Is your defective Ford F-150 actually a LEMON?

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10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
4,588 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2021 Ford F-150 electrical problems

electrical problem

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2021 Ford F-150 Owner Comments (Page 2 of 4)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #55

Dec 152023

F-150

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure however, the dealer replaced the battery and battery control module. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was unknown.

- Olive Branch, MS, USA

problem #54

May 152021

F-150

  • miles
When a trailer is connected the right side trailer brake light fails to operate; the lights on the truck work properly. When the trailer has been recently disconnected warnings on the dash appear saying "Blind spot and cross traffic alert deactivated trailer attached". I also get trailer left and right turn lamps fault check lamps warnings and the turn signal indicators flash at double speed. These things always clear up after a couple of days until a trailer has been connected and disconnected again. I have two different trailers and they both do the same thing. Just for the record, the right turn signal and hazard flashers on the trailer work correctly. My dealer has observed everything that I stated above but claims he is unable to get parts to fix it. The cross traffic alert malfunction and the non operative trailer brake light would appear to be safety issues. So far, no one has been involved except my dealer's service department. If I don't hook up a trailer everything has and does work correctly. I took this truck in to the dealer a couple of years ago due to the dashboard warnings but did not take my trailer with me at that time; they were unable to fix it. I was unaware at that point that I had no right trailer brake light; this is not easy to see unless someone is following me.

- North Tonawanda, NY, USA

problem #53

Jun 152021

F-150

  • 100 miles
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the instrument cluster and the infotainment system reset independently, which affected the trailer blind spot setting while towing a trailer. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, and to a second dealer, Kenly Ford, Inc. (500 S Gardner Ave, Kenly, NC 27542), to be diagnosed; however, the dealer could not determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to Ford Campaign Number: SSM 50975. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 100.

- Clayton, NC, USA

problem #52

Sep 152023

F-150

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Vehicle came to complete stop in traffic with warning light "stop vehicle" would not restart. Taken to dealership. Dealership replaced ecu and some switches to power bank and wiring harness behind headlight. Vehicle was returned 1 week later Drove it 2 days later for 10 miles same thing happened, Ford towed it to another dealership where they cleared codes, and they said they can't replicate, Vehicle was returned after a week. 2 days later I drove yo work and again iy happened stopped in middle of road blocking traffic. Was towed by Ford to dealership where they found over 20 codes, said they can't fix. Ford and selling dealer towed to selling dealer, where they cleared codes and said they can't replicate. I refused yo take Vehicle on fear of getting in severe crash when Vehicle stalls and dies in heavy traffic again. I signed title and sent it to selling dealer, they told me that fordwill not let them buy it back. Do I don't have my money or a truck now

- Cashton, WI, USA

problem #51

Oct 072023

F-150

  • miles
I was stopped at a red light at a busy intersection in an Atlanta suburb. I was several cars back from the red light. I saw the light turn green so I took my foot off of the brakes to engage auto start and barely tapped the gas and the truck dinged and showed me an error on the screen. I was so mortified and my heart started racing that I could barely read the error, all I remember seeing was "Shift to P." However, I tried to shift to Park and the shifter wouldn't do anything! I was desperately trying to engage the brake and shift to Park or Neutral and it wouldn't budge. I kept trying back and forth back and forth trying anything to get it to shift. It finally shifted to Park. I turned truck off. Opened the door, closed the door, and restarted engine and it had a slight hesitation but then let me shift down to Drive and proceed. Luckily, I had enough time to fix it before I started getting cussed out or honked at and possibly shot for having this happen on a busy intersection. My heart was beating so fast. So scary. I got home and connected my OBD scanner and no error codes were found. Sunny day, about 65 degrees, and truck had drive 55 miles to my Mom's a few hours before. This was on my way back to my house in Atlanta from my Mom's house an hour outside of Atlanta. I had no time to take a picture of the error on the screen because I was scared to death trying to get my truck to shift and drive. There was no reason for this error as I did not do anything differently. The auto start/stop engaged on its own when I come to a stop and then starts itself when I begin to depress the gas. Very concerning and I don't panic at all, but in this case...I sure did.

- Peachtree Corners, GA, USA

problem #50

Apr 262023

F-150

  • miles
In April 2023, while driving to work, at least a dozen error messages were displayed on the instrument cluster. When I arrived at work and was driving at a slower speed, I noticed some irregular feedback in the steering wheel and quickly realized the power steering was intermittently disabling itself. The truck had just rolled over 30k miles at this point and was well within the manufacturer's warranty period. I took the truck to the dealer for repair and got the truck back within a few days and was told it was repaired. The very next morning while driving to work again, the same problem ensued again with a dozen error messages and the power steering intermittently disabling itself. I took the truck bad to the dealer, contacted Ford customer care, and they got an engineering team to help work the problem. The service advisor also told me there were 3 other vehicles at their dealer with the same problem. After more than 30 days of being at the dealer for repair, the truck was returned to me again. Everything seemed to be fine for a couple months and then it returned again with many error messages and power steering failures. On Monday this week I started to pull out in traffic and the power steering disabled and caused me to cross the 2-lane road into oncoming traffic.

- Fort Worth, TX, USA

problem #49

Aug 252023

F-150

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

In the last year I have taken my F150 powerboost in Autonation Ford Orange Park in Jacksonville, Florida twice for recalls. For recall NHTSA # 22S26/22V250 the service department said they were ordering parts and would contact me when they arrived. Never contacted me, even after follow ups. I have recently taken my there for recall NHTSA 23S35/23V509. They have not contacted me.

- Orange Park, FL, USA

problem #48

Sep 112023

F-150

  • miles
While starting my truck, I was heard a very loud static sound coming from my speakers. It was so loud I could barely think. The static seemed to be at max volume and nothing besides turning the truck off and opening my door would make it stop. Even turning the volume down or screen/audio off completely would not help. I was parked at a store at the time and had to drive with the sound for 10 minutes. I was left disoriented and with a piercing headache that lasted over 24hours. That headache has subsided but I still have ringing in my ears.

- Philadelphia, PA, USA

problem #47

Sep 042023

F-150

  • miles
The reverse camera either doesn't work while backing up, or it freezes while backing up. I have video of it screen frozen showing in reverse while driving forward down the road.

- Layton, UT, USA

problem #46

Jan 032022

F-150

  • miles
very loud ear piercing noise coming from the stereo system. had to remove the + battery cable to stop the noise. has happened multiple times since. cannot drive the vehicle during this condition. keep ear muffs in vehicle from now on.

- Sunrise, FL, USA

problem #45

Jun 132023

F-150

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

On occasions my F150 has without warning had my volume increase to the max volume when operating the vehicle. I have not adjusted the volume when this happens and I am unable to lower the volume until I turn off the vehicle and open the door to the vehicle. The decibel level when this happens is over 100 and it is absolutely terrifying. I took my vehicle to Ford and they told me because they are unable to recreate the issue that it is not their responsibility. I have had this happen 6 times over the 8 months that I have had the vehicle. Ford charges me $197 each time to simply look at the car but again refuses to fix anything. When this event occurs it is terrifying and the only resolution is to turn off my vehicle.

- Fort Mill, SC, USA

problem #44

Jul 012023

F-150

  • miles
I just purchased a 2021 F-150. Immediately after getting the truck home, I began having issues regarding the truck-??s door and tailgate locks. Just by having my keys in my pocket and walking around my house and in the vicinity of the truck in the driveway or garage, the truck will unlock itself, all of the lights come on, and you can hear the electronics power up. This is a huge inconvenience if I-??m working in the yard on a project and make multiple trips from the yard into the garage-?"every time I do, it-??s puts that huge strain snd wear and tear on the lights, onboard computers, and battery. But it-??s also a huge safety issue, too. If I put hazardous or dangerous items in the cab like cleaning products or chemicals and safely lock the vehicle expecting them to be secure, sometimes just by walking around the house or even just having the keys on the kitchen counter, the truck will unlock by itself!! What if kids then get into my truck and accidentally poison themselves or hurt themselves with tools or chemicals I had safely locked inside?! It creates a hugely dangerous situation! I don-??t know if it-??s just my truck, or a part of a bigger nationwide issue, but the ONLY way the truck should power the electronics is IF I have the keys in my pocket AND I touch the driver-??s side door handle or specifically press the unlock button. I have had the truck in to Weber Ford in Granite City, IL four times and they have been unable to resolve this issue, and the Ford corporate customer relations number keeps disconnecting me, so I-??m escalating this issue.

- Edwardsville, IL, USA

problem #43

Feb 032023

F-150

  • miles
While towing trailers the right directional works but the right brake light does not on the trailer. The trailer light work fine with other vehicles. It appears to be a problem with the trailer brake control module. Also while towing will get trailer light fault alerts even though the lights are working properly. Right after disconnecting the trailer you still get the trailer light fault alerts and your back up alerts on the camera are still disabled for days.

