Well its not just Ram and the TRX....

[TRX73]

Ford seems to have some major issues aswell!
*not my video

 

[Jester]

Ford seems to have some major issues aswell!
*not my video

Yes I saw the underbody rust issues as well

 

[KnightMare]

Said it in the FB group. Whoever said only the TRX? That windshield and underbody rust doesn't affect my TRX. Missing suspension bolts and torn axles do

 

[Jester]

Ram shouldn't be striving to be the tallest pigmy, no excuse for any of them to suck.

 

[KnightMare]

Ram shouldn't be striving to be the tallest pigmy, no excuse for any of them to suck.

Profit sharing...

 

[JumpSquadAuto]

Ford seems to have some major issues aswell!
*not my video

Leaking water isn't a major issue. Still an issue. Missing suspension bolts, snapped suspension bolts, cross threaded components, and low fluid blowing diffs.........much more major issues.

Ford being bad too isn't an excuse for Ram to be worse with quality control and communication.

 

[STRADALE]

Eeeee God! I just stumbled across the below from Car & Driver, how do you fix something like this?
——

Some Owners Say Their New 2021 Ford F-150 Pickups Are Rusting Underneath​

Underbody parts on some customers' brand-new trucks have arrived already rusty, and they're not happy. Ford says the problem has no impact on performance or part life.

• Owners of 2021 Ford F-150 pickup trucks have taken to social media and online forums, posting images of rust on underbody parts on their brand-new trucks.
• Car and Driver asked Ford about this issue and received a statement saying, "While some F-150 underbody steel components may show signs of surface rust, this will have no impact on part performance or life."
• It's currently unclear how this problem happened or how many of the extremely popular pickup trucks are affected.

Some new 2021 F-150 owners are taking to the internet to complain that their brand-new trucks were shipped from the factory with heavily rusted parts, including the exhaust, differential, and wheel hubs. Ford has not explained how this could have happened, and it's unclear how many of the popular pickups are affected by the problem. A story by the Detroit Free Press highlighted the stories of some of the customers who had eagerly awaited the first 2021 F-150 pickups, only to discover rust all over their truck's axles, exhaust, wheel hubs, and other

Owners speaking to the Freep from across the country—many living outside of the traditional "salt belt" where vehicle corrosion is most prevalent—and more owners we found on forums claimed Ford dealers took delivery of their trucks in this rusty condition.

A video posted by truck blogger Tim Esterdahl, who lives in Nebraska, said he discovered the rust after a few thousand miles. His video shows a rear differential caked in corrosion, along with the driveshaft's U-joint and the exhaust, while other parts like the differential's drain plug were entirely rust-free. A thread from January 31 on F150Gen14.com features an owner in Texas who reports thick surface rust on his differential, wheel hubs, and various bolts.

So far it's impossible to estimate how many trucks might be affected—or to understand how Ford apparently allowed so many of these parts to pass visual inspection during production.

"We are committed to delivering high-quality products and services for our Ford customers," Ford told Car and Driver. "As with all customer feedback, we take these concerns seriously. While some F-150 underbody steel components may show signs of surface rust, this will have no impact on part performance or life."

The first batch of 2021 F-150 pickups arrived at dealers in November. While it retains the aluminum body of its predecessor—a revolutionary design for pickup trucks that cost Ford billions—the frame and most key parts under the vehicle are steel or high-strength steel. Surface rust on vehicle undercarriages isn't uncommon in aged vehicles, especially in our home state of Michigan where road crews aren't exactly light on the salt, and it's not necessarily a safety defect unless that corrosion prematurely eats away thinner-gauge metal parts like bolts. But for any new vehicle to arrive with parts that look prematurely aged is especially alarming given the strict quality control processes in place at modern assembly plants

Parts shortages from axle suppliers caused production delays in December for certain F-150 models. We will continue to monitor's Ford's response to complaints of rusty parts on the F-150.

Some Owners Say Their New 2021 Ford F-150 Pickups Are Rusting Underneath

Underbody parts on some customers' brand-new trucks have arrived already rusty, and they're not happy. Ford says the problem has no impact on performance or part life.

www.caranddriver.com

 

[STRADALE]

2022 Ford F-150 Raptor R ust.​

 

[soulsea]

This will be useful when I'm stranded in the middle of the desert.

