What 159 owners told NHTSA about the 2021 Ford F-250 Supercab

I took a functional vehicle to Swant Graber Ford in Barron, WI in on [XXX] for Recall 24S78 and since then I have had numerous vehicle issues involving the PCM that they flashed. I have up to 16 different codes when the check engine light comes on including numerous communication U-codes indicating faulty software download causing no run/no start problems along with severe safety concerns while driving. I returned the vehicle to Swant Graber today July 1, 2026 after 2 weeks being this was their earliest appointment availability. They then deleted the codes and told me to drive it until there is more issues which is a severe safety concern considering the condition of the PCM of this vehicle they returned to now which is unfunctional and not road worthy INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11747789

Front camera malfunctions and goes black and stops working. Ford refuses to acknowledge this issues and prevents forward collision alert system from working. The refuse to fix the issue or look into a recall.

NHTSA ODI 11718198

All of my rear lights stopped working with no warning. My blind spot monitoring and cross traffic detection also stopped working. This is a serious issue as the light go out intermittenly without warning. Especially dangerous at night. Dealership thinks it might be a faulty harness. Dealership thought they fixed it by cleaning contacts but the very next day they went out again while driving in a snow storm. Luckily no one was behind me because they would not have been able to see me.

NHTSA ODI 11706808

Both the driver and passenger mirrors will not fully adjust. The mirrors need a different adjustment for standard driving and when towing a travel trailer. Neither mirror will properly adjust for towing and non towing applications. The lack of proper mirror adjustment causes a safety issue as the driver cannot see things in their full scope due to the mirror misalignment. I have almost had two accidents due to the mirrors not being able to be properly adjusted. Ford is aware of this issue on 2017 to 2023 F150, F250 and F350 trucks with the tow mirrors. Ford has issued a Special Service Message#51829. Ford has a cleaning procedure they wish to be done as part of the diagnostics but Ford and the Ford Dealer will not release this information. Ford is attempting to block warranty claims related to this issue. I believe they are doing this so they will not have to issue yet another recall! I spoke with a Ford Dealer this morning and they stated that they had no knowledge of the SSM51829 or the mirror cleaning procedure. Even though the truck is under the Ford warranty, they would require a $250.00 dollar fee just to inspect the problem.

NHTSA ODI 11705660

This car has had a recall for almost year. I’m am terrified to drive my truck especially with my kids in it. Sometimes if I press the gas trying to cross traffic, it takes a while to go. Also sometimes it won’t crank up and start. It takes awhile few tried. My back up camera doesn’t work the way it should

NHTSA ODI 11682653

I hit an elk at 65 mph while pulling a flatbed trailer loaded with 4000 lbs of hay. The crash warning light did not come on nor did the air bags deploy. The whole front end of the truck is badly damaged. I contacted my local Ford dealer with this information and was told by the service agent that the body shop will handle this. As my concern is how hard do you have to hit something to get the airbags to deploy. I’m concerned for my safety while driving this truck again if it can be repaired. I’m taking it to the repair shop today. I wanted to report this as Ford will be ZERO help moving forward.

NHTSA ODI 11671870

The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-250. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and idling, the vehicle shut off and failed to restart. There were no warning lights illuminated before the failure. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights illuminated after the failure. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the fuse box needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the vehicle was not communicating with the fuse box. Additionally, there was moisture in the fuse box. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline; however, no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 73,000.

NHTSA ODI 11654530

1st incident, weather conditions were rainy. Drove to store, shut off truck, started truck, service engine soon light came on #1-Ford pass message-powertrain control module lost communication or has detected incompatible software from the glow plug. service engine soon light #2-Powertrain control module lost communication with the glow plug, additional alerts along with a hard start or no start condition may accompany this fault. Service engine soon light #3-A communication fault over vehicle network has occurred between several modules. Service engine soon #4-The powertrain control module lost communication with the exhaust particulate matter sensor. Service engine soon #5-The transmission control module is sending invalid information over the internal vehicle communication network to one or more modules. Message #6-Pre-collision assist not available. I thought if I shut the truck off it would reset. When I tried to restart the truck it did nothing. Had it towed to Archie Cochrane Ford in Billings, MT. They replaced the DEF wiring harness. 2nd incident on [XXX], drove through rain on way to Provo, UT. Service engine soon light came on with all the same messages + five other messages. Had it towed to Larry H Miller Ford in Provo, UT. They replaced the Battery Junction Box. Drove to Yuma, AZ without incident but had them look it over and they could not reproduce the issue. Drove to Dickinson, TX, encountered fog on 1/3/2025. Incident #3, drove to the gas station on [XXX], started the truck up and the same messages came up. Roads were dry, although it had rained the night before. Drove straight to McRee Ford where the technician observed the issue firsthand. While the vehicle was in park it was constantly surging. We researched online for the same problem and have found others that have had this same type of issue. We have had to rent cars when the truck was in the shop. We believe this is an engineering issue and Ford should fix the issues without charging. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11635087

