2021 Ford F-150 Regular Cab
Safety ratings, recalls, and consumer complaints from NHTSA
NHTSA Safety Ratings
2021 Ford F-150 Regular Cab PU/RC 4WD
- Overall
- ★★★★★
- Front Crash
- ★★★★★
- Side Crash
- ★★★★★
- Rollover
- ★★★★☆
2021 Ford F-150 Regular Cab PU/RC 2WD
- Overall
- ★★★★★
- Front Crash
- ★★★★★
- Side Crash
- ★★★★★
- Rollover
- ★★★★☆
Recalls(29)
POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2022 F-150 vehicles. Underbody heat and noise insulators may loosen and contact the aluminum driveshaft, which could damage the driveshaft and cause it to fracture.
Campaign: 21V986000
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD:CRITICAL FASTENERS
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021 F-150 and 2020-2021 F-250, F-350, F-450, and F-550 Super Duty vehicles. During manufacturing, the windshield may not have been properly bonded to the vehicle, allowing it to detach in a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 212, "Windshield Mounting."
Campaign: 21V090000
AIR BAGS:SENSOR:SIDE IMPACT
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2022 Super Duty F-250, F-350, 2021 F-150, Expedition, and Lincoln Navigator vehicles. The front-door side impact pressure sensor modules may have been damaged during supplier assembly, which can cause the side impact air bags to not deploy properly in a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 214, "Side Impact Protection."
Campaign: 21V805000
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021 F-150 vehicles. The electronic brake booster may leak brake fluid into the electronic control unit, which could result in reduced braking performance.
Campaign: 21V533000
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WEBBING
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021 F-150 Super Cab vehicles. The front seatbelt webbing may be incorrectly routed.
Campaign: 21V653000
POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021 F-150 vehicles. The two-piece driveshafts may have been improperly assembled, which could result in driveshaft separation.
Campaign: 21V381000
STEERING:GEAR BOX (OTHER THAN RACK AND PINION)
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021 F-150 vehicles. The steering gear may have internal damage, which could result in difficulty steering, or the inability to rotate the steering wheel while driving.
Campaign: 21V407000
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021 F-150 vehicles. The front windshield wiper motor may become inoperative, causing the wipers to fail.
Campaign: 22V142000
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INTEGRATED TRAILER BRAKE CONTROL
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2022 F-150, 2022 Maverick, Expedition, Lincoln Navigator, F-250, F-350, F-450, and F-550 vehicles. Due to a software error, a towed trailer equipped with an electric or electric-over hydraulic brake system may not brake.
Campaign: 22V193000
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM)
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021 F-150 vehicles. The Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) for low transmission fluid pressure may falsely activate and cause the transmission to unexpectedly shift into neutral.
Campaign: 22V188000
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:LINKAGES
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2021 F-150, Expedition, 2020-2022 Super Duty F-250, F-350, F-450, F-550, and 2020-2021 Lincoln Navigator vehicles. The windshield wiper arms may break, causing the windshield wipers to fail.
Campaign: 22V250000
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling one 2021 F-150 vehicle. A single vehicle may have been assembled without a fuel tank front attachment resulting in an unsecured fuel tank attachment strap.
Campaign: 22V414000
POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2022 F-150 vehicles. Underbody heat and noise insulators may loosen and contact the aluminum driveshaft, which could damage the driveshaft and cause it to fracture.
Campaign: 22V623000
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2022 F-150 vehicles. The front windshield wiper motor may become inoperative, causing the wipers to fail.
Campaign: 22V842000
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:LINKAGES
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021 F-150 vehicles. The windshield wiper arms may break, causing the windshield wipers to fail.
Campaign: 23V163000
PARKING BRAKE:ELECTRICAL
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2023 F-150 vehicles equipped with a single exhaust system. Contact with the rear axle housing may damage the wiring harness, causing the electric parking brake to activate unexpectedly.
Campaign: 23V509000
POWER TRAIN:AXLE HUBS
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2023 F-150 vehicles equipped with the Trailer Tow Max Duty package and a 9.75-inch heavy duty axle with a 3/4 float axle design. The rear axle hub bolt may fatigue and break, which can result in damage to the axle hub splines.
Campaign: 23V896000
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:BODY CONTROL MODULE:SOFTWARE
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021 F-150 vehicles equipped with the Onboard Scales feature. An over-the-air software update to the body control module (BCM) may have disabled both reverse lights.
