2021 Ford F-150 problems & reliability
1,009 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2021 Ford F-150, alongside 29 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Sep 21, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several components.
6 complaints report injuries (8 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2021 Ford F-150 vehicles were involved in 138 fatal crashes with 39 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Power Train → | 314 | 31% |
| Electrical System → | 128 | 13% |
| Exterior Lighting → | 109 | 11% |
| Unknown / Other | 93 | 9% |
| Engine → | 82 | 8% |
| Visibility → | 78 | 8% |
| Visibility/wiper → | 56 | 6% |
| Service Brakes → | 53 | 5% |
| Fuel/propulsion System → | 50 | 5% |
| Back Over Prevention → | 42 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 30 reported components →Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Among the 209 complaints that included a usable odometer reading, the median reported incident mileage was 48,000 miles (middle 50% between 22,500 and 73,000 miles).
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Fuel pump failed while driving causing vehicle to be disabled in a roadway blocking traffic. The vehicle was then incapable of shifting to neutral so that it could be moved out of the roadway. A Ford dealer confirmed the faulty fuel pump and replaced the part. Ford appears to know this is a safety issue as per recall…”
Fuel/propulsion System · filed Sep 17, 2026
“The contact's son owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that her son reported that while accelerating from a complete stop, the vehicle hesitated significantly and shifted hard while the accelerator pedal was depressed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The…”
Power Train · filed Sep 16, 2026
“The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while attempting to shift into park (P), the gear shifter became stuck, requiring the contact to remove the key from the ignition or depress the brake pedal until a whining sound ceased in order to shift into park (P). The contact stated that while operating…”
Power Train · filed Sep 16, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Loss of Motive Power
Engineering Analysis EA23002 · opened Sep 29, 2023 · closed Oct 31, 2024 · led to recall 24V635
Technical service bulletins
637 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2021 Ford F-150. The 10 most recent:
This bulletin updates 26-2206. Reason for update: update the Service Procedure to revise Steps 19-21, adding Step 22, and adding Figure 15-16 to clarify connector C316 location. Some of the vehicles listed in the Model…
TSB 26-2391 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 3, 2026
This article supersedes 26-2287. Reason for update: update the labor operation numbers to add MT to operations C, F, G, H, J, K, L and M, and correct the part number LIMZ-4A015-B to L1MZ-4A015-B. Some of the vehicles…
TSB 26-2395 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 26, 2026
For Various Ford and Lincoln vehicles, if diagnostics lead to the replacement of the front seat cushion cover J-clips, lower-level service parts are now available. Use service part W709919-S901 if the J-clip is…
SSM 55100 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 22, 2026
Some 2021-2026 F-150 vehicles may exhibit a concern of the windshield wipers not parking in the correct position on the windshield and/or over-traveling. This may be due to incorrect alignment of the wiper pivot arm on…
SSM 55093 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 14, 2026
Some 2021-2023 F-150 vehicles equipped with a 3.5L PowerBoost engine, 2020-2026 Explorer vehicles equipped with a 3.3L hybrid engine, and 2020-2023 Lincoln Aviator vehicles equipped with a 3.0L EcoBoost hybrid engine…
SSM55059 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 3, 2026
Customer Satisfaction Program 25M01 Certain 2021 Model Year F-150 3.0L Diesel Engine and 2020-2022 Model Year Super Duty with 6.7L Diesel Engine Nitrogen Oxide (NOx) Sensor Replacement, If Required After Dealer…
25M01 · Other · issued Jul 28, 2026
25S75 Recall remedy -Powertrain Control Module update to introduce logic to prevent low pressure fuel pump binding and maintain fuel flow to the engine.
PT-26.11.7 F-150 · Over The Air · issued Jul 24, 2026
25S75 Recall remedy -Powertrain Control Module update to introduce logic to prevent low pressure fuel pump binding and maintain fuel flow to the engine.
PT-26.25.5 F-150 · Over The Air · issued Jul 23, 2026
Some 2021-2026 Ford/Lincoln vehicles may exhibit various symptoms including but not limited to the auto start/stop system not operating as intended with a "Check Charging System" message in the instrument panel cluster…
SSM 55031 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 23, 2026
Some 2021-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles may exhibit an "Updating SYNC" message on the vehicle center display screen after an over the air (OTA) update. The message can be cleared from the center display screen and SYNC…
SSM 55028 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 21, 2026
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2021 Ford F-150 has 29 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2021 Ford F-150?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Among complaints with usable mileage, the median reported incident mileage was 48,000 miles. This does not predict when a particular vehicle will develop a problem.