2021 F-150 Platinum PowerBoost – Ongoing Electrical/Module Nightmare

[Chughes1327]

Figured I’d update (and vent a bit) about my 2021 F-150 Platinum PowerBoost, since this truck has been nothing but a headache from an electronics/module standpoint.


From day one, FordPass has never worked on this truck. OTA updates have also never worked. The dealership tried multiple times to perform a manual update, but it would fail every single time. I actually posted about this roughly a year ago, but eventually just gave up on it because I was tired of the truck living at the dealership.


About 6 months ago, I paid out of pocket to have the APIM replaced, under the assumption that it would finally fix the FordPass and OTA issues. That turned out to be a mistake. Not only did it not fix anything, but it broke lane centering and wireless CarPlay. At that point, I was so fed up that I just lived without those features rather than sending the truck back to the dealer yet again.


Fast forward to last month:
I’m at a local store and the truck throws a “Stop Safely Now” message and is completely dead. No restart, no limp mode — nothing. Had it towed to the dealership.


They found no meaningful codes, other than the usual TRM fault that apparently everyone sees and gives them nothing to work with. Ford Hotline suggested trying something (can’t remember exactly what), which led them to replace the BJB (Battery Junction Box). That did fix the no-start issue, and I got the truck back.


Well… less than a month later, here we are again.
Same “Stop Safely Now” message.
Truck is dead in the water again.


I haven’t gotten it back to the dealer yet, but after talking with them, they’re already saying they’re not sure where to go next because there’s no trail to follow in the codes.


At this point, I’ve got:

• FordPass that has never worked
• OTA updates that have never worked
• A replaced APIM that introduced new problems
• Lane centering and wireless CarPlay still non-functional
• Repeated “Stop Safely Now” events with no diagnostic direction
• A truck that doesn't run and if it does can stop at anytime

I’m posting this partly to document it and partly to ask:
Has anyone with a PowerBoost seen this kind of repeat no-start / Stop Safely Now issue with zero useful codes?
Any luck getting Ford to escalate something like this beyond the dealer level?


I love the truck when it runs, but I’m honestly at the end of my rope with it.

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[McStabby]

Man, I'm sorry to hear about all the headaches it's been giving you. I'm wondering if it was the disconnect and reconnect of the battery that brought it out of it's slumber after they changed the junction box? I think I've seen it on another thread of that being a possible fix. I've also seen that after waiting for a while, then remote start worked but it sounds like a crapshoot.
Again, sorry for all the problems and wish I was more help.

 

[tmark]

Figured I’d update (and vent a bit) about my 2021 F-150 Platinum PowerBoost, since this truck has been nothing but a headache from an electronics/module standpoint.


From day one, FordPass has never worked on this truck. OTA updates have also never worked. The dealership tried multiple times to perform a manual update, but it would fail every single time. I actually posted about this roughly a year ago, but eventually just gave up on it because I was tired of the truck living at the dealership.


About 6 months ago, I paid out of pocket to have the APIM replaced, under the assumption that it would finally fix the FordPass and OTA issues. That turned out to be a mistake. Not only did it not fix anything, but it broke lane centering and wireless CarPlay. At that point, I was so fed up that I just lived without those features rather than sending the truck back to the dealer yet again.


Fast forward to last month:
I’m at a local store and the truck throws a “Stop Safely Now” message and is completely dead. No restart, no limp mode — nothing. Had it towed to the dealership.


They found no meaningful codes, other than the usual TRM fault that apparently everyone sees and gives them nothing to work with. Ford Hotline suggested trying something (can’t remember exactly what), which led them to replace the BJB (Battery Junction Box). That did fix the no-start issue, and I got the truck back.


Well… less than a month later, here we are again.
Same “Stop Safely Now” message.
Truck is dead in the water again.


I haven’t gotten it back to the dealer yet, but after talking with them, they’re already saying they’re not sure where to go next because there’s no trail to follow in the codes.


At this point, I’ve got:

• FordPass that has never worked
• OTA updates that have never worked
• A replaced APIM that introduced new problems
• Lane centering and wireless CarPlay still non-functional
• Repeated “Stop Safely Now” events with no diagnostic direction
• A truck that doesn't run and if it does can stop at anytime

I’m posting this partly to document it and partly to ask:
Has anyone with a PowerBoost seen this kind of repeat no-start / Stop Safely Now issue with zero useful codes?
Any luck getting Ford to escalate something like this beyond the dealer level?


I love the truck when it runs, but I’m honestly at the end of my rope with it.

You are a more patient man than me. That is a shame that Ford can’t fix it.

 

[turbopilot]

I love the truck when it runs, but I’m honestly at the end of my rope with it.

