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2021 Ford F-150: engine knocking or ticking

11 of the 1,044 complaints about the 2021 Ford F-150 describe engine knocking or ticking.

owner complaints
11
of this car's complaints
1%
typical mileage
48,000
recalls
1
Is there a fix? There is 1 recall and 62 service bulletins for this area of the car. See below

Engine knocking or ticking by model year

What owners say

Filed Oct 13, 2026 · Engine · 64,900 miles · FL

The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated, and a alert was received through the mobile application. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where a diagnostic inspection revealed that the knock sensor failed and required replacement. The dealer informed the contact that water intrusion on the intake manifold caused the knock sensor failure. The vehicle was scheduled for repair at the dealer. The contact attributed the failure to the factory omission of the engine cover and the cowl design directly above the engine compartment, which allowed water to collect on the manifold. The manufacturer was notified via telephone, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 64,900.

Filed Jun 18, 2026 · IL

Check engine light went on. Knock sensor failure. Vehicle running rough and knocking. On line lots of people complaining. Gentleman in the service department who works for Ford said that he has been getting a lot of knock sensor failures lately.

Filed Mar 30, 2026 · Transmission · 25,000 miles · OR

The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while her husband was driving 20 MPH, there was an abnormal ticking sound coming from the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 23V896000 (Power Train). The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and it was determined that the rear axle was fractured. The vehicle was not repaired due to the part being on back order. The dealer informed the contact that additional driving might cause additional stress on the rear axle. The manufacturer was contacted, and a case was opened. The approximate failure mileage was 25,000.

Filed Jul 22, 2025 · Body, Engine · 48,000 miles · LA

The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the exhaust baffles were making an abnormal ticking sound while the vehicle was idling. The contact also stated that the A/C outlet vent tab had separated from the vehicle, and the other tabs were loose. Additionally, the contact stated that while accelerating from a complete stop, the vehicle hesitated while responding. The contact stated that the vehicle made an abnormal squealing sound while driving at various speeds and while idling. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the serpentine belt and one of the pulleys needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact the repairs could not be covered under the powertrain warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 48,000.

Filed Jul 16, 2025 · Engine · 99,000 miles · FL

The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal knocking or ticking sound coming from the engine compartment. The contact stated that while depressing the accelerator pedal, the sound became louder. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The contact had the vehicle towed to a local dealer. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle and determined that a connecting rod had failed, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact had not informed the manufacturer of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 24V635000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the recall only covered 2.7L and 3.0L Nano EcoBoost engines. The contact stated that the engine size of his was a 3.5L EcoBoost engine. The failure mileage was approximately 99,000.

Filed Jun 27, 2025 · Engine · UT

My engine failed. They recalled this engine but mine wasn't recalled. My engine did the same thing as the recalled engine did. Excessive oil consumption. When I first took it to Ford dealership it was under 60K. I have had problems with my truck since Easter have taken it to them a few times. The problem was never fixed and now Ford will only cover 4,950. The engine is 12k. I feel since the engine in my truck was a recall on alot of engines. Mine should be covered under recall or warranty up to 60,000 miles. I have nothing but problems since I bought the truck. I started taking the truck to have it looked at since March to other places they couldn't help me so they told me to take it to the dealership. They keep fixing something on the truck but never the part that was broken. They told me it would be ok to drive it and so now I am over the mileage for my warranty. I don't think I should have to pay to replace my engine when it only has 61K miles on it. so they told me to drive it and then it started knocking and the engine failed. The service manger told me it was a failed bearing. certanily no lack of maintenance so why am I stuck paying for this when it wasn't my fault. they found some damge on one of the rod bearings on the bottom. 2021 Ford F-150 V8 that engine had a recall on it. Not sure why mine wasn't recalled. Can you please help me. My truck is at Larry H Miller Ford in Draper Utah. It has been there for 5 weeks this time. Still no engine in it.

Filed Apr 25, 2025 · Electrical · 30,000 miles · ME

The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that on several occasions, the vehicle failed to start up. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had occurred after the vehicle had not been driven for several days. The contact stated that the battery had been replaced several times; however, the failure returned shortly after the battery replacement. Upon investigation, the contact suspected that the failure may be caused by a parasitic drain inside the vehicle, which would run the battery even while the vehicle was turned off. The contact stated that recently,y there was an abnormal ticking sound coming from the engine relay. The vehicle was taken to a dealer however, the dealer was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and the contact was referred to the federal safety agency Hotline to report the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.

