10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
5 / 10
Injuries / Deaths:
4 / 0
Average Mileage:
68,743 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.

Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2011 Ford F-150:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #44

Feb 192014

F-150

  • 24,000 miles
Rear sliding window defroster stopped working and driver's side heated seat also stopped working. Prior to heated seat stopping to work, it became so hot it actually made my leg so hot it hurt. If I was wearing shorts skin would of been burnt. At the time seat and defroster stopped working I smelled wires burning. Googled these problems I saw this is a very common occurrence. Took my truck to dealership, Ford will fix seat, but it will cost me $100 deductible. Rear window defroster is not covered by my extended warranty. At this time waiting to hear back from Ford. There are at least 20-30 complaints on this site about rear defroster, Ford needs to be held accountable for this defect.

- Ewing, NJ, USA

problem #43

Aug 272013

F-150 4WD 6-cyl

  • 45,000 miles
We were traveling down the interstate when the red battery light came on. Shortly thereafter loss of power steering, loss of stability control (per dash indicator), and loss of power brakes. I have had the alternator replaced 2 separate times since for a total of three (3) alternators as well as one new battery. Now truck is in shop again for same malfunction. 2011 Ford F150 lariat. Crew cab. V-6 engine. Only 54000 miles and I am anticipating my fourth (4th) alternator. I use the truck in non-mountainous terrain, mostly highway for errands, and rarely tow. I believe a recall investigation should commence.

- Madison, SD, USA

problem #42

Dec 302014

F-150

  • 39,000 miles
The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. While driving 65 mph, the steering wheel was difficult to maneuver. The contact also stated that the entire electrical control panel failed and the instrument panel illuminated intermittently. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The VIN was not available. The approximate failure mileage was 39,000.

- Weston , WV, USA

problem #41

Jan 282015

F-150

  • 35,000 miles
A week or two before the incident I noticed that the light on the rear defrost button no longer turned on when the rear defrost button was pressed. I wasn't sure if the rear defrost was working or not. On the morning of the incident it was cool outside and the windows were frosty. I pressed the rear defrost button after starting the truck and it once again did not light up. I started driving to work with my two kids in the back seat. After driving a couple miles I heard a loud noise as if something had hit the truck. I looked in all the mirrors to find what had hit the truck and noticed that the passenger side of the rear window had shattered. It hadn't fallen out of the frame, but was spider-webbed throughout. When I took the truck to the dealer the service manager said he had seen 5 other 2010-2011 F-150's just this winter with the exact same issue. This should be considered a safety issue. From other complaints that I've read the window does sometimes shatter out of the frame and into the cab of the truck. If it had done so in this instance it would have fallen in the face of my 11-month old son sitting directly under it.

- Evansville, IN, USA

problem #40

Jan 022015

F-150 4WD 8-cyl

  • 40,200 miles
While driving my normal commute to work on an average cold day the rear defroster shorted out, caught fire and blew out the rear window on the passenger side (three part sliding window) following this incident the passenger seat heater and rear defroster fail to operate. At this same time the auxiliary power plug blew fuses in two devices. I took the pickup to our local dealership and told them what happened along with the fact that I have an extended 75,000 mile warranty through Ford Motor Co. The dealership told me "glass is not covered under warranty" and sent me on my way.

- Cheyenne, WY, USA

problem #39

Jan 172015

F-150 4WD 8-cyl

  • 49,067 miles
My truck was parked and running. I turned on the rear defrost and noticed the light did not come on. A couple minutes later I heard a loud pop and the drivers side rear window shattered. I went to the Ford dealer as I just purchased the truck on 01/16/2015. They acted like it was an isolated incident and I didn't think much of it. I then find on the internet this is an on going issue. My son was sitting in the back seat when this happened. I feel this is a vehicle defect that needs to be addressed by Ford. I also feel this is a safety issue as my son could have be injured during this incident. Thank you for your attention in this matter.

