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10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 2
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
5,675 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 5)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #69

Jun 102024

F-150

  • miles

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

When you start the truck the radio rear view camera does not turn on you drive a mile or two and it will come on. This does not happen all the time it is intermittent

- Hagerstown , MD, USA

problem #68

Apr 232024

F-150

  • 66,000 miles
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and braking, several safety features disabled independently. The contact stated that the Pre-Collision Assist, ABS, and other unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the failure occurred often. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and opened a case. The failure mileage was approximately 66,000.

- El Maton, TX, USA

problem #67

Apr 252024

F-150

  • miles
If you pull onto a road and try to accelerate, the vehicle is unresponsive. The RPMs will increase, yet the vehicle drive train (10 Speed Transmission) is unresponsive for several seconds. This has been an ongoing issue with the vehicle since new and was first reported to Ford Customer service on Jan 2022. Ford has made several attempts to fix this issue, yet the transmission continues to fail with the same issue. This is a critical safety issue that jeopardizes the passengers in the vehicle. Vehicle parking brake engages without notice. At any given time, the electronic parking brake engages without warning and you have to manually release. While sitting at a controlled intersection, on an inclined street, waiting for traffic light to change, with vehicle in Drive, foot on the brake, the electric parking brake engaged. Vehicle shift lever moved to the park position on its own. Vehicle engages it's parking brake and moves shift lever into Park while sitting in traffic is very dangerous. Vehicle shift column failed in drive and vehicle would not move or run. This caused drive train to lock in place, freezing all four tires. Ford had to drag truck onto flat bed with tires locked. It had to be dragged off flatbed when delivered to Ford dealer for repair. They had to put grease down on the flatbed so truck would slide off without tires rolling. While at the dealership, the mechanic had to manually disconnect the calipers in order to move vehicle. The safety backup features failed and would not release wheels (lever under steering column).

- Dunedin, FL, USA

problem #66

Apr 092024

F-150

  • miles

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

The Instrument Panel Cluster will reboot when driving leaving the panel blank with no speedometer or other vital information. The system will reboot after a short time, sometimes multiple times and has occurred when driving at speeds of 30, 35, 50, 65 mph. This reboot leaves the driver without vital information, causes confusion and is a distraction putting the safety of all occupants at risk. This has happened a multiple times and may be is similar to SSM 50294 where emojis causes the Instrument Panel Cluster to go blank or reboot during incoming or outgoing phone calls where there are emojis alongside the text of a name of contact. Unfortunately, I did not learn of this error until I had dropped the vehicle at the dealer and researched myself. I have a heart emoji next to my wife's name and would gladly remove this, but the dealer indicates a full $1000 reboot of multiple systems is the protocol in accordance with Ford manuals and diagnostic trees. I am working with a dealer, but they have been uncooperative in terms of recreating the problem and are only seeking a paid solution with the reboot the entire system an no assurance that this will work. As mentioned above, it seems that this is similar to SSM 502947 for other 2021 F-150s, but the dealership will not confirm and Ford indicates my vehicle is not effected by this error according to my VIN. System failure warnings are also sent to the Ford mobile app when this reboot happens, these warnings are for the Tire Pressure Monitor System, Restraints Indicator Lamp and Antilock Brake Fault. The Ford dealership has had my vehicle for over two weeks with this issue and has not communicated any inspection or attempt to recreate the issue. There is not a repair invoice yet.

- Denver, CO, USA

problem #65

Apr 222024

F-150

  • miles
Was slow rolling to stop light at intersection. Vehicle shut down and got an alert that said -??auto start stop shift to P, then restart engine-??

- Lexington, SC, USA

problem #64

Mar 272024

F-150

  • 78,000 miles
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at undisclosed speeds, the vehicle turned off and the vehicle decelerated. The vehicle independently automatically restarted; however, the failure recurred. The contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V267000 (Electrical System, Power Train) however, neither the year, make, model nor the VIN was included. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 78,000.

