The all-new 2021 Ford F-150 ushered in a host of new features for the best-selling pickup, including the ever-popular Pro Power Onboard generator, along with smaller things like the Interior Work Surface and a tailgate filled with nifty features. However, the arrival of the first-ever Ford F-150 Hybrid – otherwise known as the PowerBoost – made even bigger waves, and has since become a critical and commercial success. However, Consumer Reports previously labeled the Ford F-150 Hybrid as one of the least reliable vehicles on sale in 2022 and 2023, and now, has once again highlighted that model as one to avoid.
The 2021-2022 Ford F-150 Hybrid made the list of 60 used vehicles that Consumer Reports recommends shoppers don’t buy, for a variety of reasons. CR bases these rankings on data it collects from a variety of sources, including its Annual Auto Surveys submitted by owners, which notate any problems those folks have experienced with their vehicles. In that case, every vehicle on this list has much worse-than-average reliability compared to the rest of the pack.
The reasoning behind this particular ranking stems from a rather awful reliability score of just five out of 100 possible points for the Ford F-150 Hybrid, which ranks it dead last among its peers. Owners report having issues with the truck’s powertrain and hybrid battery, including a total failure of the latter component itself. Other notable problems include vibrations from the driveline, as well as coolant leaks.
Thus, the 2021-2022 Ford F-150 Hybrid isn’t a recommended used vehicle purchase by the consumer organization, but it also isn’t the only Blue Oval model on this list. In fact, it’s joined by the 2021 Ford Super Duty F-250, the 2021 Ford Escape, the 2020 Ford Escape Hybrid, the 2020 Ford Mustang, and the 2017-2019 Ford Expedition, too.
We’ll have more on the F-150 soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for the latest Ford F-Series news, Ford F-150 news, and around-the-clock Ford news coverage.
Comments
More good news for Ford! They brag in commercials about all they’re different forms of propulsion and they’re all cr$p.
CR has always left me scratching my head with it’s “opinions”. They survey owners who complain about a variety of petty issues. Granted there are big ones, but squeaks, rattles, and a burnt out vanity bulb should not count towards the overall reliability of a vehicle.
I’ve had two F-150’s since 2018, the latest being a 21 PowerBoost Hybrid. That truck just passed 50k miles and is the best vehicle I’ve had to date. Yes, there were a slew of recalls that were handled at the dealer but none of them broke the truck. I think Ford pushes more recalls than any other manufacturer to stay in front of issues vs. ignoring or denying an issue exists. FCA flat out refused to accept they had serious front suspension issues on the 2018 JL model Wrangler. I fought them for three years but had to do all my own repairs with aftermarket parts. Just before the warranty ran out they finally issued a “quiet” recall on steering stabilizers and a slew of TSB’s on steering gearboxes, torque specs on various suspension components, etc. I actually got them to refund me the purchase price on a few parts I bought to fix death wobbles and vague centering/drifting while driving in a straight line. Point is, I think Ford is overkill on recalls but to their credit, I’d prefer that over the FCA way.
Technically, I see no more issues on the F-150 than on all other 1/2 ton pickups. I’m on various forums filled with complaints about one thing or another. But the same exists for Toyota, Ram, GMC/Chevy, Nissan, etc. There’s complainers everywhere and if you listen to all of them, there wouldn’t be anyone driving on the road.
I could not agree with you more Mr. Martinez! I too have a 2021 PowerBoost Hybrid that I purchased used in Spring 2023 with 27,000 miles on it and it included the Ford Blue Advantage Gold Certified Used Vehicle program which added 20,000 additional miles of warranty until January of 2026 and 100,000 miles to the drive train. Yes, there have been some relatively minor recalls as you suggest, and yes the dealer dealt with them quickly and to my satisfaction. During a recent trip from Wisconsin to Washington DC we obtained 28 MPG going and 27 MPG coming back. Ours is a fully decked-out Lariat (when you buy used you take what is available… it has a bit more stuff than I would have ordered myself… the only option missing is the wheel-well liners which I would have ordered ) We had a top-of-the-line Cadillac SUV loaner for a while when my wife’s Fusion Hybrid was in the shop after a deer strike… it wasn’t even close to being in the same class as the F-150. The F-150 pulls like a (non-diesel) SuperDuty, makes the Cadillac feel like a lumber wagon, is more than adequate for the off-roading we do, and is just simply a pleasure to drive. I hope you are enjoying your F-150 Hybrid as much as we are enjoying ours! (And I hope I haven’t jinxed us by writing this)
I agree with both of you. I did the build your own and took delivery of the first 2021 F-150 King Ranch Hybrid with Max-towing, 7.2 Kw generator, 4-wheel drive and a few other options that Rizzo Ford received. With this great truck the only times it has needed to be serviced has been for regular maintenance and recalls. I am a RVer that travels throughout our wonderful country at least 9 months per year with a 32′ Travel Trailer and with the 12,400 pound towing compacity of my 2021 F-150 I have driven up and The Rocky Mountains with no problems. Also while my RV is parked at a campground, I can get over 26 mpg, (the best mpg my F-150 gave me has been 29 mpg on a 79 mile trip) as I visit the many wonders our country has to offer.