- Moultonborough, NH, USA

problem #42

Jun 012022

F-150

  • miles
Our truck is equipped with the B&O Unleashed sound system. One afternoon, upon starting the truck after completing a brief errand, an extremely loud POP sound occured, followed by terrible static and crackling from every speaker. The noises continued for several minutes, even after noticing the audio system was off and then also turning the truck itself off. The terrible noises simply continued. Although the sound eventually stopped, the truck now regularly makes two or three quieter popping sounds as the driver first approaches the truck; nearly every time. The sounds seem to come from the driver door's speaker. There is also faint crackling on occasion from the headrest speakers.

- Park City, UT, USA

problem #41

May 102023

F-150

  • miles
After recent software updates sent out by Ford, my rear view camera display freezes and sometimes displays a distorted image. The freezing image makes it difficult to judge the distance between the vehicle and objects behind it, and it can also give the driver the impression that the road behind them is clear when it is not.

- Radnor, PA, USA

problem #40

Jul 022023

F-150

  • miles
While driving, a warning light came on then the engine shut off. I was stranded in the middle of an extremely busy intersection. I could not put the windows up or in neutral to push it off the road. The hazard lights went to a very weak blinking that could not be seen. It was very dangerous to get out at the intersection. it was pouring rain and no one could see me. The truck had to be towed from the intersection to a dealer. Dealer allegedly identified the problem as a bad alternator that in turn damaged the battery.

- Grand Island, NY, USA

problem #39

Jun 042022

F-150

  • miles
2021 Ford F-150 is equipped with 360 camera system and a backup camera. The 360 camera system failed within the first year of service. This left only the backup camera functioning. The dealer attempted to fix the camera system and resulted in all cameras including the backup camera not working. One year later ford claimed to have a part to fix all of the cameras. When it arrived at the dealer they reported that the software needed updated and the process would take approximately 3 hours. The next day the story changed again. Now it didn't need the part and Ford was advising that the software upgrade would cause more problems and not fix the cameras. The vehicle is now 2 years with 19,000 mile and still covered by a bumper to bumper warranty. The backup camera is a required safety devise on all new vehicles. I have a young child who is at risk because of this failed safety devise. Dealer reports no known fix at this time. Vehicle has been inspected by Ford dealer. Ford refuses to provide a loan vehicle until problem is resolved.

- Pittsburgh, PA, USA

problem #38

Apr 232023

F-150

  • miles
Deafening pulsing noise coming from all speakers, volume button did not turn it off. Shut truck and locked it and did not stop the noise. Unplugged battery and did not stop noise. After about 15 minutes it stopped. Got into truck and there was an electrical burning smell. I have recorded the noise on video. Big safety concern, if the noise happened while I was moving I might have crashed. My ears were ringing for awhile after the incident.

- Lakeland, FL, USA

problem #37

Feb 032023

F-150

  • miles
Unknown my 2021 Ford F-150 powerboost hybrid caught on fire on February 03, 2023. The truck was not running and fortunately I had it in my driveway because I was heading out of town for the weekend. It started under the drivers seat. The fire was so intense the fire department had to be called to put it out. If the truck would have been in the garage it would have easily burned my house down. My insurance company sent out a fire investigator and he concluded it was definitely something electrical.

- Bossier City, LA, USA

problem #36

Feb 212022

F-150

  • miles
This problem has been ongoing, happening nonstop up to multiple times daily since Feb of 2022 and has spent now 70 days at the dealership in search of the issue. Luckily, the vehicle has not caused an incident yet, but I am afraid to drive it if I get it back from the dealer again as the issue has just gotten worse. The vehicle randomly while driving goes into a "limp mode" in which 1 of 2 things happens. 1) If unable to pull over immediately, the vehicle has very erratic throttle control and 2) the vehicle sometimes gives a warning about the "adavancetrack" system and will sometimes shift itself into neutral out of nowhere forcing you to coast to a stop no matter where or what type of street you are on. In researching this problem to help my dealer at first and now to try and protect myself while in a battle with ford, it seems to be a common problem discussed on many forums on the internet and facebook and seems quite common among the F-150 powerboost. Ford is refusing me a buyback at this time and ignoring the safety implications that my vehicle is having

- Riverside, RI, USA

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