2011 Ford F-150 Complaint Log

Transmission light came on and downshifted to first gear

At highway speeds speedometer started occasionally dropping to zero while actually going 55-65 mph. Then it became quite frequent AND the truck started spontaneous downshifting causing the rear wheels to break loose and the rear of truck to fishtail. It was terrifying.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving on an access road 30 MPH, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted to first gear, and the “Maintenance Required” warning light was illuminated. The contact immediately stopped the vehicle. The vehicle was restarted and driven to a local independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the output shaft speed sensor was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 157,000.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. The contact stated while shifted into reverse, the rear-view camera image was reversed. The contact stated that objects on the right side of the vehicle appeared on the left side on the screen. The contact stated that before the image was reversed, the camera image was pixelating. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent but became a recurring failure. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to several recalls related to the back-over prevention camera. However, neither the vehicle year nor the model was included. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 145,000.

I’ve had this specific issue happened a few times over the last year. Basically, my truck will get stuck in first gear, a wrench will pop up on the dashboard, and my odometer will go blank. Usually, my truck will stay in first gear until I put it in park and shut off the truck (to kind of “reset it”) and then crank it back up. Sometimes it takes multiple cycles of this. One time, I got stuck in third gear and had to use manual to shift it down to first gear (while driving), and then do the steps previously mentioned to “reset it”. Because of this, my truck has thrown a P0720 code. After research, it seems like the problem is with the molded lead frame. I have contacted multiple Ford dealerships, and they are definitely aware of the issue because each time they tell me that this issue used to be covered under warranty. The problem is, every dealership has said that this warranty expired some time ago (before I own the truck and before this started happening). Now they are saying the only way to prevent it is to spend $1600 for them to fix it. I don’t have $1600 to drop on a safety issue that is beyond my control. Especially since Ford knows about it. I have a video showing the last time it happened. I really hope this gets fixed because I do not want to be driving 60 miles an hour on the highway and suddenly drop into first gear.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted to a lower gear. The contact stated that the odometer became inoperable. The contact stated that the failure was linked to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V075000 (Power Train). The contact called the local dealer and was informed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.

On my.2011 ford f150 xlt the electrical power steering asssist failed completely while driving in traffic... It was incredibly hard to maintain control of the vehicle ... I had to use all my strength to get the wheel to turn what so ever. It was u credibly lucky that I didn't cause an accident because it made me steer into oncoming traffic and would.not let the vehicle.tur. the opposite direction. ..the warning light said service advance Trac and then said power steering assist failure.

Vehicle suddenly downshifts to a lower gear slowing the vehicle down rapidly and surprisingly

I have a wrench 🔧 showing up in the screen, the gears downshift,the gears shift from 3 to 6

Power Assist Fault warning is displayed and the power steering stops working while driving causing a dangerous situation. Stopping the truck and turning off the ignition and restarting it clears it. This condition is becoming more frequent and harder to clear. The last occurence was 12/28/2024. It happened about 10-12 times in a row.

The back window in my truck shattered right as I was exiting it in the garage. After it happened I read online that this is a very widespread issue with these trucks. My rear defroster was turned on. I haven’t replaced the window yet. PLEASE make Ford do a recall for this. It’s happening to way too many trucks solely because of poor design. People shouldn’t have to foot the high cost of replacement. Thank you.

While driving at about 50 MPH truck suddenly down shifted to 1st gear locked up rear wheels and sent engine into a roar. Instrument panel not showing speed or any information. Had transmission shop trouble shoot and determined frame rail failure. replaced frame rail and serviced.

While operating vehicle at highway speeds the speedometer suddenly drops to zero and the transmission downshifts to first gear without warning. Apparently a failure of the transmission speed sensor. (?) A driver unaware of this issue that continues to drive results in excessive heat and pressure developing in the differential..A recall has been issued by NHTSA but Ford and the local dealer refused to address the problem because my VIN was not included in the recall.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted. There was no warning light illuminated. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 202,000.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at approximately 50 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power while depressing the accelerator pedal. No warning was light illuminated. In addition, the contact stated that the RPM raised independently while the speed-o-meter went to zero. The contact was concerned because her child was in the vehicle during the failure. The contact pulled over the shoulder of the road and restarted the vehicle; however, while driving to the dealer the failure recurred and the vehicle was restarted. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the transmission molded lead frame needed to be replaced. The vehicle was left with the local dealer to be repaired. The contact stated that after further investigation, the failure was linked with NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V075000 (Power Train); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle unexpectedly downshifted and the rear driver's and passenger's side wheels locked up. The failure occurred on several occasions. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was determined that a software update was needed. A dealer was not contacted. The contact researched and was made aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V075000 (Power Train); however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 282,000.

The transmission downshifts inappropriately while driving (typically at higher speeds). I can see that there have been recalls for inappropriate downshifting during my model year, but Ford is saying there are no recalls on my truck. This has been an issue for a while. The power steering shut off while driving (while I was turning) I saw that there have also been recalls for power steering problems but Ford is saying there are no recalls on my truck. This recently started happening.

