2021 Ford F-150
Summary
The 2021 Ford F-150 has drawn 869 NHTSA complaints since January 2021, earning a trouble score of 58/100 — elevated complaint activity. Filings include 13 crashes, 4 fires, and 8 injuries across an average of 45,631 mi.
The most-reported problem areas are Power Train (258 complaints), Electrical System (119 complaints), and Exterior Lighting (88 complaints). Reports spiked in Jul '25 with 39 filings — roughly 3× the typical monthly volume for this model.
Problem Areas
Complaints Over Time
Recent Complaints
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while her husband was stopped, a 2023 Dodge Ram 1500 reversed at approximately 55 MPH, causing the rear to crash into the front of her husband's front of vehicle. No air bags deployed. The contact's husband and grandfather, who was a passenger in the vehicle, were injured. The grandfather sustained neck and facial injuries, primarily around the neck and chin area. The husband suffered injuries to his hands. Medical attention was required for both occupants. A police report was filed, and the vehicle was towed. The insurance company was pending an inspection to determine if the vehicle was destroyed or not. The contact informed the dealer of the incident, and referred the contact to the manufacturer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 59,000.
Last Monday, I was driving [XXX] near Jacksonville, Fl. While in an outer lane the truck pulled to the right during rain, not like a hydroplaning. I could not regain control and hit a barrier. Airbags deployed. After, I got out saw the rear passenger tire was somehow off. When PSA arrive they found it ~200 feet down the road. It had snapped off. Complete break at the axle hub. Given the recall issued on 2023-2025 models I thought I should report this. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The contact called on behalf of the owner of a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V315000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION). However, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact was the caller's son. The contact's mother stated that the rearview camera displayed a black screen while the vehicle was in reverse(R). The contact's mother stated that the failure had obstructed the driver's visibility, which prevented the driver from safely operating the vehicle. Due to the failure, the contact stated that her son had been involved in a low-speed, parking lot accident. Unknown if any warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that her son suffered from minor back pain. The contact's son has been going to a chiropractor. A police report was filed. Unknown if the vehicle was taken to a dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. Unknown if the failure persisted. 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 failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
On June 17, 2022 while driving to work on highway in Nee York Stare, I put the adaptive cruise control on so I could adjust my drivers side rear view mirror. The truck suddenly lunged to the left striking a guard rail and overturned several times. Despite being a direct high speed impact to the guard rail and overturning , the steering airbag did not deploy. See police report attached. Due to this , I sustained major internal tissue damage including: a broken sternum, punctured lung bruised aorta, 4 fractures to the vertebrae in both my upper and lower spine and 4 broken ribs in my upper rib cage. I spent a total of 11 nights in the hospital including 4 nights in the ICU. I have not been cleared to return to work and instill under medical care. I understand there was a airbag/steering column recall on other F150s but I strongly suspect that the reveal needs to be expanded to mite vehicles such as mine. All the Doctors that treated me said my injuries were the direct result of the steering wheel airbag not deploying. The state trooper that reined me from my vehicle , as well as one of the witnesses both told me that my steering airbag did not deeply. I also have pictures as well.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while reversing, the camera became inoperable and blank, and she crashed into a cement base. Although the pole was in her view. There were no reported injuries, air bag deployment, or police reports filed. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was determined that a software update was needed. The update was not completed. The vehicle was taken to another local dealer, Haley Ford, 10724 US-1, North Chesterfield, VA 23237, who confirmed the remedy was not available for NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V315000 (Back Over Prevention) but later determined it was an over-the-air update. The vehicle had not been fully repaired. The dealer informed her to sign a contingency letter. The manufacturer was contacted, and they referred her to a collision center. The failure mileage was approximately 86,444.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while reversing into their driveway, the back over prevention display rear view camera was frozen, no warning lights were illuminated, and in the process, the contact crashed into the corner of their house with the rear passenger tail light. The image displayed 20 feet away in distance, however the house was closer than the image display. Property damage was not reported. The vehicle came to a stop upon impact. The air bags did not deploy. The vehicle was going less than 5 MPH at the time of the crash. The vehicle did not need to be towed. No warning lights were illuminated. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was not destroyed. No injuries were reported. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where the vehicle was inspected however, it was not diagnosed, and the vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number : 25V315000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION) as probable cause for the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 60,000.
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 exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH when a loud grinding noise was emitting from underneath the vehicle. The contact had lost power causing the vehicle to drift to the right. The vehicle ended up hitting a trash can nearby before it came to a stop. The air bags did not deploy. There were no injuries or medical attention needed. A police report was not filed. The contact had to place the vehicle in 4-wheel drive mode to be able to continue driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who was not able to diagnose the vehicle at the time. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The manufacturer had referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to file a safety complaint. The failure mileage was 86,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owned a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the rear end of the vehicle seized, and the vehicle swerved to the right. The contact was unaware of any warning lights being illuminated. The contact lost control of the vehicle and the vehicle slid off the roadway. The vehicle was not damaged. The contact stated that while his wife was driving approximately 45 MPH, the rear end seized, and the vehicle slid to the right. The contact's wife lost control of the vehicle and crashed. The contact's wife stated that there was no warning light illuminated. The contact's wife was not injured. The contact stated that the vehicle was not drivable and that the Police arrived on scene and filed a report. The vehicle was towed to an impound lot and was later declared a total loss by the Insurance provider. The contact had received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V509000 (Parking Brake) and related the failure to the recall. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 45,000.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving in the snow at 30-35 MPH, he crashed into an unknown vehicle. The driver of the unknown vehicle fled the scene. The front windshield seal detached. There were no reported injuries, fire or air bag deployment. A police report was filed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who informed the contact that they do not service windshields. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred to the NHTSA hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 29,000.
