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Problems with 2011 Ford F-150 ENGINE

On average, the 2011 Ford F-150 starts to “feel” problems with the ENGINE and its various aspects after 53 463 miles.

Recently reported ENGINE problems on 2011 Ford F-150

I have had problems with my transmission. it will slip from 1st to 5th when starting out. it would only work if i put it in manual mode. while in manual modeeverything on my dash went blank and quit working. i had nothing to go by not even my speedometer. also it slipped from 5th to 1st while driving down the highway causing it to lock up and my wife hit me from behind. i took it to world of ford in pensacola. they told me about 2 recalls. 16s19,16n02, nhtsa recall 16v248. my truck has been there for over 10days and they said there is no timeframe on when it will be fixed. i have a pregnant wife and a job and now i'm out of my vehicles. the manager at world of ford frank told me to drive it away from his shop that they weren't going to fix it. i can't drive the truck by it's dangerous. i do have his conversation recorded by he was telling me to drive the truck away after it locked up on me. now i'm trying other sources to see what i need to do. anything would help. i can't afford 40$ a day for a rental. especially since i feel like it's a ford issue not anything i did. ## vin passed ## ford f-150 2011 ##

Loss of power towing boat up a hill on highway. forced dangerous low speed on mountain highway with curves and limited visibility. dealer inspected and spark plugs cracked at only 43k miles.

My v-6 ecoboost engine shudders upon accelerating, loses power, check engine light flashing on & off. this has occurred several times especially when the weather is damp. my truck only has a little over 75k

While driving the transmission would down shift from 5th to 1st and the speedometer would stop working . after doing research i found ford issued the following recall safety recall 16s19 the intermittent output speed sensor (oss) failure may result in an unintended downshift into first gear. however after contacting ford they said my truck was not covered under that recall. i brought my truck to the dealership and they fix the exact problem that was on the recall.

2011 ford f-150 xlt supercrew 4x2. i was operating the vehicle in normal conditions earlier this week and noticed that the vehicle was not accelerating after pushing on the gas pedal. i had noticed this very intermittently over the past several months, but this issue was constant. there were no warning indicators, but when attempting to accelerate the pu seemed to be operating at about 30-40% of the expected performance level. i took into the ford service dealer, northside ford, and they mentioned it might be the pcm but they needed to start by replacing the o2 downstream sensor. they replaced the o2 downstream sensor and re-tested and it them indicated that the pcm needed to be replaced. the vehicle only has 112,500 miles so it seems odd that there was a recall (12v190000) but my vehicle was not included and it seems to be exhibiting similar problems. i would like to see if someone can look into the issue as i believe it has a similarities to the previous recalls.

Driving on the freeway no warning just heard a pot and i pulled over noticed oil coming out. took it to the shop and the block had 2 holes blown out of it. oil and everything was fine the rods just blew thru at 94,000 miles.

My name is [xxx], i own a 2011 f150 ecoboost. over the past 4 years i have encountered and same issue with the engine misfiring due to moisture getting in the intake. everyone dealership personal i've spoken with has confirmed that it's a known issue with that year and model and there is no permanent fix. however when the engine continuously misfires it calls for service on the truck and replacement of certain parts. i am filling this complaint because i do not believe this right that ford should be allowed to ignore a known issue that has almost gotten myself and family into a serious accident on the highway. as well cost me money out of pocket to correct. i would like to see someone hold ford accountable before this issue gets someone killed. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

2011 f-150 super cab 4x4 with an 8ft bed 3.5 ecoboost engine, driving down the high way 60 miles an hour engine threw a rod, it blew through the entire block causing an extremely dangerous situation, started checking around have found many complaints of the same thing in the 3.5 ecoboost engines, something about ford using cheaper powdered rods, i'm not sure all i know is i had a perfectly good truck one minute and the next it's basically a loss, i just thank for no one was hurt.

When accelerating onto the highway the power shut down and the engine shaked violently and the engine light came on. afterword i could not speed up pass 50mph. i pulled over let it rest for 30min and the engine light stayed on and i was not able to do any aggressive accelerations and could barely make it up hills.