- Freeburg, IL, USA

problem #63

Apr 012024

F-150

  • miles

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

Tire pressure sensor keeps coming on and says it is faulty. The driver side window will not completely roll down( we have done a reset and it will only work once or twice). With the radio it will sometimes not work(we have done a soft reset and it will work a few times and then stop). The last thing the heat shield that is underneath the truck had a recall we got it repaired and since it hangs down, we have taken to the dealership and they repaired it again and will still hand down.

- Patterson, GA, USA

problem #62

Apr 082024

F-150

  • miles
The vehicle will occasionally freeze on the infotainment splash screen. This prevents the rear view camera from activating when the vehicle is in reverse. Furthermore, the vehicle has already been serviced for a prior issue where the infotainment system (and rear view camera video) would momentarily freeze (1-4 seconds) when the camera was activated

- Plymouth, MI, USA

problem #61

Dec 112023

F-150

  • miles
2021 f150 POWERBOOST [XXX] Loss of engine power. Major electrical failure display on dash coast to a stop. Unable to restart, lock in park unable to be move from location. After 45 mins. of pushing restart button every 60 seconds get a restart, take to dealer unable to find problem.[XXX] Loss of engine power. Major electrical failure display on dash coast to a stop. Unable to restart, lock in park unable to be move from location. After 45 mins. of pushing restart button every 60 seconds get a restart. Notified dealer appt set for 20Jan2024 Special order pump was order for trans. {XXX] Truck was drop for the pump to be replace. [XXX] Dealership called, while the Tech was on a test drive, after the pump was installed, the Tech. had a Loss of engine power. Major electrical failure display on dash coast to a stop.Unable to restart, lock in park unable to be move from location. Dealer ship contacted Ford and and engineer has handle the repairs. The truck has been on the lot now for over 30days with now a needing a special order part on National back order. Have contacted Ford case # [XXX] with 2 attempts with no return phone calls. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

- Midlothian, VA, USA

problem #60

Mar 312024

F-150

  • miles
The on board generator auxiliary fails to work because of "ground fault". Complaint to dealer (McDonald Ford, Freeland, MI) who stated has been receiving numerous complaints of this failure but has no remedy nor direction from Ford. This has been a continuous problem for the last few months.

- Caro, MI, USA

problem #59

Mar 012024

F-150

  • miles

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

F150 is experiencing interior leaking from the windshield and other areas that Ford is unable to identify the cause. This can cause visibility issues and damage to electrical components resulting in a safety issue. The leaking causes the floor mats to be wet, which have also caused my foot to slip off the control petals. This could cause an accident. Ford is not able to identify the source, they were able to reproduce the leaks in the firewall but can't identify the source. Ford doesn't acknowledge this is a major issue and has only offered to caulk and seal in the most common areas. It was in the shop for four days March 25-27 and 22-23 2024. There are no warning issues just went floor mats and visible water on the interior of my windshield which I demonstrate to the dealership.

- Oak Creek, WI, USA

problem #58

Sep 142023

F-150

  • miles
OBDii reader which connect to vehicle ECM reads perfectly independently, however when connected to a state emissions inspection machine, machine indicates no vehicle information available and results in failures due to ECM not responsive. Ford says it is a known issue but will not replace ecm unless recall is issued.

- Conroe, TX, USA

problem #57

Mar 062024

F-150

  • 95,000 miles
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the vehicle failed the emissions test due to a gateway error. The vehicle was taken to an unknown dealer, where it was diagnosed that the gateway module needed to be reprogrammed to the latest software. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 95,000.

- Eagle, WI, USA

problem #56

Nov 162023

F-150

  • miles
My 2021 F-150 Powerboost randomly shuts down on the highway and while pulling out into traffic. When it shuts down the steering and brakes work but the engine is off/no acceleration and the truck displays a warning telling me to "Stop Safely Now". Truck has been look at many times by Ford and every time they give it back to me it happens again. There appears to be either and electrical or software issue but after 3 months Ford doesn't seem to know what's wrong with the truck even though they have reproduced the problem. It has happened over 20 times putting me and my family at risk of getting in an accident.

- Foxboro, MA, USA

problem #55

Dec 152023

F-150

  • miles
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
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

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