FORD F-250 · model year

2011 FORD F-250

384 NHTSA complaints, 8 crash reports, and 2 active recalls for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2011FORDF-250 carries 384 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 8 crashes, 6 fires, 1 injury, and 0 fatalities. For crash performance, NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gave this cohort an overall Not Rated/5 rating, with Not Rated/5 front crash, Not Rated/5 side crash, and 3/5 rollover scores derived from standardized barrier and dynamic tests.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2011 F-250 is suspension with 109 filings, followed by steering (102) and engine (30). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 2 active recall campaigns, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.

NHTSA currently has 177 investigation files overlapping the 2011 F-250, and 8 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

384
Complaints
8
Crashes
6
Fires
1
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

384 filings

Crashes Reported

8 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

Above median complaint volume — review patterns below.

NHTSA NCAP overall: Not Rated/5 — Not rated · Front: Not Rated/5 · Side: Not Rated/5 · Rollover: 3/5

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
SUSPENSION109
STEERING102
ENGINE30
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM18
UNKNOWN OR OTHER18
WHEELS17
POWER TRAIN13
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM10
STRUCTURE:BODY7
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL6
SERVICE BRAKES6
TIRES5
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)5
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:DIESEL4
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM4

Recalls (2)

10V65900029/12/2010

STRUCTURE:BODY

FORD IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011 F-150, F-250, F-350, F-450, F-550, EDGE AND LINCOLN MKX VEHICLES. DURING A SIX-DAY PRODUCTION PERIOD, THE SUPPLIER OF THE BODY CONTROL MODULE MANUFACTURED MODULES THAT MAY HAVE THE POTENTIAL FOR AN INTERNAL SHORT.

11V12800024/02/2011

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE

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

Recent Complaints

20251031ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:INSTRUMENT PANEL:SPEEDOMETER/ODOMETER

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2011 Ford F-250. The contact stated that after purchasing the vehicle, it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 163,000; however, after obtaining the Carfax Report on the vehicle, it was discovered that the mileage was 204,000.

Mileage: 204,000

20250924TIRES:BEAD

The tires were installed on 8.22.2025 and on the following Thursday, August 28, 2025, all of the tires had low pressure. I returned to the Orange City, FL Tire Kingdom per the managers' (Brittany) request and the mechanic filled all of the tires and said that they were not completely filled when they were installed. The following day, Friday, 8/29, I began my return trip to my home in North Carolina. Within a few hours, the driver’s side front tire exploded and my truck was on the rim of the tire, swerving into the adjacent lane on I-95. I was able to get the truck off of the highway, onto the nearest exit ramp without being hit. I have never been that close to being killed on the interstate. [XXX] came and put the spare on and while I was waiting along the highway I called Tire Kingdom and was advised by [XXX] at the Orange City store to take the truck to the nearest Mavis or Tire Kingdom. The nearest one was Mavis in Brunswick, Ga, about 30 minutes north of the incident.

20250924TIRES:SIDEWALL

The tires were installed on 8.22.2025 and on the following Thursday, August 28, 2025, all of the tires had low pressure. I returned to the Orange City, FL Tire Kingdom per the managers' (Brittany) request and the mechanic filled all of the tires and said that they were not completely filled when they were installed. The following day, Friday, 8/29, I began my return trip to my home in North Carolina. Within a few hours, the driver’s side front tire exploded and my truck was on the rim of the tire, swerving into the adjacent lane on I-95. I was able to get the truck off of the highway, onto the nearest exit ramp without being hit. I have never been that close to being killed on the interstate. [XXX] came and put the spare on and while I was waiting along the highway I called Tire Kingdom and was advised by [XXX] at the Orange City store to take the truck to the nearest Mavis or Tire Kingdom. The nearest one was Mavis in Brunswick, Ga, about 30 minutes north of the incident.

20250924TIRES:TREAD/BELT

The tires were installed on 8.22.2025 and on the following Thursday, August 28, 2025, all of the tires had low pressure. I returned to the Orange City, FL Tire Kingdom per the managers' (Brittany) request and the mechanic filled all of the tires and said that they were not completely filled when they were installed. The following day, Friday, 8/29, I began my return trip to my home in North Carolina. Within a few hours, the driver’s side front tire exploded and my truck was on the rim of the tire, swerving into the adjacent lane on I-95. I was able to get the truck off of the highway, onto the nearest exit ramp without being hit. I have never been that close to being killed on the interstate. [XXX] came and put the spare on and while I was waiting along the highway I called Tire Kingdom and was advised by [XXX] at the Orange City store to take the truck to the nearest Mavis or Tire Kingdom. The nearest one was Mavis in Brunswick, Ga, about 30 minutes north of the incident.

20250722SUSPENSION

The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-250. The contact stated that while driving over a bump at a high rate of speed, the contact experienced the death wobble and the contact temporarily lost control of the vehicle. The contact slowed down and the violent shaking ceased. The contact stated that the tie rods, ball joints, and other front-end parts were replaced to reduce the risk of the failure recurring. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH and towing a trailer, the contact experienced the death wobble. The vehicle drifted from the far-left lane over to the far-right lane and the contact lost control of the vehicle. The contact called a local dealer and was informed that there were no recalls on the vehicle. The contact was then referred to the manufacturer and was provided a case number. The manufacturer advised the contact to report the failure to the NHTSA Hotline. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 263,000.

