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All cars · Ford F-150

2011 Ford F-150.

The 2011 Ford F-150 is about average by owner complaints: 699 complaints in its first 3 years and a Lemon Index of 103, where 100 is the average car. Owners complain most about engine, it has 6 recalls, and it gets 13 to 19 mpg combined. The best Ford F-150 year is 2007.

Covers the whole F-Series (F-150 plus the F-250/F-350 Super Duty): Ford reports their sales together.

103Lemon Index · 100 = average car

About average.

Best year 2007 · Worst year 2019

Ford F-150
Photo shows a 2016 Ford F-150. MercurySable99, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · background removed

Before you buy. What matters most for this car.

Most common problemEngine35% of owner complaintsRecalls6Free fix at any dealerBetter year to buy20072.5× fewer complaints than averageRepair notes from Ford138Ask a seller if they were done
Owner complaints699first 3 years
Fuel economy13–19 mpgcombined, EPA
Crash test★★★★☆NHTSA overall

How serious. Out of 2,764 owner complaints, owners reported:

64crashes
33injuries
30fires
64tows
138 repair notes from Ford

Every Ford F-150 year. 2011 is highlighted. Lower is better.

200094about average2001871.1× fewer complaints2002561.8× fewer complaints2003621.6× fewer complaints2004100about average2005861.2× fewer complaints2006881.1× fewer complaints2007402.5× fewer complaints2008671.5× fewer complaints2009472.1× fewer complaints2010502× fewer complaints2011103about average201299about average2013671.5× fewer complaints2014422.4× fewer complaints2015891.1× fewer complaints201699about average20171601.6× the complaints20181161.2× the complaints20191701.7× the complaints2020621.6× fewer complaints20211111.1× the complaints20221151.1× the complaints202380early read · 1.2× fewer complaints202454early read · 1.9× fewer complaints202534early read · 2.9× fewer complaints

What owners complain about most. From owner complaints to the government.

engine35%
steering23%
transmission & drivetrain20%
speed control14%
suspension12%

Share of this year's owner complaints filed with NHTSA, not the share of cars that break. One complaint can name more than one area.

Transmission problems in every Ford F-150 year →

When owners reported problems. From owner complaints to the government.

half by 69K
0K50K100K150K200K

Most owners who filed a complaint with NHTSA had 35K to 110K miles on the car (2,316 complaints listed the miles). This shows when people who had a problem reported it, not the odds that your car will have it.

  • transmission & drivetrain complaints mostly came at 51K–137K miles
  • steering complaints mostly came at 35K–105K miles
  • engine complaints mostly came at 27K–86K miles

Recalls 6

  • transmission & drivetrain 2019

    The transmission may unexpectedly downshift into first gear, regardless of vehicle speed.

  • transmission & drivetrain 2016

    The affected vehicles are equipped with an automatic transmission that may unexpectedly downshift to first gear, regardless of vehicle speed.

  • transmission & drivetrain 2012

    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. …

Show all 6 recalls
  • transmission & drivetrain 2011

    FORD IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011 F-150 VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM SEPTEMBER 9, 2011, THROUGH SEPTEMBER 22, 2011, AND MODEL YEAR 2012 F-250, F-350, F-450 AND F-550 HEAVY DUTY VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM SEPTEMBER …

  • electrical 2011

    FORD IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011 FORD F-150, F-250, F-350, F-450, F-550, EDGE, AND LINCOLN MKX TRUCKS MANUFACTURED FROM OCTOBER 25, 2010, THROUGH NOVEMBER 20, 2010.

  • body structure 2010

    FORD IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011 F-150, F-250, F-350, F-450, F-550, EDGE AND LINCOLN MKX VEHICLES.

Recall repairs are free at any dealer. A recall only matters if it's still open on that exact car, so check its VIN.

