2021 Ford F-250 SD Air bags Problems
- Complaints
- 4about this part
- Share
- 2%of 167 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 10,332miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 4 complaints about the air bags of the 2021 Ford F-250 SD, 2% of the 167 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 10,332 miles. 3 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“I hit an elk at 65 mph while pulling a flatbed trailer loaded with 4000 lbs of hay. The crash warning light did not come on nor did the air bags deploy. The whole front end of the truck is badly damaged. I contacted my local Ford dealer with this information and was told by the service agent that the body shop will handle this. As my concern is how hard do you have to hit something to get the airbags to deploy. I’m concerned for my safety while driving this truck again if it can be repaired. I’m taking it to the repair shop today. …”
NHTSA complaint #11671870, filed 2025-07“The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-250. The contact stated that upon a cold engine start up, an abnormal clicking sound was coming from the steering wheel while making left turns. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken twice to a local dealer and the clockspring was replaced under warranty. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was provided a case number. The vehicle had been repaired. The failure mileage was 10,332.”
NHTSA complaint #11563771, filed 2024-01, 10,332 miles“The contact called to report a failure on a 2021 Ford F-250. The contact, who is a Crash Investigator, stated that the owner of the vehicle was involved in a crash. While the owner was driving at an undisclosed speed in the opposite lane, the driver ended up in a head-on collision. No other information was available. While inspecting the Air Bag Control Module after downloading the information, there was no crash or air bags deployment information retrieved. …”
NHTSA complaint #11712685, filed 2026-01“The contact called to file a complaint on a 2021 Ford F-250. The contact was a Crash Investigator. The contact stated that the vehicle owner was involved in a crash. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed in the opposite lane, the vehicle was involved in a head-on collision. No other information was available. The contact stated that while inspecting the Air Bag Control Module, it was downloaded; however, there was no reported crash data information of the crash or that the air bags were deployed. …”
NHTSA complaint #11712679, filed 2026-01Related service bulletins
- 10212120May 17, 2022Some 2015-2020 F-150, 2017-2022 Super Duty and 2018-2021 Expedition vehicles may experience a cracked or splitting driver air bag cover. This may be due to the air bag cover tear…
Air bags: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2 | 5% |
| 2022 | 3 | 2% |
| 2021 | 4 | 2% |
| 2020 | 4 | 2% |
| 2019 | 4 | 0% |
| 2018 | 4 | 1% |
| 2017 | 8 | 1% |
| 2016 | 35 | 12% |
| 2015 | 1 | 0% |
| 2013 | 2 | 10% |
| 2012 | 1 | 2% |
| 2008 | 2 | 1% |
| 2007 | 2 | 4% |
| 2006 | 2 | 1% |
| 2005 | 1 | 0% |
| 2004 | 5 | 2% |
| 2002 | 3 | 1% |
| 2001 | 4 | 1% |
| 2000 | 6 | 3% |
| 1999 | 7 | 3% |
| 1997 | 1 | 3% |
Other parts of the 2021 Ford F-250 SD
44 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
25 complaintsElectrical system
18 complaintsSuspension
18 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
17 complaintsSteering
15 complaintsOther or unknown
14 complaintsEngine
11 complaintsBody and structure
11 complaintsBack-over prevention (rear camera)
10 complaintsBrakes
7 complaintsExterior lighting
5 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2021 Ford F-250 SD
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology