Made a complete stop and vehicle accelerated at a high rate of speed and could not stop.
2011 Ford F-150 brakes problems
184 complaints (8% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 59,000. 19 crashes reported.
- owner complaints
- 184
- of this car's complaints
- 8%
- typical mileage
- 59,000
- crashes
- 19
- recalls
- 0
Which part fails
- Antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip: wheel speed sensor/tone ring5
- Antilock: wheel speed sensor3
- Power assist: vacuum2
- Power assist2
- Pedals and linkages2
- Foundation components: master cylinder2
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
0k-25k
25k-50k
50k-75k
75k-100k
100k-125k
125k-150k
150k-175k
175k-200k
200k+
Ford F-150 brakes problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2011 Ford F-150 brakes
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Related investigations
Brake Vacuum Pump Failure
On February 15, 2016, Ford Motor Company initiated Customer Satisfaction Program 15N05 to extend warranty coverage for the electric vacuum pump in certain model year (MY) 2011 through 2012 Ford F-150 pickup trucks equipped with 3.5L GTDI engines.The program extends coverage for up to 10 years of service or 150,000 miles from the warranty start date of the vehicle, all vehicles are eligible for the program through July 30, 2016 regardless of mileage.Ford's program covers all repairs related to electric vacuum pump (EVP) malfunctions including excessive noise, vibration, or change in brake pedal feel while applying the brakes at cold start. Ford states that the engine intake manifold is the primary source of vacuum for the brake booster and is fully compliant to motor vehicle safety standards without the supplemental vacuum supplied by the EVP.The company also contends that failure modes related to the EVP are progressive and provide warning to operators by way of noise and vibration before an operator to experience any temporary change in brake pedal feel.ODI's analysis of warranty data found that the majority of claims involved consumer concerns with EVP noise or vibration from the left front fender area when the vehicle is first started. Continued operation in this mode with pump motor noise will eventually result in the EVP seizing or becoming non-functional.Component failure analysis indicated that Ford and its supplier, Continental, identified a pump crank drive corrosion condition due to moisture entry through the vacuum intake.Corrosion damage to EVP internal components may eventually result in a blown fuse in the power distribution box and total loss of EVP function.Analysis of consumer complaints, field reports, and warranty data related to EVP failures found thatincidents predominantly occurred in driveways and parking lots in the periods immediately after cold engine starts.Many consumers operated their vehicle for some period of time with a blown EVP fuse without realizing that the pump had failed or that the vehicle had a brake system malfunction.Consumers who did experience braking performance issues reporteda temporary hard brake pedal condition at start-up followed by more consistent normal pedal feel after few seconds.On June 22, 2015, Ford developed a remedy procedure and issued TSB 15-0105 instructing dealers to replace the vacuum pump and install a new vacuum pump harness kit. In addition to reviewing test data submitted by Ford, ODI assessed safety risks associated with the alleged defect under various operating conditions, including: 1) baseline system performance with full engine and EVP vacuum available using exemplar parts, 2) disabled EVP and booster vacuum regulated to simulate worst case conditions for engine intake manifold vacuum supply to the brake booster (approximately 300 mbar); and 3) all source vacuum to the brake booster removed and Optimized Hydraulic Braking (OHB) mode active to represent complete loss of brake booster function (note: this condition is a more severe brake boost system failure mode than the alleged defect).ODI also analyzed all complaints and warranty claims to identify incidents alleging brake system performance concerns related to EVP failures.These analyses identified no brake performance issues or resulting changes in stopping distances either on highway or city traffic conditions.Two complaints alleging EVP malfunctions caused or contributed to rear-end collisions during attempted decelerations from road speeds are not believed to be related to the alleged defect.The EVP provides supplemental vacuum during initial start-up and idle
EA15006
Brake Vacuum Pump Failure
On June 22, 2015, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation PE15-026 to investigate incidents of increased brake pedal effort at cold start and extended stopping distance while driving in traffic, resulting from failures of the electric brake vacuum assist pump in model year (MY) 2011-2012 Ford F-150 pickup trucks equipped with 3.5L GTDI engines. In response to ODI's Information Request (IR) for PE15-026, Ford provided ODI with 396 complaints and field reports relating to incidents of increased brake pedal effort or malfunctions in the electric vacuum pump (EVP). ODI's analysis of the data provided by Ford identified 7 crashes and 1,851 warranty claims related to either a hard brake pedal condition or reduced brake effectiveness. Additionally, ODI identified one report in its database alleging an injury to an occupant of a vehicle struck in the rear by a subject F-150 vehicle with a failed EVP as documented in the police accident report referencing a dealer assessment of the pump.According to Ford, the subject vehicles utilize a traditional brake vacuum booster to provide power assist for braking and the EVP is intended to operate to maintain consistent brake pedal feel. The engine intake manifold is the primary source of vacuum for the booster and is fully compliant to motor vehicle safety standards without the EVP. Ford described the conditions related to a change in brake pedal feel as limited and temporary and provided component failure analysis showing evidence of water entry into the EVP which caused internal pump corrosion. Ford indicated that the EVP failure mode is progressive and provides warning to operators by way of noise and vibration before an operator is likely to experience any temporary change in brake pedal feel. Damage to the EVP motor bearing may eventually result in a blown EVP fuse and total loss of EVP function. Ford provided test data showing the brake pedal forces and pedal travel curves over time for 0.3g decelerations to a stop from 80kph (50mph) for: 