710 of the 48,021 complaints filed about the Ford F-150 are about the lighting — 100% of everything owners reported. The worst model year for it is 2021.
710
Complaints
100%
Share of all complaints
9
Crashes
17
Fires
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Led headlight drl strip turned blue on one side. Have seen many with this issue in the led module ballast. Safety concern because its a common running light issue that hinders people from seeing the vehicle as easily.
NHTSA complaint #11764019 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
The daytime running lights are out. Vehicle is available for inspection. This puts my safety and the safety of others at risk by not being o by reducing visibility of the vehicle during low light scenarios where the headlights are off. Example I live in an area with lots of fog and drive a gray vehicle that is not clearly visible if headlights are off due to light exposure. Problem is consistent and able to be reproduced for inspection. Vehicle has not been inspected by any agent to this point but it is available and will be noticed upon inspection by direction. There are no warning lamps or messages alerting driver of malfunction which poses another safety risk. Problem has been consistent for past 3 weeks upon every start.
NHTSA complaint #11762636 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
The contact owns a 2022 Ford F-150. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V455000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds on several occasions, the vehicle experienced a temporary loss of motive power while accelerating and turning. The contact stated that the failure was a recurring failure, and the contact needed to maintain a fuel level above half tank. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it passed the State Inspection, and the contact was advised to wait until the recall part was available for the repair. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. Additionally, the contact became aware that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V104000 (Electrical System, Exterior Lighting); however, the contact had not received the recall notification. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.
NHTSA complaint #11762226 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
The contact owns a 2024 Ford F-150. The contact stated that following an unsuccessful Over-the-Air (OTA) software update, the display screen and instrument panel were constantly rebooting, with a loss of functionality for several electrical features. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where technicians associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V104000 (Electrical System, Exterior Lighting). After several service repairs and the inclusion of a field service engineer, the vehicle remained unrepaired and had been with the dealer for over two months. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and provided the contact with a case number. The contact was not provided any status updates because the master technicians were on extended leave. The failure mileage was approximately 25,000.
NHTSA complaint #11762243 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Ford has a VERY well-documented flaw in their LED headlight assemblies on 14th generation F150s (2021 +). The daytime running lights regularly burn out within several years / 35,000 miles, and each headlight costs over $2000 per side to replace with OEM components! They cannot be repaired; they can only be replaced. Ford specifically excludes these headlight assemblies from their extended warranty as well. The problem is so common that, when you see a 14th generation F150 on the road that's a few years old, it likely has one of the LED DRL lights out. Ford dealers verbally acknowledge how common of an issue it is, but Ford Motor Company refuses to issue a TSB or recall. Customers are left with shockingly high bills for what really is safety equipment. As you know, DRLs are indeed considered safety equipment! Customer shouldn’t have to pay over $4000 to fix this clearly common OEM supplier flaw that Ford has yet to remedy. Of course, what many owners do is simply allow the DRLs to fail because of the prohibitively expensive repair costs. This is a safety issue.
NHTSA complaint #11761602 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL
The contact owns a 2023 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and activating the passenger’s side turn signal, the turn signal lever started to stick. The contact researched online and located similar failures. The contact stated that the dealer was four hours away and was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.
NHTSA complaint #11761202 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V373000 (Exterior Lighting) and Customer Satisfaction Program: 25N17 (Rear View Camera Replacement If Required After Dealer Evaluation); however, the failure occurred after the repairs were performed. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the "Parking Brake Engaged" message displayed, and the blind spot sensor became inoperable. An unknown warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the TPMS was inoperable. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 86,000.
NHTSA complaint #11760931 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Daytime running lights (LED) in headlights burn out/quit working. Currently it is only the pasenger side of my vehilce but its a common issue and eventually both passenger and driver side DRL's quit working. there is no repair for this, only option for the owner is to replace the entire headlight assembly and that is extremely costly.
NHTSA complaint #11760881 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
This vehicle 2016 ford F150 is known to have shorting issues. From literally all wiring harnesses. I had a small fire in my truck due to this issue, caused melting of the ribbon cable in my seat heater control module, which is a known issue from Ford. I have shorting in my turn signal switch (no wipers). Is that safe? I am a research scientist and engineer, I can tell you now it is not safe. If i need to prove it, I can do so with ease and write the necessary literature. If I cant use my AC sometimes, the windows fog, then i cant use the wipers to unfog them, how is this not a visibility issue? Not to mention all the shorts. I have a 40 gallon fuel tank, if any shorts get near it, is that going to be a fun experience for me? Please give Ford a penalty, the average owner of this truck pays thousands a year in repairs. I paid $17,800.00 in 2025 to repair this piece of shit. And it still has major issues. This is something ford needs to address, i want my wiring to be replaced, i bought a new engine, what if i cant use it especailly with the 3 year warranty bc the wiring consistently shorts and fails. unacceptable for a truck that's sticker price is $80k. This is a major problem, I will file claims until im afforded a response
NHTSA complaint #11757955 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Passenger side vertical LED drivers running light bar is out on 2023 Ford F-150 XLT Supercrew. Have heard and seen many Ford F150 trucks that have had this issue. Faulty LED diod heats and burns the light tube from which the light is generated. THIS IS A VERY COMMON ISSUE, IS A MANUFACTURERS DEFECTIVE PART THAT MUST BE RECALLED AND REPLACED.
