The 2021 Ford F-150 is Already Struggling With Rust
Oh no, we smell trouble in Ford paradise. Some 2021 Ford F-150 owners claim that the bottom of their trucks are rusting on the bottom. But how serious is this Ford F-150 rust problem, and how will it impact performance?
The 2021 Ford F-150 is already rusty
Some owners of the 2021 Ford F-150 have taken to the internet to share that their trucks are already rusting underneath. According to Car and Driver, some owners received their brand new F-150 trucks with heavily rusted parts.
Rust covered the exhaust, differential, axle, wheel hubs, and other body parts. So far, its unclear exactly how many of these new trucks are struggling with rust, but it’s more than just a few. A video by Pickup Truck Talk shows that Tim’s F-150 is facing rust with only 3,000 miles.
This issue is pretty frustrating for drivers because a new truck is supposed to be in pristine condition. Plus, Tim, the host of Pickup Truck talk, hasn’t even driven his Ford F-150 in the salt belt of the U.S.
Ford says the rust is fine
As noted by Car and Driver, Ford said the rust is nothing to worry about. When they asked Ford about the rust, they issued a statement saying, “While some F-150 underbody steel components may show signs of surface rust, this will have no impact on part performance or life.”
But Power Nation TV disagrees. Sure, if you live in an area where the roads are salted during the wintertime, rust is a part of life as your vehicle accrues mileage over the years.
Rust can be a simple cosmetic issue that arrives with age due to being exposed to the elements. However, the 2021 Ford F-150 is experiencing significant corrosion issues way too early in its life.
The corrosion issues seem to mainly stem from the rear axle, which is sold untreated and unpainted to prevent scale from forming. So far, no problems have been reported from the rust. But even if it doesn’t cause cosmetic damage, it’s still disappointing.
Cars.com noted that they spent $78,000 on their truck, and it has about 1,200 miles. This is pretty early for their truck to have so much rust on the rear axle. Plus, their 2019 GMC Sierra that’s been driven through salted areas of the Midwest looks totally clean. Even if this isn’t a mechanical issue, it is a quality issue.
More F-150 problems
Cars.com also experienced three other problems with their new 2021 Ford F-150 after only having it for nine days. These issues came before the rust when their truck only has about 242 miles on the odometer. They got the Ford F-150 Limited Hybrid, by the way.
One alert said the Powertrain Control Module encountered an error. Another said the engine system detected a fault, and the third error said the software in the power control module is corrupted.
Those sound like pretty big issues. They popped the hood and noticed that the wiring harness wasn’t connected where it was supposed to be. Then they had to wait a few days for a maintenance appointment. Then on the morning before the appointment, the Ford F-150 had no power steering assistance until the gas engine was triggered.
The Ford mechanic secured the wiring harness and explained that the software had a glitch. That maintenance seemed to correct the issues, but then a Field Service Action had to reflash an integrated trailer relay module. Plus, the Ford Sync 4 system doesn’t seem to work well with Android phones at all.