'At least Ford owners have a little rust too' will be the last words I speak.

 

[STRADALE]

This will be useful when I'm stranded in the middle of the desert.

'At least Ford owners have a little rust too' will be the last words I speak.

Please stop, Mr. OCD is not getting his truck dusty

That amount of rust would mess w/ my OCD though big time.

 

[Jester]

I grew up in the Northeast, and we had rust. When I brought a northern vehicle to NC where I lived for 7 years, I struggled to sell private party due to rust. Thus has to impact resale on some level. Ford should rustoleum the shit out of these for the impacted trucks.

 

[JumpSquadAuto]

Eeeee God! I just stumbled across the below from Car & Driver, how do you fix something like this?
——

Some Owners Say Their New 2021 Ford F-150 Pickups Are Rusting Underneath​

Underbody parts on some customers' brand-new trucks have arrived already rusty, and they're not happy. Ford says the problem has no impact on performance or part life.
View attachment 7086

• Owners of 2021 Ford F-150 pickup trucks have taken to social media and online forums, posting images of rust on underbody parts on their brand-new trucks.
• Car and Driver asked Ford about this issue and received a statement saying, "While some F-150 underbody steel components may show signs of surface rust, this will have no impact on part performance or life."
• It's currently unclear how this problem happened or how many of the extremely popular pickup trucks are affected.

Some new 2021 F-150 owners are taking to the internet to complain that their brand-new trucks were shipped from the factory with heavily rusted parts, including the exhaust, differential, and wheel hubs. Ford has not explained how this could have happened, and it's unclear how many of the popular pickups are affected by the problem. A story by the Detroit Free Press highlighted the stories of some of the customers who had eagerly awaited the first 2021 F-150 pickups, only to discover rust all over their truck's axles, exhaust, wheel hubs, and other

View attachment 7087
Owners speaking to the Freep from across the country—many living outside of the traditional "salt belt" where vehicle corrosion is most prevalent—and more owners we found on forums claimed Ford dealers took delivery of their trucks in this rusty condition.

A video posted by truck blogger Tim Esterdahl, who lives in Nebraska, said he discovered the rust after a few thousand miles. His video shows a rear differential caked in corrosion, along with the driveshaft's U-joint and the exhaust, while other parts like the differential's drain plug were entirely rust-free. A thread from January 31 on F150Gen14.com features an owner in Texas who reports thick surface rust on his differential, wheel hubs, and various bolts.
View attachment 7088View attachment 7089

So far it's impossible to estimate how many trucks might be affected—or to understand how Ford apparently allowed so many of these parts to pass visual inspection during production.

"We are committed to delivering high-quality products and services for our Ford customers," Ford told Car and Driver. "As with all customer feedback, we take these concerns seriously. While some F-150 underbody steel components may show signs of surface rust, this will have no impact on part performance or life."

The first batch of 2021 F-150 pickups arrived at dealers in November. While it retains the aluminum body of its predecessor—a revolutionary design for pickup trucks that cost Ford billions—the frame and most key parts under the vehicle are steel or high-strength steel. Surface rust on vehicle undercarriages isn't uncommon in aged vehicles, especially in our home state of Michigan where road crews aren't exactly light on the salt, and it's not necessarily a safety defect unless that corrosion prematurely eats away thinner-gauge metal parts like bolts. But for any new vehicle to arrive with parts that look prematurely aged is especially alarming given the strict quality control processes in place at modern assembly plants

Parts shortages from axle suppliers caused production delays in December for certain F-150 models. We will continue to monitor's Ford's response to complaints of rusty parts on the F-150.

Some Owners Say Their New 2021 Ford F-150 Pickups Are Rusting Underneath

Underbody parts on some customers' brand-new trucks have arrived already rusty, and they're not happy. Ford says the problem has no impact on performance or part life.

www.caranddriver.com

View attachment 7091

Ford has had surface rust for many years now on the aluminum body trucks. This actually happened to some things on my 2019 Raptor like the axle. Ford doesn't coat the steel components from the factory so they surface rust. it looks a lot worse then it is but is still not acceptable and Ford should finally address it. For what its worth, it didn't pass through QA like that but after a month or two surface rust starts happening.

