Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (headlights, tail lights, turn signals, interior lights).
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 while reversing the vehicle, the rearview camera turned off. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the rearview camera and instrument cluster would turn off intermittently. Additionally, the contact stated that upon moving the gear shifter into reverse(R), the vehicle failed to respond, and the reverse(R) indicator light failed to illuminate. The contact stated that the vehicle hesitated to respond while driving from a complete stop. Additionally, the contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to shift into a lower or higher gear. The contact stated that the powertrain and check engine warning lights had been illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local Pep Boys, where it was diagnosed that the transmission range sensor (TRS) had failed. …
The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the vehicle was parked and upon shifting into reverse (R), the vehicle failed to respond, and the gear shift indicator light failed to illuminate. The power train warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an unknown dealer, where grease was added to the transmission rim; however, the failure recurred while attempting to reverse two years later. The contact stated that he continuously moved the gear shifter between the gears until the vehicle responded as needed; however, the failure recurred. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring increasingly. The power train warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that he turned off and restarted the vehicle, and the vehicle would respond as needed after several attempts. …
The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. The contact was parked in the residence driveway and had moved the shift lever into "drive" and depressed the accelerator pedal to begin to move forward down the driveway. The contact stated that the vehicle was in "reverse" and not in "drive" and the vehicle backed into the garage door at approximately 2 MPH, hitting the door with the trailer hitch. The contact stated that the "PRNDL" illumination on the dashboard was not functioning and he observed that the "check engine" was also illuminated. The contact drove the vehicle to a local dealer and it was diagnosed that the "Lead Frame" and the "Transmission Range Selector" needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact researched online and determined that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V190000 (Power Train, Exterior Lighting). …
The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced a loss of motive power. Additionally, the turn signal failed to deactivate after turning and the instrument panel displayed a blank image. The vehicle was not yet diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 180,000.
On 10/1/22whike driving my 2011 Ford F-150 eco boost with a130 k miles the service advancetrac warning came on along with turn signals not working and the electronic power assist failure warning came on and stayed on .This is a well documented issue with 2011-2014 f150s especially 2011 model because this is the first year cord changed to Electronic power steering,the issue almost caused me to wreck while taking the on ramp curve to INTERSTATE 10 in Port Arthur Tx .The hundreds of thousands to millions of complaints on this safety issue and the lack of ford not addressing it on the first year this electronic power steering was offered needs to be taken care of by Ford .This is extremely dangerous.It makes no sense for them to have a TSB ON THis issue on models 4 years after they started offereing EPAS on the same body style and not on the first year it was offered.Plese address this with …
BostonMA2266United States1/1/2026"Are LED manufacturers trying to destroy my country, or pushing the slightly less nefarious agenda of stimulating auto-wreck insurance companies and Lens Crafters? It's unbelievable how so many people keep wanting to go back down an old, broken road."
Vehicle abruptly downshifted to lower gear during a busy street almost causing an accident....dash miss indicating gears and almos hitting a person going reverse when I suppose togo forward...no reverse lights needing help to park when dark
In 2016 I went to get recall repaired from franklin tn dealership I purchased the truck from, they refused, in 2019, they claim that the software was not available from Ford, online in emails to another dealer, I have not been told when to bring truck in to get all recalls repaired. Both dealerships are in tn. When in first gear, the truck will jerk back down and won't allow me to go to 2nd gear without pressing hard on gas, loud fan noise from the hood, breaks go to the floor and I have to pump to feel truck slowing down, air and heat continue to not work, air won't get cool and heat won't get hot, both dealerships have refused to repair or blamed Ford for not giving them what they needed to fix the recalls. I am documenting so my family will be able to give this to attorney. The down shift happens when the truck is in drive moving on any and every street, parking lot, stop light/sign. …
2011 f-150 xlt will not go into reverse or other times when you put it in reverse the vehicle behaves like it's in neutral then will suddenly shoot backwards (does this in drive as well-forward). When this occurs the backup lamps do not illuminate and the backup camera does not function and the instrument panel does not display the what status the vehicle is in...ie drive/reverse etc.... I took the vehicle to my mechanic who immediately informed me the vehicle was under recall (NHTSA campaign #12V190000). He printed the service bulletin and recall info. I took the vehicle to Ford where I was told my VIN # did not fall under the recall despite the fact it's the same exact model transmission, vehicle, and issue to the letter. It should be known that many more vehicles are affected beyond the initial recall. …
After receiving recall 19s07-19v-075 by mail and having it reprogrammed by crater lake Ford medford,or the transmission shifts worse than the original. My vehicle was manufactured at georgia plant. 3.7 flex fuel. I was in cruise control going down a mountain pass with my foot on the brake and the cruise control failed to disengage and then abruptly shifted to a lower gear. The cruise control works flawlessly on most grades. The problem only seems to occur when during on highways in the mountains. 39K miles. Way too many light bulbs have gone out on this model. Never off-roaded . Not a work truck. Never even towed anything. Since that downhill cruise control problem occurred, now I have an antifreeze coolant leak at the expansion overflow tank on the 3/4 quick disconnect hose . Vehicle has never overheated. Low speed high rev before shifting into 2nd gear. …
Related recalls
Exterior lighting › Back up lights
Ford is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Ford f-150, 2012 expedition and Lincoln navigator, and 2012-2013 mustang vehicles, for failing to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard nos.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the trs as necessary, free of charge. The safety recall began on June 11, 2012.
Headlight complaints in other F-150 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are headlight problems on the 2011 Ford F-150?
NHTSA has 30 complaints about the lights of the 2011 Ford F-150, 1% of the model year's 2,193 complaints. The component named most often is turn signal (2 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2011 Ford F-150 headlight problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 12V-190 (back up lights, May 3, 2012). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2011 Ford F-150 headlight problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 75,000 miles, and 13% before 25,000 miles.
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.