Complaint volume
911 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
911 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2021 Ford F-150, grouped by component category.
911 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
911 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 2026 | POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | 2021 Ford F-150 Lariat, 5.0L Coyote V8, purchased new, now 65k miles. Two interrelated safety defects: OIL CONSUMPTION: On 3/21/2026 at 62k miles, I discovered the engine was critically low on oil. Only 3 quarts drained during a full oil change, against a rated 8.8 quart capacity. The engine had been running on one third of required oil. The onboard oil life monitor showed 9% remaining and gave NO low-oil warning, no warning lights, no alerts. No external leak. On 5/22/2026, Koons Ford Woodbridge formally confirmed excessive oil consumption after a documented oil consumption test. Ford TSB 19-2365 acknowledges this exact defect on the 5.0L Coyote for 2018-2020 model years, attributing it to high intake manifold vacuum during deceleration fuel shut-off pulling oil into the combustion chamber. The 2021 engine is mechanically identical. TRANSMISSION: Hard and slipping gear shifts reported to Ford within months of purchase in 2021. Ford issued multiple software updates over the years to mitigate the behavior, most recently late 2025. Fix was temporary; hard/slipping shifts returned. CATASTROPHIC FAILURE: While awaiting Ford HQ authorization on repairs, the vehicle suffered complete drivetrain failure on Friday night. Engine lost power and transmission failed entirely. I was near home and coasted safely off the road. Had this occurred at highway speed during my daily commute, the result could have been catastrophic. Vehicle towed to Koons Ford Woodbridge. SAFETY CONCERN: This is my only vehicle, used for daily highway commuting. The oil consumption defect provides no warning before engine damage. The transmission has degraded despite years of Ford software patches. The vehicle has demonstrated total drivetrain failure capability with no driver warning. Ford Corporate case opened: CXH-07446845-G0J0K0. Filing to document this at the federal level and add to the existing pattern of complaints. Requesting NHTSA review whether these defects warrant investigation. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2026 | POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING | My 2021 Ford F-150 has been having trouble with the transmission. Hard shifting, shifting to 10th gear at 40mph and unable to downshift after slowing down. I have also had issues with the daytime running lights not working since around 45k miles. My truck only has 59K miles at the time of me typing this. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2026 | POWER TRAIN | Incident Description:The vehicle experienced a complete internal transmission failure while driving, creating a severe and sudden loss of power on the roadway. A professional technician's diagnostic assessment confirmed active fault code P07F7 (Incorrect Gear Ratio 10th Gear) and explicitly cited Ford Technical Service Bulletin TSB #25-2474, pointing directly to a failed internal mechanical CDF clutch drum sleeve.On October 31, 2025, the dealership attempted to patch the issue by replacing only the external electronic transmission solenoids. However, this did not address the true internal mechanical defect, causing the transmission to fail again immediately with the exact same symptoms.Ford has acknowledged this severe design flaw via an internal Customer Satisfaction Program but has strictly capped coverage at 70,000 miles. Because this identical mechanical failure occurred at 81,893 miles, Ford has denied all financial and safety assistance to fix the actual broken mechanical hardware. This widespread manufacturing defect affecting 10R80 transmissions causes vehicles to suddenly lose propulsion in traffic, creating an imminent crash hazard. This campaign must be expanded to a mandatory safety recall. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2026 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | Vehicle suddenly locked the steering wheel at approximatelyn20-25 MPH dash displayed a front camera failure and the motor stopped. I had to put the vehicle in park and restart. It happened again with in a minute. Then a third time after driving apron. 120 miles. As I slowed to a stop light the same thing happen a third time. This occurred at 20-25 MPH. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2026 | LANE DEPARTURE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | RECALL 25V-315/25S49 has not been fixed on my truck. ive taken in multiple times since last year and programming doesnt fix the issue. final conclusion from the dealer is replace camera system. which they want me to pay $800 for. Since this is a recall Ford should take care of these charges. info. below [XXX] =aXXX INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2026 | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | There has been a recall issued since last year with no remedy | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2026 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | In the winter the two front doors freeze. I had my twelve year old daughter in the car and turned a corner and the door opened at 25 miles and hour and she had to hold on. We have bungy corded the doors shut during the winter. Ford does not have a safety recall and stated to let the car heat up for 30 mins before use. From online forums this is a common issue for 2021 F150's. Ford should be responsible for fixing the issues | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2026 | POWER TRAIN | The transmission had a lengthy delay shifting into reverse when shifted from park. I removed my foot from the brake and all of a sudden it jumped into reverse and I ended up in the road. Fortunately there were no cars or pedestrians behind me. