Most common 2021 Ford F-350 SD problems
Share of the 98 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Ford F-350 SD complaints by model year
Best F-350 SD years: 2014, 2013, 2012. Years to avoid: 2017, 2019, 2020, 2018, 2022. Compare all years →
2021 Ford F-350 SD recalls (14)
Fuel system, diesel › Delivery › Fuel pump
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2022 F-Super Duty F250, F350, F450, F550, 2021-2022 F600, and 2022 F750 vehicles previously repaired incorrectly under recall number 24V957. Biodiesel deposits may form on the pump drivetrain roller components, which could lead to failure of the high pressure fuel pump.
Remedy: Dealers will update the powertrain control module (PCM) software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed mailed April 7, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332.
Back over prevention › Software
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2022 F-250 SD, F-350 SD, and F-450 SD vehicles. The 360-degree view camera system may not display a rearview image properly in certain lighting conditions.
Remedy: Dealers will update the image processing module software, free of charge.This will be a phased campaign, with the remedy becoming available in different phases based on model years.
Steering › Column
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2021 F-250, F-350, and F-450 vehicles. The steering column upper shaft may detach from the steering column and result in a loss of steering control.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the steering column, and repair or replace the upper shaft as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 20, 2026.
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.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the low pressure fuel pump on super duty vehicles and update the powertrain control module (PCM) software on all other affected vehicles, free of charge.
Back over prevention › Sensing system › Camera
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021 Expedition, 2021-2022 Super Duty F-250, F-350, F-450, F-550, F-600, and 2020-2022 Lincoln Corsair vehicles. The rearview camera may display a blank or distorted image.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the rearview camera as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 18, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332.
Fuel system, diesel › Delivery › Fuel pump
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2022 F-Super Duty F250, F350, F450, F550, F600, and 2021-2022 F-650, F750 vehicles. Biodiesel deposits may form on the pump drivetrain roller components, which could lead to failure of the high pressure fuel pump.
Remedy: Dealers will update the powertrain control module (PCM) and Transmission Control Module (TCM) software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 23, 2026.
Show 8 more recalls
Equipment › Other › Owners/service/other manual
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2023 Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles equipped with third-row seating; and 2019-2023 F-Super Duty F-250, F-350, F-450, and F-550 SuperCab vehicles. The owner's manual does not include instructions for adjusting or removing certain head restraints.
Remedy: Ford will mail the Owner's Manual addendums that describe how to adjust and remove the head restraints for the center seating positions, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 21, 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.
Structure › Frame and members › Underbody shields
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017-2022 F-250 and F-350 Super Duty vehicles equipped with gasoline engines and aluminum driveshafts. Underbody heat and noise insulators may loosen and contact the aluminum driveshaft, which could damage the driveshaft and cause it to fracture.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and repair the driveshaft as necessary, and properly attach the underbody insulators, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on April 7, 2022.
Fuel system, diesel
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021 Super Duty F-250, F-350, F-450, F-550, F-600, and Medium Duty F-650 and F-750 vehicles equipped with 6.7L diesel engines. A small void may be present in the top-center of the vehicle's underhood secondary fuel filter cap, which may progress to a pinhole over time, allowing…
Remedy: Dealers will replace the primary and secondary fuel filters, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 28, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332.
Power train › Axle assembly
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2021 F-350 Super Duty pickup trucks equipped with 6.7L diesel engines and Dana model 275 rear axles. The rear axle housing may not support the load of the pickup truck and deform, which could result in driveshaft separation.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the axle housing for deformities, and repair or replace the housing, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on September 3, 2021.
Power train › Axle hubs
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021 F-350, F-450, F-550, and F-600 vehicles equipped with dual rear wheels and front wheel hub extenders. The front wheel hub extenders may be improperly attached to the front rotor hub assemblies, which could result in separation of the wheels and wheel extenders from the vehicle.
Remedy: Owners are instructed not to drive their vehicles until the torque of the wheel extender nuts can be verified. Dealers will inspect and tighten the front wheel hub extender nuts, free of charge.