If i start my truck and immediately put it in reverse my brakes will not work, i have to let the truck sit for a couple minutes before my brakes will work. i have replaced my brakes thinking this would correct the problem but it did not. i have backed into a concrete post because of this. very unsafe

Driving 2011 ford f150 ecoboost on the highway on a 8 hr trip to reno from las vegas. went to pass a large truck and experienced shaking and studdering. had to back off as oncoming traffic was approaching. had to back off and almost caused an accident in rainy conditions because another vehicle was behind me attempting to pass along with me. this caused swerving and hard braking by many vehicles behind that vehicle. check engine light flashed but did not remain on. i later replicated this by doing a hard acceleration on a clear stretch of road same studdering and flashing light. drove conservatively the rest of the way. in reno, i had the truck scanned at an auto parts store. no codes showed. have not had an issue since. this could have killed people. the internet says this is a known issue to ford on the early ecoboost engines having to do with faulty intercooler design which gathers moisture then blows it into the cylinders when accelerating. i live in the desert and so have not had this problem until that trip. they (ford) have never notified me that this is a potential problem. there is a tsb for it but that won't help the large bill for the fix or the safety hazard this condition creates. this needs attention. at the least, ford should notify owners that the problem exists, that it is a safety hazard and fix at no cost.

Throttle body keeps going out, causing vehicle to stop no matter what speed you are going.

Truck makes a loud rattling noise upon starting cold in the morning. noise lasts for 3-5 seconds, than goes away. the electric vacuum pump was recalled and replaced roughly a year and a half ago. i took truck to ford dealership last fall (2017), and they stated it was the tension belt/pulley loosening. while doing some research online, seems like quite a few ford truck owners with that ecoboost engine are having same issue all across the country in all different climates. this seems like a safety issue to me, and was hoping ford would recall and take care of this. truck seems to make this noise while stationary upon starting first thing in the morning. i contacted ford corporate, and they recommended filing a claim with you guys.

Recognized pattern failure. excessive timing chain stretch on 2011 ford f-150 xlt with 3.5l ecoboost motor. tapping and rattling noise from the top front of the engine when first started, lasting for approximately 3 seconds. vehicle well maintained and driven in normal fashion on paved highways. odomoter ~86k miles. the owner contends timing chains in properly-maintained and normally-driven vehicles should typically last the lifetime of the vehicle (or thereabouts) unless a defect exists. the customer has discovered (unverified) that ford motor company has revised the specifications for the timing chain mechanism on this motor in more recent model years, with redesigned chain and guides and updated part numbers. there is a risk of catastrophic engine failure at highway speeds leading to a substantial safety hazard with the vehicle no longer drivable. ford has acknowledged the problem three times with tsb 14-0194, tsb 15-0131, and tsb 16-0027, but has failed to initiate a voluntary remedy outside of warranty coverage. premature timing chain wear appears to be an increasing and ongoing problem on later model gasoline turbocharged direct injection (gtdi) engines. the customer raised the issue with both a local ford dealership and with ford motor company headquarters to no avail. repair cost $2634.44 at ford dealership. this apparent defect yields continuing and substantial profits for the manufacturer.

Truck has a timing chain rattle and has had the same rattle for 28,000 miles, since i've owned the truck. it only happens when the truck has been sitting for an extended period. the rattle lasts from 2-10 seconds. i have videos of it happening in my driveway, after a cold start. dealer refuses to fix it because it doesn't happen after i drive it to them and they start it. tsb-14-0194, tsb 16-0027, tsb- 15-0131. all 3 tsbs have the same results. i have shown the dealer my videos nd the service advisor told me "no problem we can get it fixed", only to find out he dealer refuses to fix it until they can get the truck to do it for them, under their care. the tsb states that if the owner hears the rattle the dealer is to fix it.

Ford f150 2011 ecoboost engine. in 2015, truck started to loose power going up hills or carrying a load in truck bed. then the truck went into limp mode on highway going 70 mph. so in january 2015, ford replaced timing chain at 60,000 miles. now two years later and 40k miles since - truck is having timing chain errors again. engine looses power and engine light and codes set saying timing chain errors. same symptoms as before. ford says truck is out of warranty and will not fix unless i pay.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 ford f-150. while stationary, the vehicle would not start when prompted on several occasions. palm coast ford in palm coast, florida was made aware of the failure and replaced the battery, but the failure recurred. the manufacturer was aware of the failure and stated that there were no recalls. the failure mileage was 68,000.

Experienced multiple engine misfire events in past year with 3.5l ecoboost engine. dec 2015- misfire code p0300. six spark plugs replaced by napa certified shop at my cost. aug 2016 - towing 7,000 lb. travel trailer - engine stutter & power loss going uphill, check engine light came on. took to local ford dealer. diagnosis - cracked spark plug on cylinder 6. spark plug replaced at my cost. dec 2016 - under normal highway driving conditions. accelerated from 65 to approx 70 mph to pass semi - engine stutter & power loss. check engine light came on & truck began to shake, engine went into limp mode. had to pull over & slow to 50 mph before power came back. took to local dealership. diagnosis - fouled spark plug & bad ignition coil on cylinder 3. coil replaced under warranty, spark plug replaced at my cost. feb 2017 - under normal highway driving conditions. again accelerating from 65 to approx 70 mph to pass another vehicle - engine stutter & power loss. check engine light came on & truck began to shake, engine went into limp mode. had to pull over & slow to 50 mph before power came back. took to same local dealership. diagnosis - cracked spark plug & bad ignition coil on cylinder 6. coil replaced under warranty, spark plug replaced at my cost. march 2017 - again, under normal highway driving conditions. again accelerating from 65 to approx. 70 mph to pass another vehicle - engine stutter & power loss. check engine light came on & truck began to shake, engine went into limp mode. had to slow to 45 mph before power came back. took to same local dealership. was told that i was now 200 miles outside of extended warranty. they would look at it but it would cost me. took to autozone for code read - error code p0305 - cylinder 5 misfire. multiple articles & online forum reports of this issue. ford appears to be ignoring the issue.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 ford f-150. while driving 65 mph, unknown warning indicators flashed on the instrument panel. also, the heating gauge was high and the vehicle overheated. when the vehicle was parked, the gauge returned to the normal range. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the failure could not be duplicated. the failure persisted and the vehicle was towed to the dealer. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired, but the dealer provided the contact with a cold weather front/grill. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 106,000.

According to the research i have done to this point the fist recall that i believe applies to this vehicle is tsb 13-6-8, and the 2nd is tsb 13-8-1. both of these symptoms are prevalent to my vehicle but ford fails to act on this tsb and fails to make the necessary repairs that will remedy these issues. once again this vehicle is now part of a field service action (15n05) for the electric vacuum pump, and will return the vehicle on 3/24/2017 to see if they will respond in this action, and once again bring these tsb's to there attention as previously done to see if they will repair the vehicle to an acceptable operating standard. if ford fails to respond to the tsb's and to the field service actions, what are my options to see these repairs take place, and my vehicle is in a safe and proper working function?

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 ford f-150. while attempting to accelerate up hill, the vehicle shook violently and the rpms decreased. the contact took the vehicle to triple j ford (470 marine corps drive, tamuning, guam 96913, 671-648-2277) where it was diagnosed that the catalytic converter failed and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. the contact returned the vehicle to the same dealer and was informed that there was no failure due to no failure diagnostic codes. when test driving the vehicle, the failure recurred at approximately 1,500 rpms. the vehicle received a replacement of the coil packs, spark plugs, o2 sensors, and an injector cleaning. on approximately august 5, 2017, the failure recurred after the second set of repairs were made. the vehicle was returned to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the turbo needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the turbo boost for the vehicle failed. the vehicle was returned to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the vacuum pipe was fractured and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred and the instrument panel showed that the tachometer was fluctuating. the vehicle was returned to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the injector needed to be replaced. three injectors were replaced; however, the failure recurred. the manufacturer was made aware of the failures and was helping to get the failures resolved. the approximate failure mileage was 56,000.