I discount CR heavily (more on that below), but part of the problem might be people exceeding payload ratings pulling trailers like the one in the picture. With the weight of the battery the truck only has the payload of a typical midsize truck, and many midsize trucks have higher payload.
As to CR, I recently discovered I can get a free copy of that magazine every month, for an indefinite period of time. The latest issue had nothing at all I would be interested in their opinion on. One thing I noticed is they recommended a model of the same brand battery electric mower I have, but it cost 2x the amount I paid! CR has become a rag that just pushes wasting money on unnecessary upgrades, along with pitiful bad advice (e.g. buy a computer with at least an Intel i5 processor, ignoring completely that there are now at least 13 different generations of such CPUs, and those differences even between two generations can make a huge difference.
We had the 2020 Lincoln Aviator and now a 2023 Aviator and a F150 Powerboost Platinum. The 2020 was the 1st edition and I had “fear” – I saw the recalls, but my car did not have most of the recall issues. The work/repair was completed per the recall, but it wasn’t because the component(s) were having the failure suggested by the recall. Ford had to report the repairs done on my car, even though the car was not defective. So, the database CR uses has defective empirical data because Ford is trying to be proactive.
Lets take Acura – we have a 2017 MDX. Had it for 3 years, drove it all over the Western US. Clocked in over 25,000 miles/year. After one service involving an oil change, I was on I-70, traveling West from Denver towards the Eisenhower Tunnel, on the way to where I live. The MDX dashboard started to chug, dashboard lit up, and then the car died – right lane, inside the tunnel.
Nowhere to pull off, if you don’t know that roughly 2 miles of tunnel.
Now, full traffic pattern, all highway speed. I’m stopped in the right lane. I stopped traffic on an interstate highway, with traffic behind me going from 70-80 to 0 – literally full-stop.
Imagine being hit multiple times in that situation.
How did that end up in any database description – what would that look like? What would Acura’s reporting system report about that failure?
Generally speaking, I think CR’s database could be rendered “good”, but not accurate. If vigilance is punished and all they at CR do is gather numbers, then you have folks who do not know what to do about refining empirical data and telling more of the story behind the data.
Question: what is CR doing about the newer 3.5Liter V-6 internal bearing failures on the Tundra? This engine failure more acts more like an engine “grenading” on unsuspecting owners. What is Toyota doing about THAT little problem for current owners? I’m reading about accountability aversions and pissed off owners. How is CR reporting these failure and customer experience events?
Just asking….
Quote:
“Owners report having issues with the truck’s powertrain and hybrid battery, including a total failure of the latter component itself”
Is this article stating that the hybrid battery is failing?
I’d like to see the evidence. I can assure you that I am very aware of the most common issues that the Powerboost experiences. It’s well documented on the Gen14F150 forum. The HV Battery failing is so rare it shouldn’t even get a mention.
Well I can speak from experience on our 2021 Limited F150 Powerboost. It left us dead in the water in Nashville, Tn. The PCM and GCM failed. Went to go to the Jack Daniels distillery and was greeted with 56 lost communications codes flashing across the dashboard. Absolutely dead!!!! Used FordPass app and called for Roadside assistance to initiate the rescue. Best decision I ever made. Sends everything to corporate level for repair and warranty. Lost story short, after 4 months in the shop between Nashville and Biloxi, was deemed a Lemon by Ford and Ford handled it well. We Traded for a Navigator because we couldn’t trust it any longer. I loved that truck and technology but I called it my Covid truck. Way too many computer issues.
80k miles on my 21 Lariat Powerboost with no issues to speak of really. Getting 24mpg.