Updated: My New 2021 Ford F-150 Has Axle Rust After 650 Miles of Ownership

The truck has a fancy new rear axle, but there may be an issue.

2021 ford f-150 axle rust

Update: (Mar 5, 2021) Here is a statement from Ford, “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.

I recently purchased a new 2021 Ford F-150 Hybrid. It’s an XL work truck crew cab 4×4 with an FX4 off-road package. I have owned it for about three weeks and 645 miles. Many of you have asked me if I am experiencing any rear axle rust issues since several other owners are reporting this concern. Here are a few images underneath my truck, and also the rear axle of my 2021 truck compares against an older 2020 Ford Raptor that TFLtruck owns.

While some surface rust is inevitable, it is surprising to see several components of a new truck develop this surface rust so soon. I know that my truck was built at the Dearborn factory in January 2021. The truck was then delivered to me in Colorado in early February 2021. When I picked it up at the dealership, the weather was very cold (near 0F degrees), and it was beginning to snow.

I have been driving the truck in an even and easy manner during the first 500 miles in order to properly break-in all of the components: engine, transmission, brakes, and the rest. I have driven the truck during and through several snowstorms on my way to work or going home. Colorado uses magnesium chloride and/or sodium chloride on the roads during winter months in order to help melt the snow and ice. This causes corrosion of automotive parts for sure.

2021 Ford F-150

The frame of my F-150 looks very good and rust-free. The rear axle components are already showing surface rust around the differential housing and near the hubs. The exhaust system hangers also have a bit of rust, but this is expected because exhaust system components go through major heat cycles, metal expands and contracts rapidly, and rust starts to develop once water, air, or salt get introduced.

I will continue to monitor this situation closely, and I will provide updates when I notice any changes.

2020 Ford Raptor

Here is how our 2020 Ford Raptor’s rear axle compares. This Raptor was built at the end of 2019, so it’s over one year old. It sat on dealer lots for many months before we purchased it at the end of 2020. The truck now has around 4,000 miles on the clock.

Here is how these two trucks compare off-road in the snow in this TFLoffroad.com video.