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2026 | POWER TRAIN | When stopping for a redlight the 10r80 transmission locks itself into 10th gear. I have taken 7 or 8 actual videos for proof of that. Also when leaving a intersection the transmission runs up to the rev limiter in 1st gear then slams into 2,3,4 and 5th gear. Unfortunately I don’t have that on video because I am already moving when it happens. Also unfortunate for me is I called the local dealership and shared with them the issues and asked for a transmission service to be done on it and between the phone call and the service time the factory warranty ran out. The day after the transmission service and 8 days after the factory warranty expired the pickup left me stranded with no forward gears. So here I am with a truck with only 52,000 miles on it scratching my head… no check indicator lights have shown up either. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2026 | STEERING | The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stat3ed while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel failed to turn in the intended direction. The steering assist failure warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed rack and pinion. The contact was informed that the rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed that the parts were in back order. The contact referenced an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not associated with a recall related to the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 73,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2026 | SERVICE BRAKES | When I'm driving my truck, usually when I have come to a stop on an incline, the parking/emergency brake will engage on its own. For example, most recently I was pulling out of a driveway with an incline. I was stopped at the bottom of the driveway to wait for the roadway to clear before I pulled out. When I hit the gas to go, the rear wheels skidded and the truck came to a stop in the oncoming traffic lane. I looked at the dashboard and saw that the parking brake symbol was on, indicating that the parking brake had engaged. I did not engage the parking brake- the truck did it on it's own. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2026 | EXTERIOR LIGHTING | Both of the Daytime Running Lamps (DRLs) on my 2021 F150 have failed. They cost `$2,000 each to replace. They are LEDs, and were billed as never needing replacement, and certainly not under 50k miles. A quick search shows that this is a common issue with 2021+ F150s, and looking around on the road, I notice many with the same issue. This failure of safety equipment reduces visibility and could contribute to accidents. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2026 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | This is a continuation/escalation of NHTSA complaint 11689917. My 2021 Ford F-150 has experienced repeated fuel-system/electrical fuel-pump failures. The vehicle previously stalled and later cranked but would not start, returning code P0627 “Fuel Pump A Control Circuit / Open.” The in-tank fuel pump was replaced at owner expense for approximately $1,400 at an independent service center in September of 2025, but the repair did not permanently resolve the issue. The vehicle has now again lost fuel pressure/propulsion while traveling approximately 50 mph on a two-lane highway in a similar manner to prior failures. I was able to get the vehicle off the roadway, and it required towing back to my residence. This is approximately the fourth or fifth fuel-related failure, including stalls at low speed and non-start conditions related to fuel in parking lots. The symptoms appear consistent with Ford/NHTSA recall 25V455 / Ford recall 25S75, but my VIN was not included in the affected group. I am concerned that the recall population may be too narrow or that the remedy does not address the full defect pattern. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2026 | POWER TRAIN | My 2021 Ford F-150 with the 10-speed transmission has started shifting very hard and making grinding noises while accelerating. The truck will sometimes hesitate between gears and then slam into gear unexpectedly. I have also experienced sudden hard downshifts while driving at normal speeds. The issue seems to be getting worse over time. The grinding noise and harsh shifting are most noticeable during acceleration, but the transmission also feels rough during normal driving. At times it feels like the transmission is slipping before catching again. This creates a safety concern because the truck can unexpectedly jerk, hesitate, or downshift hard in traffic and at highway speeds. I have seen many similar complaints online involving the Ford 10R80 transmission, including issues related to harsh shifting and internal transmission problems. Ford has also issued technical service bulletins related to this transmission. No warning lights consistently appeared before the issue started. The problem has happened multiple times and can be reproduced during regular driving. The vehicle has not yet been fully repaired or diagnosed at the time of this report. The transmission and vehicle are available for inspection upon request. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2026 | POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | The truck rapidly accelerated while I was slowly rolling into a parking spot with my foot on the brake. The harder I pushed the brake the more it seemed to accelerate. I luckily avoided hitting anything. I forced the gear shifter out of Drive into park. No warning lights or messages. I contacted 3 Ford dealerships and all said they haven’t heard of this nor do they think they could identify this problem if I brought it in. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2026 | POWER TRAIN | Sudden and unexpected downshifting from 4th to 1st gear when driving. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2026 | 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 local dealer was contacted and it was confirmed that the part was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had experienced the failure. Wheel replacing the tires the mechanic discovered that the rear driver side wheel bolt had failed and the rear wheel shaft assemblies and axles were replaced. The failure mileage was 36,495. | Crash: No Fire: No | 36,495 |