Transmission, shifted into 4th gear and would not shift out of 4th, Take the truck and inspect it if need be! Safety of my self and others as truck down shifted to 4th gear while driving speeds of 45mph, shot rpm’s over 6k. Problem has not been reproduced yet as of today 11/23/2024 Component wasn’t inspected by any option listed above but was mentioned in the NDOT accident report attached. No symptoms or warning likes before it appeared. Truck has NO warning lamps on including but not limited to check engine light or abs.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. The contact stated while started while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle downshifted with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the transmission lead frame failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 104,000.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle jerked and jumped. The contact stated that the speed odometer seized, and the transmission downshifted to 4th gear. In addition, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact drove to the intended destination with the transmission in 4th gear. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was informed of Customer Satisfaction Program: 19N01; however, the contact was informed that the program had expired in 2019. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 127,000.

At 45 mph the gear downshifted causing back tires to skid. Then gear illumination disappeared and wouldn't go into gear(while trying to leave a steep boat ramp) very scary!

This vehicle was repaired under a previous recall related to the transmission downshifting unexpectedly while driving. A year later, the vehicle is doing the same thing which leads me to question: was the repair done at all? OR was the repair done with defect parts? OR was the actual cause of the defect not actually determined? Either way, I believe this is a continued problem from a previous recall that was never properly dealt with.

Transmission range sensor failure. I do not remember ever receiving a recall letter after I purchased the truck used. Truck will no longer start or show what range it is in.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle downshifted from 6th gear to 5th gear unexpectedly. The power train warning light was illuminated. The speedometer dropped to "0", and the instrument cluster became inoperable. The contact pulled over to the side of the road. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle, and the vehicle responded as needed. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring while driving. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V075000 (Power Train); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 122,000.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 MPH, the transmission erroneously downshifted to first gear causing the vehicle to abruptly reduce speeds. The cause of the failure was not determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 143,000.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission unexpectedly shifted from third gear to first gear. The contact stated that the failure was persistent. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed main control lead frame. The contact was informed that the main control lead frame needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed that the repair was not covered under any recall or special coverage programs. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 144,000.

Unexpectedly downshifting into first gear result in a loss of vehicle control happened on September 20, 2024 and continue on and off.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle shifted abnormally rough was banging into gear, and was slow to engage. The contact also stated that upon attempting to shift into reverse, the vehicle initially failed to shift, prompting the contact to turn off the vehicle, after which the vehicle would shift but was slow to engage. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular failure. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the transmission lead frame. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 19N01. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 183,000.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH, the transmission slipped out of gear and unexpectedly downshifted to either 2nd or 3rd gear. The contact stated that the vehicle slowed immediately nearly causing a crash. The contact stated that the "WRENCH" symbol was illuminated. The contact pulled over and turned off and restarted the vehicle and the vehicle returned to normal functionality. The contact stated that the failure recurred. The contact drove the vehicle to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V075000 (Power Train). The contact called a dealer and was informed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 117,000.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. The contact stated while the mechanic was attempting to rotate the tires, it was discovered that the lug nuts on all four wheels were swollen and could not be easily removed. The contact was informed that the lug nuts would be damaged while being removed to rotate the tires. The lug nuts were removed, and the tires were rotated. The lug nuts were replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 154,000.

While driving, my truck down shifted suddenly. Already 3 times on different occasions.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the vehicle failed to start as intended. In addition, several warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V248000 (Power Train), which had a similar failure description, however the contact's VIN was not associated with the recall. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline and report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 135,000.

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.

A recall was issued for an intermittent failure of the transmission speed sensor (OSS), campaign 16S19. I took the truck to a Ford Dealership, Mike Reichenbach Ford, in Florence SC. The technician reprogrammed the PCM. This did not resolve the issue and the truck continues to downshift or not shift at all. I spoke with the dealership and with the Ford Motor Company. I believe this truck was taken to a dealership more than once without the issue being resolved. I am respectfully request Ford make good on the safety recall of a known issue.

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 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 sustained a crushed pelvis, six fractured ribs, and nerve damage. Medical attention was required for the injuries. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 170,000.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted without warning. The contact also stated that the vehicle resumed normal operation after being turned off and restarted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer nor the dealer were made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 122,000.

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 that the vehicle was recently repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V444000 (Power Train). The contact stated while driving approximately 70 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power with the wrench symbol illuminated. The contact stated that the speedometer went to 0 MPH. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal, but the vehicle failed to respond as intended. The contact pulled off the highway turned off and restarted the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle then started driving normally however, several miles later the failure reoccurred. The contact stated that when the failure reoccurred, the transmission failed to upshift past the third gear. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle and the vehicle drove normally. The contact stated that the failure was a recurring failure. The contact had not returned the vehicle to the dealer who had completed the repair under NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V444000 (Power Train). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 240,000.

