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 seat. I noticed the "door ajar" warning was on even when the doors were closed. The smoke subsided and I did some quick research online. I was able to find a lot of information about the wire harness between the driver's side rear door and door frame being damaged, producing these symptoms. I disconnected the battery and removed the sheath from the wiring harness. Three wires were severed and several were frayed. (see attached photos) I contacted the local Ford dealership and they explained how it could be replaced at the wire connector in the door frame. Most trucks have a connector in the door frame, this truck does not so the Ford tech offered to solder the wires together. I am experienced in wiring and auto mechanics so I completed the repairs myself as he described.
2011 Ford F-150 electrical problems
235 complaints (11% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 68,000. 8 crashes reported.
- owner complaints
- 235
- of this car's complaints
- 11%
- typical mileage
- 68,000
- crashes
- 8
- recalls
- 1
Which part fails
- Instrument cluster/panel5
- Instrument panel: speedometer/odometer4
- Wiring1
- Software1
- Instrument panel: speedometer/odometer: sensor/sending unit1
- Ignition: interlock/lockout1
- Body control module/bcm1
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
Ford F-150 electrical problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2011 Ford F-150 electrical
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Fire or smoke 16Backup camera 10Battery drain 6Warning lights 5
Related recalls
Electrical system: software
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Remedy
- 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.
Recall number 11V128000 · Recall details
What 2011 Ford F-150 owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
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 it happened an exterior mirror was knocked off, a running board was bent, scratches and dings to the to the paint, and a tailight was damaged. This all happened in reverse due to a gate opening I was going through. The motor all of a sudden had a massive spike in RPMs and a violent lunge and slide of the vehicle. I learned later that it was due to a flawed part in the transmission called a molded lead frame. Transmission is Fords 6R80 6-speed automatic. Last time it happened was on 09/16/2026. It has not been inspected by any entity because apparenty I live too far in the "boonies" for anyone to come this far but the vehicle is available for inspection upon request.
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 that the OSS sensor needed to be replaced. The dealer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.
The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while his fiancé was stopped at a stop sign, the vehicle accelerated violently after depressing the accelerator pedal, and the driver lost control of the vehicle. The vehicle continued accelerating while depressing the brake pedal. The contact stated that the vehicle crashed through a yard, into a road sign, before crashing into the rear of a parked vehicle, where the vehicle came to a stop. The contact stated that the air bags failed to deploy upon impact. The driver sustained whiplash and soreness in various parts of the body but had not sought medical attention. A Police report was filed. The road sign was damaged. The driver coasted the vehicle back to the residence before the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. A diagnostic test was performed on the vehicle; however, the mechanic was unable to determine the cause of the failure or duplicate the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and provided a case number. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.
I am having a lead frame issue. At various speeds, the vehicle will just down shift, locking the tires and causing a hazard for other drivers which could be a very dangerous situation. I was impacted from the rear due to this occurrence. It causes extreme jerkiness when doing this which is also injurious to my back and neck and shoulders.
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? “We lost power while driving, along with a weird downshift today, 5/16/2026. This is happen one other time, however not as bad.” How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? “It could have been way worse, lucky there was a left turn lane that avoided us being rear ended by the vehicle behind us.” Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? “Not for this time, but it will be going in first thing Monday. We did have it looked at back in April when it did a weird downshift while driving, but they couldn’t find an issue then.” Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? “No, but it will be after this incident.” Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? “No warning lights, just loss of power and an intense downshift. The first time the downshift thing happened was back in April, but nothing more. We had a mechanic look at it, but nothing happened for him then.”
My vehicle has abrupt unintended downshifts straight down to first gear at fast speeds, which is causing rear-wheel lockage near heart attack and near-loss of control spinout. The sudden downshifting causes a loud violent high extreme RPM engine over rev. sounding as if it is about to blow up or an internal explosion. This is occurring at highway speeds up to 70 mph. At these speeds, is an immediate risk to me and others! Causing a fatal high-speed rollover or a multi-vehicle collision due to this malfunction! This was a recall 19S07 for my year of truck but my Vin was somehow was not on the list which I guess makes me not qualified unless I get into a crash and then have a lawsuit.
Orchid Isle Ford in Hilo has replaced the electronic power steering rack and pinion already once but now it’s gone bad again.I don’t understand why because I hardly drive my truck and it has only 40 something thousands miles on it
The first indication of problems came when I tried to put the truck in gear and I noticed that the reverse light didn't come on and it wouldn't engage into the gear then as I was traveling down a three-lane highway in the middle lane the car started jerking and like it didn't want to go and then I got to a red light and the truck would not move so I was stuck in the central lane but after engaging the gear several times I managed to get the vehicle into a gas station parking lot where I call the dealership after finding out that I had the trouble code that was referred in the recall and the vehicle was towed to Duval I mean it was told to Hogan forward on Atlantic boulevard .where it's now under inspection.
Was starting to accelerate out of a toll booth a vehicle and was about 60mph when suddenly the engine shut off. Electrical worked. Got mechanical symbol and then oil pressure low warning. It started to down shift and slow rapidly in traffic. Managed to get to side of road but almost got hit. Got it towed to dealer and the fuel pump fuse had melted. Shutting off the fuel pump.
Questions about the 2011 Ford F-150 electrical
Does the 2011 Ford F-150 have electrical problems?
Owners have filed 235 complaints about the electrical of the 2011 Ford F-150, 11% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 2011 Ford F-150 electrical problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 68,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2011 Ford F-150 electrical?
Yes, 1 recall: 11V128000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Ford F-150 have the most electrical problems?
The Ford F-150 model years with the most electrical complaints are 2013 (324 complaints), 2011 (235 complaints) and 1997 (198 complaints).
Other 2011 Ford F-150 problems
Transmission 830Engine 511Steering 419Acceleration 213Brakes 184Visibility 147Fuel system 117Driver assistance 54Body 33Lights 30Tires 18Airbags 14Suspension 14Wheels 13Seats 9Seat belts 8Locks 1
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