On the bright side, I don't see any missing, snapped, or cross threaded bolts so they have that going for them lol. And Ford acknowledged it as a problem and gave assurance. They should offer coating to resolve this but they aren't wrong about it not impacting performance or functionality. At least not in the short term (8-10 years) which is all they care about.

First step is acknowledge the issue and second is fixing it. Ford acknowledged it above but claims no fix is needed. I disagree with them but what do I know. I'm waiting on Ram to officially acknowledge the QA issues.

 

[STRADALE]

Ford has had surface rust for many years now on the aluminum body trucks. This actually happened to some things on my 2019 Raptor like the axle. Ford doesn't coat the steel components from the factory so they surface rust. it looks a lot worse then it is but is still not acceptable and Ford should finally address it. For what its worth, it didn't pass through QA like that but after a month or two surface rust starts happening.

On the bright side, I don't see any missing, snapped, or cross threaded bolts so they have that going for them lol. And Ford acknowledged it as a problem and gave assurance. They should offer coating to resolve this but they aren't wrong about it not impacting performance or functionality. At least not in the short term (8-10 years) which is all they care about.

First step is acknowledge the issue and second is fixing it. Ford acknowledged it above but claims no fix is needed. I disagree with them but what do I know. I'm waiting on Ram to officially acknowledge the QA issues.

I hear you but I think the TRX issues are way overblown. Think the right person with enough knowledge, that can spend enough time on the net, you can pretty much trash any vehicle, manufacturer about multiple vehicles having the same QC issues, manufacturing flaws or damage from transport, etc. Especially now with the way people communicate, everything is out there on multiple platforms. And its always the negative that gets all the bandwidth, you‘re not going to hear from the thousands of new TRX owners that arent having an issue, coming here & saying ‘all good’. Is anyone compiling a list of people that havent had issues?

I dont know enough about Ford but if wanted to head over to a Porsche or Mercedes forum right now & do that, motivated enough by whatever, maybe clicks or some agenda, I could make the TRX look almost perfect in comparison..... When Harley introduced the Milwaukee 8 motor in 2017, for 3 years touring bike models were sumping engines, the 107 cu”, then the 114“ & the 117” in the CVO’s seemed to be the worst. Dry sump & there should only be 4oz of oil in the case, max, instead quarts would accumulate & the crank would run through this oil & the motor would see so much resistance, the oil starts to foam too. If you would drain from the crank position sensor the oil would come out bubbling almost like it was boiling & literally smoking. The pump stops being able to keep up & it would build up so much heat that it would cook the motor. So you would be running down the highway & start smelling oil, the motor would get super hot & then it would feel like you’re dragging an anchor. And this would happen fast, within a few miles. Brand new bikes with 100 miles, bikes with 10,000 miles, no rhyme or reason to it, just blown motors, new bikes needing brand new engines, they couldnt get it straightened out, years.....There were a few guys that had it happen 2-3 times! Harley made 8 revisions to the oil pump & when they made the changes, some owners would bring their bikes to get the latest pump only for another revision.. Even on the Harley forum where guys were being left stranded on vacations with a group of other riders or out in the middle of nowhere on cross country trips, there‘s not as much complaining & obsessive focus as there is here sometimes.

How many trucks had “cross threaded bolts”? This is not directed at you but think its really helpful to point out issues so people know what to look for & I’m grateful for that, even better if RAM makes changes because of the feedback but dunno, its become a little,,,obsessive? Manic even. I stopped posting a few weeks back because of it, just got annoying, I mean, it comes up in threads constantly that have zero to do with issues.

I see guys here that get scared & start debating about walking away from their orders which would be an absolute shame. Had I done that it would have been the worst decision on a vehicle I ever made, I’ve had some pretty cool vehicles but can honestly say this is my favorite.

