The 2011 Ford F-150 has had six safety recalls during its lifespan. Three of the recalls were related to the drivetrain; two were related to electrical and lights issues; and one was an electrical problem with the engine. Despite a handful of hiccups, the 2011 Ford F-150 remains one of America’s favorite pickup trucks. Here’s a look at all six of the recalls that were issued against the 2011 Ford F-150.
Recall #1: Faulty Throttle Body Control Module
The first recall on the 2011 Ford F-150 was discovered in December of 2010, and the safety recall was issued the following month. A batch of vehicles manufactured over a six-day period in 2010 had a faulty throttle body control module (BCM) installed in them. The fault was discovered by the company that manufactured the BCMs.
This recall did not affect very many Ford vehicles, since it was only those involved over six days’ worth of production. The risk associated with the BCM was a serious one, however. The faulty BCMs had the potential to cause an electrical short, which in turn could potentially cause the engine to overheat and lead to an unattended vehicle fire.
The recall began on January 11, 2011. In vehicles that were affected by the recall, Ford replaces the faulty BCM free of charge. This was assigned recall number 10V659000.
Recall #2: Faulty Throttle Body Control Module (Again)
The second recall on the 2011 Ford F-150 was related to the first one. In order to simplify the process of locating the faulty body control modules for replacement, Ford used a handheld scanner that could read the lengthy serial numbers on the BCM. This was easier than having a human technician try to “eyeball” all the serial numbers. It was a good plan, except for the fact that the handheld scanners didn’t work properly.
There was an issue with the software in the scanners, so they incorrectly tagged good BCMs for replacement, while missing a lot of the faulty BCMs. Ford F-150 owners who thought that they had dodged a bullet with the first recall ended up needing to have the faulty BCM replaced in their trucks after all.
The second recall over the faulty BCMs began on March 7, 2011. This was assigned recall number 11V128000.
Recall #3: Power Train – Automatic Transmission
A group of Ford F-150 trucks that were manufactured in September of 2011 had an issue with the brake shift interlock system that led to the vehicle’s third recall. Brake to shift interlock systems have been an industry standard in all vehicles since 2006.
In addition to being a handy anti-theft feature, a brake shift interlock system also prevents the vehicle from being moved out of “Park” position without pressing down on the brake pedal. The lack of a functional brake shift interlock system increases the likelihood of a rollaway crash or pedestrian accident, because even a child could accidentally shift the vehicle out of “Park.”
This safety recall was issued on December 22, 2011, and it was assigned recall number 11V582000.
Recall #4: Transmission Reverse & Backup Signal Lights
This recall was another transmission-related issue in the 2011 Ford F-150. The transmission range sensor (TRS) was calibrated improperly in some Ford F-150 trucks, which caused a couple of potentially serious issues.
The first and most obvious problem was that some of the vehicles would simply not shift into “Reverse.” In other cases, the truck would shift into “Reverse,” but the reverse signal lights on the truck would not light. This was a safety issue because other vehicles or pedestrians wouldn’t be able to tell that the F-150 was about to back up.
This safety recall started on June 11, 2012 and was assigned recall number 12V190000.
Recall #5: Automatic Transmission Randomly Shifts Down to First Gear
A software bug suddenly surfaced in 2016 in the 2011 Ford F-150’s automatic transmission. The bug caused the truck to suddenly downshift to first gear for no apparent reason – even if the driver was cruising down the freeway at 75 MPH.
If that sudden, unexpected downshift happens at high speed, it has the potential to cause a serious crash. The tires can also lock up when that happens, causing the truck to slide out of control. Ford had to reprogram the software in the automatic transmission to correct this problem.
This recall was issued on September 19, 2016, and it was assigned recall number 16V248000.
Recall #6: Automatic Transmission (Again)
The automatic transmission software problem that led to recall number five on the 2011 Ford F-150 suddenly resurfaced in 2019. It was the exact same problem all over again: The vehicle would randomly downshift into first gear. Ford had to reprogram the software on some of the transmissions once again.
This recall was issued on March 04, 2019, and it was assigned recall number 19V075000.
Safety Recall Repairs
If you purchased a used 2011 Ford F-150 and you don’t know whether it has undergone repairs related to any previous safety recalls, it’s easy to check. You can call Ford at (866) 436-7332 and give them the VIN number for your truck. Ford will check its records to see if a dealership has made the necessary repairs or not. All safety recall repairs are conducted free of charge.
