2023 Ford F-150 electrical system problems

“Trace water accumulation routing from clogged/faulty drain plug to corroded DCN wiring connector during rainfall. Due to manufacturing design of '23 Ford F150 model windshield drain cowls, minor debris allowed for water to backflow into the Data Communication Network (DCN) wiring harness and Body Control Module (BCM) connectors, interior electrical components, and interior of the cab wetting the upholstery and flooring within the front passenger side of truck. Driver experienced electrical black outs within the dash and center screens, lighting failures, and multiple system alert misfires while driving the vehicle. Alerts consistently glitching on the dash screen included: Service Vehicle Soon, Pre-Collision Assist Not Available, Service Advance Trac, Rear Belt Monitor Fault Service Required. The issues were reported to Ford, whose representatives noted the history behind water damages associated with cowl/drain designs, but confirmed the issue has not been formalized for recall. This known issue presents buyers with financial and physical safety risks, known by Ford, and places full responsibility for poor engineering on new owners. The vehicle is currently at…”

“THE REAR BRAKE LIGHT LED FAILED AND FORD REFUSED TO COVER UNDER THEIR 4/48000 BUMPER TO BUMPER WARRANTY, THERE IS NO DAMAGE TO THE LIGHT ASSEMBLY AND THE FAILURE IS GOING TO COST $1700 TO CORRECT. FOR A LIGHT BULB(LED SO NO BULB) ISSUE, THIS IS FRAUD FROM FORD NOT HONORING COVERAGES AND FOR NOT SELLING A VEHICLE WITH NON SERVICABLE PARTS FOR COMMON FAILURE POINTS”

“While driving at speed, my vehicle experienced a severe safety hazard: the transmission jerked violently and the engine completely stalled on the road, causing an immediate loss of power. The dealership diagnosed the truck and stated that tree debris had plugged the cowl drains at the base of the windshield. Because the drains plugged, rainwater backed up and overflowed directly into the passenger cabin, soaking the Body Control Module (BCM) and crashing the central computer network. A vehicle's central computer network should not be engineered in a way that normal outdoor tree debris can completely flood an interior cabin module and cause a dangerous drivetrain shutdown while driving.”

“While towing a 6000 pound travel trailer 6/21/26, the brakes on the trailer failed. A trailer wiring fault message came up on the dash each time I braked. It is available for inspection. How was our safety put at risk??? Stopping distance was increased substantually. When you need to stop, you need to stop! The truck has been brought to the dealer 4 times prior to this for the same problem. One of those times was for the recall on the trailer brake, May of 2026. The first time the truck was taken to the dealer for the warning message was April of 2025. The trailer was taken to the RV dealer after the incident (on my Oct 2025 visit, the dealer told me the problem was with the trailer. I wanted to rule that out). The RV dealer found no problem with the trailer brakes, and determined the problem is with the truck. The truck was then taken to the dealer July 23 with "Trailer Brake Module Fault" message every time it is started. It remains at the dealer now. They believe it is the trailer brake control module. The module is on backorder with no estimated time for repair.”

“There is a manufacturing defect that is causing water to to enter the vehicle when driving in the rain. Where this becomes a significant safety issue is that the water enters somewhere near the bottom of the windshield (source still not determined) and runs down the pillar over the fuse box and BCM (neither is protected from the water). This could lead to an electrical short on any of the major modules of the vehicle unpredictably. the leak is confirmed but source is still to be determined by the dealership after 2 visits. In searching the web, this seems to be a fairly common issue on this generation of F150 trucks. I'll attach the pictures I could get but can never get one with the water actually coming in live”

“Turn signal stalk binds up intermittently, requiring excessive force to deactivate signaling. Most commonly occurs after signaling to toward the right. This has been occurring intermittently shortly after vehicle purchase, but has become more common over the past year. Safety is affected due to the amount of force being required having the potential to cause the driver to inadvertently jerk the steering wheel left while attempting to deactivate the signal. No inspections have been performed and this vehicle has not yet been assessed by a dealer or independent service center. No warnings or other associated indicators of this issue have been noted.”