 

[JumpSquadAuto]

I hear you but I think the TRX issues are way overblown. Think the right person with enough knowledge, that can spend enough time on the net, you can pretty much trash any vehicle, manufacturer about multiple vehicles having the same QC issues, manufacturing flaws or damage from transport, etc. Especially now with the way people communicate, everything is out there on multiple platforms. And its always the negative that gets all the bandwidth, you‘re not going to hear from the thousands of new TRX owners that arent having an issue, coming here & saying ‘all good’.

I dont know enough about Ford but if wanted to head over to a Porsche or Mercedes forum right now & do that, motivated enough by whatever, maybe clicks or some agenda, I could make the TRX look almost perfect in comparison..... When Harley introduced the Milwaukee 8 motor in 2017, for 3 years touring bike models were sumping engines, the 107 cu”, then the 114“ & the 117” in the CVO’s seemed to be the worst. Dry sump & there should only be 4oz of oil in the case, max, instead quarts would accumulate & the crank would run through this oil & the motor would see so much resistance, the oil starts to foam too. If you would drain from the crank position sensor the oil would come out bubbling almost like it was boiling & literally smoking. The pump stops being able to keep up & it would build up so much heat that it would cook the motor. So you would be running down the highway & start smelling oil, the motor would get super hot & then it would feel like you’re dragging an anchor. And this would happen fast, within a few miles. Brand new bikes with 100 miles, bikes with 10,000 miles, no rhyme or reason to it, just blown motors, new bikes needing brand new engines, they couldnt get it straightened out, years.....There were a few guys that had it happen 2-3 times! Harley made 8 revisions to the oil pump & when they made the changes, some owners would bring their bikes to get the latest pump only for another revision.. Even on the Harley forum where guys were being left stranded on vacations with a group of other riders or out in the middle of nowhere on cross country trips, there‘s not as much complaining & obsessive focus as there is here sometimes.

How many trucks had “cross threaded bolts”? This is not directed at you but think its really helpful to point out issues so people know what to look for & I’m grateful for that but its become a little,,,obsessive? Manic even. I stopped posting a few weeks back because of it, just got annoying, I mean, it comes up in threads constantly that have zero to do with issues.

I see guys here that get scared & start debating about walking away from their orders which would be an absolute shame. Had I done that it would have been the worst decision on a vehicle I ever made, I’ve had some pretty cool vehicles but can honestly say this is my favorite.

Totally agree with you but I think it has to be excessive to get Rams attention to fix it in the future. Look at how may communication changes Knightmares grilling them has generated. I've kept it on the low but I've gone at them on a very specific thing via chat, phone, email. dealer rep, and to 1 executive about something GM and Ford do that Ram doesn't and they have started a similar communication channel to some people. Sometimes making a lot of noise works.

I think its hard to separate the frustration towards Ram as a brand and the product that is the TRX. Every brand has their issues. Ford has their skeletons in their closet as well. But other brands being bad isn't the best excuse. The TRX is special, nothing like it. But Ram could have handled it a little differently to preserve that special purchase for a lot of us. Ford issued 2 TSBs on the 2017 Raptor in the first 6 months over some QA things. Ram hasn't and people are fighting their dealers to get inspections is the end result. I have ordered vehicles from multiple brands with even more hyped and crazier launches then the TRX.......I just don't remember communication being this bad with any other brand. Agree with you that anyone cancelling is making a mistake, and I made that mistake and did cancel but was able to pick my order back up because it moved to the next status 3 days after the dealer converted the sold order to dealer stock (think about that). Ram can hide their communication behind a kick-butt product like the TRX this time I guess. Hopefully you can see world from my shoes man..... 6 1/2 months since ordering and I don't even have a build date.

 

[STRADALE]

Totally agree with you but I think it has to be excessive to get Rams attention to fix it in the future. Look at how may communication changes Knightmares grilling them has generated. I've kept it on the low but I've gone at them on a very specific thing via chat, phone, email. dealer rep, and to 1 executive about something GM and Ford do that Ram doesn't and they have started a similar communication channel to some people. Sometimes making a lot of noise works.

