2021 Ford F-150

Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report

Avoid This Year

Quick Summary

The 2021 Ford F-150 has 1228 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 15.3x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is transmission problems (23% of all complaints), specifically: on june 23rd while driving my 2021 xl supercrew with the 3.5l ecoboost engine, the engine quit while i was driving about 30mph. i pushed the accelerator slightly intending to accelerate to 35mph and when the truck downshifted, the engine stalled, and i think the transmission tried to move to park. . ⚠️ 6 fire reports filed.

6 fire reports 12 crash reports 6 injuries

1228

Total Complaints

Recalls Issued

—/5

Safety Stars

15.3x

vs Segment Avg

Known Problems

TRANSMISSION

281 complaints

23%

• On June 23rd while driving my 2021 XL SuperCrew with the 3.5L EcoBoost engine, the engine quit while I was driving about 30mph. I pushed the accelerator slightly intending to accelerate to 35mph and when the truck downshifted, the engine stalled, and I think the transmission tried to move to park.
• Transmission in truck shudders and does not down shift in maneuvers required to avoid some near miss situations.
• 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 di

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 1 fire reports💥 2 crashes

“On June 23rd while driving my 2021 XL SuperCrew with the 3.5L EcoBoost engine, the engine quit while I was driving about 30mph. I pushed the accelerator slightly intending to accelerate to 35mph and when the truck downshifted, the engine stalled, and I think the transmission tried to move to park. ”

— NHTSA complaint filing

VISIBILITY

133 complaints

11%

• The rear window shattered after closing a door on my 2021 F-15 XLT. It was 68 degrees, 11am and the truck was parked in the shade. There's approximately 3800 miles on the odometer. There was no one in the truck. The window blew out onto the tonneau cover. I have a call into my insurance and have yet
• This vehicle was purchased NEW from the dealer with this OPEN SAFETY RECALL. This is a violation of 49 USC 30120(i) Sale and delivery of un-remedied, recalled vehicles. The dealership told us in person on the date of purchase that there were NO open recalls on the vehicle, safety or otherwise.
• 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 thes

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 1 crashes

“The rear window shattered after closing a door on my 2021 F-15 XLT. It was 68 degrees, 11am and the truck was parked in the shade. There's approximately 3800 miles on the odometer. There was no one in the truck. The window blew out onto the tonneau cover. I have a call into my insurance and have yet”

— NHTSA complaint filing

ELECTRICAL

127 complaints

10%

• IF THE TRUCK SITS FOR MORE THAN 2 DAYS THE BATTERY WILL BE DEAD AND UNABLE TO BE JUMPSTARTED WITH JUMP PACKS. HAD TO HAVE THE BATTERY REPLACED IT WAS SO DEAD ALREADY.
• VEHICLE INTRUDER ALARM ACTIVATES FOR NO REASON. HAS HAPPENED 5 NIGHTS ACROSS 83 DAYS OF OWNERSHIP. VEHICLE HAS LESS THAN 3500 MILES AND LOCAL FORD SERVICE CANNOT FIND ROOT CAUSE.
• INTRUSION ALARM GOING OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT FOR NO REASON. VEHICLE IS PARKED AND LOCKED IN THE DRIVE WAY, HAPPENS EVERY NIGHT. MUST DISABLE MOTION SENSORS PRIOR TO PARKING OVER NIGHT EVERY TIME.

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 1 fire reports💥 1 crashes

“IF THE TRUCK SITS FOR MORE THAN 2 DAYS THE BATTERY WILL BE DEAD AND UNABLE TO BE JUMPSTARTED WITH JUMP PACKS. HAD TO HAVE THE BATTERY REPLACED IT WAS SO DEAD ALREADY.”

— NHTSA complaint filing

OTHER

112 complaints

• INTRUSION ALARM GOING OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT FOR NO REASON. VEHICLE IS PARKED AND LOCKED IN THE DRIVE WAY, HAPPENS EVERY NIGHT. MUST DISABLE MOTION SENSORS PRIOR TO PARKING OVER NIGHT EVERY TIME.
• THE VEHICLE HAS A STUTTER AT IDLE. VEHICLE HAS SHOWN THIS CHARACTERISTIC SINCE DRIVEN OUT OF THE LOT. CURRENT MILEAGE IS 1,800 MILES. THIS DOES NOT SEEM 'NORMAL'.
• THIS VEHICLE DOESN'T APPEAR TO HAVE SAT IN A HOLDING YARD FOR 30 DAYS AFTER BEING EXPORTED FROM CANADA. IT WAS SERVICED 03/24/21 IN ALBERTA CANADA AND THEN OFFERED FOR SALE 04/14/21 IN THE USA. ATTACHED IS THE CARFAX TO SHOW THE TIMELINE AND HISTORY

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 2 fire reports💥 3 crashes

“INTRUSION ALARM GOING OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT FOR NO REASON. VEHICLE IS PARKED AND LOCKED IN THE DRIVE WAY, HAPPENS EVERY NIGHT. MUST DISABLE MOTION SENSORS PRIOR TO PARKING OVER NIGHT EVERY TIME.”

— NHTSA complaint filing

LIGHTING

97 complaints

• 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
• 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 o
• The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the parking lights started to flicker. The contact stated that the driver’s side taillights had ceased to function. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of t

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“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 ”

— NHTSA complaint filing

Estimated Repair Costs

TRANSMISSION(~50K mi)

$500

VISIBILITY(~50K mi)

$500

ELECTRICAL(~50K mi)

$500

OTHER(~50K mi)

$500

LIGHTING(~50K mi)

$500

Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.

🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

Based on 1228 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:

☐
TRANSMISSION: On June 23rd while driving my 2021 XL SuperCrew with the 3.5L EcoBoost engine, the engine quit while I was driving about 30mph. I pushed the accelerator slightly intending to accelerate to 35mph and when the truck downshifted, the engine stalled, and I think the transmission tried to move to park.
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
VISIBILITY: The rear window shattered after closing a door on my 2021 F-15 XLT. It was 68 degrees, 11am and the truck was parked in the shade. There's approximately 3800 miles on the odometer. There was no one in the truck. The window blew out onto the tonneau cover. I have a call into my insurance and have yet
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
ELECTRICAL: IF THE TRUCK SITS FOR MORE THAN 2 DAYS THE BATTERY WILL BE DEAD AND UNABLE TO BE JUMPSTARTED WITH JUMP PACKS. HAD TO HAVE THE BATTERY REPLACED IT WAS SO DEAD ALREADY.
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
OTHER: INTRUSION ALARM GOING OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT FOR NO REASON. VEHICLE IS PARKED AND LOCKED IN THE DRIVE WAY, HAPPENS EVERY NIGHT. MUST DISABLE MOTION SENSORS PRIOR TO PARKING OVER NIGHT EVERY TIME.
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)