Check a VIN for open recalls

Problems Ford told dealers about

Ford sent dealers 138 repair notes for this car. The ones about its biggest problems:

  • There is a clicking noise coming from the engine
  • When making left hand turns, the steering wheel lacks return ability to center location
  • Stumble/misfire intermittently on acceleration from highway cruise in humid or damp conditions

Ask a seller or mechanic if these were done. Some are free under warranty or a special program.

Government investigations

  • ClosedUnexpected transmission downshift2017–2019
  • ClosedBrake vacuum pump failure2015–2016
  • ClosedBrake vacuum pump failure2015
  • ClosedVehicle commanded engine shutdown2015–2016

NHTSA looks into a problem when enough owners report it. Many end in a recall.

Safety

Stability controlStandard
Collision warningNot offered
Lane departure warningNot offered
NHTSA front crash test of the 2011 Ford F-150
Front crash test · NHTSA
Crash test details
VersionOverallFrontSideRollover
Ford F-150 Regular Cab PU/RC 4x4★★★★☆★★★☆☆★★★★★★★★☆☆
Ford F-150 Regular Cab PU/RC 4x2★★★★☆★★★☆☆★★★★★★★★★☆
Ford F-150 Super Crew PU/CC 4x4★★★★☆★★★☆☆★★★★★★★★☆☆
Ford F-150 Super Crew PU/CC 4x2★★★★☆★★★☆☆★★★★★★★★★☆
Fuel cost and engines

About $3400–4950 a year in fuel (EPA estimate). Engines: 3.5L 6-cyl, 3.7L 6-cyl, 5.0L 8-cyl, 6.2L 8-cyl.

In owners' words

Hit a slight bump in the road and the truck started to shake violently and the steering wheel had severe shaking. Had to slow down to 30mph before the truck quite shaking and allowed me to return to normal speed.

2011 Ford F-150 owner · NHTSA complaint 10572557
More owner reports

Engine shakes and loses power when you try and speed up.

NHTSA complaint 10638364

Truck lost all power, could not maintain speed. No throttle response.

NHTSA complaint 10512048

Quick answers

Is the 2011 Ford F-150 reliable?

About average by government complaints. It drew about the average number of complaints filed with NHTSA in its first 3 years, per car sold (Lemon Index 103; 100 is average, lower is better). The best Ford F-150 year by this measure since 2010 is 2025.

What are the most common 2011 Ford F-150 problems?

In owner complaints to the government, the parts named most are engine (35%), steering (23%) and transmission & drivetrain (20%). That is the share of complaints, not the share of cars that break.

How many recalls does the 2011 Ford F-150 have?

6 safety recalls (latest: transmission & drivetrain). Recall repairs are free at any dealer; check a specific car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2011 Ford F-150 get?

13 to 19 mpg combined, depending on the engine (EPA estimate).

Is the 2011 Ford F-150 safe?

NHTSA gave it 4 out of 5 stars overall in its best tested version. Ratings differ by body style, and the full table is on the advanced page.

At what mileage do 2011 Ford F-150 problems start?

Half of the owners who gave a mileage reported the problem between 35,000 and 110,000 miles. The middle report was at 69,000 miles, from 2,316 complaints.

Does the 2011 Ford F-150 have transmission problems?

Transmission and drivetrain issues make up 20% of its owner complaints.

How much does the 2011 Ford F-150 cost in fuel a year?

About $3400 to $4950 a year, by the EPA's current estimate.

What engines does the 2011 Ford F-150 have?

3.5L 6-cyl, 3.7L 6-cyl, 5.0L 8-cyl, 6.2L 8-cyl.

What Ford F-150 year is better than the 2011?

By owner complaints per car sold, the best recent years are 2014, 2010 and 2020.

Lemon Index = safety complaints filed with the U.S. government (NHTSA) in a car's first 3 years, per car sold, against the average car of the same model year. 100 is average; lower is better. A complaint is an owner's report, not a confirmed defect. How it works

Updated

Free to use with credit: Source: The Lemon Index (lemonindex.com). Get the data