The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-250. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the TPMS warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over and noticed a bolt in the front passenger's side tire. Roadside Assistance arrived on the scene and detected an abnormal odor coming from the vehicle. Upon inspection under the hood, Roadside Assistance discovered that the battery was swollen and informed the contact that the battery could catch on fire. The front passenger's side tire and battery were replaced by Roadside Assistance. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.

NHTSA ODI 11615270

Trailer brake lights malfunction

NHTSA ODI 11603605

The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-250 trailered to a 2021 Artic Wolf 291R camper. The contact stated that while driving the vehicle at approximately 30-50 MPH, the trailer brake was not responding and the message "trailer brake wiring fault" was displayed. The contact stated that the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 19,234.

NHTSA ODI 11584555

Brought truck into Hansel Ford Dealership in Santa Rosa CA for recall issues, oil change and then an issue with Horn. Horn would not turn off, even with truck off. Had to disconnect battery and take fuse out for horn. Was told by Hansel that there is an issue with this but its not a recall issue. The BJB Box had moisture inside and needed replacing. Our mileage was just outside original manufacturer warranty by I believe 900 miles. We had also purchased an extended warranty. Extended warranty will not cover. I would like FORD to pay for this issue as we arent the only ones. 2022 Ford F250 . Truck is STILL at the dealership.

NHTSA ODI 11572504

The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-250. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH and attempting to alert another driver, the contact became aware that the horn was not functioning properly. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the horn. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 63,000.

NHTSA ODI 11560966

The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-250. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, an abnormal odor was detected. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the battery had exploded and was leaking battery fluid. The contact was informed that the battery needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the battery had previously been replaced in 2021 for the recurring failure. The vehicle was then taken to AutoZone, where the battery was replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 52,000.

NHTSA ODI 11550603

The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-250. The contact stated there was an abnormal odor cat odor in the vehicle after a car wash or during inclement weather. The driver added an air freshener to the vehicle. The contact stated that the odor was stronger while using the A/C unit in the recycle air position. Additionally, the molding strip had detached from the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who added spray to the air filter and checked for dead animals. The vehicle was taken to an independent body shop, which replaced the weather strip. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 43,000.

NHTSA ODI 11545107

During towing of 10,000lb trailer, the trailer brakes cut out during heavy braking and the dash displayed "wiring fault". Also, sometimes during normal braking, the trailer brakes will cut in and out, if you watch the gain meter during these episodes, the gain meter will also cut in and out. My and my families safety was definitely put at risk and now we were fully dependent on only the truck brakes to stop our vehicle and trailer. The dealer checked the vehicle on 5/9/23 and say there is nothing wrong with the truck. There is an active safety recall (22S17) covering trailer brake controllers for Super Duty vehicles, however, it seems to be limited to model year 2022, even though my vehicle was built at the same plant during the same time period covering this recall. I intend to have the dealer perform the required repair at my expense, and hopefully this recall will be expanded to cover my model year. This is a very dangerous situation.

NHTSA ODI 11521203

This is what happen Thursday Night to my Truck sitting in my drive way. My entire wiring harness on the drivers side was under water.. I drove it to the dealership and it was still pouring water from the rear plugs. I have rubber floor mats and wouldn't have even noticed the issue if I didn't pull them to clean the truck. There are tons of truck having this issue. to fix it properly the bed has to be taken off the truck. The insurance company's total cars for electrical being covered in water. This is a recall issue Ford Surly needs to address and fix. Go look at this video fast forward to the 4 minute mark. https://youtu.be/9azod47j8KM

NHTSA ODI 11501747

When towing a trailer, the Trailer brakes stop working. the brakes, using the pedal and lights all work perfectly on truck and trailer. But if you squeeze the brake control paddles, you immediately get a trailer disconnected message and although all lights still work, the brake controller does NOT. Then sometimes, just driving and perhaps stopping at a gas station, the trailer brakes also stop working and you don't realize until going down a hill. This has happened multiple times. I start out just fine and then ?

NHTSA ODI 11489527