I stopped the vehicle in the street after turning wide to back in my driveway. The vehicle lunged forward like it was being pushed. It continued forward, up the curb, paused, then was pushed (moved forward) harder up the incline and into a pine tree. Significant Damage was to the front end. At no time did I accelerate. I was not in control of the car. It threw a message about parking assist on the dash. There were children on the street and I am glad it didn’t run into anyone. Yes you have my consent to check the vehicle data. I am going to file with ford as well. Even if car is fixed I’m afraid to drive it.
After braking to enter drive way. The truck accelerated spontaneously causing vehicle to hit a wall. Similarly on previous occasions the truck has lurched forward when releasing the brake after coming to a complete stop at red lights or stop signs.
This is a link to the Dashcam footage. Traveling 45mph in stop and go traffic. I braked (indicated by my hood dipping downwards) but failed to stop. Possible defect? Haven't had my truck back since the accident on 6/24/2022. https://youtu.be/HL7Iau0463I
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.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at 70 MPH, the contact noticed an unusual grinding sound. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the road. The contact noticed a lot of unusual clicking or rattling sounds. In addition, several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that upon exiting the vehicle, the contact noticed a fire underneath the vehicle. In addition, the drive shaft was detached. The contact stated that the fire burned out independently. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The contact stated that the drive shaft had scorching around it. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. In addition, the contact stated that the recall, NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V986000 (Power Train, Structure), was performed on the contact's VIN about six months ago. The dealer was not made aware of the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 111,000.
While driving there were no warning indicator lights illuminated on the dash. He stated there were no mechanical defects, noises, or smells to be noted. Near Milepost [XXX] on [XXX] both occupants saw smoke begin to come from under the hood. The employee pulled the vehicle to the side of the road. Both employees exited the vehicle to open the hood. Employee stated he reached down to pull the hood release and when he looked up flames were visible above the hood. Employees moved away from the vehicle and called 911.
There were no reported maintenance problems with the Ford F150 before the fire occurred. On the day of the fire, the vehicle was being driven by an ADOT employee who was east bound on Interstate 8 near mile post 39 when she began to smell smoke. The employee pulled over to the side of the road and observed smoke emanating from the side of the hood. The employee report that she observed little plastic balls of fire dropping down to the ground. The vehicle continued to burn unabated in this rural area for many hours before most combustibles were consumed and the fire self-extinguished itself. The remains of the vehicle and fire damaged contents were then scooped up by ADOT maintenance personnel and taken to the Yuma maintenance yard where it was later inspected.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving the vehicle suddenly began to shudder and vibrate. Later, the vehicle would not start and message "system failure" had displayed. A clicking noise and burning odor was present coming from the engine compartment had occurred and the contact exited the vehicle. The cause of the failure was not determined. The local dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not yet notified. The failure mileage was 4,000. 3/12 While spuddering would not start and dash panel system failure. clicking sound and burning odor coming from the motor.
On Sunday, [XXX], I was driving on a state highway in my 21 Ford F150 FX4 with my family. 67mph, 73 degrees sunny outside. The front portion of my moonroof/sunroof exploded, shooting glass shards internally all over my truck/passengers and externally into the bed of my truck, and into the boat I was towing. Multiple people had glass shards embedded in their skin. There were no other vehicles nearby, and there was no prior damage to the sunroof/moonroof of the vehicle. The truck gave no warning or signs of malfunction prior to the event. The sunroof was closed, and all windows in the vehicle were closed. On Monday morning ([XXX]), I took my truck to the local Ford service center, and they inspected it, shocked at the results. They filed a claim that Ford denied because the windows are not covered by my extended warranty. They wanted to charge me $ 4,000 for the repair/replacement of the glass and track. I have been on the phone with Ford Protection and Ford Customer Service (Aug 6th, 2025), trying to get something resolved, and Ford continues to deny responsibility. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
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.
Unreasonable Delay in Remedy for Recall 23V896 / 23S65 I am filing this complaint to report an unacceptable delay in the remedy for NHTSA Recall 23V896 (Manufacturer 23S65). This recall was issued in December 2023, yet as of April 2026, the manufacturer continues to claim that parts are unavailable for repair. This delay has persisted for nearly three years, during which time the manufacturer has continued to produce and sell new vehicles while leaving existing owners at risk. 1. Component Failure & Inspection: The components involved are the rear axle bolts. The vehicle and the specific components are available for inspection upon request. 2. Safety Risk: The safety of myself, my passengers, and others on the road is at significant risk. A failure of the rear axle hub bolts can result in a total loss of motive power (the ability to move the vehicle) or cause the vehicle to roll away while in park. Both scenarios significantly increase the risk of a high-speed crash or injury to pedestrians. 3. Confirmation & History: The necessity for this repair has been confirmed by an authorized dealer service center. However, the vehicle has not yet been inspected by the manufacturer’s corporate representatives, police, or insurance. 4. Symptoms & Warnings: There were no warning lamps, messages, or physical symptoms of the problem prior to the failure. I only became aware of the defect through the official recall notification provided by the manufacturer and the NHTSA. Conclusion: It is unacceptable that a known safety defect remains unremedied for this duration. I am requesting that the NHTSA investigate the manufacturer's failure to provide a remedy within a reasonable timeframe as required by law, especially considering the continued production of new units using similar components.
