2012 Ford F-150 complaints

As your driving advance track failure light comes on and you lose power steering. Steering gets real tight and hard to turn. Almost got in a car accident but was able to turn the steering as hard as i could just to make the turn. Drive for a little while then all of a sudden power steering kicked back on. It happen every time i drive my truck.

Had swollen lug nuts Had to buy breaker bars to loosen them. Ended up destroying most off them Can't reuse them

AFTER 2 RECALLS AND POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE UPDATES, THE SUDDEN DOWNSHIFT PROBLEMS PERSIST. I QUESTION THAT A SOFTWARE UPDATE CAN BE A FULL REPAIR IF THE SOURCE IS THE SPEED SENSOR IN THE TRANSMISSION (THIS HAS BEEN LABELED AS THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM BY FORD). THE NTHSA HAS SAID THEY ARE SATISFIED WITH THE REPAIR, IS THIS BECAUSE THE "REPAIR" PREVENTS CRASHES AND INJURY EVEN THOUGH IT DOES NOT PRESENT A SOLUTION TO THE REAL PROBLEM?

Brakes seem to go in and out from time to time . I keep getting the service brake system light on and will turn itself off after next key cycle . Dealer advised vacuum pump issues this should be a full blown recall

Had the lead frame recall performed but transmission still downshifted from 6 gear to 1 gear while traveling at a speed of 70 mph. Supposively there is a software update they didn’t perform and now saying I have to pay for that. Should have been performed at time of lead frame recall but not part of that recall however it still caused the dangerous downshift to 1st gear.

Without warning, power steering went out. This truck has less than 17,000 miles on it and is kept spotless and well maintained, garage kept. Power steering came back but now we're worried it'll go out again without warning and under possibly much worse/dangerous conditions. Bringing it in for a diagnostic, but cost of a new rack is over 2000.00. And what assurance do we have that it will not happen again with the new rack? These electric racks are being recalled under other Ford vehicles, yet not the F150.

3.5L ecoboost timing chain failure at only 58,000 miles (code P0016 possible turbo problems TBD Front suspension springs are broken. All of these are common threads on many forums. Ford should be held accountable even though mine is 10 years old, the mileage is the issue. FWIW, they completely redesigned the engine a few years later, but never notified anyone to watch out for these common problems or offer a recall

We bought this truck in 2019 from someone. My daughter was driving it at 50 mph and the truck slammed down into 1st gear causing her to almost collide with other vehicles on Route 29 highway. We looked up recall ( 19S07) and it was done at Ted Britt Ford, but is broken again. We called several Ford dealerships and they said theres nothing they can do because Ford isn't making any more replacement parts for this recall. They instructed us to go on ebay and buy a used part to put on, but no repair shops have the part or they refuse to put a refurbished one on due to liability. We do not feel this is safe and now we have a scared daughter that wont drive it, a truck we can't drive, or sell. We feel we have been treated unfairly. This is a FORD issue from the beginning and we have $14,000 invested in this vehicle. We have had to rent a vehicle for my daughter to get to college and work. We do NOT feel safe in this vehicle.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made an abnormal sound and lost motive power. Additionally, the accelerator pedal went down to the floorboard when depressed. The vehicle service warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the failure was associated with the PCM. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist because the vehicle was out of warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 104,000.

Illuminated wrench light followed by malfunctioning speedometer, cruise control, & turn signal cancellation. Delayed and no gear shifting including an unexpected transmission downshift to 1st gear occurring at 40 mph: rear wheels locked up, engine revved to redline, had to put hazard flashers on and shut engine down in heavy moving traffic. Finally Check Engine/Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL); later reading P0720 code.

AFTER SERVICE ON 04/12/2022, MY RECEIPT UNDER COMMENTS SAID,"REP LUG NUTS". THAT'S ALL. 44,286 MILES AT THAT TIME. I TOOK F-150 FOR OIL CHANGE & TIRE ROTATION AGAIN ON 2/22/2023, WITH 47,882 MILES ON TRUCK. SERVICE RECEIPT SAID THEY DID NOT ROTATE TIRES. I ASKED WHY, AND I WAS TOLD "BECAUSE LUG NUTS ARE WORN". I TOLD SERVICE MANAGER THAT YOU GUYS ARE THE ONLY ONES TO HAVE EVER REMOVED THE LUG NUTS, WHY ARE THEY BAD?" HE REPLIED, "BETWEEN YOU AND ME, FORD USED CHEAP LUG NUTS"......SO, ONLY 47,882 MILES ON MY TRUCK, LUG NUT REMOVAL ONLY DONE BY FORD, AND i HAVE TO REPLACE LUG NUTS. PLUS, THEY STILL CHARGED ME FULL PRICE FOR MY SERVICE OF OIL CHANGE AND TIRE ROTATION. FORD SHOULD REPLACE THE LUG NUTS AND ROTATE MY TIRES FOR FREE.

AFTER POGRAM THE COMPUTER MY TCM STAR FAILED..MI TRASMICION GEAR SHIFT STOCK SO DANGER SITUATION

The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently decelerated. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V075000 (Power Train). The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the dealer stated the vehicle was not covered under warranty. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 197,000.