Filed Apr 1, 2025 · Engine, Transmission · 109,000 miles · MI

The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle made an abnormal knocking sound. The transmission warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing erratic transmission shifts and was making an abnormal knocking sound while driving. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where the cause of the abnormal knocking sound could not be determined; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where an unknown diagnosis was provided, and unknown repairs were performed. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle was difficult to start. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 109,000.

Filed Oct 23, 2024 · Transmission · 42,210 miles · HI

The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the Brake warning light illuminated and the "Parking Brake Limited Function - Service Required" message was displayed. The contact immediately drove to a local dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed. The contact was made aware of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 23V896000 (POWER TRAIN); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer provided a temporary fix allowing the contact to continue driving the vehicle safely; however, the vehicle had to receive the temporary repair three times. The contact stated that the failure consisted of crunching while shifting gear which occurred after shifting to drive, with a ticking sound progressively becoming worse as the vehicle shifted into the higher gears or in reverse. The manufacturer had provided a loaner vehicle each time the vehicle was taken for temporary repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 42,210.

Filed Jan 24, 2022 · PR

vehicle accelerated while running several times. The transmission knocking when shifting when the transmission warming up in short and long travel. The front brakes comes mad after clean the truck.

Filed Jun 24, 2021 · Transmission · WA

On June 23rd while driving my 2021 XL SuperCrew with the 3.5L EcoBoost engine, the engine quit while I was driving about 30mph. I pushed the accelerator slightly intending to accelerate to 35mph and when the truck downshifted, the engine stalled, and I think the transmission tried to move to park. I got a notification of parking brake error on the dash and started hearing a ticking/clicking noise while still rolling, now down a hill. I moved the column shifter to neutral and it didn't do anything to stop the ticking. I pulled onto the shoulder and slowed down and, and as I neared stopping, the truck finished shifting into park and it jolted to a stop. I then saw a bunch of other errors like engine coolant too hot, stability control disabled, and forward collision warning disabled. There may have been others but I don't recall. The tachometer was frozen showing roughly 2000 rpm until I turned the key to off. Then the dash said to be careful exiting because the parking brake wasn't on. After turning the key to off, I restarted it, the lights on the dash cleared, and I was able to shift to drive, and make it home 3 min later. There are no lights on the dash, so I'm hoping this can still diagnosed at this point. The truck has 793 miles on it as it sits now. The soonest service appointment I have been able to make is for July 8th, but the dealer won't guarantee that it will be seen then.

Service bulletins that may apply

Related recalls

Engine and engine cooling: engine: hard parts internal/mechanicalReported August 23, 2024 · 90,736 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Bronco, F-150, Edge, Explorer, Lincoln Nautilus, and Lincoln Aviator vehicles equipped with either a 2.7L or 3.0L Nano EcoBoost engine. The engine intake valves may break while driving, which can result in engine failure and a loss of drive power.
Risk
A loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will perform an engine cycle test and replace the engine as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 3, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 24S55.

Recall number 24V635000 · Recall details

Questions about the 2021 Ford F-150 knocking

Is engine knocking or ticking a common problem on the 2021 Ford F-150?

11 of 1,044 owner complaints about the 2021 Ford F-150 (1%) mention engine knocking or ticking. The model year with the most reports is 1997.

Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2021 Ford F-150?

There is 1 recall and 62 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.

Other symptoms on the 2021 Ford F-150

Headlights 75Jerking 55Harsh shifting 53Wipers 52Loss of power 40Stalling 40Fuel pump 35Backup camera 32Check engine light 30Slipping 27Transmission failure 27Hesitation 25ABS 21Power steering loss 18Adaptive cruise 17Engine failure 17Collision warning 16Screen failure 16Door locks 15Shudder 14Grinding brakes 13Overheating 10Won't shift 10Misfire 9Oil consumption 7Sudden acceleration 7Sunroof shattered 6Won't start 6Fire or smoke 5

All model years of the Ford F-150

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