2021 Ford F-150: headlights failing or too dim

Filed Nov 6, 2026 · Lights, Transmission · FL

10r80 transmission failed at 80k miles. There were multiple occasions where leaving a stoplight it would move and then basically go into neutral while hunting for gears to start moving again. The drls on the headlights have both failed so now in between westher events and day/night events the vehicle no longer has a working drl. If it is cloudy and the headlight sensor doesn’t trigger the headlights to come on there will be no lighting from the front of the vehicle at all

Filed Nov 6, 2026 · Lights, Transmission · FL

10r80 transmission failed at 80k miles. There were multiple occasions where leaving a stoplight it would move and then basically go into neutral while hunting for gears to start moving again. The drls on the headlights have both failed so now in between westher events and day/night events the vehicle no longer has a working drl. If it is cloudy and the headlight sensor doesn’t trigger the headlights to come on there will be no lighting from the front of the vehicle at all

Filed Nov 5, 2026 · Lights · CA

Component Affected: Exterior Lighting: Daytime Running Lights / Headlight Assembly Description of Defect and Safety Risk: The driver-side integrated LED Daytime Running Light (DRL) failed completely due to an internal component/diode malfunction within the factory-sealed headlight housing. This is a premature component failure at only 79,800 miles and is a widely documented systemic defect across this model year's F-Series production run. This issue constitutes a significant safety hazard rather than a standard wear-and-tear maintenance item. Because the LED system is an engineered, hermetically sealed assembly, it cannot be serviced by replacing a simple bulb. The failure permanently reduces the vehicle's forward visibility profile to oncoming traffic during daytime hours and compromises the driver's intent to signal presence. I request that the federal safety agency investigate this systemic component failure as a safety-related defect warranting a manufacturer recall, rather than classifying it as routine light bulb degradation.

Filed Oct 24, 2026 · Lights · CT

Daytime running LED quad headlight system. the vertical led on the front passenger front headlights is out. Dealer said cost is $2000.00 to fix. have to replace whole assembly.

Filed Oct 10, 2026 · Lights · CT

My daytime running light has burned out. I also see a lot of other f150 around town with the same exact problem. I also don’t want to get stopped from the police for having a bulb burned out. I have researched this problem and you can’t fix it unless you buy a whole brand new headlight assembly for $1500.

Filed Oct 5, 2026 · Lights · 99,000 miles · TN

The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the LED daytime running lights was flashing quickly before burning out. The contact stated that while driving 30 MPH and then stopped at an intersection, another driver informed the contact that the passenger's side headlight was flashing quickly. The contact towed the vehicle to the residence. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the passenger's side headlight assembly was replaced under warranty. The dealer informed the contact that the driver's side headlight might fail as well. The contact stated that the failure also occurred on the driver's side. Upon inspection, the contact became aware of a burning plastic odor coming from the headlights. Upon researching the failure online, the contact learned that the failure resulted from the headlights overheating and melting. The manufacturer was notified of the recent failure but denied coverage because the vehicle had exceeded 100,000 miles. The dealer advised the contact to report the second failure to the federal safety agency Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 99,000.

Filed Sep 19, 2026 · Lights · TX

Daytime Running Light in the headlight assembly overheated and stopped working. Thousands of 2021-2023 F150 owners have had the same issue. This is clearly a mass scale manufacturer known defect and Ford already tried sending an update to lower the LED brightness but the issue still happens.

Filed Sep 14, 2026 · Lights · OK

Led headlight drl strip turned blue on one side. Have seen many with this issue in the led module ballast. Safety concern because its a common running light issue that hinders people from seeing the vehicle as easily.

Filed Sep 2, 2026 · Lights · CA

Ford has a VERY well-documented flaw in their LED headlight assemblies on 14th generation F150s (2021 +). The daytime running lights regularly burn out within several years / 35,000 miles, and each headlight costs over $2000 per side to replace with OEM components! They cannot be repaired; they can only be replaced. Ford specifically excludes these headlight assemblies from their extended warranty as well. The problem is so common that, when you see a 14th generation F150 on the road that's a few years old, it likely has one of the LED DRL lights out. Ford dealers verbally acknowledge how common of an issue it is, but Ford Motor Company refuses to issue a TSB or recall. Customers are left with shockingly high bills for what really is safety equipment. As you know, DRLs are indeed considered safety equipment! Customer shouldn’t have to pay over $4000 to fix this clearly common OEM supplier flaw that Ford has yet to remedy. Of course, what many owners do is simply allow the DRLs to fail because of the prohibitively expensive repair costs. This is a safety issue.

Filed Aug 12, 2026 · Lights · FL

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.

Filed Aug 11, 2026 · Lights · VA

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

Filed Aug 8, 2026 · Lights · AZ

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.