2021 Ford F-150 Exterior Lighting Problems
Owners have filed 114 complaints with NHTSA about exterior lighting problems on the 2021 Ford F-150, 11% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 55,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “daytime running” (42% of reports).
- 114exterior lighting complaints
- 55,000median miles at failure
- 0mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 3related recalls
- $2,050typical repair cost reported by owners
- 40%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Daytime running: mentioned in 48 of 114 complaints (42%)
- Headlight assembly: mentioned in 20 of 114 complaints (18%)
- Both headlights: mentioned in 8 of 114 complaints (7%)
- Safety concern: mentioned in 7 of 114 complaints (6%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical exterior lighting repair on the 2021 Ford F-150 at $2,050, and half of them between $1,500 and $3,000.
Based on 17 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2024–2026), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do exterior lighting problems happen?
Based on 11 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
None of the 114 complaints report a crash, fire or injury.
Ford F-150 exterior lighting complaints by model year
| Model year | Exterior Lighting complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 F-150 | 6 | 6% | — |
| 2024 F-150 | 50 | 26% | 25,000 |
| 2023 F-150 | 23 | 6% | 55,000 |
| 2022 F-150 | 65 | 11% | 40,000 |
| 2021 F-150 | 114 | 11% | 55,000 |
| 2020 F-150 | 5 | 1% | 100 |
| 2019 F-150 | 11 | 1% | 22,000 |
| 2018 F-150 | 23 | 1% | 21,450 |
| 2017 F-150 | 5 | 0% | 87,043 |
| 2016 F-150 | 16 | 1% | 8,000 |
| 2015 F-150 | 17 | 1% | 31,000 |
| 2014 F-150 | 8 | 1% | 12,550 |
| 2013 F-150 | 17 | 1% | 38,000 |
| 2012 F-150 | 9 | 1% | 53,212 |
| 2011 F-150 | 30 | 1% | 75,000 |
| 2010 F-150 | 28 | 3% | 44,900 |
| 2009 F-150 | 12 | 4% | 39,000 |
| 2008 F-150 | 5 | 1% | 123,175 |
| 2007 F-150 | 4 | 1% | 47,500 |
| 2006 F-150 | 11 | 2% | 50,000 |
| 2005 F-150 | 5 | 0% | 126,000 |
| 2004 F-150 | 17 | 1% | 14,000 |
| 2003 F-150 | 6 | 1% | 61,500 |
| 2002 F-150 | 10 | 1% | 55,753 |
| 2001 F-150 | 11 | 1% | 66,500 |
| 2000 F-150 | 22 | 2% | 35,140 |
| 1999 F-150 | 16 | 2% | 105,000 |
| 1998 F-150 | 13 | 1% | 110,000 |
| 1997 F-150 | 34 | 1% | 118,000 |
| 1996 F-150 | 5 | 2% | 104,521 |
| 1995 F-150 | 9 | 1% | 187,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (3)
Exterior lighting:tail lights; electrical system: integrated trailer brake control
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2026 F-150, 2022-2026 F-250 SD, F-350 SD, F-450 SD, F-550 SD, Maverick, 2024-2026 Ranger, 2023-2026 F-600 SD, 2022-2027 Lincoln Navigator, Expedition, and 2026 E-Transit vehicles. When towing a trailer, the integrated trailer module (ITRM) may lose communication with the vehicle, possibly causing a loss of brake and turn signal lights, or a loss of brake function. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, " Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Risk: Trailer lights or brakes that do not function can reduce the driverâs ability to control the trailer and decrease the trailers visibility to other road users, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: The integrated trailer module software will be updated by a dealer, or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 25, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26C10. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning March 17, 2026.
Exterior lighting:back up lights
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021 F-150 vehicles equipped with the Onboard Scales feature that were repaired incorrectly under recall 24V443. An over-the-air software update to the body control module (BCM) may have disabled both reverse lights.
Risk: Inoperative reverse lights may fail to alert others that the vehicle is reversing, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will update the body control module software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on June 27, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S57.
Electrical system:body control module:software; exterior lighting:back up lights
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021 F-150 vehicles equipped with the Onboard Scales feature. An over-the-air software update to the body control module (BCM) may have disabled both reverse lights.
Risk: Disabled reverse lights cannot alert others that the vehicle is reversing, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will update the body control module software, free of charge. Owner notification letters are were mailed June 26, 2024. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 24S38.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
My daytime running light has burned out. I also see a lot of other f150 around town with the same exact problem. I also donât want to get stopped from the police for having a bulb burned out. I have researched this problem and you canât fix it unless you buy a whole brand new headlight assembly…
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the LED daytime running lights was flashing quickly before burning out. The contact stated that while driving 30 MPH and then stopped at an intersection, another driver informed the contact that the passenger's side headlight was flashing…
Should be able to simply repair my daytime running lamps at a reasonable cost. One of them is now dim, causing lower visibility for other drivers. Ford's cost for me to repair was quoted today at over $2,100. Simply put, unreasonable! This is an issue that has effected several vehicles.
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2021 Ford F-150s have exterior lighting problems?
No. NHTSA has 114 owner complaints about exterior lighting for the 2021 Ford F-150 (11% of the 1,029 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2021 Ford F-150 exterior lighting?
Yes: 3 safety recalls list exterior lighting. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do exterior lighting problems start?
The median reported mileage is 55,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix exterior lighting problems on the 2021 Ford F-150?
Owners report a typical cost of $2,050 (half paid between $1,500 and $3,000), from 17 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about exterior lighting problems on the 2021 Ford F-150?
The most frequent phrase is “daytime running”, in 48 of 114 complaints, followed by “headlight assembly” (20).
Other 2021 Ford F-150 problems
See all 2021 Ford F-150 problems or exterior lighting problems across all F-150 years.