2011 Ford F-150 Electrical System Problems

Source: NHTSA · Updated Oct 2, 2026 · 235 complaints analyzed

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).

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.

Under 10k miles8 · 4%
10k–25k miles11 · 6%
25k–50k miles36 · 19%
50k–75k miles46 · 25%
75k–100k miles22 · 12%
100k–150k miles38 · 20%
150k+ miles26 · 14%

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

Peak: 2013, with 324 complaints
1995: 6519951996: 561997: 1981998: 8719981999: 852000: 1912001: 13720012002: 1062003: 472004: 9920042005: 732006: 602007: 4220072008: 292009: 462010: 16620102011: 2352012: 1732013: 32420133242014: 1622015: 1762016: 18720162017: 1342018: 1722019: 10020192020: 882021: 1302022: 12520222023: 832024: 402025: 2320252026: 2

n = 3,641 complaints · Source: NHTSA

Model yearElectrical System complaintsShare of that yearMedian miles
2026 F-150217%—
2025 F-1502321%24,000
2024 F-1504021%25,000
2023 F-1508320%9,000
2022 F-15012521%20,000
2021 F-15013013%27,500
2020 F-1508812%3,500
2019 F-1501007%44,500
2018 F-1501727%26,000
2017 F-1501349%44,500
2016 F-1501879%40,000
2015 F-15017610%52,000
2014 F-15016211%65,000
2013 F-15032411%67,000
2012 F-15017310%66,500
2011 F-15023511%68,000
2010 F-15016620%59,571
2009 F-1504614%66,350
2008 F-150298%82,350
2007 F-150429%74,100
2006 F-1506010%62,000
2005 F-150737%69,750
2004 F-150995%55,000
2003 F-1504711%60,000
2002 F-15010613%88,000
2001 F-15013711%88,000
2000 F-15019118%81,143
1999 F-150858%86,000
1998 F-150876%120,000
1997 F-1501987%112,000
1996 F-1505617%100,500
1995 F-1506510%110,000

When owners reported it

Peak: 2018, with 35 complaints
2011: 2201122012: 222013: 9201392014: 26262015: 312015312016: 17172017: 272017272018: 35352019: 162019162020: 19192021: 7202172022: 11112023: 8202382024: 992025: 9202592026: 77

n = 235 complaints · Source: NHTSA

Related recalls (1)

Electrical system:softwareFeb 24, 2011 · NHTSA campaign 11V128000 · 8,022 vehicles

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…

Received Sep 25, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11767061

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…

Received Sep 20, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11765661

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…

Received Jul 23, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11752386
Ford F-150
Ford F-150 (fourteenth generation) at Rutesheimer Autoschau 2025. Representative photo; appearance varies by model year. Photo: Alexander Migl, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

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

See all 2011 Ford F-150 problems or electrical system problems across all F-150 years.