What 2,137 owners told NHTSA about the 2011 Ford F-150 (regular Cab) Gas

ON FRIDAY 4/12/2013 I WAS IN A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. I WAS DRIVING MY 2011 FORD F-150 HOME FROM A NIGHT OUT WITH THE FAMILY. IT WAS KIND OF LATE, WHEN I RAN OVER AN EXHAUST PIPE, WHICH WAS LAYING ON THE ROAD. I DID NOT SEE IT. IT WAS A FAIRLY SMALL PIPE. ONCE I STOPPED I REALIZED THAT IT PUT A HOLE IN MY FUEL TANK. AND IT WAS GUSHING OUT FUEL. IT WAS COMING OUT FASTER THAN WATER FROM A KITCHEN TAP. LUCKILY I WAS ONLY TWO BLOCKS FROM HOME, RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM A FIRE STATION. I WAS ABLE TO GET MY TRUCK HOME, ONCE THE FUEL WAS OUT OF THE TANK. THERE WAS A SPLIT IN THE TANK ABOUT 6 INCHES LONG, LIKE IT HAD BEEN CUT WITH A VERY SHARP KNIFE. THIS IS A PLASTIC FUEL TANK. WHEN I LOOK UP FUEL TANK PART NUMBER 9L3Z-9002-B ON FORD PARTS DOT COM FOR MY TRUCK THEY ALSO SHOW A SKID PLATE NUMBER 9A147. MY TRUCK DOES NOT HAVE THIS PART. THE FUEL TANK IS AN OBSOLETE PART THERE ARE ONLY 4 IN THE NATION AVAILABLE. I AM LOOKING. NOT HAVING THIS PART IS A SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

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MY TRUCK IS EQUIPPED WITH THE ECOBOOST 3.5L ENGINE. TWICE NOW I HAVE ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE AND HAD THE TRUCK LOSE POWER AND SHAKE VIOLENTLY, CREATING A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. THE FIRST TIME WAS ATTEMPTING TO PASS ANOTHER VEHICLE. WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE WARM (75 DEGREES F) WITH LIGHT RAIN. I PULLED OUT TO PASS AND ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE WHEN THE TRUCK SUDDENLY ACTED AS IF THE GAS WAS SHUT OFF. IT THEN BEGAN TO SHAKE AND SHUDDER VIOLENTLY AS IF THE REAR AXEL WAS BEING RIPPED FROM BENEATH IT. I WAS ABLE TO FALL BACK BEHIND THE VEHICLE I WAS ATTEMPTING TO PASS, OUT OF THE WAY OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC, AND PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. AFTER SHUTTING OFF AND RESTARTING THE TRUCK, IT SEEMED TO RUN NORMAL. THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE TECH INSPECTED THE TRUCK AND STATED IT IS A PROBLEM FORD IS AWARE OF (IN WET CONDITIONS), BUT HAS NO FIXES. THE SECOND TIME I WAS ATTEMPTING TO ENTER THE INTERSTATE FROM A REST STOP INTO A SINGLE LANE CONSTRUCTION ZONE. THE WEATHER WAS COOL (45 DEGREES F), DRY AND SUNNY. I ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE TO ENTER THE HIGHWAY AND THE TRUCK ACTED AS IT DID ON THE FIRST INSTANCE. I WAS FORCED TO PULL OFF OF THE LANE BETWEEN TWO LARGE CONSTRUCTION PYLONS IN ORDER TO AVOID BEING STRUCK BY A TRACTOR/TRAILER. THE SUPPLIED DATES, MILEAGE AND SPEED WERE FROM THE MOST RECENT INCIDENT. *TR

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YESTERDAY I WENT TO PASS A TRUCK THAT MADE AN ILLEGAL TURN, AND HAD TO HIT THE GAS HARD TO GET OUT OF THE WAY, ONLY DID IT FOR ABOUT 2 SECONDS, THAN WHEN I LET OFF THE GAS, THE ENGINE KEPT RUNNING AT HIGH SPEED FOR ABOUT ANOTHER 3 SECONDS? AND MY FOOT WAS NOT ON THE PEDAL AT THAT TIME. *TR