| May 2026 | POWER TRAIN | Truck fails to accelerate when transmission is in second gear, travelling at low speed (typically under 10 MPH) and at low RPMs (typically ~1,500). Regardless of amount of pressure applied to accelerator, the truck will remain at low RPM and speed for up to 10 seconds. This problem occurs frequently and has been reproduced by a Ford dealer. Ford TSB 25-2302 describes this problem, but in my case a DTC is not present. Because a DTC is not present, the Ford dealer refuses to proceed with corrective actions as outlined in TSB without charging me for diagnostics and labor, although the truck is still under warranty. Failure to accelerate puts me and others at risk when attempting to merge, when accelerating in slow traffic conditions, etc. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2026 | POWER TRAIN | The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at various would not properly accelerate, the transmission experienced random downshifting and shifting into neutral and lurching forward and the wrench warning light had displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local o rally who diagnosed that the transmission was faulty and needed to be replaced. The failure mileage was 105,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 105,000 |
| May 2026 | POWER TRAIN | The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, a loud rattling noise was heard coming from the vehicle, with no warning lights illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number 23V896000 (Power Train); however, the parts required to perform the recall repair were not yet available. The vehicle was taken to multiple dealers, where it was diagnosed that the left and right rear axle shaft assemblies had failed and needed to be replaced. The contact also stated that the dealer found an axle bolt inside the rim of the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired, and the dealers confirmed that the remedy parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time to complete the recall repair. The contact also stated that the failure recurred, and the right-side axle is beginning to detach. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 90,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 90,000 |
| May 2026 | EXTERIOR LIGHTING | My 2021 Ford F-150 Lariat has a repeated failure of the front LED daytime running/perimeter lighting (Driver's Side). The light was intermittently dim before failing completely. This occurred around 94,000 miles. Because this lighting is part of the truck’s front visibility system, the failure creates a safety concern, especially in daylight, rain, fog, and low-light conditions. Based on owner reports, this may be a widespread defect affecting other 2021+ F-150 trucks. I request NHTSA evaluate this issue for a possible defect investigation and recall. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2026 | POWER TRAIN | NHTSA Recall Number23V896. The bolt on my shaft has been broken for 9 MONTHS. Ford and Dealer giving me the run around. PARTS ARE NOT AVAILABLE!!!. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2026 | EXTERIOR LIGHTING | Daytime Running Lamps, vertical beam on driver side does not function after 4 years. Research shows it's likely melting the headlight assembly components during overheating and burnout. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2026 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VISIBILITY/WIPER | The rear window basically has 3 parts. Driver side, center sliding section, and passenger side. Only the driver side section defrost. According to online forums specifically for Ford trucks, this is a common issue. Ford’s Special Service Message (SSM) 48490 does reference this as a known issue. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2026 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | Brought F150 in for scheduled service - oil change. Also asked for inspection of a problem with the fuel door hatch that was causing "Refuel Error" messages on the instrument panel and several grinding noises every time the fuel release button was pressed. Note that I have an active extended Ford Premiumcare warranty. Dealership diagnosis was that the fuel door solenoid was bad, verified that the gears could be heard grinding with this part. However, there is no separate motor part, therefore the entire fuel door assembly must be replaced. Ford warranty system does not cover this part because it is considered "Body and Structural". I called Ford Protect to discuss this, and explained the motor defect and problem, that this has nothing at all to do with wear & tear or body damage. They explained that in this case, the dealership should call and get the part pre-authorized with the justification. Seelye Ford called and tried to do this on 28 April 2026, but ultimately was still denied by Ford. The attached service report from Seelye describes the technician findings and confirms the bad solenoid and audible gear grinding sound coming from the fuel door assembly - and that the entire assembly must be replaced. As this is related to the fuel system and has a defective motor, this is an example a safety defect that should not only be repaired on this vehicle, but for other vehicles with similar problems. Note that the dealership also pointed out that Ford appears to have created this part layout with the intent of having the motor be a separate part, but ultimately did not offer that option, only a full housing replacement, which is excluded because it is mostly made of plastic and metal, which is considered to be structural in nature, despite being a part of the fuel system that has active motor buttons and instrumentation sensors for driver interaction. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |