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2012 Ford F-150 problems, recalls and owner complaints
What the 2012 Ford F-150 has been recalled for and what owners report, from official government data. Updated October 25, 2026.
- 0safety recalls
- 1,717owner complaints
- 37crash reports
- 14fire reports
- 26injuries reported
1,717 complaints, against an average of 1,090 for the other 14 Ford F-150 model years.
Every Ford F-150 model year with its number of owner complaints. Pick a year to compare.
What goes wrong with the 2012 Ford F-150?
The components named most often in the 1,717 owner complaints. One complaint can name several, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
What symptoms do 2012 Ford F-150 owners describe?
Found by reading the text of all 1,717 owner complaints. Tap a symptom for the answer, a real owner quote and any related recall.
- Why does my 2012 Ford F-150 stall, lose power or shut off while driving?282 owners · 16.4%
- Why is the check engine light on in my 2012 Ford F-150?151 owners · 8.8%
- Why does my 2012 Ford F-150 idle rough, misfire or hesitate?115 owners · 6.7%
- Why does my 2012 Ford F-150 transmission jerk, shudder or shift hard?89 owners · 5.2%
- Why does the power steering fail or feel heavy on my 2012 Ford F-150?63 owners · 3.7%
Has the 2012 Ford F-150 been recalled?
NHTSA lists no safety recalls for the 2012 Ford F-150 as of October 25, 2026. Recalls can be issued at any time, so check your VIN before you rely on this.
What do 2012 Ford F-150 owners report?
12 of the 1,717 complaints, the most recent for the most-reported components, as the owners wrote them. NHTSA removes names and VINs; long reports are trimmed. CarHooq has not verified individual claims.
Vehicle rolls backwards OR potentially forwards intermittently depending on direction of incline. Have only observed it rolling backwards. When changing gears, above third gear usually, there is a resonant grumbling sound.
The transmission made a noise of metal and all electrical when out while driving but the engine stay on but no power to the road. yes its available. my car loss all power electrical and power to the road, had to put off to the side on the road and turn the truck off and on again. The problem has been reproduced but not confirmed by a dealer. I have done a existential look of the under and power train and cant see everything out of place. yes like every warning light when on seconds before all power when out. has never done that before.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted to first gear. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V075000 (POWER TRAIN). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 27,000.
The cam phasers are in need of changing. Ford has acknowledged they are aware of the problems with the 3.5 Ecoboost engine but will not take responsibility and repair them. I definitely can not pay for this type of tepair
My truck started to skid as I was making a left turn. I wasn't going fast enough to skid. I then noticed the idiot light was on so I took it in for an estimate. I was told that the truck needed a power steering rack and the cost would be around $3000.00 I arranged for the repair. Truck mileage was 101051.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the timing chain and valve had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 151,000.
Wrench light popped on downshift to first gear, speedometer goes to zero. My son and I driving down highway and it suddenly drops to first gear. Dealer said it sounds like transmission molded lead frame. Code reader says it's speed sensor which is in lead frame harness.
Sudden shift into first gear at any speed. Dash lights flickering between p,r,n,d. Tool light coming on dash.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed, and the vehicle shook abnormally. The vehicle failed to stop immediately. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact repeatedly depressed and released the brake pedal until the vehicle came to a stop. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 15N05 (Electric Vacuum Pump Extended Repair), which was associated with the vehicle; however, the Customer Satisfaction Program had expired. The vehicle was…
I started getting a notification on my dash about a issue with the charging system. I checked system and it is fine. Now I am getting other lights on my dash and head lights flashing. Come to find out, it's a bad Body control module. I also have a steering issue, from time to time the truck is hard to steer and I been told it's signs of a bad rack and pinion. I also have had the same issues with my 2011 F-150. The bad body control module I fixed but the steering if bad. I have read on Ford forums that others across the country are have the same issues but of course no recall.
Today, My 2012 Ford F150 would crank, but would never start. The vehicle had gas and no issues with the battery. When this occurred today, I found out online that the 2009-2014 Ford F150s have a common issue associated with Fuse 27. In 2015, Ford issued a Technical Service Bulletin (TSB 15-0137) related to this issue, but according to Ford’s Customer Service I was never informed of this TSB because it did not include my truck’s VIN number. None the less it appears to be the same issue as noted in that TSB. After the truck wouldn’t start today, I inspected the Engine Compartment Fuse box. It…
Rear window shattered with no warning or impact.