I think its hard to separate the frustration towards Ram as a brand and the product that is the TRX. Every brand has their issues. Ford has their skeletons in their closet as well. But other brands being bad isn't the best excuse. The TRX is special, nothing like it. But Ram could have handled it a little differently to preserve that special purchase for a lot of us. Ford issued 2 TSBs on the 2017 Raptor in the first 6 months over some QA things. Ram hasn't and people are fighting their dealers to get inspections is the end result. I have ordered vehicles from multiple brands with even more hyped and crazier launches then the TRX.......I just don't remember communication being this bad with any other brand. Agree with you that anyone cancelling is making a mistake, and I made that mistake and did cancel but was able to pick my order back up because it moved to the next status 3 days after the dealer converted the sold order to dealer stock (think about that). Ram can hide their communication behind a kick-butt product like the TRX this time I guess. Hopefully you can see world from my shoes man..... 6 1/2 months since ordering and I don't even have a build date.

Its not the same kind of vehicle but I waited 18 months once for a car (2004 Challenge Stradale) I actually visited Maranello, the factory as part of a vacation in Italy while my car was being built, guess how many times Ferrari communicated with me about order status? But they actually underpromised & over delivered, it was supposed to take 2 years. And that was only after I had to jump through hoops just to be a customer of my dealership that didn’t buy a used Ferrari first.

Not saying it’s acceptable that you’ve waited that long but was it you who said it wasnt an allocation? I remember you saying something many months ago but dont remember what. Obviously there are plenty of people that ordered from allocation‘s & dont have trucks. There’s no question their communication absolutely sucked/sucks/is sucking. I put a deposit before ordering opened on 8-18, ordered 8-20, was told my order was first at the dealership & was an allocation, had my VON quickly & the VIN when guys first started getting VINs & didnt receive one of those emails that went to customers from FCA, if I didnt order black who knows if I would have a truck right now but had debated myself about walking away, probably back in December. Had I driven one or even seen one in person that thought would have never crossed my mind & the people here were a huge help too, got more information here than from my salesman.

I ran a manufacturing company for 21 years, I can sympathize when parts shortages, logistics throw a monkey wrench into production planning, scheduling, as far as the delays, its been a major problem for many manufacturers not just automotive... I helped my sister buy a Honda CRV a few months back & that was a shit show, they didnt have vehicles. Last time I serviced my ML63 the service Department of the biggest Mercedes dealership in the NorthEast was jammed with vehicles they couldnt fix because of parts shortages. I leased my wife a Mercedes CLA250 in August & it was a nightmare, no vehicles. My son bought a pre-owned BMW 330xi in December & even the used cars their selection at dealerships were nill. Things seem to be getting a little better now but I don’t completely fault RAM for the delays.

The TRX comes down the line with other models, same workers putting them together, is it only the TRX that has assembly & QC issues or is it because its being magnified by a much more,,mmmm ’passionate’ group of people? I dont know what RAM knows so I dont know whether what we are seeing requires a TSB vs the Ford TSB.

I didnt know that you had cancelled & picked the order back up, that’s awesome! Its been frustrating & agree some of their methods for how they deal with orders makes zero sense. I hope yours gets made asap & you can start enjoying the hell out of it....Jump,,, its worth it! You’ll see! Have a good night.

 

[JumpSquadAuto]

Its not the same kind of vehicle but I waited 18 months once for a car (2004 Challenge Stradale) I actually visited Maranello, the factory as part of a vacation in Italy while my car was being built, guess how many times Ferrari communicated with me about order status? But they actually underpromised & over delivered, it was supposed to take 2 years. And that was only after I had to jump through hoops just to be a customer of my dealership that didn’t buy a used Ferrari first.

Not saying it’s acceptable that you’ve waited that long but was it you who said it wasnt an allocation? I remember you saying something many months ago but dont remember what. Obviously there are plenty of people that ordered from allocation‘s & dont have trucks. There’s no question their communication absolutely sucked/sucks/is sucking. I put a deposit before ordering opened on 8-18, ordered 8-20, was told my order was first at the dealership & was an allocation, had my VON quickly & the VIN when guys first started getting VINs & didnt receive one of those emails that went to customers from FCA, if I didnt order black who knows if I would have a truck right now but had debated myself about walking away, probably back in December. Had I driven one or even seen one in person that thought would have never crossed my mind & the people here were a huge help too, got more information here than from my salesman.

I ran a manufacturing company for 21 years, I can sympathize when parts shortages, logistics throw a monkey wrench into production planning, scheduling, as far as the delays, its been a major problem for many manufacturers not just automotive... I helped my sister buy a Honda CRV a few months back & that was a shit show, they didnt have vehicles. Last time I serviced my ML63 the service Department of the biggest Mercedes dealership in the NorthEast was jammed with vehicles they couldnt fix because of parts shortages. I leased my wife a Mercedes CLA250 in August & it was a nightmare, no vehicles. My son bought a pre-owned BMW 330xi in December & even the used cars their selection at dealerships were nill. Things seem to be getting a little better now but I don’t completely fault RAM for the delays.

The TRX comes down the line with other models, same workers putting them together, is it only the TRX that has assembly & QC issues or is it because its being magnified by a much more,,mmmm ’passionate’ group of people? I dont know what RAM knows so I dont know whether what we are seeing requires a TSB vs the Ford TSB.

I didnt know that you had cancelled & picked the order back up, that’s awesome! Its been frustrating & agree some of their methods for how they deal with orders makes zero sense. I hope yours gets made asap & you can start enjoying the hell out of it....Jump,,, its worth it! You’ll see! Have a good night.

Thanks man. I was an allocation. Just one that seems to move slowly lol. This forum and feedback from you and others who got it has kept me going. Have a great night man!

 

[kliffy77]

Eeeee God! I just stumbled across the below from Car & Driver, how do you fix something like this?
——

Some Owners Say Their New 2021 Ford F-150 Pickups Are Rusting Underneath​

Underbody parts on some customers' brand-new trucks have arrived already rusty, and they're not happy. Ford says the problem has no impact on performance or part life.
View attachment 7086

• Owners of 2021 Ford F-150 pickup trucks have taken to social media and online forums, posting images of rust on underbody parts on their brand-new trucks.
• Car and Driver asked Ford about this issue and received a statement saying, "While some F-150 underbody steel components may show signs of surface rust, this will have no impact on part performance or life."
• It's currently unclear how this problem happened or how many of the extremely popular pickup trucks are affected.

Some new 2021 F-150 owners are taking to the internet to complain that their brand-new trucks were shipped from the factory with heavily rusted parts, including the exhaust, differential, and wheel hubs. Ford has not explained how this could have happened, and it's unclear how many of the popular pickups are affected by the problem. A story by the Detroit Free Press highlighted the stories of some of the customers who had eagerly awaited the first 2021 F-150 pickups, only to discover rust all over their truck's axles, exhaust, wheel hubs, and other

View attachment 7087
Owners speaking to the Freep from across the country—many living outside of the traditional "salt belt" where vehicle corrosion is most prevalent—and more owners we found on forums claimed Ford dealers took delivery of their trucks in this rusty condition.

A video posted by truck blogger Tim Esterdahl, who lives in Nebraska, said he discovered the rust after a few thousand miles. His video shows a rear differential caked in corrosion, along with the driveshaft's U-joint and the exhaust, while other parts like the differential's drain plug were entirely rust-free. A thread from January 31 on F150Gen14.com features an owner in Texas who reports thick surface rust on his differential, wheel hubs, and various bolts.
View attachment 7088View attachment 7089

So far it's impossible to estimate how many trucks might be affected—or to understand how Ford apparently allowed so many of these parts to pass visual inspection during production.

"We are committed to delivering high-quality products and services for our Ford customers," Ford told Car and Driver. "As with all customer feedback, we take these concerns seriously. While some F-150 underbody steel components may show signs of surface rust, this will have no impact on part performance or life."

The first batch of 2021 F-150 pickups arrived at dealers in November. While it retains the aluminum body of its predecessor—a revolutionary design for pickup trucks that cost Ford billions—the frame and most key parts under the vehicle are steel or high-strength steel. Surface rust on vehicle undercarriages isn't uncommon in aged vehicles, especially in our home state of Michigan where road crews aren't exactly light on the salt, and it's not necessarily a safety defect unless that corrosion prematurely eats away thinner-gauge metal parts like bolts. But for any new vehicle to arrive with parts that look prematurely aged is especially alarming given the strict quality control processes in place at modern assembly plants

Parts shortages from axle suppliers caused production delays in December for certain F-150 models. We will continue to monitor's Ford's response to complaints of rusty parts on the F-150.

Some Owners Say Their New 2021 Ford F-150 Pickups Are Rusting Underneath

Underbody parts on some customers' brand-new trucks have arrived already rusty, and they're not happy. Ford says the problem has no impact on performance or part life.

www.caranddriver.com

View attachment 7091

My experience with Ford was terrible, Cheap materials everywhere, mechanical problems, This rust it totally unacceptable in a new truck.

 

[cayenne]

Eeeee God! I just stumbled across the below from Car & Driver, how do you fix something like this?
——

Some Owners Say Their New 2021 Ford F-150 Pickups Are Rusting Underneath​

Underbody parts on some customers' brand-new trucks have arrived already rusty, and they're not happy. Ford says the problem has no impact on performance or part life.
View attachment 7086

• Owners of 2021 Ford F-150 pickup trucks have taken to social media and online forums, posting images of rust on underbody parts on their brand-new trucks.
• Car and Driver asked Ford about this issue and received a statement saying, "While some F-150 underbody steel components may show signs of surface rust, this will have no impact on part performance or life."
• It's currently unclear how this problem happened or how many of the extremely popular pickup trucks are affected.

Some new 2021 F-150 owners are taking to the internet to complain that their brand-new trucks were shipped from the factory with heavily rusted parts, including the exhaust, differential, and wheel hubs. Ford has not explained how this could have happened, and it's unclear how many of the popular pickups are affected by the problem. A story by the Detroit Free Press highlighted the stories of some of the customers who had eagerly awaited the first 2021 F-150 pickups, only to discover rust all over their truck's axles, exhaust, wheel hubs, and other

View attachment 7087
Owners speaking to the Freep from across the country—many living outside of the traditional "salt belt" where vehicle corrosion is most prevalent—and more owners we found on forums claimed Ford dealers took delivery of their trucks in this rusty condition.

A video posted by truck blogger Tim Esterdahl, who lives in Nebraska, said he discovered the rust after a few thousand miles. His video shows a rear differential caked in corrosion, along with the driveshaft's U-joint and the exhaust, while other parts like the differential's drain plug were entirely rust-free. A thread from January 31 on F150Gen14.com features an owner in Texas who reports thick surface rust on his differential, wheel hubs, and various bolts.
View attachment 7088View attachment 7089

So far it's impossible to estimate how many trucks might be affected—or to understand how Ford apparently allowed so many of these parts to pass visual inspection during production.

"We are committed to delivering high-quality products and services for our Ford customers," Ford told Car and Driver. "As with all customer feedback, we take these concerns seriously. While some F-150 underbody steel components may show signs of surface rust, this will have no impact on part performance or life."

The first batch of 2021 F-150 pickups arrived at dealers in November. While it retains the aluminum body of its predecessor—a revolutionary design for pickup trucks that cost Ford billions—the frame and most key parts under the vehicle are steel or high-strength steel. Surface rust on vehicle undercarriages isn't uncommon in aged vehicles, especially in our home state of Michigan where road crews aren't exactly light on the salt, and it's not necessarily a safety defect unless that corrosion prematurely eats away thinner-gauge metal parts like bolts. But for any new vehicle to arrive with parts that look prematurely aged is especially alarming given the strict quality control processes in place at modern assembly plants

Parts shortages from axle suppliers caused production delays in December for certain F-150 models. We will continue to monitor's Ford's response to complaints of rusty parts on the F-150.

Some Owners Say Their New 2021 Ford F-150 Pickups Are Rusting Underneath

Underbody parts on some customers' brand-new trucks have arrived already rusty, and they're not happy. Ford says the problem has no impact on performance or part life.

www.caranddriver.com

View attachment 7091

That's nothing new for Ford. Has been a complaint from customers for years. My last 3 Raptors all arrived in similar shape.