What 2,137 owners told NHTSA about the 2011 Ford F-150 Super Cab

When driving on the interstate with the normal flow of traffic at 55mph, the vehicle abruptly downshifted from 6th gear to 1st gear causing the the vehicle to lock up an nearly caused an accident. This was followed by a a mechanic warning light and the speedometer to lock out and no longer work. Once pulled over, the vehicle was powered down. When the vehicle was turned back on operation returned in a limp state.

NHTSA ODI 11678885

What is happening is a KNOWN issue that effects Ford F-150's from 2011-2013 Models with the 6-Speed transmissions. The issue is with the Molded Lead Frames. The fault causes hard downshifts out of now where. I was driving on a highway, at highway speeds, when the truck downshifted to 1st Gear. Incredibly unsafe, jolted the truck to an immediately forced reduced speed, luckily no one was behind me. Ford is aware of this, but is not correcting affected vehicles. My vehicle is a 2011 F-150, I tried to have it fixed while it was still under the "extended coverage" but Ford denied it due to it only being a "possible malfunction" at the time. Roughly 2 years later, the malfunction & defect is now on full force, rendering the truck unsafe to drive due to sudden down shifts at random intervals, multiple times a day while driving, yet now it is "passed the coverage." That is unacceptable, and is safety issue for the many of these generation models of F-150's that are still out driving.

NHTSA ODI 11674986

The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving approximately 60 MPH, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine. The RPM fluctuated, and the transmission shifted roughly. The gear shifter indicator was randomly illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and turned off the vehicle. The contact stated that after a while, the vehicle failed to start. The contact stated that after several attempts, the vehicle restarted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact used a scanner and retrieved DTC: P0705 (Transmission Range Sensor Circuit Malfunction (PRNDL Input)" was provided. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure recurred, and the contact parked the vehicle and the vehicle was no longer driven due to safety concerns. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 79,000.

NHTSA ODI 11671167

The transmission unexpectedly downshift's to 1st gear, instrument gauges go dark, wheels have locked up, motor then lacks power. The issues have been going on for a while and recently had to stop on the side of the road 5 times in the 20 mile trip home from work. 2011 F-150 is unsafe to drive. Called Ford Customer Service on July 2, 2025. Case Number [XXX]. Was informed a prior Recall 16S19 addressing these issues was performed in 2016. A second recall 19S07 was issued for the same reasons. The service rep said this vin number is not listed; apparently it does not cover this vehicle. Ford customer service rep suggested filing a complaint with NHTSA.gov as this has been an ongoing safety issue. Unless NHTSA is made aware of an issue can it be addressed or in this case readdressed because the repairs by Ford has failed as a long term solution. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11670813

The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V075000 (Power Train). The contact stated that while driving at approximately 50 MPH, the transmission was shifting rough. The contact stated that that there was a grinding sound coming from underneath the vehicle, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that a mobile mechanic visited residence to diagnose the vehicle and the contact was informed that the transmission was slipping out of gear and downshifting unexpectedly. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission needed to be repaired and an unknown recall repair needed to be performed. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted while driving. Additionally, the contact stated that the rear end occasionally locked up while driving. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 228,000.

NHTSA ODI 11670163

As i was driving around 45 mph this Sunday, my 2011 f150 suddenly shifted hard down to first gear. i thought someone hit me from behind at first, i don't think i have ever been so scared in a vehicle in my life! this truck has been so good to my family otherwise. Anyway, i started researching online and found there was a recall for this but has ended. I called Ford thinking maybe they would stand behind a problem that was a known ford issue. whether its been 10 years or 20. this is my 7th f150. i have dealt with all there issues in the past. From blown out sparkplugs in the 4.6 to the leaking intake manifold to cam phasers. you may ask why i keep buying them, but its because i love ford. Is there anything you can do for me? I'm scared i could kill myself or someone. This is a dangerous problem and i don't see how this recall could have ever had a deadline on it. Thank you for you time, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11668773

I am having a lead frame issue as many of these models had but it never affected me until now. I can be doing highway speeds, upwards of 70mph and the vehicle will just down shift to first gear, locking the tires and causing a hazard for other drivers which could be a very dangerous situation

NHTSA ODI 11668345

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.

NHTSA ODI 11667658

The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked on an incline, the contact started the vehicle and depressed the brake pedal; however, the vehicle started to roll backwards. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was determined that the vacuum booster pump had failed. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that the vacuum booster was previously replaced in 2018. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.

NHTSA ODI 11666484

The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled shoulder of the road, turned the vehicle and waited for several minutes before restarting the vehicle and continuing to drive to the destination. The vehicle was later taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and DTC: P0720 and P0722 were retrieved for transmission leadframe failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The contact referenced Customer Satisfaction Program: 16N02; as a possible cause for the failure; however, the vehicle was not eligible for the repair. The contact was informed that the vehicle was 7,000 miles over the mileage limitation. The failure mileage was approximately 151,000. The VIN was unavailable.

NHTSA ODI 11665994

The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted to first gear. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to pull over to the side the road. The contact stated that upon depressing the accelerator pedal to resume driving, the vehicle failed to exceed 10 MPH. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission molded lead frame had failed and needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired under Ford Campaign Number: 19N01, because the campaign had expired. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 180,000.

NHTSA ODI 11665060

The electronic power steering locked up while driving & could not turn the wheel at all. Yes this has been inspected & confirmed by an independent service center. There were no warning lamps or messages prior to this incident. The vehicle is render useless with the locked up steering.

NHTSA ODI 11664724

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.

NHTSA ODI 11663366

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.

NHTSA ODI 11662758

Transmission shifts into lower gear,and speedometer quits working. Stopped truck , turned truck off and turned truck on and it drives normal,

NHTSA ODI 11662668

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.

NHTSA ODI 11661348

The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, the driver's side side-view mirror detached from the vehicle and was hanging down tethered by the wiring harness. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 196,000. The VIN was not available.

NHTSA ODI 11660884

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

NHTSA ODI 11660189

The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V248000 (Power Train); however, the repair failed to prevent the failure. The contact stated that two days after the recall repair was completed, while driving at undisclosed speeds, the vehicle unexpectedly decelerated while the accelerator pedal was depressed. An unknown message was displayed on the instrument panel. In addition, the contact stated that the speedometer was no longer illuminated. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.

NHTSA ODI 11659936

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.

NHTSA ODI 11659465

The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission seized in third gear. The contact pulled over and turned off and restarted the vehicle ten times. The contact stated that the instrument panel became inoperable. The transmission was also downshifting hard and failed to shift out of first gear. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V075000 (Power Train). The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and local dealer who were unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. While driving, the vehicle went from reverse to fifth. The driver pulled the shifter towards herself and was able to drive manually. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed there was no recall coverage on the VIN for the failure and referred the contact to the dealer for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 132,000.

NHTSA ODI 11659169

I was driving when the steering locked up with no warning light on the dash or fault messages. Was driving on a road and taking a turn when I went straight into the woods not allowing control of vehicle

NHTSA ODI 11658765

Driving 40mph the truck down shifted to 1st gear

NHTSA ODI 11656759

Transmission indicator lights are not functioning and vehicle doesn’t go into gear properly. I read there was a recall on certain 2011 F150s for this problem but mine does not appear to be included. I can’t tell what gear my vehicle is in now so it is obviously dangerous to drive.

NHTSA ODI 11655680

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.

NHTSA ODI 11655334