2nd is sometimes clunky and sometimes it is not. All these issues are intermittent. I got this truck a few weeks ago. 35,500 miles on it. Got it because I needed something reliable for family needs and work. Im not rich either so of course I had to finance it 72 months. I feel like I bought myself a big headache and I drive this thing around like I am walking on egg shells and I feel like I ended up with something not reliable because of this 10R80 transmission. I baby it the best I can. I wont take it to the dealership because I know they wont do anything. Thank you for all that you guys do.

I was turning left from a side street onto a divided highway and stopped in the middle to wait for an opening in traffic. When one came I hit the gas and nothing happened. Pressed it again, to the floor and nothing happened. I then put the truck into reverse to back out of the way of traffic because the truck rolled forward a bit when I attempted to accelerate. I then waited for a very large opening and attempted to accelerate again. Pushed the pedal and again nothing. I then pressed it to the floor and held it there. The truck very slowly began to accelerate and then after about 20 seconds accelerated like normal. The truck seemed normal the rest of the way home.

Truck has been at Ford dealership since July 9th for this recall. After updating the computer as mentioned in the recall, a “trailer brake fault” was displayed and we were left with no trailer brakes while towing our camper. It has beyond a “reasonable amount of time” to get this safety issue fixed. Compaign recall number: 25S15/25V132

The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving 75 MPH, the vehicle started jerking abnormally while attempting to accelerate. The vehicle was driven to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, and the failure was associated with NHTSA ID Number: 25V455000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 113,000.

A few months ago, my 2021 F150 started sending me repeating dashboard messages that there's a front camera fault and service is requested followed up with a message about how the pre-collision assist is not available. It's bad enough that this is a problem on a late model vehicle, but my real gripe is that the message repeats over and over non-stop, with a repeating chime to go along with it. It is a terrible distraction for a feature that I've never needed in a vehicle. I asked the Ford dealership about this issue, they said that it would be several thousand dollars to replace and calibrate. So now I'm stuck with a truck that chimes and flashes messages, over and over, every time I drive it. I can provide video evidence of the issue.

The passenger side daytime running lamp has burned out in one section. Ford says in order to replace this the whole headlight must be replaced at a cost of $1,400. Daytime running lamps are a requirement for safety and the inability to repair the running lamp without replacing the entire headlight poses a safety risk to both the driver and other vehicles on the road.

The dash pad in front of steering wheel is coming apart and peeling back. It appears to a defect in installation, material use or wasn't glued down properly

Black screen on main vehicle screen. Ford has a Customer Satisfaction Program (12M02) that extended the warranty coverage for the Accessory Protocol Interface Module (APIM), a key component of the SYNC system in certain Ford vehicles. This program covers the APIM for 5 years from the warranty start date, regardless of mileage, which is a longer coverage than the vehicle's original warranty provisions for this part. The coverage automatically transfers to subsequent owners. However, Ford is saying that I do not qualify and cannot define the qualification criteria. If some affected vehicles are eligible for repair under this CSP, then all affected vehicles should be.

While driving (on the highway or in town) get and error message "Intelligent Cruse Control Speed Sign Recognition Not Available" This results in the cruse control not adjusting for change in speed. Such as getting off a highway onto a side road, the Cruse Control continues at the old speed. It has been happening ever since early July 2025

The contact owns a 2021 Ford F150. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 25V315000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION) and 25V455000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact stated that while her friend was driving, the rearview camera turned off while the vehicle was in reverse(R). The contact stated that the failure compromised the back-over prevention system. The contact stated that an unknown message about the brakes was displayed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, while her friend was driving 55 MPH, the vehicle vibrated abnormally, and failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that recently, the vehicle accelerated independently and then returned to normal functionality. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired after the most recent failure. 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 failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts are not available.

The steering had a failure while driving on the highway. Driving straight, not making any turns, and a steering error came across the dash for the failure. Complete loss of steering functions. THis happened at 58000 miles. The problem is now occuring daily and is thought to be the power steering module. All steering control is lost.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal knocking or ticking sound coming from the engine compartment. The contact stated that while depressing the accelerator pedal, the sound became louder. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The contact had the vehicle towed to a local dealer. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle and determined that a connecting rod had failed, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact had not informed the manufacturer of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V635000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the recall only covered 2.7L and 3.0L Nano EcoBoost engines. The contact stated that the engine size of his was a 3.5L EcoBoost engine. The failure mileage was approximately 99,000.

