2021 Ford F-150 visibility/wiper problems
56 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the visibility/wiper on the 2021 Ford F-150 — 6% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“When using the window wipers, they become inoperable. Stopping in the middle of the window, pausing when moving, or completely stopping and unable to get them to start moving until they begin to move on their own. This has occurred multiple times and at multiple different speeds of operation for…”
filed Jun 17, 2026
“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.”
filed Apr 30, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Visibility/wiper problems in other F-150 years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 F-150 | 5 | 5% |
| 2024 F-150 | 3 | 2% |
| 2023 F-150 | 16 | 4% |
| 2022 F-150 | 25 | 4% |
| 2020 F-150 | 24 | 3% |
| 2019 F-150 | 25 | 2% |
| 2018 F-150 | 54 | 2% |
| 2017 F-150 | 39 | 3% |
| 2016 F-150 | 104 | 5% |
| 2015 F-150 | 77 | 5% |
| 2014 F-150 | 117 | 8% |
| 2013 F-150 | 146 | 5% |
Other reported problem areas on the 2021 Ford F-150
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints naming this component group. Complaints are unverified owner reports; mileage is computed only from complaints that included a usable odometer reading.