NHTSA complaint #11757488 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Daytime Running Light failure in headlight assembly. Second time it occurred. Had the first headlight assembly replaced while under warranty. I am now outside of the warranty mileage and the other side's headlight DRL has failed.
NHTSA complaint #11756461 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Left side headlight went dark. Started dimming now is full out
NHTSA complaint #11756213 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Both factory LED headlamp assemblies are experiencing premature LED failures. The vertical LED/DRL section has failed on both headlights, and the horizontal LED section has failed on one and is beginning to fail on the other. These are factory-installed upgraded LED headlamps and the LED components are not individually replaceable, requiring replacement of the complete headlamp assembly. The failures occurred before the vehicle reached five years old. Ford was contacted regarding the issue and declined goodwill assistance. I am concerned about the premature failure of the factory exterior lighting and the potential safety implications if additional portions of the headlamp assemblies fail. It does affect viability for other vehicles and both went out within 3 months of each other. I have noticed several other vehicles on the road specifically with my headlights with the same issue.
NHTSA complaint #11755692 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
The safety daytime running lights are failing prematurely. My car has 32,000 miles and my DRL is burnt out on the passenger side. Online forums confirm that this is happening to many, many people. It’s a safety hazard for other drivers because the cost to repair is substantial and people aren’t fixing them. Ford should fix this as a recall.
NHTSA complaint #11755402 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
LED strip for the headlight assembly burned out. No known repair other than to replace the whole headlight assembly for $2500. This is a common issue with a poor design from ford and can cause visibility and safety issues with the vehicle. The dealership at beach ford in myrtle beach, sc swapped LED modules to make sure it wasn’t a programming or module issue, the symptom did not change headlights.
NHTSA complaint #11755524 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Outer LED light burned out. Makes for lights to seem dimmer at night while driving.
NHTSA complaint #11754280 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Purchased new vehicle May 2024 primarily for towing my recreational vehicle (2024 Ford F150 Pickup). June 2024 took vehicle to dealership indicating that I was intermittently getting a "Trailer Disconnect" warning while driving (loss of trailer brakes, lights etc.). Dealer indicated no issue found. Subsequently returned to dealership on 6 other occasions over 2 years after continuing to experience the failure. Replaced 7 pin connector on trailer and dealer has replaced the 7 pin on vehicle and Trailer Control Module (TCM) but problem persists. Early 2026 dealership performed a recall on TCM software - did not resolve the issue (vehicle intermittently indicates the trailer is disconnected while driving or manually activating the trailer brakes). Issue seems to occur typical on startup after several hours of driving with a trailer (heat related), and every time activate the trailer brakes manually. I get a "Trailer Disconnect" warning by activating the manual trailer brake even without a trailer attached. Working with Ford Customer Service Team and the dealership for 7 days, no solution was discovered. The dealership indicated (in writing) that it is normal operation to disconnect the trailer when the TCM is activated manually (while driving or stopped).
NHTSA complaint #11754300 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Day Running Lights in headlights fail. The side LED fails completely requiring the entire headlight housing needing to be replaced. This is a common failure and Ford is not doing anything to help the thousands of customers this is affecting. This failure is widely reported online, in forums and chat rooms. Dealer acknowledges it is a part failure but Ford will not pay for replacement even though it is a design or manufacturing problem with this particular year and style of headlights.
NHTSA complaint #11753682 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
*Brake system failure, complete shut down of vehicle. *Vehicle unable to start. *Vehicle was taken directly to Peoria Ford ( 9130 W Bell Rd, Peoria, AZ 85382) via tow truck on XXX Confirmed when dropped off of brake system failure and vehicle not functioning. *Vehicle was inspected on XXX which we were originally told it was the battery. Although the vehicle was in for trailer software recall on XXX and during inspection at that time battery was in good health. *No warnings until attempting to use the vehicle on XXX and received the brake system failure alert. Vehicle would also not lock. *After battery was replaced by Peoria Ford I was then told the brake system would not release and would need Actuator misalignment reset/replaced.
NHTSA complaint #11753799 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
The OEM LED headlights will not adjust, causing excessive glare to on coming drivers. This issue is 300 times worse than the miniscule amount of light that the daytime running lights emit, but somehow the running lights get a recall, but the headlight adjusters do not! I'm completely flabbergasted at such an absurd and unjust oversite to such and important issue, please record this protest in the appropriate file, thanks. I constantly get offended drivers flashing their lights at me.
NHTSA complaint #11753459 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.