- Warren, ME, USA

problem #38

Dec 312014

F-150

  • 20,000 miles
Used automatic starter today around 4:30pm. The temp today was in the 20S here in western Maryland. While driving home I noticed the rear window passenger side panel was completely shattered. Upon inspection there was no impact area. Just the entire panel was very spider webbed. I will be contacting Ford before I file an insurance claim. This is absolutely a defect with the design of these windows. Ford needs to recall these before a child gets injured from shattered glass. My kids heads are very close to this glass. I'm sure if this happened when traveling at a high speed it could cause any injury. Ford needs to step up and address this before it becomes a big lawsuit.

- Westernport, MD, USA

problem #37

Dec 272014

F-150

  • 25,600 miles
This repair was not covered by Ford and in my opinion it should be. Here's my story: My husband owns a 2011 F150 with approximately 25,000 miles on it. On December 27, 2014 he turned on the rear defroster to clear the window. As he was driving less than a mile from home, the truck had been running about 3 minutes he smelled rubber burning, at which time there was thick white smoke coming from the outside of the passenger rear window and the glass behind my grandson's car sear shattered due to a short in the heating element of the rear defroster. Fortunately our 18 month old grandson was not in the truck as the shards of glass were falling out of the window into his seat. Ford will not cover glass under my warranty. I have pictures of the damage and I have included the link below where you will see that this appears to be a problem with Ford F150 trucks ranging from 2010 to 2014. The truck is getting repaired today and there were no injuries. It's not about the money, more of a safety concern for rear seat passengers. Unfortunately it's very unsettling to not know if the problem will be resolved with this repair. Will it happen again?

- Wilmington, DE, USA

problem #36

Jan 012014

F-150 4WD 6-cyl

  • 20,000 miles
Brakes were difficult to engage during emergency braking due to hard pedal. Braking seems more difficult than previous experience (like having no brake assist). After searching the internet for known problems, I verified a blown vacuum pump fuse. The dealer verified that the vacuum pump assembly was seized therefore blowing the fuse. I find it curious why a major brake component can fail while not setting a failure code or indicating a failure on the Ford display panel (check brake light, etc.). how can the vacuum assist for the brakes totally fail on a 2011 vehicle and not tell the driver there is a problem? why did the vacuum pump fail (internal pump bearings lacked lubricant and seized due to atmospheric moisture) with just over 20000 miles on the truck" why won't Ford fess up that they sold their customers a defective $750 pump" I guess Ford only knows!

- Owego, NY, USA

problem #35

Mar 142013

F-150 4WD 8-cyl

  • 14,525 miles
Vehicle has a parasitic drain on the battery. Within 12 to 36 hours the battery will be completely drained of power. Vehicle has been taken into Ford service 4 times and the issue is unresolved.

- Mcfarland, WI, USA

problem #34

Nov 282014

F-150 4WD 6-cyl

  • 56,000 miles
While driving on interstate 91 at approximately 65mph I experienced a loss of power and the vehicle started to shake. I could not exceed 60mph in fear that the same problem would happen again. I was forced to drive in the slow lane after the incident. A short time later as I was returning from my destination the vehicle again had a significant loss of power at approximately 60mph. Ford service stated that it was due to a defective coil and plug. Seemed to be a very dangerous issue due to the sudden power loss and abrupt shaking of the truck.

- East Haven, CT, USA

problem #33

Nov 102014

F-150 4WD 8-cyl

  • 25,000 miles
When I started my truck, there was a thin layer of ice on the rear window. I turned on the rear defrost, but it only stayed on for approximately 15-20 seconds, then turned off and would not turn on again. About a mile down the road I heard a very loud noise, it sounded like a large object hit the roof of the cab, I noticed a burnt rubber smell briefly, and then I noticed that the right side of rear window behind the headrest completely shattered. The window is still in place, but there are tiny shards of glass on the seat. Fortunately I did not have any passengers in the truck at that time, but that is normally where my daughter sits.

- Sioux Falls, SD, USA

problem #32

Nov 012014

F-150 4WD 8-cyl

  • 89,069 miles
This afternoon I got into my vehicle. After starting my vehicle I then proceeded to turn my rear defroster on. Once I turned my rear defroster on I heard a loud pop and then noticed that my rear window was shattered. I believe that their is a defect in the rear defroster of my 2011 Ford F-150 because this same incident has happened before.