Timing chain stretched, engine malfunction.

It is loosing power when acceleration during wet or cold conditions. this will happen when getting on the freeway, or passing, going up hills and acceleration from a stopped position.

I almost lost my life just leaving work. made a right onto hwy & almost got smashed, no power in the peddle, with a semi coming at me full speed i'm sitting there trying to go, he blew his horn passing me in left lane... crazy!!!!!!! this really should be a recall, not just cuz of me but for the safety of everyone!!! not cool!!! without a doubt this is a safety defect! reduced power during hard acceleration nhtsa preliminary evaluation #pe13018 status: closed date opened: may 22, 2013 date closed: april 07, 2014 recall: no recall issued component(s): engine engine and engine cooling summary: on may 22, 2013, the office of defects investigation (odi) opened pe13-018 to investigate 95 complaints alleging incidents of reduced engine power during hard accelerations.

Code p0016, timing chain tensioner and timing chain looseness on ecoboost ford f-150. 2011 w low miles at 59,000. common problem should be a recall.

I drive a 2011 platinum with the 3.5 l eco junk when driving on the highway the truck looses all power and shakes and doesn't want to shift up when accelerating hard it will stick in 3rd or 4th gear at 70 mph and when it finally shifts it takes off fast and hard these trucks with the ecoboost are junk and they should just recall the whole truck considering ford can't figure out how to fix there problems

3.5 eco boost bogged down when i was passing....on 1-2-20017..almost caused an accident..same symptoms as manny eco boost f150 ford....very dangerous !!!!

Intercooler for turbo has been replaced twice and will need to be replaced for a third time as the vehicle loses power when accelerating for passing, etc.

My 2011 f150 fx4 has been acting up with the transmission. this has happened multiple times and the dealer is unable to replicate it. so far they have changed all of th coil packs, reset the transmission, changed all the spark plugs in a hope that was the issue. well it's not. the truck lunges forward with loud bangs and grinding noises. rpm's go up and down and the truck sounds as if i downshifted from 6th gear to first. then i can only go 40 miles an hour with high rpms. engine lights have lit up and now a wrench. this is crazy my gauges don't work this is dangerous.

This is the second time i have had this issue with this truck, while merging on a highway, my truck loses all power and starts shaking rapidly, once again i was almost involved in an auto accident because i could not merge. when i initially had this issue 50 thousand miles ago, i brought my truck to auto-nation ford in white bear lake minnesota, they said it was an issue of spark plugs, wires and coil packs, ford also said the issue was the inter-cooler. ford fixed all of those issues roughly 50 thousand miles ago, but here we are, my truck is at 100,xxx miles and this issue happened again! this is a serious safety issue, i have now been run off the road twice and almost crashed into a lake! when my truck loses all power and starts shaking rapidly, i lose control of the half ton truck. i contacted my local ford dealership, (auto-nation ford) in white bear lake, where i bought the truck and they would like me to pay in full for all of these issues, which ford clearly knows about. i know for a fact i am never buying a ford again, my safety and the safety of my family has now been compromised on multiple occasions and ford has not once taking responsibility or offered to fix the issue. i am very disgusted with the way ford has been handling these safety issues. when you buy a brand new truck and things like this happen, the company should take care of you, but once again, ford has proved that they do not care about their customers.

