2011 Ford F-150

Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report

Avoid This Year

Quick Summary

The 2011 Ford F-150 has 2962 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 37.0x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is transmission problems (28% of all complaints), specifically: transmission slams between gears and the drive train "acts" like it is sticking in four wheel drive when at slow speeds going around corners and starting out when you turn the steering wheel. it has become progressively worse and i am concerned that it will break or even worse when out of warranty . ⚠️ 25 fire reports filed.

25 fire reports 60 crash reports 44 injuries

2962

Total Complaints

Recalls Issued

—/5

Safety Stars

37.0x

vs Segment Avg

Known Problems

TRANSMISSION

819 complaints

28%

• TRANSMISSION SLAMS BETWEEN GEARS AND THE DRIVE TRAIN "ACTS" LIKE IT IS STICKING IN FOUR WHEEL DRIVE WHEN AT SLOW SPEEDS GOING AROUND CORNERS AND STARTING OUT WHEN YOU TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. IT HAS BECOME PROGRESSIVELY WORSE AND I AM CONCERNED THAT IT WILL BREAK OR EVEN WORSE WHEN OUT OF WARRANTY
• TRANSMISSION FLUID POURS OUT OF OVERFLOW WHEN UNDER LOAD (PULLING A TRAILER). THIS FLUID DUMPS ON EXHAUST SYSTEM AND STARTS A FIRE. THIS ACCRUED AT 2,500 MILES ON JUNE 25, 2011. TRUCK IS STILL AT DEALER, NO RESOLUTION. *TR
• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FORD F-150. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE FROM A STOP WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE VEHICLE WAS MOVED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROADWAY, WHERE THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS LEAKING ONTO THE GROUND. THE VEHICLE WAS

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 3 fire reports💥 6 crashes

“TRANSMISSION SLAMS BETWEEN GEARS AND THE DRIVE TRAIN "ACTS" LIKE IT IS STICKING IN FOUR WHEEL DRIVE WHEN AT SLOW SPEEDS GOING AROUND CORNERS AND STARTING OUT WHEN YOU TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. IT HAS BECOME PROGRESSIVELY WORSE AND I AM CONCERNED THAT IT WILL BREAK OR EVEN WORSE WHEN OUT OF WARRANTY ”

— NHTSA complaint filing

ENGINE

513 complaints

17%

• FROM A DEAD STOP I ACCELERATED TO TURN INTO HER DRIVEWAY THE ENGINE HESITATED AND STUMBLED IT SOUNDED LIKE YOU HAD THROWN A HANDFUL OF MARBLES INSIDE THE INTAKE THE ENGINE MADE A FUNNY NOISE THEN DIED AFTER GETTING IT RESTARTED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON UPON RETURNING THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERS
• TRYING TO ACCELERATE ONTO THE HIGHWAY THE ENGINE MISFIRED, STARTED WITH EXCESSIVE VIBRATION AND STARTED DECELERATING. THE ENGINE WOULD NOT RECOVER AND HAD TO COAST TO SHOULDER AND TURN OFF ENGINE. DURING DECELERATION, TRIED TO ADD THROTTLE SEVERAL TIMES THROUGH ALL SPEED RANGES, BUT VIBRATION WAS
• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FORD F-150. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL SPORADICALLY WHILE ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TEST BUT THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO GENERATE ANY FAILURE CODES FROM THE DIAGNOSTIC MACHINE. THE VEHICLE WAS

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 3 fire reports💥 9 crashes

“FROM A DEAD STOP I ACCELERATED TO TURN INTO HER DRIVEWAY THE ENGINE HESITATED AND STUMBLED IT SOUNDED LIKE YOU HAD THROWN A HANDFUL OF MARBLES INSIDE THE INTAKE THE ENGINE MADE A FUNNY NOISE THEN DIED AFTER GETTING IT RESTARTED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON UPON RETURNING THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERS”

— NHTSA complaint filing

STEERING

421 complaints

14%

• TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FORD F-150. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHENEVER HE TURNED THE STEERING WHEEL, HE WOULD FEEL A BUMP COMING FROM THE STEERING WHEEL WHEN IT RETURNED TO THE STRAIGHTENED POSITION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS TOLD THAT THE STEERING COMPONEN
• I PURCHASED A BRAND NEW FORD F150 TRUCK AND IMMEDIATELY BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE STEERING ISSUES. STEERING BECOMES STUCK ON A TURN AND THEN GETTING OUT OF TURN RESULTS IN SWERVING. I ALMOST WAS IN TWO HEAD-ON ACCIDENTS IN THE NARROW ROADS AROUND WHERE I DRIVE. THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUE... FOR
• 2012 FORD F-150 PICKUP TRUCKS DO NOT HAVE A GRAB HANDLE ON THE DRIVERS SIDE A PILLAR. FORD F-150 TRUCKS ARE HIGHER THAN PASSENGER CARS AND REQUIRE A DRIVER TO PULL OR HOLD ONTO AN OBJECT TO ENTER THE DRIVERS SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. FORD RECOMMENDS DRIVERS PULL ON THE STEERING WHEEL AS AN ASSIST WHEN