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? -The electrical system malfunctioned causing a complete system failure and shutdown of the vehicle. The vehicle came to a sudden stop in an intersection and could not be moved. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? -The vehicle instantly died going through an intersection causing the steering column to lock up, the parking brake to engage and transmission to remain in drive while the vehicle was stopped without any power. This was a sudden and abrupt stop where all control over the vehicle was lost, and I came to an immediate stop in the middle of an intersection. The vehicle would not restart. I could not disengage the parking brake to move the vehicle out of the intersection due to the complete loss of power. The transmission would not shift into Neutral due to the complete loss of power. The hazard lights would not turn on due to the complete loss of power. If this happened on the interstate, I would have very likely been in a serious life threatening /taking accident. This is as big of a near miss that I can think of, and only because it happened on a neighborhood street when no other vehicles were approaching from in front or behind. This is a major safety issue. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? -The vehicle is currently at the dealer for a diagnostic review. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? -in process at the ford dealership Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? -the vehicle had been running for 30-45 minutes prior to this happening without any warning lights / symptoms.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while her husband was driving 20 MPH, there was an abnormal ticking sound coming from the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V896000 (Power Train). The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and it was determined that the rear axle was fractured. The vehicle was not repaired due to the part being on back order. The dealer informed the contact that additional driving might cause additional stress on the rear axle. The manufacturer was contacted, and a case was opened. The approximate failure mileage was 25,000.

Recall for rear axel has not been repaired this is now overdue my ford dealer claims parts have not been provided by Ford Corporation.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. 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 local dealer was not 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.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the vertical daytime running lights on the driver’s and passenger’s side failed to operate as needed. Upon investigation, the contact discovered that the headlight module needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and the contact was informed that the repair would be an out-of-pocket expense to replace the headlight module because the failure was not covered under recall or warranty. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 49,000.

When starting the vehicle a message displayed stating "Power Steering Fault Service Required". I was able to shut off the vehicle and restart with no issue. Currently, restarting the vehicle no longer has any affect and the power steering is out completely. An appointment has been scheduled with Ford in two weeks. Unfortunately, this is my only means of transportation. I was at work when the power steering went out completely and had to drive home. On my drive home, the traction control tripped jerking the wheel and it felt like the whole vehicle jumped.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while opening the front driver’s side door, there was an abnormal grinding coming from the motor for the retractable running board on the front passenger’s side, and the running board failed to deploy as designed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the motor in the retractable running board had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact attempted to replace the motor for the retractable running board himself and failed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 81,000.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 21V090000 (VISIBILITY), 23V896000 (POWER TRAIN), and 25V315000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle jerked abnormally. On another occasion, the tailgate failed to function as intended. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but was not diagnosed. The vehicle was repaired. 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 failure mileage was unknown.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while his father was driving 70 MPH, the driver's side rear brakes locked up. The “Parking Brake Service Now” message was displayed. The driver was able to continue driving. The driver heard an abnormal beeping sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that the wiring harness had failed. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was unknown. The VIN was not available.

Headlight DRL went out causing less visibility: Transmission is always losing slamming into gears and searching.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the brake pedal became significantly hard to depress. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to stop the vehicle by depressing the brake pedal with added force. The contact stated that the failure recurred while driving. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.

Drove it out to CA from Texas. Purchased for Planet Ford who told me the truck was k to drive and no axel problem. Drove it out to CA from Texas when we moved in late April - after that went to Santa Barbara and dashboard controls went dead. Speedometer and may other controls stopped working. Truck felt sluggish. Took it into Tuttle Click Ford Lincoln in Irvine and they said they real axel was about to fall off and took the truck away. They've had it for a month and said they may have it for another 2-4 week or longer.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving 45-50 MPH on the freeway, the navigation screen turned blank, and the speedometer decreased to zero. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the rear end of the vehicle was detaching. The dealer determined that the vehicle was unsafe to drive. The vehicle was then taken to unknown local dealer, where it was determined that the rear axle was in good condition. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and denied the contact's buyback request. The failure mileage was approximately 32,000.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, while depressing the brake pedal and attempting to make a right turn, the power train or 4WD warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the transmission was stuck in sixth gear; the contact was unsure of the high gear. The contact stated that the transmission unexpectedly shifted into a lower gear, skipped gears, and the vehicle surged forward. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the CDF cylinder had failed, and the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified on the failure and transferred the contact to NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 107,000.

Recall 23S65 has been active since January of 2024. Ford has failed to provide the necessary parts to repair my F150. Through my communications to Ford, they have been made aware of the fact that multiple mechanics have indicated that my truck is in need of immediate repair. Ford’s failure to provide the necessary relief to a recall from January of 2024 renders my $45,000 ($72,000 new) truck basically useless to me. It is not safe to drive any distance, nor should it be towing a camper. Ford personnel are not returning my calls to discuss options to provide relief. We have been patient but now believe Ford is negligent in handling this recall and are unwilling or unable to provide necessary equipment and relief. To note, this complaint is directed at Ford Motor Company. Service Representative [XXX] at Griffin Ford has been attentive and as helpful as he can be during this process. However, he is also at the mercy of Ford to provide remedy to this situation. Please see the PDF attachment for detailed information regarding this complaint. Please contact me if you have further questions. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

My gear shifter was sticking, making hard to shift gears. I had to pay $1100. 00 dollars to get it fixed. The truck has only 37,000 miles. This seems like a defect not a random component gone bad.

