2021 Ford F-150 Visibility Problems
Owners have filed 78 complaints with NHTSA about visibility problems on the 2021 Ford F-150, 8% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 44,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “visibility contacted” (36% of reports).
- 78visibility complaints
- 44,000median miles at failure
- 1mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 6related recalls
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Visibility contacted: mentioned in 28 of 78 complaints (36%)
- Windshield wipers: mentioned in 13 of 78 complaints (17%)
- Wiper motor: mentioned in 6 of 78 complaints (8%)
- Notifications numbers: mentioned in 5 of 78 complaints (6%)
At what mileage do visibility problems happen?
Based on 23 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 78 complaints, 1 mention a crash.
Ford F-150 visibility complaints by model year
| Model year | Visibility complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 F-150 | 2 | 1% | 29,850 |
| 2023 F-150 | 12 | 3% | 30,000 |
| 2022 F-150 | 22 | 4% | 21,000 |
| 2021 F-150 | 78 | 8% | 44,000 |
| 2020 F-150 | 38 | 5% | 38,000 |
| 2019 F-150 | 13 | 1% | 111,500 |
| 2018 F-150 | 31 | 1% | 49,980 |
| 2017 F-150 | 16 | 1% | 52,000 |
| 2016 F-150 | 40 | 2% | 56,000 |
| 2015 F-150 | 21 | 1% | 62,000 |
| 2014 F-150 | 30 | 2% | 40,000 |
| 2013 F-150 | 50 | 2% | 38,700 |
| 2012 F-150 | 34 | 2% | 49,900 |
| 2011 F-150 | 56 | 3% | 54,000 |
| 2010 F-150 | 96 | 11% | 45,924 |
| 2009 F-150 | 4 | 1% | 53,000 |
| 2008 F-150 | 8 | 2% | 19,079 |
| 2007 F-150 | 5 | 1% | 35,783 |
| 2006 F-150 | 17 | 3% | 40,000 |
| 2005 F-150 | 260 | 23% | 50,000 |
| 2004 F-150 | 841 | 41% | 64,065 |
| 2003 F-150 | 16 | 4% | 62,750 |
| 2002 F-150 | 28 | 3% | 60,000 |
| 2001 F-150 | 23 | 2% | 69,000 |
| 2000 F-150 | 27 | 3% | 82,650 |
| 1999 F-150 | 81 | 8% | 41,679 |
| 1998 F-150 | 66 | 5% | 61,761 |
| 1997 F-150 | 147 | 5% | 100,000 |
| 1996 F-150 | 4 | 1% | 170,000 |
| 1995 F-150 | 8 | 1% | 121,423 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (6)
Visibility:sun/moon roof assembly
Problem: 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.
Risk: A detached wind deflector can become a road hazard and increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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. Ford's number for this recall is 25SB7. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning October 30, 2025.
Visibility:windshield wiper/washer:linkages
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021 F-150 vehicles. The windshield wiper arms may break, causing the windshield wipers to fail.
Risk: Inoperative windshield wipers can reduce visibility in certain conditions, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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. Ford's number for this recall is 23S10. This recall expands previous recall number 22V-250.
Visibility:windshield wiper/washer:motor
Problem: 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.
Risk: Inoperative windshield wipers can reduce visibility in certain conditions, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S71. This recall expands previous recall number 22V-142.
Visibility:windshield wiper/washer:linkages
Problem: 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.
Risk: Inoperative windshield wipers can reduce visibility in certain driving conditions, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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. Remedy parts are expected to be available 3rd Quarter 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed on October 21, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S26.
Visibility:windshield wiper/washer:motor
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021 F-150 vehicles. The front windshield wiper motor may become inoperative, causing the wipers to fail.
Risk: Inoperative windshield wipers can reduce visibility in certain conditions, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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. Ford's number for this recall is 22S12.
Visibility:windshield:critical fasteners
Problem: 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. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 212, "Windshield Mounting."
Risk: In the event of a crash, if the windshield separates from the vehicle, it can increase the risk of injury.
Fix: 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. Ford's number for this recall is 21C06.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the windshield wipers failed to activate as needed. No warning lights were illuminated. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed. The contact was informed that the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was not…
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 23V896000 (POWER TRAIN), 25V455000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE), and 25V729000 (VISIBILITY). The dealer was contacted. However, parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The manufacturer was…
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 25V455000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE) and 25V729000 (VISIBILITY); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the vehicle started…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2021 Ford F-150s have visibility problems?
No. NHTSA has 78 owner complaints about visibility for the 2021 Ford F-150 (8% 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 visibility?
Yes: 6 safety recalls list visibility. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do visibility problems start?
The median reported mileage is 44,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about visibility problems on the 2021 Ford F-150?
The most frequent phrase is “visibility contacted”, in 28 of 78 complaints, followed by “windshield wipers” (13).
Other 2021 Ford F-150 problems
See all 2021 Ford F-150 problems or visibility problems across all F-150 years.