2021 Ford F-150 Brake Problems

77 owners have reported brakes problems with the 2021 Ford F-150 to NHTSA — 7% of all 1,032 complaints for this model year. The typical failure happened around 45,000 miles. That ranks #17 of 32 F-150 model years for brake complaints (a typical year has 80). 2 related recalls have been issued.

77complaints
45ktypical miles
2related recalls
2crashes
0fires
0injuries

Which parts fail

  • Fluid
    1
  • Foundation components › Hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
    1
  • Antilock › ABS warning light
    1

Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).

Mileage when the problem started

  • Under 25k
    630%
  • 25k–50k
    840%
  • 50k–75k
    315%
  • 75k–100k
    15%
  • 100k–150k
    210%
  • 150k+
    00%

Owner reports

Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2021 Ford F-150 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).

The contact owned a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the rear end of the vehicle seized, and the vehicle swerved to the right. The contact was unaware of any warning lights being illuminated. The contact lost control of the vehicle and the vehicle slid off the roadway. The vehicle was not damaged. The contact stated that while his wife was driving approximately 45 MPH, the rear end seized, and the vehicle slid to the right. The contact's wife lost control of the vehicle and crashed. The contact's wife stated that there was no warning light illuminated. The contact's wife was not injured. The contact stated that the vehicle was not drivable and that the Police arrived on scene and filed a report. The vehicle was towed to an impound lot and was later declared a total loss by the Insurance provider. …

45,000 miles · Jul 2024 · crash

The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that from the time the vehicle was delivered to him, the brake pedal had been making abnormal loud clicking sounds when depressed. The contact also stated that the brake booster had been making abnormal sounds whenever he depressed the brake pedal. The contact stated that the failures would occur while driving above 15-20 MPH. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the brake pedal needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the same dealer who diagnosed that the brake booster assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure had been reoccurring while driving. …

Fluid · 0 miles · Mar 2021

The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 21V653000 (SEAT BELTS), 23V509000 (PARKING BRAKE), 22V142000 (VISIBILITY) and 23V163000 (VISIBILITY). The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the parking brake independently activated. The contact pulled over to the side of the road. The contact turned off the vehicle and, after waiting for a short while, the vehicle was restarted. The message "Service Parking Brake" was displayed. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, while turning off the vehicle, the parking brake fail to function as intended. The contact stated that recently the seat belt failed to retract and remained loose. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the dealer refused to repair the vehicle under the Seat Belts and Parking Brake recalls. …

119,000 miles · Jun 2025

The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the vehicle was serviced under NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V509000 (Parking Brake), but the failure persisted. The contact stated that the failed to respond upon shifting to reverse(R) or drive(D). Additionally, the parking brake had seized. The messages "Parking Brake Fault" and " Parking Brake Service Required" were displayed. The dealer was contacted but refused to repair the vehicle under NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V509000(Parking Brake). The contact stated that the dealer had previously inspected the vehicle but no repair had been performed under the recall. The dealer instructed the contact to check the wiring harness. The contact followed the instructions and found that a wire had rubbed through and was fractured. The contact spliced the wire together with a wiring butt connector as a temporary repair. …

134,000 miles · Dec 2025

The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while the vehicle was idling, the electric parking brake light illuminated, and the electric parking brake engaged independently. The contact depressed the brake pedal to release the parking brake. The contact had received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V509000 (Parking Brake). The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the recall repair was completed. The contact stated that approximately a month after the recall repair the failure occurred. The failure had become persistent. The contact stated that at one point the failure occurred three times in one day. The dealer had not been contacted again. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.

20,000 miles · Sep 2023

The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the brakes failed on two separate occasions. The first failure occurred while the contact was driving at an undisclosed speed on the highway. Several unknown warning lights were flashing however, the warning lights self-adjusted. The second time the failure recurred, the vehicle was parked. While attempting to start-up the vehicle, several unknown warning lights illuminated. After the failure, while driving 5 mph, the brake pedal was depressed and went to the floorboard. The ABS activated and the vehicle came to an abrupt stop. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed that the trailer brake module had failed. The vehicle was repaired but remained at the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 2,900.

3,000 miles · May 2021

The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an unknown speed and depressing the brake pedal, the traction control and several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The failure reoccurred while driving at various speeds and after depressing the brake pedal. The vehicle was then taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with needing to replace the electric brake booster. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V533000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) as a possible solution however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that VIN was not included in the recall. The contact was advised to file complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The approximate failure mileage was 35,000.

35,000 miles · Aug 2022

The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the brake power booster was emitting a hissing sound when the brake pedal was being depressed. The contact used an excessive amount of pressure to depress the brake pedal. The ABS warning light was illuminated but deactivated independently. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the cause of the failure was not determined. The dealer confirmed that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V533000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and it was confirmed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline to file a complaint. The failure mileage was 28,000.

28,000 miles · Mar 2024

The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle suddenly decelerated and could only be driven at an excessively slow speed. The traction control, brakes, and ABS warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to Kings Auto, where it was diagnosed that the ABS pump had failed and needed to be replaced. The mechanic related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V533000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 45,000.

45,000 miles · Mar 2025

The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle performed as if the parking brake was engaged. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the failure could not be determined. The vehicle was then taken to another dealer where it was diagnosed that the tires were rubbing against the brake line and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the vehicle needed to be taken to the dealer for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 47,000.

Foundation components › Hoses, lines/piping, and fittings · 47,000 miles · Jan 2023

Related recalls

Parking brake › Electrical

NHTSA recall 23V-509 · Jul 21, 2023 · 870,701 vehicles

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.

Remedy: Dealers will install a protective tie strap, tape wrap, and replace the harness as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 12, 2024.

Service brakes, hydraulic

NHTSA recall 21V-533 · Jul 15, 2021 · 56 vehicles

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.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the electronic brake booster assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 28, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332.

Brake complaints in other F-150 years

’95’96’97’98’99’00’01’02’03’04’05’06’07’08’09’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25’26’271453423311410780694228139120944439395818413736334631733911591232377415214204
Brake complaints per model year, Ford F-150.

Frequently asked questions

How common are brake problems on the 2021 Ford F-150?

NHTSA has 77 complaints about the brakes of the 2021 Ford F-150, 7% of the model year's 1,032 complaints. The component named most often is fluid (1 mentions).

Is there a recall for 2021 Ford F-150 brake problems?

Yes — NHTSA recall 23V-509 (electrical, Jul 21, 2023); NHTSA recall 21V-533 (service brakes, hydraulic, Jul 15, 2021). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

At what mileage do 2021 Ford F-150 brake problems start?

Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 45,000 miles, and 30% before 25,000 miles.

Is it dangerous?

Owners linked 2 crashes, 0 fires and 0 injuries to brakes problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.

Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.