Exterior Lighting Problems of Ford F-150 - part 1

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.

See all problems of the 2018 Ford F-150 🔎.

Passenger side led headlight assembly daytime running led's, the vertical led has gone out in my 2021 Ford f150, while not a major problem, led daytime running lights increase visibility of other drivers to help in safety. From research, it seems that many of these headlights, the led daytime running lights in the 2021 year model are failing.

See all problems of the 2021 Ford F-150 🔎.

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.

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.

See all problems of the 2022 Ford F-150 🔎.

*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. 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.

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.

All lights in the rear of the truck failed working at once, turn ,brake and back up lights, bulbs are good, fuses are all good, checked all the connects and they are also good, this is the second time this has happened,. The first time it happened after going through the fuses and bulbs and finding nothing they started working again, that was in the beginning of June and now again in July.

The verticals led daytime running light (drl) on the passenger side has stopped working.

Left side headlight went dark. Started dimming now is full out.

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).

See all problems of the 2024 Ford F-150 🔎.

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.

The passenger side running light in the headlight has gone out. Not the entire part just the vertical section of the running light.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact received notifications of NHTSA campaign numbers: 25v455000 (fuel system, gasoline) and 26v104000 (electrical system, exterior lighting); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.

Almost all functions connected to the steering column quit working. I do not have working turn signals, high beams or wipers, unless the wipers are on high. None of the functions on the steering wheel work. It seems like a safety issue to not have functioning turn signals or properly finctioning wipers and high beams. No lamps or warnings.

The contact owns a 2022 Ford F-150. The contact received notifications of NHTSA campaign numbers: 26v104000 (electrical system, exterior lighting) and 25v455000 (fuel system, gasoline); however, parts for the recall repairs were unavailable. The dealer was contacted; and the contact was informed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was contacted, and the contact was informed that the parts were unavailable. The contact had not experienced a failure.

The driver's side rear light is full of moisture and some water. It is available for inspection. The Ford dealership in beeville texas coastal bend Ford inspected it already and informed me that it would cost $1,400 to replace and that it was only going to get worse. They also informed me that Ford allows a certain percentage of moisture and water to be in there safely. When you see the pictures this is definitely unacceptable and unsafe. This is causing the reverse lights to flicker intermittent. The moisture accumulation inside the lights can result in inoperative or flickering reverse lamp function. Inoperative reverse lamps may reduce the awareness of other motorists or road users of the driver's intention to operate the vehicle in reverse gear increasing the risk of injury or crash. I bought the vehicle from a Ford dealership in austin texas less than 10 days ago. I reported it to them and they stated it wouldn't be covered under warranty. The best assessment in my opinion of cause is going to be microcracks in the outer lens. Because my truck is a 2023 Ford F-150 king ranch, and there is a known recall for the same issue for 2022-2023 lariat and platinum models, so this can't be a coincidence. Refer NHTSA recall number 23v-418.

See all problems of the 2023 Ford F-150 🔎.

Vertical daytime running lamp is out and from doing multiple hours of research it looks as if it was a quality control issue. The led board was not secured internally and it caused an led to touch the tube and burned it. It is very common on 2021-2023 models and the manufacturer changed it for 2024. Please we need to get this as a recall.

The turn signal stalk on my 2023 Ford F-150 lightning intermittently requires excessive force to manually cancel after turns and lane changes. The stalk self-cancels normally roughly 50% of the time, but when the steering wheel does not rotate far enough to trigger automatic cancellation the driver must manually return the stalk to center. The condition is most reliably reproduced when the cabin has been elevated in temperature for an extended period and subsides once cooled. The issue predominantly affects right-hand turns and lane changes. The affected component is the turn signal stalk switch pack (multifunction switch), available for inspection. Diagnostic scanning confirmed dtc b124c stored in the sccm. Based on my research this code indicates a turn indicator stalk switch pack fault. The safety risk is threefold: first, a stalk that does not self-cancel sends false signals to other drivers. Second, manually forcing the stalk back to center diverts driver attention from vehicle control. Third, when the stalk releases under applied force it does so suddenly and without warning, and if the driver's hand is on the steering wheel this can cause an involuntary steering input, risking unintended lane departure at highway speeds. I am the second owner, having purchased from a dealership at approximately 60,000 miles. The defect was present at purchase and has worsened progressively to approximately 76,000 miles. The vehicle has not been inspected by a dealer as it is outside warranty. No warning lamp is present; however dtc b124c is confirmed via diagnostic scanning. I documented the issue in a video post which received responses from numerous affected owners: [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Daytime led light went out one side.

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.

I am submitting this complaint regarding the premature failure of the led daytime running lights (drls) on my 2022 Ford F-150. The vehicle's led daytime running light on one side has completely failed, while the corresponding light on the opposite side has significantly faded and appears to be nearing failure as well. The vehicle has approximately 60,000 miles, which is well below the expected service life of a modern vehicle and its lighting system. Ford markets the led daytime running lights as an important safety feature because they improve vehicle visibility to other drivers during daylight conditions. However, when these leds fail, Ford does not offer any serviceable replacement for the failed led components. Instead, owners are required to replace the entire headlamp assembly, despite the failure being limited to the integrated led daytime running light. The cost to replace both headlamp assemblies can exceed $3,000, creating a significant financial barrier to restoring a safety feature that Ford itself promotes as enhancing vehicle visibility and safety. There is no replaceable bulb or reasonably priced repair option available. This raises two concerns: a safety-related lighting feature is failing prematurely at relatively low vehicle mileage. The design of the headlamp assembly makes repair unnecessarily expensive because a minor led component failure requires replacement of the entire headlamp assembly. As a result, many owners may choose to continue operating their vehicles with failed daytime running lights rather than incur thousands of dollars in repair costs. This undermines the intended safety benefit of the daytime running light system. I respectfully request that NHTSA investigate whether the premature failure of these integrated led daytime running lights, combined with the inability to repair the failed components without replacing the complete headlamp assembly, constitutes a safety-related defect warranting further review.