The engine misfires and changes to "limp mode" after the engine shudders, shakes and looses power. this has happened twice in the life of this vehicle. also the steering sticks when turning left.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 ford f-150. while driving and while stopped, the engine revved uncontrollably on several occasions without warning. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the failure could not be duplicated. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 28,000. updated 04/05/17 lj the consumer stated all incidents happened when vehicle is stopped, engine idling and foot on the brake. *tr

On hard acceleration like when entering a highway or trying to pass another car it will miss fire continuously thru the acceleration 60-70 mph.shaking violently and check engine light blinking throwing p0300 codes for misfiring at 47,000 miles changed all spark plugs / coil packs / wires / air filter / 48,000 still misfiring

Just letting you know the stumble issues to these vehicles could be dangerous had it happen a week or so ago while towing. the power was totally gone at full throttle while passing a vehicle. what if i didn't have enough time. i just discovered all this information. as i am typing this my vehicle is in the shop getting the catalytic on the driver side (bank one) replaced and a re-flash, as it threw the p0430 dtc. again it was a drastic power loss at full throttle, when throttle released regular operation occurred. "you try letting off the throttle while in the middle of a pass, i didn't". and by the way i was a mechanic most of my working days. just because people don't report it doesn't mean it doesn't exist. in my opinion there are a lot more of them out there with the same problem, just google it and you will see many. thank you *tr

Tsb 14-0196, tsb 15-0131, tsb 16-0027 - all explain the issue, so yes ford knows it is a recurring issue. its basically the engine rattling for 2-5 seconds when you starting the vehicle from a cold start. in mechanics terms the primary timing belt has stretched and takes that 2-5 seconds to pick up the slack.this video explains it very well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wt3ac_h8wl0 ford only covers this issue for 5yr/60k miles which is terrible. tons of different models of fords have this issue over a variety of different years. this should easily be a recall on fords or atleast an extension in warranty. this repair will cost around $2000 to have a ford dealer fix it for you. i currently only have 62k miles on my truck and ford still won't even give me a discount for the repairs. im only 2k miles over the warranty mark and still get nothing? i've loved ford trucks for years but after all this, its easily driving me away from wanting another ford. *tr

While traveling on the highway in the rain the truck began to shutter and loose power during acceleration. a few days later in sunny weather it was fine with no problems accelerating. looks like from reading on the nhtsa site this is a turbo issue that occurs during humid or wet weather. since ford is aware what will they be doing to solve the issue?

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 ford f-150. while driving various speeds and slowing down, the rear of the vehicle jerked without warning. the vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed, but not repaired. the results of the diagnostic were unknown. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 130,000.

2011 f150 connecting rods broke at normal highway speed beating a hole in block oil is all pumped out of motor coverimg the windshield of cars behind me one was 80000 the second was only 60000.

While accelerating onto the highway truck began shaking violently and lost power. i was towing a trailer at the time and was nearly struck by a large truck because i couldn't get up to speed or off the highway because of loss of power. this is a known problem with 3.5 liter ecoboost engines and it is only a matter of time before someone is seriously injured or killed because this issue has not been successfully addressed by ford.

Vehicle loses power and misfires when accelerating especially at 50mph or higher. recurring problem over the years. mostly an issue when passing on two-lane highway. extremely dangerous.

Since i've owned this vehicle new, i've had a number of problems related to acceleration. vehicle would almost stall on hard acceleration when getting on the freeway. dealer replaced spark plugs & boots, but condition was not completely resolved. vehicle would still on occasion repeat the same problem. more recently when driving yesterday, the engine light started blinking, then became steady. of greater concerned i got an engine light & poor acceleration. took the vehicle to the dealer & dealer is telling me that the timing belt needs to be replaced at a cost of $2000+. vehicle had just turned 61000 miles. dealer service agent tells me its not uncommon and could be caused by not getting the oil changed at recommended intervals. vehicle has had regular oil changes at the dealer & other service facilities. never heard of this & i think it's premature for a vehicle with 61000 miles to need the timing belt replaced. never had this happen in 45+ years of driving.

Ecoboost 3.5 l timing chain stretch. on start up after sitting overnight, timing chain slapps the side of the crank case. common problem on ecoboost engine. dealer tells me i need new engine.

