Ask TFL: I'm Really Concerned

Jan 06, 2024

We received the following message from Petar. He is a new owner of a 2021 Ford F-150, and he is concerned about his rear axle and other underbody areas that are rusty.

Petar writes: "I’m really concerned. We spent over $70000 on this vehicle. It basically has no mileage. I’ve owned it for 3 days. Here are some pictures. My neighbor bought an XLT, 3 weeks ago and he has nowhere near the amount of rust I have. Also, I sent these pictures to a local mechanic (who just bought an XLT). He compared the pictures to his underbody and he said the rust on my new vehicle is excessive."

Petar continues: "If it was your truck, would you keep it? Would you just live with the rust for the next 7 to 10 years? Here's a picture of the truck. It's in Lead Foot Gray color, FX4, Crew Cab, with 430 Horses, 570 ft-lbs Torque, and 24/24 City/Hwy. It's a gorgeous truck."

Petar attaches these images.

I reached out to Ford about this, because the 2021 F-150 truck I personally purchased also has some underbody rust.

Here is what Ford says: "We are committed to delivering high-quality products and services for our Ford customers. 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."

This is a follow-up to a video we did several weeks ago. We continue to get several of similar messages from new truck owners over the last several weeks. Petar's truck has the most surface rust we have seen yet.