1) normal system (full engine and EVP vacuum available); 2) Ford's approximation of worst case booster performance with EVP failure (EVP disabled and booster vacuum regulated to 300mbar to simulate cold start, all accessory loads on, and starting at 0 vacuum); and 3) with all source vacuum to the brake booster removed and Hydraulic Boost Compensation (HBC) active to represent complete loss of brake booster function. The Ford tests showed that the brake pedal forces required for achieving the 0.3g decelerations were relatively low for the normal condition, 35-40 N (8-9 lbf), increased by approximately 2-3 times normal when the EVP is disabled, 75-115 N (17-26 lbf), and increased by about 5-6 times normal for the complete brake booster failure condition, 205-215 N (46-48 lbf). This Preliminary Evaluation has been upgraded to Engineering Analysis (EA15-006) to test for EVP malfunctions under other vehicle operating conditions (e.g., low-speed driveway braking after cold-start with failed EVP), potential human factors contributions and to further assess the scope, frequency, and safety-related consequences of the alleged defect.The VOQs associated with the opening of this investigation are:10565994, 10575987, 10598351, 10604687, 10605701, 10607811, 10610491, 10615536, 10617828, 10619545, 10643075, 10650578, 10662151, 10664415, 10666988, 10668069, 10678844, 10695537, 10700874, 10706217, 10706271, 10712465, 10723033, 10723792, 10726960, 10730549, 10730721, 10730735, 10730837, 10730909, 10731008, 10731135, 10731157, 10731165, 10731395, 10731758, 10732609, 10732878, 10733375, 10733804, 10734558, 10734613, 10743859, 10744214, 10
PE15026
What 2011 Ford F-150 owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Steering became stiff and difficult, brakes fell off the vehicle. No breaks. Heard/felt a pop and steering became loose. No steering, steering wheel was not turning the tires. Operated as a toy steering wheel without any temsion/control. I was stopped at a stop sign when the incident happened going 0mph.
The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle failed to decelerate and come to a complete stop while the brake pedal was depressed. No warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that excessive force was needed, or the brake pedal needed to be pumped several times to start operating as needed. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer; however, the cause of the failure was not yet determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic, where the brake master cylinder was replaced; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was also taken to several other local dealers, where it was diagnosed; however, the cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unavailable.
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 federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.
Brake system alarm. When the mechanic put the computer reader on it, it’s saying it’s a vacuum issue. This issue has been recalled on several 2011 FordF150’s, but when I look up my VIN, it says there isn’t a recall on mine
The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving on an access road 30 MPH, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted to first gear, and the “Maintenance Required” warning light was illuminated. The contact immediately stopped the vehicle. The vehicle was restarted and driven to a local independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the output shaft speed sensor was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 157,000.
The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the output speed sensor failed to function properly, causing the vehicle not to operate and accelerate as needed. The contact pulled over, turned off, restarted the vehicle, and was able to continue driving. The contact stated that several times after turning off and restarting the vehicle, the vehicle failed to return to normal operation. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnosis. The contact was informed that the output speed sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact linked the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 19V075000 (Power Train); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 170,000.
The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle unintendedly accelerated. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was restarted; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The mechanic diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the failure was caused by faulty wheel speed sensors. The contact was informed that the wheel speed sensor and the lead frame needed to be replaced. The dealer was also contacted; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 94,000.
The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. The contact stated that on two occasions while driving at approximately 45 MPH, there was a clunking sound, and the vehicle inadvertently downshifted into first gear. The transmission warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the residence where a hand-held diagnostic machine retrieved DTC code: P0722 (Output Shaft Speed Sensor Circuit no Signal). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 194,285.
The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to slow the vehicle, the contact became aware that the brakes were not functioning properly. The contact stated that upon releasing the brake pedal, the vehicle continued to decelerate. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed failures with the brake calipers and brake lines. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 114,000. The VIN was not available.
Questions about the 2011 Ford F-150 brakes
Does the 2011 Ford F-150 have brakes problems?
Owners have filed 184 complaints about the brakes of the 2011 Ford F-150, 8% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 2011 Ford F-150 brakes problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 59,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2011 Ford F-150 brakes?
There is no recall for this problem on this model year.
What year does the Ford F-150 have bad brakes?
The Ford F-150 model years with the most brakes complaints are 2013 (363 complaints), 2014 (346 complaints) and 2016 (341 complaints).
Other 2011 Ford F-150 problems
Transmission 830Engine 511Steering 419Electrical 235Acceleration 213Visibility 147Fuel system 117Driver assistance 54Body 33Lights 30Tires 18Airbags 14Suspension 14Wheels 13Seats 9Seat belts 8Locks 1
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