While driving on hwy when acceleration the vehicle looses power and i had to pull over and shut off the engine and re-start it, almost causing an accident. then when driving on normal road conditions and accelerate the vehicle to pass, and the same thing happens, the engine miss fires, looses power and the check engine light is on since the first time it happened. took the truck to the ford dealer and they said it was "an ongoing problem with the ecoboost and the air charge cooler". they said the fix is to put a intercooler deflector (piece of plastic over the intercooler), change the spark plugs and do a vehicle software update witch is going to cost around $700 to fix. outrageous cost for a tune up and a piece of plastic for something they know its a "ongoing problem" and don't want to have a recall. this is a safety issue, and they know about it but since the vehicle is out of warrantee i have to deal with it. wonder how many others have this issue?! this is definitely the only and last ford i will buy. this does not guarantees that its going to stop it from happening again. with this amount of money i could buy an aftermarket intercooler, do a complete tune up and still have money left.

On hard acceleration like when entering a highway or trying to pass another car it will miss fire continuously thru the acceleration.on several ocasions it down shifts and then the engine loses power.this has happined meany times in the last 2 to 3 years.

The engine on my 2011 ecoboost 3.5 l v6 ford f150 shudders and stalls when you try and accelerate. the problem is sporadic. the truck has 67,000 miles and has stalled out when i was trying to accelerate into busy intersections or making turns at least three times and has happened while driving on the interstate four times. it was quite scary and extremely dangerous. the dealership says that the issue is my truck and not a ford problem, though this is clearly something that has occurred in countless 2011 ecoboost f150 engines as it is all over the internet. this engine should be investigated by your organization and the vehicles should have been recalled. below is a link with thousands of complaints that are all the same. http://m.carcomplaints.com/ford/f-150/2011/engine/engine.shtml two dealerships suggested i replace the engine at a cost of $12,000 to me. currently, the car is not driveable.

While driving on interstate, check engine light came on and engine began to shudder very violently while losing power. was traveling approx. 70mph

I noticed my 2011 ford f-150 was running rough. i took it to the dealer and they diagnosed a cracked 3 cylinder head. in the beginning it was a blown 3rd cylinder head and was going to cost $5,000 to replace the cylinder and look at the rest of the engine. ended up being a cracked cylinder. now looking at a new engine to the tune of $8000. this has a 5.4 liter triton engine with less than 137,000 miles on it. i bought it in 2013 with 500 miles on it. 90% of miles are highway. i expected to get at least 175,000 miles out of it. i remember hearing a loud pop while going down the road but thought it was a rock thrown up from a tire. the engine ran fine and i didn't notice anything. until a few weeks later when it was running rough. i had the spark plugs changed at a little over a 100,000 miles as recommended. my belief is that the #3 spark plug blew causing the damage to the #3 cylinder.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 ford f-150. while driving approximately 70 mph, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted to first gear and the vehicle slowed down. the check engine light illuminated. the contact exited the highway, turned off the engine, and restarted the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to a local dealer who stated that there was a recall. the technician informed the contact that the part needed to be ordered and reprogrammed. the vehicle was repaired; however, the dealer billed the contact for the repairs, claiming that the repairs were not done through the normal recall process. the contact was assured that he would be reimbursed by the manufacturer. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that there was a recall, but stated that the reimbursement would not be issued until the fourth quarter. the failure mileage was 77,000.

While trying to accelerate at high speeds, such as passing on an interstate or accelerating up an incline, the truck shudders violently and engine light flashes. if driver maintains speed, engine loses all power and engine light stays on. loss of power at highway speeds is deadly. i was almost rear-ended while trying to accelerate up a hill in busy highway traffic. truck shuddered and lost power for 5 seconds. the truck coasted until i could apply power again to the engine. applying power caused more shuttering, but engine did not lose power again because i was closer to the top of the hill and not as much strain on the engine.

When driving the truck (what seemed like) shifted hard then the wrench sign came up on the screen and throttle would not work. i was doing 50 mph at the time and had to hit the hazards and pull over. once i turned off the engine and turned it back on it seemed ok, pulled the code p2112 throttle body. looked online and many , many people have the same issue. can't believe this isn't a recall seeing how dangerous this is.

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