My 2021 Ford F-150 has been having trouble with the transmission. Hard shifting, shifting to 10th gear at 40mph and unable to downshift after slowing down. I have also had issues with the daytime running lights not working since around 45k miles. My truck only has 59k miles at the time of me typing this.

My vehicle does not appear on the recall list for repair concerning trailer lighting module fault. Trailer was tested on 5 other vehicles within our neighborhood and worked perfectly. Addressed issue with Ford dealership and was told vehicle was not on recall list, yet the error is there. It appears the vehicle needs the updated software Ford has issued but dealership refused to issue repair. Vehicle is still under warranty.

See all problems of the 2025 Ford F-150 🔎.

Outer led light burned out. Makes for lights to seem dimmer at night while driving.

The driver-side integrated factory led headlight assembly experienced a sudden, complete failure of the vertical led daytime running light (drl) / parking lamp strip. The vehicle is completely stock, and the electrical system has never been modified or altered. The component failed suddenly with no prior warning lights, dashboard messages, or symptoms. Safety risk: the failure of the led drl significantly reduces the vehicle’s forward visibility and conspicuity to oncoming traffic, pedestrians, and cyclists, particularly during daytime hours, dusk, dawn, and inclement weather. Because only one side is illuminated, oncoming drivers may misjudge the width, position, or presence of the truck, significantly increasing the risk of a front-end or sideswipe collision. Inspection status: the failed component is currently intact and installed on the vehicle, making it available for inspection upon request. At this time, the problem has not yet been inspected or confirmed by a dealer, independent service center, manufacturer, insurance, or law enforcement.

Daytime running lamps, vertical beam on driver side does not function after 4 years. Research shows it's likely melting the headlight assembly components during overheating and burnout.

My 2021 Ford F-150 lariat has a repeated failure of the front led daytime running/perimeter lighting (driver's side). The light was intermittently dim before failing completely. This occurred around 94,000 miles. Because this lighting is part of the truck’s front visibility system, the failure creates a safety concern, especially in daylight, rain, fog, and low-light conditions. Based on owner reports, this may be a widespread defect affecting other 2021+ F-150 trucks. I request NHTSA evaluate this issue for a possible defect investigation and recall.

The problem and or issue on my 2021 Ford f150 is the day running light on the upper passenger side went out and does not work anymore. I reported it to the dealer. I believe it to be a safety issue if all day running lights are not fully operational. This happened with about 66,026 miles on my vehicle.

Tail light on the drivers side was hyper flashing and upon inspection found that it is not working. When I removed the tail light to replace the bulb I noticed that the whole tail light assembly was full of water. The bulb is inside a housing that is inaccessible, so bulb cannot be replaced without replacing the whole tail light assembly. Leaking tail light assembly causing failure of turn signals or brake lights is a serious safety hazard and can cause an accident. Additional safety risk if blis system fails and driver is not aware that it isn’t working.

While driving on a surface road in columbia, MD at approximately 40 mph, the dash display of the 2024 Ford lightning flash went completely blank, leaving no indication of vehicle speed, battery percentage, battery temp, motor temp, cruise control status etc. Zero information was displayed, and the dash was completely cold and dark. This failure, while traveling at speed, represents a gross safety hazard, especially because the same lcd displays automatic emergency braking informaion etc. Immediately, I was able to pull over, and establish an obd-2 connection to the ecm, and pull error logs. I also took screenshots of critical components and voltages. I cleared the codes, re-checked for codes and saved another error log showing a couple of codes. I then cycled power to the truck several times, hoping for a reboot to clear the error. I also performed a manual reset of the Ford sync system. Using the obd-2 virtual dash on my reader, I was able to safely display speed and battery data, and drive immediately to the nearest Ford dealer (koons Ford). On the way, I phoned crossroads Ford (apex, nc) who did a remote error check using the vehicle's modem. The dealer may have saved this data. Upon arrival to koons, service writers and technicians were able to witness and verify inoperability of the dash unit, and cycle the vehicle power, whereafter the problem persisted. They then took it back for service and evaluation. After approximately 4 hours, I was told that the "dash reset itself after a couple hours" and they could not get it to repeat the error after it came back. Before this, there were no warning signs of dash failure, nor since.

Drl led strips premature failure. The vehicle is only 5 years old and the drl on the fog lights and the headlight assembly are failing. Multiple f150s in this year range are experiencing similar issues. This poses a safety risk due to not being able to properly see and be seen due to poor lighting.

See attached document for complaint.

2024 Ford F-150 lightning complete instrument cluster blackout while driving. Screen goes entirely black intermittently, lasting up to 30 minutes. Occurs while vehicle is in motion. Issue persists even after stopping and restarting vehicle. Loss of speedometer, battery state of charge, warning lights, and all driver information. This creates unsafe driving conditions with no way to monitor speed or critical vehicle systems.

Both of the daytime running lamps (drls) on my 2021 f150 have failed. They cost `$2,000 each to replace. They are leds, and were billed as never needing replacement, and certainly not under 50k miles. A quick search shows that this is a common issue with 2021+ f150s, and looking around on the road, I notice many with the same issue. This failure of safety equipment reduces visibility and could contribute to accidents.

The contact owns a 2023 Ford F-150. The contact received notifications of NHTSA campaign numbers : 25v512000 (power train) and 26v104000 (electrical system, exterior lighting); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the rear axle shaft assemblies had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer confirmed that parts were not yet available for the repairs. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The failure mileage was unavailable.