Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power windows, windshield, wipers, mirrors, sunroof).
Mileage when the problem started
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 driving in the snow at 30-35 MPH, he crashed into an unknown vehicle. The driver of the unknown vehicle fled the scene. The front windshield seal detached. There were no reported injuries, fire or air bag deployment. A police report was filed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who informed the contact that they do not service windshields. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred to the NHTSA hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 29,000.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact noticed an abnormal swishing sound in the front and rear passenger's side door panels. The contact inspected the vehicle and discovered water in the front and rear passenger side door panels. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The contact was informed that the water leak was coming from the roof of the vehicle. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the contact noticed the water entering the interior of the vehicle through the rear passenger's side seat belt. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The contact was informed that the water leak was due to a failed rear exhaust panel. The contact was informed that the rear exhaust panel needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. …
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle downshifted into first gear. The contact then attempted to shift gear manually, and while on an incline or going downhill, the vehicle failed to accelerate or shift into the intended gear. No warning lights was illuminated. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. Additionally, the contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V163000 (Visibility) and 22V142000 (Visibility) however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. An undisclosed dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. …
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V163000 (Visibility). The contact stated that after retrieving the vehicle, there was an abnormally loud clicking sound coming from the windshield wipers. The contact stated that the wipers had went past the windshield. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the local dealer, where an unknown part was replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, who informed the contact that there was no warranty coverage on the vehicle and informed him provided the cost for a diagnostic test. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. …
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact received notification of the NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V142000 (Visibility) and 23V163000 (Visibility) however, the parts to do the recall repair were not yet available. The contact stated that while driving during inclement weather, he activated the windshield wipers; however, the windshield wiper motor intermittently operated as designed. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, the windshield wipers failed to operate. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic however, the failure could not be duplicated. The contact was informed that parts were not yet available for the recall repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 3,800. …
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the windshield wipers were hesitating while operating, before becoming inoperable. While driving in the rain, it was difficult to see due to the failure. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V163000 (Visibility). The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to another Ford dealer, Ted Britt Ford of Chantilly Service (4175 Auto Park Cir, Chantilly, VA 20151); to be diagnosed, and the wiper arms were replaced for not working properly. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was contacted, but no additional assistance was provided. The manufacturer stated the repairs were outside of the warranty or recall parameters. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V842000 (Visibility) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH in torrential rain, the windshield wipers were activated at the highest setting however, the windshield wiper blades were moving extremely slow, preventing the contact from having clear visibility while driving. The contact slowed to 20 MPH while driving. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact called a local dealer and had not received a call back. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The vehicle had not been repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 61,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that since purchasing the vehicle, there was an abnormal film-like substance visible inside the windshield. The substance obstructed the vision while driving and worsened while driving at night. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where the vehicle was purchased and detailed the windshield in an effort to remove the film-like substance. Despite the independent mechanics best efforts, the film-like substance remained. The contact called a dealer and was informed that the diagnostic fee to inspect her vehicle would be $300 an hour, and the contact declined the service. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact back to the dealer for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 48,000.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle in the rain, the windshield wipers were activated but failed to respond. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact drove to the residence at 30 MPH, while the windshield wipers remained inoperable. The contact replaced the windshield wiper fuse after reading the Owner's Manual; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the windshield wiper motor had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was being repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V842000 (Visibility); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 57,000.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the infotainment system and the rearview camera were operable, and the screen image was black. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the rearview camera system needed to be replaced; however, the part was not available. The vehicle was not repaired. Additionally, the contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V163000 (Visibility) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 10,500. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Related recalls
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.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and repair the moonroof wind deflector as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 10, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332.
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.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the wiper arms, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 13, 2023. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332.
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.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the front windshield wiper motor, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 30, 2023. Remedy parts are expected in the 3rd Quarter of 2023.
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.
Remedy: Dealers will replace both front windshield wiper arms, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters, informing owners of the safety risk, were mailed on May 24, 2022.
Show 2 more recalls
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.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the front windshield wiper motor, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 22, 2023. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332.
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.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will remove and reinstall the windshield, free of charge. The recall began April 16, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332.
Window & Wiper complaints in other F-150 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are window & wiper problems on the 2021 Ford F-150?
NHTSA has 130 complaints about the windows, wipers & sunroof of the 2021 Ford F-150, 13% of the model year's 1,032 complaints. The component named most often is windshield (6 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2021 Ford F-150 window & wiper problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 25V-729 (sun/moon roof assembly, Oct 24, 2025); NHTSA recall 23V-163 (linkages, Mar 10, 2023); NHTSA recall 22V-842 (motor, Nov 15, 2022). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2021 Ford F-150 window & wiper problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 44,000 miles, and 31% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 0 injuries to windows, wipers & sunroof 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.