Trailer hitches › Fifth wheel assembly
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021 Super Duty F-350 and F-450 vehicles equipped with a fifth wheel left-hand mounting bracket that may be cracked.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the mounting bracket, and replace the bracket if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on June 16, 2021. 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.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2021 Ford F-350 SD:
Sogefi Secondary Diesel Fuel Filter Leak
The Office of Defect Investigations (ODI) has received 27 complaints alleging diesel fuel leaks due to a fracture in the secondary fuel filter housing in model year (MY) 2015-2021 Ford Motor Company (Ford) F-250, 350, 450, and 550 Super Duty vehicles equipped with 6.7L diesel engines. Of these complaints, 12 describe an engine compartment fire.
What 2021 Ford F-350 SD owners say
Fuel & propulsion system all 40 →
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-350. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the warning light illuminated indicating to pull the vehicle over. The contact drove the vehicle to the shoulder of the road. The contact stated that the vehicle lost motive power. The contact exited the vehicle and checked all the fluids. The contact stated that the fluid levels were at sufficient levels. The vehicle was inspected by an independent mechanic and the vehicle was diagnosed as fuel contamination. The contact was informed that the fuel system needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was advised of a recall NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V013000(Fuel System, Diesel) which had a similar failure description, however, the contact's VIN was not associated with the recall. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed fuel system. …
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-350. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V957000 (Fuel System, Diesel); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed with the cruise control activated, the contact heard an abnormally loud popping and clicking sound. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The message "Decreased Engine Power" was displayed, and the vehicle experienced a loss of drive power. The contact coasted off the road and came to a complete stop. The message "Shift to Neutral" was displayed. The contact turned off the vehicle and let it cool down for five minutes. The vehicle failed to restart. …
Engine & cooling
The contact owned a 2021 Ford F-350 Diesel. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked in the contact's residential yard, the contact noticed the vehicle was on fire. The contact had just parked the vehicle and walked around to the back of the residence. The contact stated that the fire came from under the center area of the hood. The contact attempted to extinguish the fire, however the fire department arrived and extinguished the fire. A fire report was filed. No police report was filed. No injuries were sustained. The vehicle was still located at the contact's residence. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but did not assist. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000. The VIN was not available
On highway for 2 hours, pulling 5th wheel trailer. Diesel Particulate Filter Cleaning alert went on. Immediately truck lost power, a few other alerts flashed on the screen that couldn't read in time then alert that truck was being put in Neutral which it did. Smoke coming out of engine compartment. Barely coasted to stop on side of freeway. Quickly turned from white smoke to brown. Barely enough time to get me, wife and dog out of the cab before flames coming out of engine. Engine and cab completely burned out.
Electrical system
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-350. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH, the Disconnect/Reconnect message was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact stated that while depressing the brake pedal with the trailer brake control, the system indicated that there was no trailer detected. An independent mechanic was contacted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed; however, the diagnostic result was unknown. The contact stated that the fuses, wiring harness, and trailer brake control were replaced. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V193000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the issue and informed the contact that a mechanic would be sent to inspect the vehicle. The failure mileage was 200,000.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-350. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to shut off upon depression of the START/STOP button after several attempts. While driving to the dealer, several warning lights appeared on the instrument panel. The dealer performed a diagnostic test and discovered that the battery junction box was defective due to moisture intrusion. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that there was no recall on the vehicle. The contact was provided a case number. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 47,000.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2021 Ford F-350 SD a good car?
Based on 98 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2021 F-350 SD rates use caution: 1.4× as many complaints as a typical year of the F-350 SD at the same age. It is one of the F-350 SD years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2021 Ford F-350 SD?
The fuel & propulsion system — 40 complaints, 41% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the engine & cooling (16) and electrical system (13).
How many recalls does the 2021 Ford F-350 SD have?
There are 14 recalls for the 2021 Ford F-350 SD, the most recent from March 17, 2026 (fuel pump). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Ford F-350 SD?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2014, 2013 and 2012. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2017, 2019, 2020, 2018 and 2022. See the full Ford F-350 SD years comparison.
At what mileage do 2021 Ford F-350 SD problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 90,000 miles; 41% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
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.