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UNDER HARD ACCELERATION INTO TRAFFIC OR WHEN PASSING, VEHICLE WILL SUDDENLY LOSE POWER AND GO INTO A "LIMP MODE." THIS CONDITION IS THOUGHT TO OCCUR BECAUSE OF ENGINE MISFIRE AND SEVERAL FACTORS HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED THAT CAN CAUSE THIS IN THE ECOBOOST 3.5L V6. THE DEALER HAS REPLACED IGNITION COILS WITH NO SUCCESS IN CORRECTING THIS ISSUE. MY SERVICE MANAGER SHARED WITH ME THAT FORD ENGINEERING IS WELL AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND HAS YET TO COME UP WITH A SOLUTION TO CORRECT IT. IN THE MEANTIME, MY FAMILY IS PLACED AT RISK OF AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE THERE IS NO WAY TO PREDICT WHEN THE ENGINE WILL SUDDENLY LOSE POWER WHEN YOU NEED IT MOST FOR PASSING OR MERGING SITUATIONS. THIS BECOMES EVEN WORSE WHEN PULLING A TRAILER. NHTSA SHOULD DEMAND THAT FORD IMMEDIATELY RECALL AND REPAIR THESE VEHICLES, OR REPLACE THEM UNTIL AN APPROPRIATE SOLUTION IS FOUND TO REMEDY THE MISFIRE CONDITION AND RESULTANT LOST OF POWER. *TR

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FUEL FILLER NO LONGER CLOSES. WILL NOT KEEP DUST WATER AND DEBRIS OUT. BROKEN HINGE. WAS TOLD AT DEALERSHIP IT IS COMMON ON THE CAPLESS FUEL FILLER MODELS. *TR

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THE ECOBOOST VERSION THAT I OWN HAS AN APPARENTLY "KNOWN" PROBLEM WITHIN FORD WHERE CONDENSATION BUILDS UP BECAUSE OF THE TURBOCHARGER INTERCOOLER TO THE POINT THAT WHEN YOU NEED TO ACCELERATE HEAVILY TO AVOID A PROBLEM, TO PASS SOMEONE, OR SIMPLY TO GET ON A BUSY STREET OR FREEWAY, THE TRUCK SUCKS ALL THAT WATER INTO THE ENGINE AND IT COMPLETELY MISFIRES SIMILAR TO JUST RUNNING OUT OF GAS. WHEN THIS HAPPENS IT CAN EASILY CAUSE AND ALMOST HAS CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. THIS HAPPENED FIRST AT ABOUT 700 MILES AND HAS HAPPENED NUMEROUS TIMES SINCE ESPECIALLY IN HIGH HUMIDITY. I KEEP HEARING ABOUT "SOME FIX IS BEING CONSIDERED BY FORD ENGINEERING" AND THAT THE PROBLEM IS IN THE FORD OASIS PROBLEM REPORTING SYSTEM NUMBER [XXX] I BELIEVE BUT 7 MONTHS LATER I AM STILL WAITING FOR FORD TO STEP UP. THIS PROBLEM CAN AND I EXPECT WILL GET PEOPLE KILLED AND THAT'S JUST SAD. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).*TR

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WHILE ENTERING A HIGHWAY VIA AN ON-RAMP DOING ABOUT APPROXIMATELY 45 MILES PER HOUR I ATTEMPTED HARD ACCELERATION TO PICK UP SPEED AND MERGE IN TO TRAFFIC THAT WAS DOING APPROXIMATELY 65-70 MILES PER HOUR. WHEN I DEPRESSED THE THROTTLE THE VEHICLE DID NOT ACCELERATE, BUT IT STARTED TO HESITATE AND SHAKE. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT GO OVER 40 MILES PER HOUR. THIS ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT SITUATION AS I EXPECTED THE VEHICLE TO ACCELERATE WHEN IT DID NOT. I WAS THEN FORCED TO PULL OVER TO THE SHOULDER AND SHUT THE VEHICLE OFF. AFTER RESTARTING THE VEHICLE THE CEL HAD CLEARED AND THE VEHICLE WAS OPERATING NORMALLY. NO CODE WAS STORED IN THE PCM TO INDICATE WHAT THE ISSUE WAS. THIS HAPPENED SEVERAL MORE TIMES SINCE THE FIRST INCIDENT. ONCE WHILE TOWING A 4000LB BOAT/TRAILER WHICH ALSO ALMOST CAUSED A SEVERE ACCIDENT. FORD HAS FOUND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE AND CONCLUDES THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO SINCE NO CODES WERE STORED. I WILL NOTE THAT AFTER RECEIVING TSB 12-2-10 THE VEHICLE WILL STILL EXHIBIT THE SAME SYMPTOMS DESCRIBED ABOVE, BUT NOW THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT DOES NOT COME ON. VEHICLE WILL STALL, GO IN TO "LIMP MODE" WITH NO INDICATION THAT ANYTHING IS WRONG. ONLY RESOLUTION IS TO TURN THE VEHICLE OFF AND BACK ON TO CLEAR THE STATUS. THIS CREATES DANGEROUS SITUATIONS WHEN ON A HIGHWAY. COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE. *TT

