2021 Ford F-150 — Should You Buy One?
Typical asking price: $32,000–$58,000. There are 3 high-severity known issues you need to know before handing over a check.
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Kestrel Take
The 14th-gen F-150 is a significant upgrade with better interior, Pro Power Onboard, available hybrid. But it's a new platform and introduced new problems: PowerBoost hybrid had early software concerns and the front suspension has more wear points.
What we checked
Reconciled against public records, 2026-09-11
NHTSA holds 5,252 owner complaints for the 2021 Ford F-150, and no recall campaigns.
A big number here usually means a lot of these were sold, not that it is a bad vehicle — popular models collect more complaints for the same rate of trouble. So the total on its own says little. What is worth reading is the shape of it. 32% of them are about one thing — the transmission and drivetrain. That much concentration is a genuine pattern rather than background noise, and it is the first thing to check on any example you look at.
Counts come from the NHTSA complaint and recall database — free, public, and worth checking yourself.
Known Issues for the 2021 Ford F-150
Ranked by wallet impact. These are documented, recurring problems — not freak accidents.
Early PowerBoost hybrids had software causing drivability problems and occasional stalls. Ford issued updates. Verify all TSBs applied.
Repair cost (estimate): $0 software — if unresolved, expensive diagnosis
Source: NHTSA complaints filed under electrics and electronics (686), the engine (520).
Same direct-injection carbon issue as prior F-150 EcoBoosts. By 60-80k miles: rough idle, hesitation.
Repair cost (estimate): $300-$800
Source: NHTSA complaints filed under the engine (520).
The front wiper motor can fail outright, leaving you with no wipers in the rain. Ford recalled 2021–2022 F-150s in 2023 to replace the motor. Check the recall status by VIN and run the wipers through every speed on the test drive.
Repair cost: $0 with the recall — verify it was performed
Source: NHTSA complaints filed under glass, wipers and mirrors (685).
The 10-speed automatic can bang into gear on a 1-3 upshift, hesitate, or on some 2021 trucks built mid-year erroneously sense low fluid pressure and drop into Neutral while driving. It is the subject of NHTSA investigation EA22-002 covering roughly 1.7 million 2017-2022 F-150s, and a partial recall (23V-579) addressed an output speed sensor fault on some 2021-2022 trucks. Ask whether that recall was performed, and accelerate hard from a stop to feel for a harsh 1-3 shift.
Repair cost: $0–$400 (software reflash; check recall 23V-579)
Source: NHTSA complaints filed under the transmission and drivetrain (1,672).
Walk-Away Red Flags
- ✗PowerBoost with drivability issues — verify all TSBs
- ✗EcoBoost rough idle or hesitation at 60k+ miles
Good Signs
- ✓5.0L Coyote V8 — no EcoBoost complexity, no carbon issue
- ✓PowerBoost with all TSBs applied and documented
- ✓Low mileage with full service history
Found a specific Ford F-150?
This page covers what goes wrong on the 2021 Ford F-150 in general. The Kestrel report covers this specific car— the asking price vs. market, the photos, the seller's description, and a BUY / NEGOTIATE / WALK AWAY verdict with a negotiation script.
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Not ready to pay for one? The free read is instant and needs no card — it checks the asking price against the market and names the top issues for this year. It stops short of the verdict, because that needs the photos.
Known issues on this page are based on documented owner reports, NHTSA complaints, class-action records, and manufacturer technical service bulletins. Individual vehicles vary. A pre-purchase inspection by a trusted mechanic is always worth doing.
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