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 2 fire reports💥 7 crashes

“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FORD F-150. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHENEVER HE TURNED THE STEERING WHEEL, HE WOULD FEEL A BUMP COMING FROM THE STEERING WHEEL WHEN IT RETURNED TO THE STRAIGHTENED POSITION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS TOLD THAT THE STEERING COMPONEN”

— NHTSA complaint filing

ELECTRICAL

232 complaints

• FROM A DEAD STOP I ACCELERATED TO TURN INTO HER DRIVEWAY THE ENGINE HESITATED AND STUMBLED IT SOUNDED LIKE YOU HAD THROWN A HANDFUL OF MARBLES INSIDE THE INTAKE THE ENGINE MADE A FUNNY NOISE THEN DIED AFTER GETTING IT RESTARTED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON UPON RETURNING THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERS
• MY NEW FORD F150 HAS RECURRING ISSUES WITH THE SYNC SYSTEM. WE DRIVE DOWN THE ROAD, HANG UP THE BLUETOOTH CONNECTED PHONE AND THE RADIO WILL BEGIN PLAYING AT FULL VOLUME AND THE STEERING WHEEL CONTROLS STOP WORKING, OR YOU WILL BE STARTING THE CAR UP AND THE AIR CONDITIONING WILL BE FULL BLAST OR YO
• THIS IS VERY DISAPPOINTING TO HAVE TO EXPERIENCE SO SOON WITH A BRAND NEW TRUCK. THE LOCATION OF THIS WIRING HARNESS IS IN AN AREA THAT UNLESS YOU HAVE SIDE STEPS AND MAYBE EVEN THEN, IS NOT PROTECTED. EVEN THEN THE WAY THE WIRING HARNESS COMES OUT FROM WITHIN THE WHEEL WALL MAKES NO SENSE. I'M A

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 10 fire reports💥 6 crashes

— NHTSA complaint filing

SPEED CONTROL

211 complaints

• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FORD F-150. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, HE DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER, WHO WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE
• F150 ECOBOOST WHILE GOING DOWN A SLIGHT GRADE AT ABOUT 50 MPH IN DRIVE THE TRANSMISSION SUDDENLY SHIFTED DOWN A COUPLE OF GEARS THEREBY CAUSING THE ENGINE TO REV UP TO OVER 3,500 RPM. AFTER SEVERAL SECONDS THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTED BACK UP ONE STEP AT A TIME TO THE 6TH GEAR. THIS HAS HAPPENED AT
• WHILE ENTERING A HIGHWAY VIA AN ON-RAMP DOING ABOUT APPROXIMATELY 45 MILES PER HOUR I ATTEMPTED HARD ACCELERATION TO PICK UP SPEED AND MERGE IN TO TRAFFIC THAT WAS DOING APPROXIMATELY 65-70 MILES PER HOUR. WHEN I DEPRESSED THE THROTTLE THE VEHICLE DID NOT ACCELERATE, BUT IT STARTED TO HESITATE AND S

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 11 crashes

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FORD F-150. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, HE DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER, WHO WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE”

— NHTSA complaint filing

Estimated Repair Costs

TRANSMISSION(~50K mi)

$500

ENGINE(~50K mi)

$500

STEERING(~50K mi)

$500

ELECTRICAL(~50K mi)

$500

SPEED CONTROL(~50K mi)

$500

Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.

🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

Based on 2962 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:

☐
TRANSMISSION: TRANSMISSION SLAMS BETWEEN GEARS AND THE DRIVE TRAIN "ACTS" LIKE IT IS STICKING IN FOUR WHEEL DRIVE WHEN AT SLOW SPEEDS GOING AROUND CORNERS AND STARTING OUT WHEN YOU TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. IT HAS BECOME PROGRESSIVELY WORSE AND I AM CONCERNED THAT IT WILL BREAK OR EVEN WORSE WHEN OUT OF WARRANTY
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
ENGINE: FROM A DEAD STOP I ACCELERATED TO TURN INTO HER DRIVEWAY THE ENGINE HESITATED AND STUMBLED IT SOUNDED LIKE YOU HAD THROWN A HANDFUL OF MARBLES INSIDE THE INTAKE THE ENGINE MADE A FUNNY NOISE THEN DIED AFTER GETTING IT RESTARTED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON UPON RETURNING THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERS
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
STEERING: TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FORD F-150. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHENEVER HE TURNED THE STEERING WHEEL, HE WOULD FEEL A BUMP COMING FROM THE STEERING WHEEL WHEN IT RETURNED TO THE STRAIGHTENED POSITION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS TOLD THAT THE STEERING COMPONEN
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
ELECTRICAL: FROM A DEAD STOP I ACCELERATED TO TURN INTO HER DRIVEWAY THE ENGINE HESITATED AND STUMBLED IT SOUNDED LIKE YOU HAD THROWN A HANDFUL OF MARBLES INSIDE THE INTAKE THE ENGINE MADE A FUNNY NOISE THEN DIED AFTER GETTING IT RESTARTED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON UPON RETURNING THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERS
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)