Mileage: 263,000

20250722STEERING

The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-250. The contact stated that while driving over a bump at a high rate of speed, the contact experienced the death wobble and the contact temporarily lost control of the vehicle. The contact slowed down and the violent shaking ceased. The contact stated that the tie rods, ball joints, and other front-end parts were replaced to reduce the risk of the failure recurring. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH and towing a trailer, the contact experienced the death wobble. The vehicle drifted from the far-left lane over to the far-right lane and the contact lost control of the vehicle. The contact called a local dealer and was informed that there were no recalls on the vehicle. The contact was then referred to the manufacturer and was provided a case number. The manufacturer advised the contact to report the failure to the NHTSA Hotline. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 263,000.

Mileage: 263,000

20250721ENGINE

The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-250. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle vigorously shuddered. In addition, the contact allowed the vehicle to decelerate independently to come to a stop. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed; however, no cause for the failure was found. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.

Mileage: 200,000

20250324STRUCTURE:BODY

The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-250. The contact stated that while making a turn in either direction, there was an abnormal crunching sound coming from the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. Upon investigation, the contact discovered that the sound was caused by a misalignment between the cab and the bed of the truck. Due to the failure the cab mount bushings became worn and needed to be replaced or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that there were no recalls on the VIN. The contact was provided a case number and was then referred to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 7,000.

Mileage: 7,000

20250305CrashAIR BAGS

I was recently hit in the drivers door causing the door, the cab, and the running board to be damaged. The side impact air bag did not deploy. the entire drivers door is damaged and the cab of the truck behind the door is damaged. the running board was completely under the cab of the truck.

20250304FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

Truck started leaking fuel and then the engine shut down the next day it was drove, while driving! I’ve received 2 quotes and need the whole fuel system replaced due to CP4 pump failing which will cost about $13,000! This is the same issue as the 24S78 Ford recall but my truck doesn’t fall in the correct year! I still owe 10k on this vehicle so it’s basically totaled now.

20250123SUSPENSION

When driving over 55mph and hitting a bump, pothole, etc....the death wobble starts taking excessive force to keep the truck on the road with the steering wheel nowhere aligned to where the tires are aimed. Dealership stated they wouldn't take the vehicle on trade due to the steering box needing to be addressed first. no warning lamps illuminate. Happens every time while driving from mileage 170K - 189K.

20250123STEERING

When driving over 55mph and hitting a bump, pothole, etc....the death wobble starts taking excessive force to keep the truck on the road with the steering wheel nowhere aligned to where the tires are aimed. Dealership stated they wouldn't take the vehicle on trade due to the steering box needing to be addressed first. no warning lamps illuminate. Happens every time while driving from mileage 170K - 189K.

20241008STEERING

We have experienced the well-reported Death Wobble multiple times - beginning approx in 2020 - going approx 55 mph on a one-lane highway and hit a slight bump in the road. Could not control the vehicle, the steering wheel started shaking violently as we headed for a concrete bridge. Had to stop the vehicle completely. Then we experienced the same Incident on different roads. We had the vehicle front end fixed by a reputable mechanic, and we’ve ended up having the front end suspension rebuilt, so far 3 times. The latest incident was in 2024, we experienced it again driving about 60 mph. This truck is standard stock - has not been lifted or modified in any way. We do not drive it very often as it is used as a farm vehicle.

20241008SUSPENSION

We have experienced the well-reported Death Wobble multiple times - beginning approx in 2020 - going approx 55 mph on a one-lane highway and hit a slight bump in the road. Could not control the vehicle, the steering wheel started shaking violently as we headed for a concrete bridge. Had to stop the vehicle completely. Then we experienced the same Incident on different roads. We had the vehicle front end fixed by a reputable mechanic, and we’ve ended up having the front end suspension rebuilt, so far 3 times. The latest incident was in 2024, we experienced it again driving about 60 mph. This truck is standard stock - has not been lifted or modified in any way. We do not drive it very often as it is used as a farm vehicle.

20240930ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

See attached document for complaint.

20240925SUSPENSION

The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-250. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the front of the vehicle was shaking abnormally. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the steering column had failed and needed to be repaired. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

Mileage: 50,000

20240621AIR BAGS

The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-250. The contact stated that after parking and exiting the vehicle, an alarm sounded, and the front driver's side air bag deployed simultaneously without impact. The contact stated that the vehicle was driven to another destination. The contact stated that after parking and exiting the vehicle, an alarm sounded, and the driver's side curtain air bags deployed simultaneously without impact. The contact stated that the two failures occurred within 10 minutes. The dealer was notified of the failure and an appointment was scheduled for the repairs. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

Mileage: 80,000

20240616STEERING

This truck consistently gets the death wobble even after having several things repaired on It to fix the problem. This needs to be looked into. This has happened several times with this truck

20240616SUSPENSION

This truck consistently gets the death wobble even after having several things repaired on It to fix the problem. This needs to be looked into. This has happened several times with this truck

20231010UNKNOWN OR OTHER

When driving it looses power. Had diagnostic scan it came up with code for injector 6 misfire and cylinder 8 conttribution. 6 cylinder is a little weak, monitor misfires and notice 6 cuts out.

Compare 2011FORDF-250 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 8 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2011 FORD F-250 have?
The 2011 FORD F-250 has 384 NHTSA complaints, 8 crashes, 6 fires, 1 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What is the safety rating for the 2011 FORD F-250?
The 2011 FORD F-250 received an overall NHTSA safety rating of Not Rated/5, front crash rating of Not Rated/5, side crash rating of Not Rated/5, and rollover rating of 3/5.
Are there any recalls for the 2011 FORD F-250?
Yes, the 2011 FORD F-250 has 2 recall(s). The most common affected component is STRUCTURE:BODY. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2011 FORD F-250?
The most-complained component for the 2011 FORD F-250 is SUSPENSION with 109 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include STEERING and ENGINE.
Is the 2011 FORD F-250 safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. The 2011 FORD F-250 has an NHTSA safety rating of Not Rated/5. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.