NHTSA Complaint #11438168 — 2021 FORD F-150

No Brake Controller on 2021 F150 with Class 4 trailer hitch as ordered and equipped from Ford as a new vehicle. I purchased and order a new 2021 Ford F150; truck was ordered with and equipped with a Class 4 trailer hitch; from my research, during early 2021 F150 production dates, Ford had no stock of trailer hitch brake controllers and placed a cheap, small coin holder where the brake controller was to be located; the wiring and connector for the brake controller is located in the dash, just behind this coin holder and is not connected to anything. The issue is that I have no trailer brakes whatsoever; when a trailer is attached to the vehicle hitch and the 7 pin trailer connector is connected to the 7 pin receptacle on the truck and when pulling that trailer and attempting to stop without a brake controller, the trailer will shove the truck forward; also, in a quick stop condition, the truck and trailer will begin to “Jack Knife”, thus causing a very unsafe and potentially fatal condition. When approaching the dealer from where I purchased my 2021 F150, I was informed that they were aware that those trucks that were assembled early in the production year were assembled without a brake controller; however, Ford is not retrofitting these vehicles with the missing brake controller but that I could, for a little more than $500, have a Ford controller installed in my truck by the dealer (the controller that should have been in place at the time the truck was assembled at the factory). Footnote: I am able to purchase a Ford brake controller from the Ford dealer and install it myself, except that unless the Ford dealer re-flashes the computer on the truck, the Ford controller that I installed still will not function, thus the $500 charged to install and re-flash a functional brake controller on a new 2021 Ford F150.