Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
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).
I was driving with the cruise control engaged set at 60 mph. Approached an intersection with traffic light with traffic stopped in both westbound lanes. Tapped the brake to deactivate the cruise control. The cruise control did not turn off but instead tapping the brake caused the truck to accelerate. Released the brake pressure and reapplied brake pressure. This action again caused the truck to accelerate. To avoid hitting stopped traffic I moved to the right hand turn lane which was free of traffic. The truck continued to accelerate as I applied brake pressure. As my truck entered the intersection a collision occurred with a northbound vehicle. The collision severely damaged my vehicle and the struck vehicle with injuries to myself and the other driver. Crash speed had to be over 60 mph. This was all captured by a traffic camera. My F-150 had 31,900 on the odometer. …
The vehicle was being driven with the cruise control set. Upon approaching an intersection on a four lane divided roadway I tapped the brakes to deactivate the cruise control. When pressure was applied to the brake pedal the cruise control did not disengage but the vehicle accelerated instead. I released pressure to the brake pedal and the vehicle continued at the cruise control set speed. I again applied pressure to the brake pedal and the vehicle again accelerated. To avoid striking stopped traffic I moved into the right turn lane with the vehicle continuing to accelerate as I attempted to brake the vehicle. Upon entering the intersection my vehicle struck another pickup truck broadside. I believe speed at the point of impact was 60 plus miles per hour. My vehicle then continued on and struck two utility poles. Both vehicles were damaged beyond repair. …
The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the output speed sensor failed to function properly, causing the vehicle not to operate and accelerate as needed. The contact pulled over, turned off, restarted the vehicle, and was able to continue driving. The contact stated that several times after turning off and restarting the vehicle, the vehicle failed to return to normal operation. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnosis. The contact was informed that the output speed sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact linked the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V075000 (Power Train); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 170,000.
The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle unintendedly accelerated. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was restarted; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The mechanic diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the failure was caused by faulty wheel speed sensors. The contact was informed that the wheel speed sensor and the lead frame needed to be replaced. The dealer was also contacted; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 94,000.
The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at 55 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle did not accelerate as intended. In addition, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact turned off, restarted the vehicle and continued to drive. The contact noticed a loud sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with a failure of the onboard speed sensor and the onboard speed sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 214,000.
The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to slow the vehicle, the contact became aware that the brakes were not functioning properly. The contact stated that upon releasing the brake pedal, the vehicle continued to decelerate. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed failures with the brake calipers and brake lines. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 114,000. The VIN was not available.
The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the brakes would not engage when the brake pedal was depressed. The contact was also stated that the vehicle made an abnormally loud grinding sound whenever the brake pedal was depressed. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the local dealer nor an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was relating the failure to an unknown recall. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 128,000.
The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked on an incline, the contact started the vehicle and depressed the brake pedal; however, the vehicle started to roll backwards. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was determined that the vacuum booster pump had failed. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that the vacuum booster was previously replaced in 2018. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.
The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle unintendedly downshifted to first gear. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to shift out of first gear. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The mechanic retrieved a fault code for a failure with the output speed sensor. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and the contact was informed that the vehicle was not covered under warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 170,000.
The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the brake vacuum pump was defective causing the brake pedal to be soft whenever depressed. The contact had initially taken the vehicle to a dealer where they repaired the vacuum assist pump under warranty. A few months later, the contact stated that the failure returned, and the vehicle was taken back to the dealer. The contact was informed that the vehicle was no longer under warranty. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure and referred him to NHTSA for assistance. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
NHTSA investigations
Brake Vacuum Pump Failure
On June 22, 2015, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation PE15-026 to investigate incidents of increased brake pedal effort at cold start and extended stopping distance while driving in traffic, resulting from failures of the electric brake vacuum assist pump in model year (MY) 2011-2012 Ford F-150 pickup trucks equipped with 3.5L GTDI engines.
Brake Vacuum Pump Failure
On February 15, 2016, Ford Motor Company initiated Customer Satisfaction Program 15N05 to extend warranty coverage for the electric vacuum pump in certain model year (MY) 2011 through 2012 Ford F-150 pickup trucks equipped with 3.5L GTDI engines.The program extends coverage for up to 10 years of service or 150,000 miles from the warranty start date of the vehicle, all vehicles are eligible for the program through…
Brake complaints in other F-150 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 2011 Ford F-150?
NHTSA has 184 complaints about the brakes of the 2011 Ford F-150, 8% of the model year's 2,193 complaints. The component named most often is antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip › wheel speed sensor/tone ring (5 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2011 Ford F-150 brake problems?
No. NHTSA lists no brakes recall for the 2011 Ford F-150, though it has 6 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2011 Ford F-150 brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 59,000 miles, and 14% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 17 crashes, 1 fire and 11 injuries to brakes 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.