Skip to main content

2021 Ford F-150 and Mustang Mach-E Owners: New Features Coming Your Way

ford hybrid supercrew limited 2021 01 angle  black  exterior  front jpg 2021 Ford F-150 | Cars.com photo by Christian Lantry

Ford is rolling out a number of over-the-air updates for its Sync 4-equipped 2021 Ford F-150 and Mustang Mach-E through what it’s calling Power-Up software updates. Since late March, more than 100,000 vehicles have already received some of these updates, but more are on the way. Updates include bug fixes, enhanced functionality for existing features and entirely new features.

Related: Best of 2021

Bugs Be Gone

Bug fixes include an issue with zone lighting in the F-150 and Android Auto connectivity issues; Ford says the latter issue should be addressed by June. Enhancements for existing features include an upgrade to Apple CarPlay that will display turn-by-turn directions in the instrument panel and improvements to the built-in native navigation system. Ford also says it will be improving the digital owner’s manual feature that’s accessible via the touchscreen.

Shop the 2021 Ford F-150 near you

Used
2021 Ford F-150 XLT
33,010 mi.
$40,777
Used
2021 Ford F-150 XLT
69,261 mi.
$32,298

Additional enhancements involve the FordPass app. Remote Vehicle Setup lets users create user profiles using the app, allowing personal preferences like radio station presets and the like to be sent via the cloud to the vehicle. Trip Logs adds enhanced trip-tracking features, including battery usage data for the Mustang Mach-E.

New Features

A new feature coming in updates includes the highly anticipated BlueCruise hands-free driving software for F-150s and Mustang Mach-Es with the appropriate hardware (a software purchase is also required). Our long-term F-150 is prepped for this feature, and we look forward to its arrival sometime later in the year.

Another new feature coming to the Mustang Mach-E is a feature called either Sketch or Notes that Ford says can be used for “touchscreen drawing and simple gaming.”

Ford is also partnering with Amazon to bring enhanced Amazon Alexa connectivity to Sync 4-equipped models later this fall. The vehicle list includes the Bronco, Edge, F-150, Mustang Mach-E and F-Series Super Duty heavy-duty pickup trucks.

Ford says some Power-Up updates can occur in the background while the system is running, while others may require a system reboot. In the case of the latter, the automaker recommends scheduling the updates for times such as overnight. According to Ford, updates could happen in as little as two minutes, though some will take longer.

More From Cars.com:

Related Video: 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E: Review

Cars.com’s Editorial department is your source for automotive news and reviews. In line with Cars.com’s long-standing ethics policy, editors and reviewers don’t accept gifts or free trips from automakers. The Editorial department is independent of Cars.com’s advertising, sales and sponsored content departments.

Brian Normile
Road Test Editor Brian Normile joined the automotive industry and Cars.com in 2013, and he became part of the Editorial staff in 2014. Brian spent his childhood devouring every car magazine he got his hands on — not literally, eventually — and now reviews and tests vehicles to help consumers make informed choices. Someday, Brian hopes to learn what to do with his hands when he’s reviewing a car on camera. He would daily-drive an Alfa Romeo 4C if he could.
Email Brian Normile

Featured stories

Flooded Car scaled jpg
ford expedition tremor 2025 51 exterior front angle scaled jpg
kia carnival hev 2025 01 exterior front angle 1 scaled jpg