Ford F 150 Super Cab Diesel
Problems & Worst Years

Axle hardware headlines the 2021 diesel Ford F-150 Super Cab's complaints: 186 occurrences of axle bolt failure, far and away the year's largest entry and nearly half its 418 total. Behind it sit 83 reports of owners unable to get repair parts, 63 of transmission hard shifting and jerking, and 45 visibility complaints. Nothing in the 2021 file carries safety severity, but a failing bolt in the axle is not a trim rattle — it's the kind of complaint that justifies putting a truck on a lift before buying it.

The 2022 file is smaller — 233 occurrences — but stranger in shape: 52 distinct problems, three at safety severity, with no single dominant issue. Its most common entries are process complaints (14 occurrences apiece of unresolved repair issues) and a cluster of infotainment and audio system malfunctions — stereo failures at 10 occurrences, general electrical issues at 10, audio malfunctions at 9. Where the 2021 has one big mechanical story, the 2022 reads as a wide scatter of smaller electronic irritations.

Inspection priorities follow accordingly. On a 2021, the rear axle hardware is the non-negotiable check, along with an extended drive to evaluate shift quality — and ask directly whether axle work was ever performed, since so many owners reported waiting on parts. On a 2022, spend unhurried time with the infotainment system: audio, screens, connectivity, and any dash warnings, because that's where its owners' complaints concentrated.

Both files are moderate in size for a full-size truck, and neither year is obviously the safer bet — they're just different. Which puts the weight where it usually belongs, with the standard cautions attached: complaint totals reflect what owners chose to file with NHTSA, not measured failure rates; the newer truck has had less time to accumulate reports; and a pre-purchase inspection — lift included — plus complete service records will tell you more about any individual truck than the year-to-year comparison can.