- Pacifica, CA, USA

problem #31

Oct 262014

F-150

  • 31,000 miles
Rear defroster would not work. 5 minutes later it came on for just a second and all of a sudden there was a loud bang and the window on the right side of the rear next to the slider shattered. After doing more research, I discovered that is has happened before on the 2011 Ford but there hasn't been any recall. This is dangerous. Thank you

- Onalaska, WI, USA

problem #30

Oct 122014

F-150

  • 36,500 miles
We started having issues with the rear defroster not working on the power sliding rear window. After a short period of time after pushing button to power the rear defrost smoke was noticeable coming from the lower part of the rear window on the passenger side of the cab. I then pushed the rear defrost button to turn off the power looked back into the rear view mirror to see if the smoke would stop and saw the window fracture as I was looking at it.

- Yelm, WA, USA

problem #29

Oct 072014

F-150 4WD 6-cyl

  • 61,000 miles
Driving to work on a crisp fall morning in October 2014, I put the rear window defogger on. About 10 minutes later, I heard a loud pop that sounded like one of my windows had been shot out. I stopped to investigate and discovered that my right rear window had shattered (spider-like cracks throughout though still intact). I understand that this has occurred on scores of Ford F-150S. Luckily I was only driving 35 as any faster and I might have lost control due to the fright. When is NHTSA going to do something about this" or do about a dozen people have to die first before any action is taken"

- Pinckney, MI, USA

problem #28

Sep 302014

F-150

  • 121,341 miles
Loud sound and popping when turning wheels sharp. Has been happening for a while and has gotten worse. Service advance trac message displays and then turn signals no longer work. Eventually warning would disappear but would come back on when turning sharp again. Took in for service and problem became so bad that vehicle would not turn. Having to replace rack and pinion.

- Ash, NC, USA

problem #27

Sep 112014

F-150

  • 33,400 miles
Pushed my rear defrost button due to some condensation and nothing happened got to work 7 mins later parked got out of truck and opened my back driver door and heard a pop and looked at the rear window and is was cracked all over like a web.

- Columbia, MO, USA

problem #26

Feb 122013

F-150 6-cyl

  • 38,000 miles
My 2011 ecoboost F150 would sputter, shake and chug as I do a hard acceleration entering a highway or pass a vehicle. 4 times I have had my truck for service with the last 12 months for the same exact problem. My engine light will flash several times and then it will stay on till I take the vehicle in for service. 2 times the dealer has told me the problem is a turbo cooler issue and want to charge me $200 for some cheap lick and stick plastic air deflector. The other 2 times they have said I have a bad distribution wire and plug. First was on cylinder 3 and second time on cylinder 1. every time this has happened on a hard acceleration, its been during heavy traffic and I have had to pull of the road to avoid an accident. I have to now be very cautious when accelerating as I feel this truck is an accident waiting to happen. I hope someone can get this recalled as I know there is a lot of these trucks out there with the same problem.

- Grand Rapids, MI, USA

problem #25

Jul 172014

F-150 6-cyl

  • 17,059 miles
Luckily, there was not an incident in my case. I had a rear sliding window switch replaced under warranty. I also had an oil change and my battery terminals cleaned by the dealers service department. When I went to pick up my vehicle and began to drive off, I noticed a warning displaying the message "service advancetrac". I then left the vehicle with the service department again. When the service advisor contacted me to tell me what the technicians diagnosed, he said that the truck needed a new electric steering rack. He also told me that this part is on national backorder. After doing some research, I found that this is a vital part in steering functionality. I also read that if this part fails while you are driving, there is a serious risk of accident. I'm thankful that my truck wasn't moving when this steering rack went bad. But it concerns me that so many Ford owners have had this happen to them and that this is not a recall. I also think that if this part is on national backorder, there must be many people who are having this issue as well. I want to do my part to make the public aware that this part also went bad on my vehicle. I want to contribute to the numbers so that this can become a recall if the data shows it's necessary.

- Belleville, IL, USA

Read the next 20 complaints »