2021 Ford F-250 Problems, Recalls & Reliability
213 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2021 Ford F-250, alongside 13 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 10/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years. Fuel system leads the reports, typically around 97,500 miles.
One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 2021 Ford F-250 has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.
Better year
Where 2021 sits among all F-250 years
What owners report
“The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-250. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V455000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The manufacturer was not contacted. The contact had not experienced a failure.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2021 F-250
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 50 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 48,500 miles. Half of those reports fall between 30,000 and 75,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (13)
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…
Fix: 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…
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.
Fix: Dealers will update the image processing module software, free charge.nThis will be a phased campaign, with the remedy becoming available in different phases based on model years. Interim letters…
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.
Fix: 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. Owners may contact Ford…
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…
Fix: 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. Owner notification…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2022 Transit Connect, 2019-2020 MKZ, MKX, Edge, Continental, F-150, Nautilus, Fusion, 2019-2023 Ranger, Mustang, 2020-2021 EcoSport, Expedition, Navigator, 2020-2022 Escape, F-250 SD, Corsair, 2020-2023…
Fix: Dealers will update the rearview camera software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 4, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number…
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.
Fix: 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. Ford's…
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…
Fix: 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. Owners may contact…
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…
Fix: 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…
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.
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…
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…
Fix: 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. Owners may…
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…
Fix: 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.…
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,…
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…
Icon Vehicle Dynamics, LLC (Icon) is recalling all 05-UP FSD 2.5 Centerline Stabilizer Kits with part number 65050. The kits were sold as an accessory for certain 2005-2021 Ford F-250 4X4 and F-350 4X4 pickup trucks. The foam ring inside the stabilizer…
Fix: Icon will notify owners, and dealers will install a new shock assembly with a revised foam ring and steel support disc, free of charge. The recall began December 21, 2020. Owners may contact Icon…
Federal defect investigations
Still open as of the last data refresh. An investigation is not a recall; it may close with no action. All open investigations →
Component: FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL
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…
Technical service bulletins
240 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on transmission & drivetrain and electrical — are on file for the 2021 Ford F-250. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2021 Ford F-250 reliable?
The 2021 Ford F-250 drew 213 complaints in federal safety records — one of this model's quieter years. Its trouble index is 10/100, scored against the model's worst year (2019).
What are the most common 2021 Ford F-250 problems?
The top reported problems for the 2021 Ford F-250 are fuel system (41 complaints), transmission & drivetrain (23), and electrical (23).
At what mileage do 2021 Ford F-250 problems show up?
Owners most often report 2021 Ford F-250 problems around 48,500 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 30,000 and 75,000 miles.
Does the 2021 Ford F-250 have recalls?
13 recall campaigns apply to the 2021 Ford F-250. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.