Have been trying to get recall for rear axle (NHTSA Recall Number23V896) taken care of since June 2025. Dealer (Corwin Ford, Reno NV) ordered parts on or around August 4. 2025. As of March 19, 2026, dealer has not received parts and made recall repair. Recall notice from Ford says parts are available. If nut comes loose, additional damage can occur and vehicle will not be drivable since Ford has failed to deliver parts in a timely manner.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V896000 (Power Train). The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, there was an abnormal sound coming from the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle was inspected, and there was oil under the rear passenger’s side of the vehicle in the wheel well. The vehicle was taken to dealer, where it was diagnosed that the rear axle hub bolts were fractured and needed to be replaced. The differential fluid was refilled, but the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.

Brake trailer module failure leading to loss of trailer brakes. Second incident.

The side rails that come out when door is opened to assist with getting inside the truck does not work properly. It has come out and will not go back in. The door is closed and I have to drive the truck with the rails hanging down. That is a hazard.

Issue Date 2025-06-13 Campaign 25S65/25V404 Description On your vehicle, in the event of unexpected 12V battery discharge, the front door electronic latches retain their last lockunlock status. If the driver or front passenger exit the front doors using the mechanical inside release handles, the doors may remain locked when they are closed. This may result in an unexpected lock-out condition for the driver and front passenger without the ability to immediately re-enter the vehicle.

My transmission has failed and is slipping it's jolting and has cling sound. The rpms indicator fluctuates. Sometimes stays on 10 speed.

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.

My truck falls in the recall for the valve failures and they finally have parts to do the test but there is tons of documents and articles saying Ford agreed with NHTSA to provide a 10 year 150k warranty to people who fall in this recall. per you guys investigation EA23007 under 24N12. When I talked to Ford and the dealer they say that's not a number. Just on principle this is crazy. I bought my truck thinking well atleast Ford is taking care of people on this. After reading the states summary saying Ford would provide that.

Unable to update automatically, vehicle was constantly attempting to connect, draining the battery (I replaced the battery and carry jumper cables and a quick starter now). Took into dealer and they are unable to perform updates. They have had the vehicle for 2 weeks and no progress. The forums online have indicated the vehicle was built with whatever parts they could get due to the COVID supply chain disruptions to normal parts. The software and subsequent updates do not remedy matters. I have no documents to upload, still in shop.

When driving the vehicle there is a hard shift condition from 2-3 3-4 4-5 and 6-5. This condition worsened to where the vehicle we entering an intersection in a 4 lane road and when shifting into 3rd the transmission would not engage. It then shifted to 4th then 5th still not engaging. The rpm increased and truck was out of fear in the intersection then engaged in 2nd while rolling at roughly 30mph in a 10r80. Tires sheared traction for a moment as it dropped to a gear lower than the speed it was going. Hard shifting was followed by a Malfunction indicator light (MIL). Truck was shut off then restarted and MIL was no longer present but hard shifting continued then the above incident. Truck was taken to dealer for confirmation. Mileage 61,159.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 25V315000 (Back Over Prevention) and 25V455000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recalls repairs. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.

Transmission failure Transmission slips between 4th and 7th gears Yes its available for inspection Yes its been diagnosed by FORD No there were no warning lamps or messages, just noticed the shifting problem and took it in.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 21V653000 (SEAT BELTS), 23V509000 (PARKING BRAKE), 22V142000 (VISIBILITY) and 23V163000 (VISIBILITY). The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the parking brake independently activated. The contact pulled over to the side of the road. The contact turned off the vehicle and, after waiting for a short while, the vehicle was restarted. The message "Service Parking Brake" was displayed. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, while turning off the vehicle, the parking brake fail to function as intended. The contact stated that recently the seat belt failed to retract and remained loose. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the dealer refused to repair the vehicle under the Seat Belts and Parking Brake recalls. The contact stated that the recall repairs for Visibility were performed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 119,000. Parts distribution disconnect.

Vertical headlight seems to have burned out on both sides after reading online and couple forms. It seems to be a common issue and Ford should be held accountable.

The same brake booster that allegedly only had 51 vehicles included in it? Same exact issue as this link: [XXX] not working seems like a pretty big safety issue. DTC Code: C0594 Brake Booster Motor "A" Performance DTC Code: C0594 Right rear solenoid circuit INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Since my truck was brand new, the infotainment screen very often blacks out so that I can not see navigation, back up camera, radio, etc. It keeps resetting itself until it comes back on. A couple of times when I brought it in for service I asked them to check it out and it was always "Seems to be working fine". Today I backed into a sign as the back up camera was frozen and I did not notice that it was not real time. After I hit the sign, the screen went black and then the Ford insigna came up and it repeated 3 times and then everything was fine. Ford service has never been able to fix it as the don't see it when they start the vehicle. I will start taking videos with my phone. Anyway now that the extended warranty just ran out, it is getting worse where it happens almost all the time. I talked to some friends and they tell me they have the same issue so you need to be aware that this dangerous situation might be a common problem.