Campaign: 24V443000
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:HARD PARTS INTERNAL/MECHANICAL
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Bronco, F-150, Edge, Explorer, Lincoln Nautilus, and Lincoln Aviator vehicles equipped with either a 2.7L or 3.0L Nano EcoBoost engine. The engine intake valves may break while driving, which can result in engine failure and a loss of drive power.
Campaign: 24V635000
EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2025 Explorer, Lincoln Aviator, 2020-2024 Escape, Lincoln Corsair, 2018-2024 F-150, Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles. The air bag warning label may be missing from the dashboard. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirement Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Campaign: 24V852000
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INTEGRATED TRAILER BRAKE CONTROL
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2022 F-150, 2022 Maverick, Expedition, Lincoln Navigator, F-250, F-350, F-450, and F-550 vehicles previously repaired incorrectly under recall number 22V-193. Due to a software error, a towed trailer equipped with an electric or electric-over hydraulic brake system may not brake.
Campaign: 25V132000
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM)
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021 F-150 vehicles previously repaired incorrectly under recall number 22V-188. The Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) for low transmission fluid pressure may falsely activate and cause the transmission to unexpectedly shift into neutral.
Campaign: 25V169000
BACK OVER PREVENTION:SOFTWARE
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Bronco, F-150, 2021-2024 Edge, 2022-2025 Escape, F-250, F-350, F-450, F-550, F-600, 2022-2024 Expedition, 2022-2025 Transit, 2021-2023 Mach-E, 2024 Ranger, Mustang, 2021-2023 Lincoln Nautilus, 2022-2024 Navigator, and 2023-2024 Corsair vehicles. A software error may cause the rearview camera image to delay, freeze, or not display when the vehicle is in reverse.
Campaign: 25V315000
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BACK UP LIGHTS
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021 F-150 vehicles equipped with the Onboard Scales feature that were repaired incorrectly under recall 24V443. An over-the-air software update to the body control module (BCM) may have disabled both reverse lights.
Campaign: 25V348000
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Bronco, Explorer, Lincoln Aviator, F-250 SD, F-350 SD, F-450 SD, F-550 SD, 2021-2022 Lincoln Navigator, Mustang, F-150, and 2022 Expedition vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump may fail, which can result in an engine stall while driving.
Campaign: 25V455000
VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Expedition, Lincoln Navigator, 2021-2023 F-150, 2022 F-250 SD, F-350 SD, and F-450 SD vehicles. The moonroof wind deflector clips may be inadequately attached to the moonroof frame, which can result in the wind deflector detaching from the vehicle.
Campaign: 25V729000
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INTEGRATED TRAILER BRAKE CONTROL
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2026 F-150, 2022-2026 F-250 SD, F-350 SD, F-450 SD, F-550 SD, Maverick, 2024-2026 Ranger, 2023-2026 F-600 SD, 2022-2027 Lincoln Navigator, Expedition, and 2026 E-Transit vehicles. When towing a trailer, the integrated trailer module (ITRM) may lose communication with the vehicle, possibly causing a loss of brake and turn signal lights, or a loss of brake function. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, " Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Campaign: 26V104000
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2021 Navigator, Expedition, 2020-2021 Explorer, Lincoln Aviator, and 2021 F-150 vehicles. The transmission park pawl may engage while the vehicle is in motion, resulting in park system damage.
Campaign: 26V402000
BACK OVER PREVENTION:DISPLAY FUNCTION
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2023 F-150 and 2023-2026 F-250 SD vehicles equipped with 8-inch SYNC infotainment screens. A software error may cause the rearview camera image to be obstructed by the infotainment home screen menu when the vehicle is placed in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Campaign: 26V489000
Consumer Complaints(1011 total, showing 10)
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Daytime Running Light in the headlight assembly overheated and stopped working. Thousands of 2021-2023 F150 owners have had the same issue. This is clearly a mass scale manufacturer known defect and Ford already tried sending an update to lower the LED brightness but the issue still happens.
