2011 Ford F-150 Electrical System Problems
Owners have filed 235 complaints with NHTSA about electrical system problems on the 2011 Ford F-150, 11% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 68,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “rear window” (14% of reports).
- 235electrical system complaints
- 68,000median miles at failure
- 8mention a crash
- 5mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- 43%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Rear window: mentioned in 32 of 235 complaints (14%)
- First gear: mentioned in 13 of 235 complaints (6%)
At what mileage do electrical system problems happen?
Based on 187 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 235 complaints, 8 mention a crash, 11 a fire, 5 an injury.
Ford F-150 electrical system complaints by model year
| Model year | Electrical System complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 F-150 | 2 | 17% | — |
| 2025 F-150 | 23 | 21% | 24,000 |
| 2024 F-150 | 40 | 21% | 25,000 |
| 2023 F-150 | 83 | 20% | 9,000 |
| 2022 F-150 | 125 | 21% | 20,000 |
| 2021 F-150 | 130 | 13% | 27,500 |
| 2020 F-150 | 88 | 12% | 3,500 |
| 2019 F-150 | 100 | 7% | 44,500 |
| 2018 F-150 | 172 | 7% | 26,000 |
| 2017 F-150 | 134 | 9% | 44,500 |
| 2016 F-150 | 187 | 9% | 40,000 |
| 2015 F-150 | 176 | 10% | 52,000 |
| 2014 F-150 | 162 | 11% | 65,000 |
| 2013 F-150 | 324 | 11% | 67,000 |
| 2012 F-150 | 173 | 10% | 66,500 |
| 2011 F-150 | 235 | 11% | 68,000 |
| 2010 F-150 | 166 | 20% | 59,571 |
| 2009 F-150 | 46 | 14% | 66,350 |
| 2008 F-150 | 29 | 8% | 82,350 |
| 2007 F-150 | 42 | 9% | 74,100 |
| 2006 F-150 | 60 | 10% | 62,000 |
| 2005 F-150 | 73 | 7% | 69,750 |
| 2004 F-150 | 99 | 5% | 55,000 |
| 2003 F-150 | 47 | 11% | 60,000 |
| 2002 F-150 | 106 | 13% | 88,000 |
| 2001 F-150 | 137 | 11% | 88,000 |
| 2000 F-150 | 191 | 18% | 81,143 |
| 1999 F-150 | 85 | 8% | 86,000 |
| 1998 F-150 | 87 | 6% | 120,000 |
| 1997 F-150 | 198 | 7% | 112,000 |
| 1996 F-150 | 56 | 17% | 100,500 |
| 1995 F-150 | 65 | 10% | 110,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Electrical system:software
Problem: Ford is recalling certain model year 2011 ford f-150, f-250, f-350, f-450, f-550, edge, and lincoln mkx trucks manufactured from october 25, 2010, through november 20, 2010. These vehicles were inspected using integrated diagnostic system (ids) that had a custom software routine to read the suspect body control module (bcm) serial number. Based on the serial number the bcm was either not affected or replaced. The custom software routine was not reading the correct set of characters, and was not able to identify a bcm that required replacement affected bcms may have the potential for an internal short.
Risk: If an electrical short develops, an overheating condition may occur which could result in a vehicle fire.
Fix: Dealer will inspect the body control module and if necessary replace it free of charge. The safety recall began on march 7, 2011. Owners may contact ford motor company customer relationship center at 1-866-436-7332.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
I was parking the vehicle and turned off the engine when the speakers gave out a loud noise. I turned the truck on to see if it would continue but there was no music and smoke began coming out around the radio. I moved the truck away from building and retrieved the fire extinguisher from the back…
I bought this truck used about one year ago. Since then I have not had much time to use it. In the last three months I have had some time to drive it. Three times in those months this issue has occurred. Luckily they all occurred on my property and no damage happened except to the truck. First time…
The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle or while driving at various speeds, the instrument panel intermittently went blank. The contact used an OBD machine to retrieve a fault code related to the Output Shaft Speed (OSS) sensor. The contact was informed…

Frequently asked questions
Do all 2011 Ford F-150s have electrical system problems?
No. NHTSA has 235 owner complaints about electrical system for the 2011 Ford F-150 (11% of the 2,191 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2011 Ford F-150 electrical system?
Yes: 1 safety recall list electrical system. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do electrical system problems start?
The median reported mileage is 68,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about electrical system problems on the 2011 Ford F-150?
The most frequent phrase is “rear window”, in 32 of 235 complaints, followed by “first gear” (13).
Other 2011 Ford F-150 problems
- Power Train problems (826)
- Engine problems (482)
- Steering problems (419)
- Vehicle Speed Control problems (213)
- Service Brakes problems (162)
- Visibility/wiper problems (91)
- Fuel/propulsion System problems (75)
- Visibility problems (56)
See all 2011 Ford F-150 problems or electrical system problems across all F-150 years.