2021 Ford F-150 Electrical Problems

Which parts fail

• Integrated trailer brake control
  6
• Instrument cluster/panel
  4
• Instrument panel › Speedometer/odometer
  2
• Body control module/BCM
  1
• 12V/24V/48V battery
  1
• ADAS › Driver monitoring › Camera/sensor
  1

Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).

Mileage when the problem started

• Under 25k
  1142%
• 25k–50k
  727%
• 50k–75k
  415%
• 75k–100k
  415%
• 100k–150k
  00%
• 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 owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while towing a trailer, he attempted to make a right turn while driving downhill. The trailer began to push into the vehicle and slide into the back end of the truck. The contact attempted to manually apply the trailer brakes but the trailer brakes failed. The traction control warning light appeared on the instrument panel as the contact began to lose control of the vehicle. The trailer pushed the vehicle off the road and onto a mount of dirt and stone. The trailer damaged the rear bumper and rear right corner panel of the vehicle due to the failure. The contact did not suffer any injuries due to the failure. A police report was not filed since the failure occurred on his property. The dealer was initially notified of the failure and offered no assistance. …

The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that on several occasions, the vehicle failed to start up. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had occurred after the vehicle had not been driven for several days. The contact stated that the battery had been replaced several times; however, the failure returned shortly after the battery replacement. Upon investigation, the contact suspected that the failure may be caused by a parasitic drain inside the vehicle, which would run the battery even while the vehicle was turned off. The contact stated that recently,y there was an abnormal ticking sound coming from the engine relay. The vehicle was taken to a dealer however, the dealer was unable to determine the cause of the failure. …

The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated while shifting to reverse(R), the rear camera image was distorted. The contact stated that the image was blank, and blue intermittently. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer, or an independent mechanic, and was not diagnosed. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not repaired because it was not under recall. On a separate occasion, the console screen ceased to function and would not display data and shut off intermittently and turned on independently. The headlight warning lights, and Forward Collision Avoidance warning light was illuminated, and a message that the center sensor not active was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the dealer made several software updates; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 35,000. …

The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the vehicle was shuddering and jerking while driving. The check engine warning light was flashing. The contact stated there was another unknown warning light flashing. The contact stated that the soy-based wiring was causing costly repairs. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the wiring in the undercarriage was chewed on. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred a month later. The contact stated that while driving 35-40 MPH, an unknown warning light started to flash. The vehicle was taken back to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the soy-based wiring had been chewed on by squirrels and chipmunks. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 4,000.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V455000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). Upon starting the vehicle, it started and stopped. After waiting for approximately 20 minutes, the vehicle worked as designed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the battery needed to be replaced. The battery was replaced, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with a faulty fuel pump control module, fuel pump assembly, and Auto START/STOP eliminator module that needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was contacted; however, no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 25,000.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost power steering assist and became difficult to maneuver. The contact stated that several warning messages appeared on the instrument panel as he had stopped the vehicle on the highway shoulder. The contact was able to drive to dealer where he was informed that the failure was a commonly known issue. He was informed that the wiring underneath the engine was soy based and had been eaten up by rodents and other outdoor creatures. The contact was given an estimate for the cost of the repair. The manufacturer had been notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA for assistance. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 10,000.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving 45-50 MPH on the freeway, the navigation screen turned blank, and the speedometer decreased to zero. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the rear end of the vehicle was detaching. The dealer determined that the vehicle was unsafe to drive. The vehicle was then taken to unknown local dealer, where it was determined that the rear axle was in good condition. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and denied the contact's buyback request. The failure mileage was approximately 32,000.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that after attaching a trailer to the vehicle, the brakes were inoperable while driving at various speeds. The contact stated that the trailer not connected message was displayed. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V193000 (Electrical System) and 25V132000 (Electrical System); however, the VIN was not included. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 57,425.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while opening the front driver's side door, there was an abnormal grinding coming from the motor for the retractable running board on the front passenger's side, and the running board failed to deploy as designed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the motor in the retractable running board had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact attempted to replace the motor for the retractable running board himself and failed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 81,000.

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.

Related recalls

Electrical complaints in other F-150 years