2011 Ford E-150 problems & reliability
23 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2011 Ford E-150, alongside 11 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2011 Ford E-150 vehicles were involved in 3 fatal crashes with 1 occupant death. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Power Train | 5 | 22% |
| Steering | 5 | 22% |
| Engine | 4 | 17% |
| Electrical System | 3 | 13% |
| Service Brakes | 3 | 13% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 2 | 9% |
| Suspension | 2 | 9% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 4% |
| Structure | 1 | 4% |
| Tires | 1 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 13 reported components →Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“When engine is started in the mornings you can hear a knocking sound which seems to subside as the engine is warming. I've been watching the video on youtube about the catastrophic consequences this will eventually occur if the cause is not discovered and repaired. Please refer to youtube videos fordtechmakeuloco see…”
Engine · filed Dec 10, 2020
“Premature lower balljoint failure. Driver and passenger sides. While driving forward or reverse and turning right or left or when braking you would hear popping and tire rubbing something underneath. Vehicle had only 55,000 miles displayed on the odometer. This occurred at when van was in motion.”
Suspension · filed Dec 10, 2020
“Vacuum pump making noise when backing up and turning. My mechanic said there is recall on 2011-2012 ford f-150 and I called dealer from which I purchased and was told no recall on my truck. I feel this is a safety issue with brakes and should be covered in extended warranty”
Service Brakes · filed Jun 27, 2019
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
26 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2011 Ford E-150. The 10 most recent:
Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with wired keyless entry keypad systems and accessory wireless keyless entry keypad systems may or may not come with a wallet card containing the master code. Unlike the integrated…
SSM 54601 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 24, 2026
All accessory stick-on keyless entry keypads come with a wallet card containing the master code. If the accessory keypad was factory installed, this card will be placed in the glove box and should be handed to the…
SSM 52476 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 24, 2024
Some 2010-2020 vehicles may exhibit distorted glass with a subtle orange peel pattern or streaking etched into the surface. This is caused by hydrofluoric acid which is used in some car wash solutions as a cleaning…
SSM 48130 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 9, 2019
On vehicles equipped with an automatic transmission it is imperative that the converter pilot hub be greased with Motorcraft Multi-Purpose Grease Spray XL-5-A even if grease was not applied from the factory. Also verify…
SSM 47976 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 10, 2019
Replacing the original equipment SYNC/Navigation system with either an aftermarket SYNC/Navigation kit or modifying original SYNC/Navigation parts to provide additional features is not recommended nor supported on any…
SSM 47201 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 30, 2018
The Accessory (Wireless) Keyless Entry Keypad can only be used with vehicles that are factory built with Remote Keyless Entry (RKE). The master code for the Accessory (Wireless) Keyless Entry Keypad can be retrieved…
SSM 47009 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 10, 2018
Some vehicles may exhibit a no start condition with an illuminated malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) and a DTC P161A after PCM replacement. This may be due to the parameter reset procedure not being properly completed…
SSM 46900 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 2, 2017
2009-2016 e-series difficulty programing trailer brake control (tbc) module.
SSM-45869 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 7, 2016
Some 2009-2016 E-Series, F-Super Duty, 2009-2015 F-53 Motorhome and 2011-2015 F-59 Stripped Chassis vehicles equipped with a TorqShift® transmission and a transmission built on or before 12/15/2015 may exhibit a MIL…
16-0057 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 5, 2016
4R75E TRANSMISSION - GRINDING/WHINE/VIBRATION/GEAR SLIPPAGE - SERVICE KIT AVAILABLE ISSUE A service kit has been released to assist with proper repair of the 4R75E transmission in 2008 Mark LT, 2008-2010 F-150…
16-0032 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 1, 2016
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2011 Ford E-150 has 11 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2011 Ford E-150?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.