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
ON YOUR VEHICLE, THE WHEEL END HUB BOLT IN THE REAR AXLE MAY BECOME LOOSE OR BREAK. CONTINUED DRIVING WITH A BROKEN BOLT MAY LEAD TO WEAR WITHIN THE AXLE AND DAMAGE THE AXLE HUB SPLINES. I’ve been contacting ford dealerships in my area trying to get this safety recall replaced over the last year every two or three months. I get the same excuse the part is on back order, we have 70,000 on back order others have said 35,000. Yet there is no timetable for when the part will be available. In the meantime I have to drive a vehicle that has had the top of the bolt connecting the tire to the axel snapped off. Ford has completely failed in remedying this issue since the recall and by their numbers making it so 70,000 people possibly have a broken vehicle that they are not repairing or replacing like the safety recall states.
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
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 campaign 25S75/25V455 but they have refused to pay for the replacement fuel pump.
POWER TRAIN
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 the vehicle in reverse (R), the vehicle suddenly shifted into park (P) and stopped immediately. The failure recurred several times while in reverse (R). The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was confirmed that the VIN was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 53,000.
POWER TRAIN
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 dealer determined that the transmission needed to be replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V402000 (Power Train), which the contact associated with the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that reimbursement could only be provided when the recall remedy became available in April 2027. The failure mileage was approximately 113,468.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Led headlight drl strip turned blue on one side. Have seen many with this issue in the led module ballast. Safety concern because its a common running light issue that hinders people from seeing the vehicle as easily.
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
My husband was driving on the highway with my two daughters in the car when the vehicle stopped driving and he was barely able to pull off the road. It appears to be a defective low-pressure fuel pump. This is an active recall for this model and year, however Ford says that our specific VIN was not involved in the recall. My family could have been killed in this incident!
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Trailer brake controller installed in truck by manufacturer. We wanted to tow our travel trailer and was doing the setup process to test before we left for a trip. We were unable to set the gain for the trailer brake controller. Trailer was connected to truck and plugged in, but unable to change gain or feel brakes when we took a drive around the neighborhood. If we had not taken the steps to test prior to heading out on our trip could have been a serious result. Contacted our local Ford dealer and made an appointment for July 8, 2026. Was told the trailer brake controller connected in the back was not connected. They said this could have happened during manufacturering or just fell out while driving. Still either way could result in serious issues. Not sure if my truck was the only one or are there others on the roads with an issue. If an invoice was provided by the dealership, I have misplaced. They wanted to charge me almost a 100 for them to find it was not connected. The split the cost with me.
SERVICE BRAKES
ABS Control module and brake booster assembly failed. Vehicle would not crank or start. Disconnected battery negative pole for one minute to reset PCM. Vehicle started. Drove immediately to independent service center without difficulty. Service center confirmed vehicle no start the next morning. Found several DTC codes including U3001 (Control Module Improper Shutdown) U300A (Ignition switch) U0121 (Lost communication with ABS) U0554 (Invalid Data recieved from Accessory Protocol Interface) and U0415 (Invalid Data Received from ABS) Flowchart determined ABS module is bad. Anti Lock Brake System control module failed which rendered the system inoperative. Warning on dash that Anti Lock Brake System failed was prominent among other warnings. (Traction Control, Service Needed, Door Ajar (was closed), Hood ajar (was closed) Assembly was replaced and ABS module reprogrammed by independent service center. They retained the bad assembly.
POWER TRAIN,ENGINE
I am reporting a severe safety defect where Ford Motor Company's sequential safety recall software updates are actively corrupting powertrain modules and inducing physical mechanical failures while the vehicle is in operation.Following the completion of the 24S55 Engine Intake Valve Recall (which reflashed the PCM and wiped the transmission's adaptive learning tables), my 2021 Ford F-150 developed an immediate operational shudder. Shortly after, a forced Over-the-Air (OTA) update for the 26C10 Trailer Brake Module triggered a secondary network reset via the CAN-bus. The intersection of these two software-driven actions caused an operational fault that physically broke the torque converter clutch.A compromised torque converter clutch can cause sudden vehicle stalling, unpredictable acceleration lags, and catastrophic powertrain locking while driving at highway speeds, creating an imminent crash hazard. The local Ford dealership service department confirmed the hardware failure and noted that pushing automated software updates over unstable tables leaves the entire transmission highly vulnerable to total systemic failure.Ford is currently refusing to open an escalation file or address this issue. Because Ford's official remedy for safety recalls 24S55 and 26C10 directly introduces a secondary, severe safety risk to the vehicle's powertrain integrity, I request that NHTSA investigate the technical compatibility and safety of these sequential software updates.
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