Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
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 owned a 2011 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at 15 MPH and making a left turn, in the middle of the turn, the instrument panel turned off, and the vehicle jerked forward before losing automotive power. The contact was not able to clear the intersection in time and the vehicle crashed into another vehicle on the passenger's side. The contact stated that the vehicle rolled over onto the driver's side. The contact was thrown halfway through the window while the vehicle was flipping over onto the side of the vehicle, and the contact lay underneath the vehicle. Soldiers arrived at the scene and lifted the vehicle to release the contact out of the driver-side door. The air bags had deployed. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard. The contact was unaware if a police report was filed. The vehicle was destroyed. …
The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. While driving 50 MPH, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted into first gear and the rear wheels locked up. The contact stated that while in third gear, the vehicle shifted to fourth gear unexpectedly. The transmission failed to shift above fifth gear. The contact stated that the transmission failed to shift out of first gear. After turning off the vehicle, the vehicle resumed normal operation. The check engine warning light was illuminated, and the wrench symbol was displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and the failure was associated with the sensor. The transmission sensor was replaced; however, the failure reoccurred. The failure persisted over time. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. …
The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the speedometer became inoperable, the vehicle hesitated to respond while depressing the accelerator pedal, and the vehicle shifted sluggishly into gear. The check engine warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle shifted into first gear unintendedly. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring increasingly, causing the vehicle to accelerate or decelerate unintendedly. The dealer and several independent mechanics were contacted and informed the contact that the failure could be related to the transmission leadframe and the valve body; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer informed the contact that the vehicle was not covered under NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V075000 (Power Train). …
The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and failed to respond as needed. The check engine warning light was illuminated, with an abnormal sound coming from the engine compartment. The contact shifted to neutral to allow the vehicle to come to a stop on the side of the road. The contact stated that the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the timing chain had fractured, and a part of the timing chain was stuck to the lower engine block. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The contact had the vehicle towed to a local dealer for a secondary diagnostic test. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. …
The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. The contact stated while attempting to reverse out of the driveway, the accelerator pedal was depressed however, the vehicle failed to respond. The vehicle was shifted to PARK, restarted, and shifted into drive, and operated as designed. The check engine warning light was illuminated. Several hours later that day after returning from the gas station, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled while approaching his residence. The contact attempted to restart the vehicle however, the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was pushed onto the driveway and shifted into PARK. The contact performed a diagnostic test and retrieved a code for a defective transmission range sensor. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 290,000.
The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted. The check engine and another unknown warning light were illuminated. The tachometer and speedometer were inoperable. The contact pulled over, and the transmission remained stuck in first gear. The vehicle was restarted, but the failure persisted. The contact was able to drive to the residence. The contact stated that the dealer had previously replaced the engine and determined that the transmission position sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V075000 (Power Train); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 250,000.
The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission unintendedly downshifted to first gear, causing the vehicle to lose motive power. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart and reset. The contact stated that the failure had recurred several times while driving. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with an output shaft speed sensor failure. The contact was informed that the transmission lead frame needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. No further information was available. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The manufacturer advised the contact to report the failure to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 133,456.
The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the transmission unintendedly downshifted to first gear with the transmission warning light illuminated. In addition, the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal soon after restarting the engine. The contact stated that the RPM's revved to 3,000 or 4,000 RPM while driving at slow speeds. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and remained in the dealer possession for over a month. The dealer later diagnosed the vehicle with a defective timing chain. The timing chain was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 155,000.
The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle down shifted independently with the check engine and power train warning lights illuminated. The contact was able to pull over and shut off the vehicle. After several attempts the contact was able to restart the vehicle, but the vehicle would only shift into drive. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and the contact was informed that the molded leadframe needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the warranty on the vehicle had expired and advised to contact NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was 120,000.
The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the contact heard an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle inadvertently downshifted and the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact was able to pull over on the side of the road and shut off the vehicle. The contact restarted the vehicle and the vehicle operated normally. The dealer was contacted and stated that the vehicle needed to be diagnosed. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the vehicle was not under warranty and referred the contact to contact the dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 135,000.
NHTSA investigations
Reduced power during hard acceleration
On May 22, 2013, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE13-018 to investigate 95 complaints alleging incidents of reduced engine power during hard accelerations in model year (MY) 2011 through 2013 Ford F-150 trucks.ODI was aware of three technical service bulletins (TSBs) issued by Ford for a condition that was related to moisture accumulation in the Charge Air Cooler (CAC) for the turbochargers.A…
Engine complaints in other F-150 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2011 Ford F-150?
NHTSA has 511 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2011 Ford F-150, 23% of the model year's 2,193 complaints. The component named most often is engine (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2011 Ford F-150 engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling 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 engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 50,000 miles, and 27% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 10 crashes, 3 fires and 2 injuries to engine & cooling 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.