Why does my F-150 Pro Power Onboard say it detected a ground fault?

Short answer: Pro Power's ground fault protection is tripping, usually because water got into a bed outlet, its connector or the wiring behind it. Owners traced it to wet outlets, a harness rubbing on the bed mount, corroded frame grounds and, in one case, water through a tow mirror. If it only happens when wet, start with the bed outlets. If it won't clear, it's a warranty job.

Symptom: SYNC shows 'Pro Power Onboard detected a ground fault' and the outlets shut off or the message won't clear, often after rain or a car wash.

What to check first

1. Note whether it happens only when the truck is wet.
2. Look inside the bed outlet covers for water or corrosion.
3. Ask the dealer to inspect the connector behind the bed outlets and the bed harness where it passes the bed mounts.
4. Check the frame ground points for rust.
5. Reset Pro Power from the SYNC screen once the truck is dry.
6. Run your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Likely causes

1. Water in the bed outlets or connectors. Pro Power Onboard is Ford's built-in generator that powers the bed and cab outlets. Owners said moisture in the outlets or the connector behind them sets off the ground fault, which is a safety cutoff that trips when it senses electricity leaking where it shouldn't.
2. Chafed wiring harness at the bed mount. Owners said the harness to the bed outlets can rub on a bed mount and short.
3. Corroded frame grounds. One owner suggested cleaning rusty frame ground points and sealing them.
4. Water reaching wiring through a mirror. One owner's ground fault came every time the passenger tow mirror got wet, and Ford engineers couldn't fix it.
5. Software glitch. A brand-new 2026 owner saw the fault while the outlets still worked and suspected software.

What it usually costs

Owners didn't post prices. Most of these trucks were under warranty, and one owner's dealer recommended Ford's buyback program after repeated failed repairs.

Is it safe to keep driving?

The truck itself drives normally. Don't use the outlets while the ground fault is active, because the fault means power may be leaking somewhere it shouldn't. Electricity and water are a shock risk.

DIY or shop?

Drying and inspecting outlet covers and cleaning grounds is DIY. Harness and connector repairs behind the bed are best left to the dealer, especially under warranty.

Recalls, bulletins and complaints in plain words

• Recalls: NHTSA's recall lookup lists many 2021-2025 F-150 recalls, but none we found are about Pro Power Onboard ground faults. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. If your car is part of a recall, the dealer fixes it for free.
• Plain words: NHTSA's F-150 complaint lookup returned errors for every model year on 2026-11-03, so the complaint count below is zero only because no data came back. It does not mean there are no complaints.
• NHTSA complaints: 0 keyword-matched complaints for Ford F-150 (all) 2021–2025 (of 0 unique complaints queried, NHTSA complaints API by model year, queried 2026-11-03; keywords: pro power, ground fault, generator, outlet, onboard power) (NHTSA returned no data for 5 model-year queries). This counts complaints that mention these words. It is not a defect finding.

What owners report

• In I get this error on my pro power every time it rains. What do I do? on Reddit r/f150, a 2021 Lariat 2.7L owner got the Pro Power ground fault every time it rained. Replies said 2021-2022 trucks have had moisture in outlets and connectors and a bed harness rubbing on a bed mount, and suggested checking the bed outlets and the connector behind them and cleaning frame grounds. Another 2021 XLT owner had the same issue.
• In Pro Power Onboard- Ground Fault on Reddit r/f150, an owner's truck threw the ground fault whenever it went through a car wash, specifically when the passenger tow mirror got wet. Ford had the truck from mid-November 2022, sent engineers, couldn't fix it, and the service manager suggested starting Ford's buyback process.
• In Days old truck, pro power ground fault…software glitch or something else? on Reddit r/f150, a days-old 2026 F-150 owner kept getting the ground fault while trying out Pro Power, though the outlets still worked, and wondered if it was software.
• In “2021 F-150 Pro Power Onboard detected a ground fault. Reset the system using the SYNC screen.” Start getting this message today and it won’t go away. Searched online and it looks a recall issue. Anyone has seen a similar issue? Going to check with dealer tomorrow. on Reddit r/f150, a 2021 F-150 owner got 'Pro Power Onboard detected a ground fault. Reset the system using the SYNC screen' and it wouldn't clear, so they booked a dealer visit.

Quick tip

If it's tied to rain or washing, it's water getting into wiring. Show the dealer that pattern so they look at the bed harness and connectors.

Vehicle focus: Ford F-150 with Pro Power Onboard (2.0 kW, 2.4 kW and 7.2 kW systems), 2021-2026.

Safety / mechanic note

A ground fault is an electrical safety warning. Don't power tools or appliances until it's fixed. Verify with a mechanic.