Camera, brake, exploding sunroof, and airbag issues are among the top complaints received by the NHTSA from vehicle owners
The 2021 Ford Edge is known for being a family-friendly SUV that fits a tight budget. The automaker claims it is “impressive at every turn.” However, automotive enthusiasts have been vocal about some shortcomings with the model, from the malfunctioning camera and defective brakes to sunroofs that explode while they are driving.
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The most common complaints about the 2021 Ford Edge to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) relate to the faulty rearview camera. There is also a recall due to a software error that causes the camera to display a blank screen. Many owners have experienced a failure, often after the recall software update was performed. Their complaints are filed as being electrical, backover prevention, forward collision avoidance, vehicle speed control, and/or unknown or other problems.
Other top issues include brakes that malfunction and sunroofs that explode. Complaints about exploding sunroofs are filed as visibility issues.
Other components and systems that are implicated in complaints include airbags, engine, engine and engine cooling, equipment, lane departure, latches/locks/linkages, seat belts, seats, and visibility/wiper. Many of these have attracted only one, maybe two complaints.
In addition to the rearview camera recall, there are two other recalls. These were initiated due to a malfunction of the driver’s seat belt assembly and because of inadequate lubrication in the rear drive unit of the powertrain.
There is also an open investigation that affects Ford Edge and other Ford vehicles with 2.7L and 3.0L EcoBoost engines. The NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has identified “multiple contributing factors” that “can lead to the fracturing of the intake valves” in these engines. Their investigation document states that Ford has “acknowledged that a fractured intake valve can result in catastrophic engine failure and a loss of motive power.” If this happens, vehicles typically require a full engine replacement.
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| Complaint Category | Number of Complaints |
|---|---|
| Power Train | |
| Electrical System | |
| Unknown Or Other | |
| Service Brakes | |
| Visibility:sun/moon Roof Assembly | |
| Engine | |
| Vehicle Speed Control | |
| Back Over Prevention | |
| Back Over Prevention: Sensing System: Camera | |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Sensing System: Camera |
There have been numerous complaints to the NHTSA about camera issues. The recall mentioned above potentially affects as many as 78,376 2021-2022 Ford Edge vehicles. This states that a software error may cause the rearview camera to display a blank or distorted image when the vehicle is in reverse. Their warning is that this increases the risk of a crash. Affected owners are advised to contact their dealers to have the rearview camera software updated on-site or via an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. However, many of the complaints from owners state that the software update is a problem in itself.
More than 35% of all NHTSA complaints lodged between June 2021 and September 2023 relate to problems with the rearview camera.
The first complaint to the NHTSA was in March 2022 from an owner in New York who stated the issue simply. “The main screen just goes blank or partially corrupted, so I have no access to the rear camera or main controls on the panel.” Complaints have escalated ever since, with many of them stating the problems only arose after the original camera system update was installed.
An owner from Washington stated in August 2022 that ever since he had the so-called recall repair done, “the front camera has been malfunctioning. This affects parking situations and I am uncertain if it is causing any issues with other safety features. Ford gave me several options to try and “restart” the system but none have worked. It has been months and they have not provided an update to fix this camera and no one at a dealership knows anything about it or how to fix (it).”
An owner from Texas echoes this complaint. After the software update was done, “there were what seemed to be temporary problems. But the main issue was that the front camera wasn’t operating as designed.” The dealer wasn’t able to correct the problem. An owner from Ohio states that “after the over-the-air update due to the rear-camera recall, “the front-facing camera no longer works after approximately 15 seconds of the car being turned on.”
An owner from Idaho states: “Ford recently responded to a recall concerning the backup camera, and updated the software package. Since that time, the forward camera no longer works.”
Another complaint about the camera lodged in September 2023 states that the main camera screen “freezes all the time, not allowing me to use the cameras nor GPS, etc.” Yet, oddly, the dealer stated that Ford had no idea how to repair the camera.
Brake problems are varied but serious.
An owner from North Carolina had a terrifying experience while traveling on a rural road. He attempted to brake, and then saw there were flames coming from under the Edge. He managed to stop the vehicle “by laying it in a ditch.” Fortunately, he then managed to escape from the Edge, which by then was engulfed in flames. After the incident, they noted that there was “a significant amount of brake fluid on the ground from the incident.” Bystanders confirmed that the vehicle was “blowing flames out from underneath while attempting to stop.”
Another owner had a completely different experience with a 2021 Edge that was only two weeks old. When braking, the “car started to shake and there was a thumping noise. I got home, barely, to find the brake pads loose on the driver-side rear. It was towed to the dealer and found to have a loose caliper that needed to be replaced and fixed.”
Owners whose sunroofs have exploded state that they have no idea how or why it happened. For instance, an owner from Illinois states that while driving slowly toward a traffic light at 5 mph she heard “a loud popping sound.” The next thing she knew was that “the sunroof glass had shattered and the shattered pieces were beginning to fall inside the vehicle.” She closed the shade guard and veered to the side of the road. She inspected the vehicle but “could not determine the cause of the failure.” The dealership said they would “need to investigate the failure.” The outcome is not known.
A complaint from an owner in Minnesota states that while driving at 25 mph the sunroof suddenly exploded and there were “shards of glass going everywhere.”
Similarly, an owner from Oregon states that the sunroof “exploded/imploded while driving.” He was waiting for the insurance company to respond to a claim.
Airbags are supposed to be a lifesaver in the event of an accident. So it is a serious safety issue when they don’t deploy on impact in an accident.
The wife of a 2021 Ford Edge owner was driving 35 mph when a vehicle abruptly stopped in front of her causing her to rear-end the vehicle. The airbags did not deploy on impact. She wasn’t injured in the accident, but they filed a police report. The Edge had only 400 miles on the clock.
The owner went to the scene of the accident, tied a strap to the hood of the vehicle, and drove it home. He stated in the complaint that the forward collision avoidance feature failed to operate as needed, but he was able to drive the vehicle to a dealer.
Do you think that your 2021 Ford Edge might be a lemon? If it exhibits problems that recur and affect its use and value, you could be right. Lemberg Law is available to assess your problems in terms of lemon law. It’ll cost you nothing because the law makes Ford pay the legal fees of lemon law cases. All you have to do is fill out a contact form or call our Helpline.
Brian Jones spent more than 30 years working as an ASE Certified Master Tech and Parts Specialist at multiple dealerships. Brian has become an authority in the industry, traveling across the country to consult for car dealerships and contributing his expertise as a writer for several major automotive publications. In his spare time, Brian enjoys working on pickup trucks, muscle cars, Jeeps and anything related to motorsports.
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Lemon Laws… does it cover used cars that are sold by dealerships that are still under warranty. 2020 Ford Edge 33,330 miles when i bought and now in shop at 36,000 miles with engine and powertrain light that came on. Still waiting on Diagnostic test to be completed. Day 3 of diagnostics. Bought car Jan 31, 2024 broke down Feb 17.