If you have a Job 1, 2021 PowerBoost without any updates then you are simply suffering through all the bugs that have now been fixed in the current model.

We used to have several people on the forum who could help people fix these problems but I have not seem them active lately. Bottom line the 2021 PowerBoost without any firmware versions is a beta prototype.

You have to find a way to bring all those modules up to 2025 firmware revision dates. Failing that you will have constant problems.

 

[Pierre.Granger]

Figured I’d update (and vent a bit) about my 2021 F-150 Platinum PowerBoost, since this truck has been nothing but a headache from an electronics/module standpoint.


From day one, FordPass has never worked on this truck. OTA updates have also never worked. The dealership tried multiple times to perform a manual update, but it would fail every single time. I actually posted about this roughly a year ago, but eventually just gave up on it because I was tired of the truck living at the dealership.


About 6 months ago, I paid out of pocket to have the APIM replaced, under the assumption that it would finally fix the FordPass and OTA issues. That turned out to be a mistake. Not only did it not fix anything, but it broke lane centering and wireless CarPlay. At that point, I was so fed up that I just lived without those features rather than sending the truck back to the dealer yet again.


Fast forward to last month:
I’m at a local store and the truck throws a “Stop Safely Now” message and is completely dead. No restart, no limp mode — nothing. Had it towed to the dealership.


They found no meaningful codes, other than the usual TRM fault that apparently everyone sees and gives them nothing to work with. Ford Hotline suggested trying something (can’t remember exactly what), which led them to replace the BJB (Battery Junction Box). That did fix the no-start issue, and I got the truck back.


Well… less than a month later, here we are again.
Same “Stop Safely Now” message.
Truck is dead in the water again.


I haven’t gotten it back to the dealer yet, but after talking with them, they’re already saying they’re not sure where to go next because there’s no trail to follow in the codes.


At this point, I’ve got:

• FordPass that has never worked
• OTA updates that have never worked
• A replaced APIM that introduced new problems
• Lane centering and wireless CarPlay still non-functional
• Repeated “Stop Safely Now” events with no diagnostic direction
• A truck that doesn't run and if it does can stop at anytime

I’m posting this partly to document it and partly to ask:
Has anyone with a PowerBoost seen this kind of repeat no-start / Stop Safely Now issue with zero useful codes?
Any luck getting Ford to escalate something like this beyond the dealer level?


I love the truck when it runs, but I’m honestly at the end of my rope with it.

I had the same issue with my 2021 once they fixed it. I traded it in and got a 2024 with zero issues. Turns out it was a cable going to the battery under the floorboards so they had to pull the battery and replace the cable.

 

[Chughes1327]

I had the same issue with my 2021 once they fixed it. I traded it in and got a 2024 with zero issues. Turns out it was a cable going to the battery under the floorboards so they had to pull the battery and replace the cable.

Thats the plan, may not even wait for it to be fixed

 

[Chughes1327]

You are a more patient man than me. That is a shame that Ford can’t fix it.

I've talked with Ford customer service but nothing they can really do other than try to point the dealer in a direction to go.

 

[Chughes1327]

Man, I'm sorry to hear about all the headaches it's been giving you. I'm wondering if it was the disconnect and reconnect of the battery that brought it out of it's slumber after they changed the junction box? I think I've seen it on another thread of that being a possible fix. I've also seen that after waiting for a while, then remote start worked but it sounds like a crapshoot.
Again, sorry for all the problems and wish I was more help.

Yeah that's what I'm thinking also, or there is something somewhere that is randomly causing the BJB to fail

 

[JohnTrigger]

Sorry for your issues. You probably have two main issues, but you’d have to throw money and time at it to fix, and even then who knows if you’ve got a lemon. The two MAIN issues are 1) 2x likely bad 12V batteries that should be replaced (main one in engine compartment which could be upgraded to a new H7 in your case) and the aux battery under your rear seat. 2) you’ll need to update possibly dozens of software versions on many of your truck’s computer modules using a 12V/20+ amp power supply, a 2-day $120 FDRS subscription, a Windows laptop computer, a $575 Mongoose cable (or loan one from the thread here), a 32+ GB USB stick, and plan for 2 days of installs with lots of patience.

 

[JohnTrigger]

And with your replaced APIM, the potential solution I listed above may not work either, as they MAY have introduced some incapability that won’t even let you update all the modules. As you said they may have done more harm than good.

 

[tmark]

I've talked with Ford customer service but nothing they can really do other than try to point the dealer in a direction to go.

That just sucks. There was a time that Ford and other manufacturers would send out a technical rep to solve problems the dealer could not. Maybe they are so overwhelmed with shitty builds these days that there aren’t enough specialists to go around.

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