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DRIVING DOWN A TWO LANE ROAD IN THE EARLY EVENING, I WAS 3 OR 4 CARS BACK IN A LONG LINE OF OVER A DOZEN VEHICLES. WE WERE ALL STUCK BEHIND ONE SLOW MOVING VEHICLE. A CHANCE CAME UP TO PASS AND I PULLED INTO THE OTHER LANE. AFTER STEPPING ON THE THROTTLE THE TRUCK DEVELOPED A MISFIRE. IT LOST NEARLY ALL POWER AND BEGAN DECELERATING. IN THE TIME SINCE PULLING OUT TO PASS, A SEMI TRUCK HAD POPPED UP OVER AN UPCOMING HILL. BY THIS POINT, THE VEHICLES PREVIOUSLY BEHIND ME HAD MOVED FORWARD AND FILLED IN MY PLACE IN LINE. I BEGAN EVALUATING MY OPTIONS. I WAS NOW MOVING SLOWER THAN THE TRAFFIC IN THE RIGHT LANE, BUT THERE WEREN'T ANY OPENINGS TO MOVE BACK OVER. I EXAMINED THE SHOULDER ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE ROAD LOOKING FOR SAFE PLACES TO PULL OVER. THERE WERE NONE IN THE IMMEDIATE VICINITY. AFTER SEVERAL VERY TENSE SECONDS, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY REGAINED POWER. I HAD JUST ENOUGH TIME TO ACCELERATE TO AN OPENING IN THE RIGHT LANE AND GET BACK OVER. LIKELY CAUSE: CONDENSATION IN THE CHARGE AIR COOLER INGESTED INTO THE ENGINE UPON A CALL FOR POWER. SINCE THE FIRST INCIDENT THIS HAS OCCURRED SEVERAL MORE TIMES. EVERY SINGLE TIME HAS BEEN AFTER CRUISING FOR SOME PERIOD AT LESS THAN HALF THROTTLE, FOLLOWED BY A SUDDEN ACCELERATION IN HUMID OR RAINY CONDITIONS. FORD CLAIMS TO BE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND WORKING ON A FIX. HOWEVER AFTER WAITING FOR OVER 8 MONTHS SINCE MY FIRST INCIDENT I'M STARTING TO HAVE MY DOUBTS. I HAVE HEARD REPORTS FROM NUMEROUS OTHER PEOPLE SAYING THIS EXACT SAME THING HAS HAPPENED TO THEM. SOME OF THOSE ARE OVER A YEAR OLD AND ARE STILL WAITING ON A FIX FROM FORD. BEING AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM I TRY NOT TO PUT MYSELF INTO A SITUATION THAT WILL REQUIRE THE SUDDEN APPLICATION OF POWER. HOWEVER I KNOW NO MATTER HOW WELL YOU PLAN, EVENTUALLY YOU FIND YOURSELF IN A BAD SITUATION. I JUST HOPE WHEN THAT OCCURS IT ISN'T A HUMID OR RAINY DAY. *TT

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ENGINE, THE TURBOCHARGED V-6 ECOBOOST, STALLED OUT (TRIED TO DIE AND SHOOK AND AND SHUDDERED LIKE NOTHING I HAVE EVER EXPERIENCED IN 50 YEARS OF DRIVING) WHEN ATTEMPTING TO PASS A TRUCK ON THE INTERSTATE AND AGAIN WHEN PULLING AWAY FROM AN EXIT STOP SIGN AFTER TRAVELING IN COLD RAIN. GLAD I WAS ON A FREEWAY VICE TWO LANE ROAD. TAKES ABOUT 15 TO 20 SECONDS FOR THE ENGINE TO GET POWER BACK. ALSO IT DID THE SAME THING 3 WEEKS EARLIER, ON SAME CROSS COUNTRY TRIP, IN NORTHERN IDAHO WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE TO FREEWAY SPEED AFTER DRIVING IN WET SNOW FOR ABOUT 1/2 HOUR. REALLY FELT UNSAFE. I REPORTED IT TO FORD. THEY ACKNOWLEDGED THERE IS A PROBLEM BUT THEY HAVE NOT DONE ANYTHING TO FIX MY TRUCK AFTER I REPORTED THE NEAR DISASTROUS DRIVABILITY ISSUE - LIKE CAN'T BE TRUSTED TO ADEQUATELY PERFORM IN RAIN AND I LIVE IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. *TT

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VEHICLE BOGS WHILE MODERATELY ACCELERATING ONTO THE INTERSTATE WHILE PULLING A TRAILER WITH A LOAD UNDER 3,000 POUNDS. IT SEEMS AS IF THE ENGINE IS STUCK ON THE REV LIMITER. THERE IS MINIMAL POWER AVAILABLE AND IT IS VERY DANGEROUS. I DID NOT BUY A POWERFUL TRUCK IN ORDER TO EXPERIENCE THIS. *TR