2012 Ford F-150: questions owners ask
Is the 2012 Ford F-150 reliable?
NHTSA data alone cannot rate reliability, but it shows what owners reported. Owners filed 1,717 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 Ford F-150; the most common categories were power train (642, 37.4%), engine (473, 27.5%), steering (197, 11.5%). There are no safety recalls listed for this model year. 37 complaints mention a crash, 14 mention a fire, 26 injuries were reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2012 Ford F-150?
Across 1,717 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the categories mentioned most often are power train (37.4% of complaints), engine (27.5% of complaints), steering (11.5% of complaints), vehicle speed control (10.9% of complaints), electrical system (9.5% of complaints). One complaint can name several components.
Does the 2012 Ford F-150 have any recalls?
As of October 2026, NHTSA lists no safety recalls for the 2012 Ford F-150. Recalls can be issued at any time, so check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Why does my 2012 Ford F-150 stall, lose power or shut off while driving?
282 of the 1,717 owner complaints NHTSA has on file for the 2012 Ford F-150 (16.4%) describe the engine stalling, losing power or shutting off while driving. One owner wrote: "While driving, gear will automatically drop to the 1st gear and won't go past the 3rd gear. The vehicle stalls and swerves, gets stuck in 3rd gear." (NHTSA complaint 11604165, July 2024). If it happens to your car, check your VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls and report the problem to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations.
Why is the check engine light on in my 2012 Ford F-150?
151 of the 1,717 owner complaints NHTSA has on file for the 2012 Ford F-150 (8.8%) describe the check engine light coming on. One owner wrote: "My truck when driving will shift into 1st gear temporarily until the truck is turned off. Check engine light comes on with p0721 code." (NHTSA complaint 11458756, March 2022). If it happens to your car, check your VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls and report the problem to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations.
Why does my 2012 Ford F-150 idle rough, misfire or hesitate?
115 of the 1,717 owner complaints NHTSA has on file for the 2012 Ford F-150 (6.7%) describe rough idling, misfires or hesitation when accelerating. One owner wrote: "Cylinder 2 had a stored code for misfire and oil and coolant mixture leaking from block. With the F150 raised up on the lift I removed the lower splash shields and continued inspection." (NHTSA complaint 11550095, October 2023). If it happens to your car, check your VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls and report the problem to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations.
Why does my 2012 Ford F-150 transmission jerk, shudder or shift hard?
89 of the 1,717 owner complaints NHTSA has on file for the 2012 Ford F-150 (5.2%) describe harsh, jerky or delayed transmission shifting or shuddering. One owner wrote: "I am experiencing erratic shifting and my transmission on multiple occasions has shifted from 5th gear down to first gear while traveling high rates of speed resulting in my wheels locking up." (NHTSA complaint 11377615, December 2020). If it happens to your car, check your VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls and report the problem to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations.
Why does the power steering fail or feel heavy on my 2012 Ford F-150?
63 of the 1,717 owner complaints NHTSA has on file for the 2012 Ford F-150 (3.7%) describe power steering failing, locking up or turning heavy. One owner wrote: "Electric assisted steering locks up traveling or parked. While traveling really have to strain muscles keeping in lane of travel, when steering turns it turns to far and I am trying to correct steering over corrects back in opposite direction." (NHTSA complaint 11539695, August 2023). If it happens to your car, check your VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls and report the problem to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations.
Check your own F-150
Counts are a starting point, not a verdict: popular models collect more complaints because more of them are on the road, and NHTSA does not verify individual reports. To see whether a recall is still open on your car, enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls (U.S.) or your registration at check-vehicle-recalls.service.gov.uk (UK). Had a safety problem? Report it to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations and recalls.
Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation recall and complaint databases (public domain), retrieved October 25, 2026. Model year 2012 only; combines NHTSA's entries for F-150 REGULAR CAB, F-150 SUPER CREW and F-150 SUPERCAB.