There is an active recall for my specific year/make/model - yet I'm being told it doesn't apply to my vehicle - but my vehicle is absolutely having the exact issue described in the recall. How do I get this resolved? The issue is that my vehicle will unexpectedly downshift, (I believe into first gear, based on the RPM's that I get stuck at) almost always while I am driving at freeway speeds. When this happens, an orange wrench appears in my dashboard warning indicator for a brief moment, then I lose all gauges - my digital displays literally just turn to blank dashes as I lose power and the ability to accelerate. My gauges all drop to as if the vehicle isn't even on, my speedometer displays "--" and my RPM's remain at approximately 1500 regardless of whether I try to accelerate or decelerate. If I decelerate, because I'm in the improper gear for the speed I'm traveling - I will not be able to accelerate. The only way for me to resolve the issue is to try and find somewhere to safely pull over, put the vehicle in park, turn the engine off, wait a few moments and then restart the engine. This happens without warning and at random. Sometimes multiple times in a day, sometimes not at all for a couple of weeks. I don't understand how my vehicle is exempt from the recall. This has been ongoing for several months now. Thank you for your consideration

I bought a set of 4 of these tires at the BIG O store at 2420 W. Northern Phoenix Az, on 12/2022. Within the first year I began to feel a wobble on the front. Then one day I woke up to the left drivers side tire flat, so I took it to Big O and they replaced the tire because a big screw went through the tread to where they had to replace it, plus it had a bubble on the tread. Then they rotated the tires. So the new tire was on the left rear and the old CXV was on the front. So months later, I started feeling the front start to wobble again. I looked at the left front (CXV) tire and found that it had a big bubble on the better part of a quarter of the tread portion of the tire. I took it back to Big O tire and they replaced it again. They said it was due to the heat. But they marked the right front tire with yellow crayon where the bubble on this tire was. But said nothing about it. Then a week or two ago I started feeling the wobble again So I saw That the right front tire had a bubble on the tread again. This was the same tire that BIG O had marked and let me drive away with. So 3 tires of the CXV performer have had the bubbles on the better part of 30-50% of the tread. I have not got this tire fixed yet. I was going to go back to Michelin's or Yokohama. The tire is very bad. I called the BIG O tire and they said it was because I have not rotated the tires as often as I should have. They said it was going to cost me the same price for the new one. I told them I wanted this tire back as I was going to send it to NHTSA. Then the guy said, "oops your still under warranty, we can replace it for the price of the warranty certificates. We havent had any problems with those tires." I wonder if this is true? My niece bought tires from BIG O same make and had the same problem with her tires. Please investigate this before someone dies or gets hurt from these tires falling apart at high speeds. I am out the money for new tires.

I bought a used 2011 Super Crew 4x4 in June 2023. Since then, the truck has had almost daily occurrences of the steering sticking to the left during shallow turns at speeds over roughly 25 MPH (e.g. lane changes, wide sweeping turns, round abouts, etc). It requires quick recognition of the issue and a modest tug to return the wheel to center and avoid potential unintended lane changes or collision with objects or curbs to the left. After scouring forums and this site, it appears there are numerous 2011 F150s with this problem and over 400 steering related NTHSA complaints, mostly of similar reports. There are 2 Ford TSBs to this effect, but no recall. How is it that a reverse light warning issue with a 10th of the complaints gets a recall, but not this recognized, potentially dangerous/deadly steering problem? I don't have $2500 to fix this and it's obviously out of warranty. Please do something!

The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. The contact stated that after accelerating from a stop light, the vehicle downshifted unexpectedly without warning while driving 30 MPH. The contact stated that rear tires locked up due to the failure and the vehicle screeched and the contact lost control of the vehicle. The contact was able to pull over and restart the vehicle, and the vehicle resumed normal operation. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that there were no recalls on the vehicle. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V075000 (Power Train) which was linked to the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.

The truck is not shifting properly it fails to downshift or will downshift on its own. I have almost had an accident due to this happening and did the update on the recall but it hasn't helped.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently downshifted and the vehicle would stall with the wrench warning light illuminated. The contact restarted the vehicle, but the failure persisted. The dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 114,000.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the maintenance warning light illuminated. The contact became aware that the transmission had independently shifted several times. In addition, all the instrument gauges had dropped to zero. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The contact stated that an appointment was scheduled for the vehicle to be diagnosed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The contact was informed of an unknown recall however, the contact was informed that the recall had expired. The failure mileage was approximately 77,000.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at various speeds over a bumpy road surface, the vehicle jerked, downshifted to first gear unexpectedly and stalled. The ABS warning light, the power train warning light, the traction control warning light, and other unknown warning lights were illuminated. The message "Check Braking System" was displayed. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring intermittently. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed or 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 notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the transmission was slipping between gears with an unknown warning light illuminated. The contact stated that when the failure occurred, the transmission intermittently became inoperable but then regained normal functionality. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer; however, the vehicle could not be repaired under Customer Satisfaction Program: 19N01 (Transmission Molded Leadframe Extended Coverage) because the campaign had expired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 199,000.

Was in 6th gear(on a 6speed transmission) and immediately my truck downshifted to 1st gear causing my back tires to lock up and almost crash into a median. This is due to a CSP that Ford no longer offers to fix because it "expired".

Unexpectedly downshifted to first gear from 4th gear.