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NEW 2011 ECOBOOST V-6 F150 SUPER-CREW AUTO 6 SPEED TRANSMISSION WITH THE ENGINE IN MANUAL SHIFT 1ST GEAR COLD ENGINE THE ACCELERATOR STICKS AT WHAT EVER RPM'S YOU ARE RUNNING AND WILL START GOING FASTER WITHOUT FOOT ON PEDAL I HAVE HAD TO DATE 10 RUN AWAYS AND FORD WON'T OR CAN'T FIX IT. THE ONLY WAY TO STOP IT IS TO SLAM ON THE BRAKES AND TURN KEY OFF.....IF YOUR IN TRAFFIC IT COULD CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. IT ALSO MAY CAUSE SERIOUS DAMAGE TO TRANSMISSION AND ENGINE... *TR

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WHILE BRAKING TO ENTER RIGHT HAND TURN IN 2011 SUPER CREW FX2 F150 FUEL SLOSHED CAUSING ENGINE TO SEIZE AND POWER STEERING TO SHUT OFF REQUIRING HARD BREAK AFTER LOSS OF CONTROL OF VEHICLE ALONG WITH MOVEMENT OF THE VEHICLE TO LEVEL GROUND AND RESTART OF ENGINE. FUEL LEVEL AT TIME OF INCIDENT WAS APRX 5.3 GALLONS OR APRX 1/5 OF A 26 GALLON TANK. FIRST INCIDENT AT 600 MILES, MULTIPLE INCIDENTS AT 1600 MILES, 2100 MILES, 2500, 2800, AND 3000 MILES. INCIDENT ALSO OCCURS WHILE NOSE DOWN ON ANYTHING ABOVE A 0% GRADIENT. ALSO CAUSES LOSS OF CONTROL OF VEHICLE. FORD ADVISES THAT THIS IS A KNOWN SAFETY CONCERN BUT THERE IS NO CORRECTION, ADVISE WAS TO ALWAYS KEEP FUEL LEVELS ABOVE QUARTER TANK AT ALL TIMES PER ADVISE OF REGIONAL FORD SERVICE MANAGER AND TOWN EAST FORD SERVICE DEPARTMENT. ADVISED THAT FUEL LEVEL INDICATOR CAN'T BE RELIED ON BELOW THIS LEVEL (QUARTER TANK) ALSO ADVISED BY FORD THAT THE SAFEST LEVEL TO MAINTAIN FUEL LEVEL AT WAS HALF TANK. THIS FAILURE DOES HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO AND FREQUENTLY DOES CAUSE LOSS OF CONTROL OF VEHICLE. FORD ALSO ADVISES THAT THIS IS AN ISSUE WITH ALL 2011 F150'S AND SHOULD BE TREATED AS NORMAL. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION INCLUDING PHOTOS, VIDEOS, AND SERVICE RECORDS AVAIL TO NHTSA ALONG WITH CORRESPONDENCE WITH FORD ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT AND SERVICE. *TR

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MY FAMILY HAS PURCHASED AN NEW 2011 FORD F150 TRUCK AND NOTICED A NON-STOP ODOR OF GASOLINE IN THE CAB OF THE TRUCK. I FIRST NOTICED THE GASOLINE SMELL DURING A ROAD TRIP FROM CHARLOTTE NC TO MICHIGAN DURING THE HOLIDAYS IN DECEMBER 2011. THE SMELL IS STILL NOTICEABLE WITH THE HEAT OFF WITH THE VENTS CLOSED. I GOOGLED THE ISSUE TO SEE IF OTHER OWNERS HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH GAS SMELL IN THE CAB. THESE COMPLAINTS APPEARED TO BE ON OLDER MODELS (2007, ETC.). I WOULD LIKE TO OBTAIN INFORMATION IF THERE IS A RECALL IN EFFECT FOR THIS PROBLEM. SOMEONE IN THE FORD COMPANY HAS TO BE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND IT SHOULD BE FIXED! *TR

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FROM A DEAD STOP I ACCELERATED TO TURN INTO HER DRIVEWAY THE ENGINE HESITATED AND STUMBLED IT SOUNDED LIKE YOU HAD THROWN A HANDFUL OF MARBLES INSIDE THE INTAKE THE ENGINE MADE A FUNNY NOISE THEN DIED AFTER GETTING IT RESTARTED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON UPON RETURNING THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP I FOUND OUT IT HAD MELTED THE INTAKE MANIFOLD SENSORS AND PART OF THE THROTTLE BODY AWAY FORD HAS NO IDEA WHAT CAUSED THIS THE TRUCK IS ALSO BEEN PLAGUED WITH ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. APPARENTLY IT CAME REAL CLOSE TO AN ENGINE FIRE THE TRUCK IS STILL BROKE DOWN AT THE DEALERSHIP SINCE AUGUST 5, 2011. *TR

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