Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2011 Ford F-150 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while the vehicle was at the body shop for repair, the mechanic informed the contact that the quarter panels and chassis were rusted. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer and manufacturer were not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 134,000.
The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. The contact stated that there was rust on the side panels near the wheels and underneath. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined there was excessive rust on the subframe. There was no plug to drain the water. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was unknown. The VIN was not available.
Both rear passenger door locks failed while vehicle in motion, thus allowing doors to swing open while vehicle in motion. First occurrence drivers side rear door May 25, 2019, second occurrence May 1 2024. Replacement parts order from Ford to repair both times. No obvious reason for failures. Original parts on hand.
While traveling the vehicle unexpectedly puts itself into park. The vehicle then locks up the breaks and skids across the road. After skidding the vehicle's throttle does not work and the vehicle is inoperable. This has happened for approximately two (2) years. It has happened while driving at high speed (70 MPH) on a limited access highway facility. It has occurred at stop lights. In one instance while at a stop light the vehicle ceased to operate and was struck by another vehicle. Last week was notified by the vehicle manufacturer that they were conducting a recall for the exact reason that has caused me problems for the past two years. The malfunction has caused mechanical damages to the vehicle's suspension, steering, tires, and acceleration. The vehicle vibrates uncontrollably at any speed over 35 MPH. There are also rattling inside and outside of the vehicle.
At my house, the driveway is sloped. I had just parked the truck, turned the engine off, but left key in accessory position. My two daughters were in back seat (3 and 8 years old) watching a movie. I walked into my garage to drop off coffee, went back to the truck to retrieve pastries and then walked them into garage. I was out of the truck for 3-4 minutes. I went back to truck and took my three year old out of her car seat. She sits in rear seat, passenger side. I had her in my arms when I opened passenger side front door, reached across to remove keys. When I removed the keys from the ignition the truck began rolling down the driveway. My 8 year old was 1/2 out of the truck when it began to roll. I quickly put my 3 year old down and grabbed the 8 year old out of the truck. The truck was making a metal clicking sound the entire time it was rolling. …
The back window of my f150 shattered for no apparent reason. The truck is kept in storage because it's used only to pull a camper on a few occassions during the year. On January 25, 2018 I went into the bed of the f150 to install a new break light into the dome of the bed. Once the light was installed, I opened the door of the f150 to test the light and I manually with my hand, pressed down gently on the brake. The break light went on and I re-attached the lighting unit to the truck. About 1 minute after that a loud boom was heard and I saw that the rear window that divides the cab seat and the bed, on the passanger side was not only shattered, but the middle had broken apart and there was glass not only in the bed of the truck, but also the back seat of the truck was covered in glass. The truck was in a garage where it had been stored for weeks earlier. …
Please reference case: vehicle make/model: model year(s): Ford/f-150 2009-2010 manufacturer: Ford motor company mfr's report date: January 28, 2011 NHTSA campaign id number: 11V049000 NHTSA action number: n/a component: structure: body: door potential number of units affected: 280,946 I have a 2011 with the same problem as above. The drivers side door handle does not return to closed. This has caused the door to fail to latch when being closed on multiple occasions, and has caused the "door ajar" warning indication to trigger when riding down the roadway. On at least one occasion the door has opened while being driven due to the latch not engaging. Please review and consider having the NHTSA action expanded to the 2011 year model f-150. Problem has been ongoing for several months. …
My rear bumper is rusting away around the back up sensors. I mentioned it to the Ford dealership where I take my vehicle for everything since it was purchased and they said they can not do anything. According to the rust warranty on my vehicle there literally has to be a hole rusted thru the vehicle for the warranty to kick in. This is ridiculous I purchased the vehicle in nov 2011 after returning from iraq and wanting a tough no nonsense vehicle. I have only had the vehicle 3.5 years and the bumper is rusting out. I could see if it was the front bumper that gets hit with rocks and debris from highways and a small nick can turn into damage. But this is the rear bumper and im going to have to replace it. Ford rust warranty what a joke.
When the 2 rear doors are locked, it is haphazard when they will unlock or open, either manually or from the inside. When I have children in car seats in the rear seats and I am unable to open either door it can be a matter of life or death in cases of emergencies. Not everyone is able to crawl from the front seat to the rear seats to get babies out of their car seats. The doors will not unlock with the front door panel controls or the remote key. It does not matter if stationary or in motion, the doors still will not unlock . The date of 5/01/2019 is an approximate date, as this has been an off & on again problem. Now that I have babies to transport, it needs to be addressed.
We were driving down the highway at 10:30 pm going 55mph. All of a sudden, we heard a very loud bang that almost caused me to run off the road, thankfully I didn't. I pulled over to investigate and there was nothing wrong until I looked at the back glass. The back glass on the passenger side was completely shattered. Out of no where. Mind you, there was nothing wrong with this prior. I haven't even had this truck for thirty days yet and this happened. I was especially worried because my 4year old daughter was in the back seat, on the passenger side. She could have been seriously injured due to this.
Related recalls
Structure › Body
Ford is recalling certain model year 2011 f-150, f-250, f-350, f-450, f-550, edge and Lincoln mkx vehicles. During a six-day production period, the supplier of the body control module manufactured modules that May have the potential for an internal short.
Remedy: Dealer will replace the body control module if necessary free of charge. The safety recall began on January 11, 2011. Owners May contact Ford at 1-866-436-7332.
Body complaints in other F-150 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2011 Ford F-150?
NHTSA has 33 complaints about the body & structure of the 2011 Ford F-150, 2% of the model year's 2,193 complaints. The component named most often is body (27 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2011 Ford F-150 body problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 10V-659 (body, Dec 29, 2010). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2011 Ford F-150 body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 60,000 miles, and 14% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 0 fires and 1 injury to body & structure problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.