TEMPORARY DOWNSHIFT AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO MAINTAIN HIGHWAY SPEED. DEALER IS AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND THE PART THEY NEED IS UNAVABLE. aBLE TO DRIVE THE TRUCK IN MANUAL UNTIL THE PROBLEM BEGAN HAPPENING WHILE IN MANUAL, TRUCK IS NOT DRIVABLE.

Traveling at 60mph in dry weather when suddenly my MIL (malfunction indicator light) briefly displayed and several dash information displays when blank or did not provide correct information, i.e speedometer when to zero. My transmission indicated that I went from 6th gear to 3rd gear. Fortunately the vehicle was still contollable and I went straight home. I restarted the vehicle and all information went back to normal. This is a well documented issue with certain Ford vehicles. NTSB campaign 19N01 currently applies to my vehicle; however, I am outside the mileage and age for Ford's extended warranty solution. I will need to pay for repairs once parts are available, if ever. I feel this a safety issue that will only get worse for customers that do not qualify for the Ford Customer Service Program remedy on this issue.

Safety belts have become locked & unusable after a collision. The seat belts on the driver and front passenger side will not pull out from the retracted position. Vehicle was inspected by State Farm Insurance & Caliber Collision, in connection with Boggus Ford Dealer, & all have determined that this is NOT collision related. This decision was made because the front passenger seat was unoccupied at the time of collision. Therefore I am reaching out to whoever will listen, this vehicle is no longer safe to drive as it apparently has a potential deadly defect.

I had the Sudden Transmission Downshift Recall, 19S07, performed on my truck in 2022. The output speed sensors are well known to go out on these trucks. Instead of fixing the problem correctly, the 19S07 recall only programmed the transmission not to downshift rapidly. This takes care of one of the safety issues, but when the speed sensor inevitably breaks, it makes the vehicle extremely dangerous to drive. The transmission will get stuck in 1st gear, or sometimes 6th gear, or anything in between. The truck goes in to limp mode and restricts power to the transmission. I was trying to get onto interstate 94 and the truck was not speeding up. I almost got rear ended before quickly steering off of the road. There were no injuries but it was close. This issue now happens daily and I am not able to safely drive the vehicle. The truck shifts loudly and "bucks" forward when put into drive even with the brakes engaged. Ford refuses to fix this critical safety problem and there are thousands of Ford vehicles on the road with the same transmission lead frame, and same issue. Ford dealership confirmed that the Lead Frame and Output Speed Sensor Have gone out. Almost $2000 to repair this critical safety issue. I will be putting myself at risk by attempting to fix it myself, as I cannot afford the repair. Warning Lights I see include the check engine light, wrench light, AIRBAG light, the speed drops to zero, and the mileage drops to zero. The truck is EXTREMELY UNSAFE! This issue has hap

Hello, this is an update to ref 11396297 Since the last incident 1-3-21 letter, I have had 3 more air bag related codes: 10-24-21 B1211 Restraint contol module code 10-24-22 B11D8 Restraint contol module code 1-28-23 B1211 Restraint contol module code, air bag light on. Dealer has done about $2600 in repairs and the issue(s) continue. I have written to Ford again (Attached) Please update your file, and please let me know if you have any new information on regarding Ford F150 air bag issues. Thank you, Pete

The vehicle would down shift aggressively into first gear. The speedometer and gear displays would not function showing 0mph while driving. The vehicle would move through gears erratically. Driver and passengers would be jerked forward.The vehicle has been inspected by an authorized Ford dealer. There were no indicator lights at the start of the issue. Indicator light appeared after multiple incidents spanning over a few months .

The rear-window defroster over heated on the passenger side causing that window to chatter. At one spot at the bottom, the rubber frame around the glass started to melt and burn just before the window chattered. If I had not been standing close to see what was happening, and turn the control off, I believe this could have started a fire that could have burned the entire truck and areas around it threating people and property. This is also a safety concern for anyone sitting in the back seat at the time of window chattering, as small shards of glass could hit passengers possibly causing eye and other injuries. Due to my incident, I did research on YouTube an other Ford forums that document many others being a victim of this same problem over several years including 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and maybe more. Owners over the years have documented and informed Ford about this problem, apparently without any trucks being recalled or getting much help from Ford about this problem. Ford and NHTSA should be concerned and Ford held accountable for this defect. Many owners were told buy the service men that replaced their back glass because of this issue, that this was quote a "common problem caused by the defroster" on this trucks. If there are "safety concern" that yell "RECALL!", this is for sure one of them.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently shifted gears while the traction control warning light blinked once. The contact pulled over and turned off the vehicle. The vehicle restarted after several attempts. The dealer was contacted, and the contact was informed that the PCM software needed to be updated. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and a case was filed, and the contact was informed that the vehicle was out of warranty. The failure mileage was 104,000.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH, the powertrain malfunction warning light illuminated. An independent mechanic went to the residence to diagnose the vehicle. The contact was informed that the transmission wiring harness needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The approximate failure mileage was 148,000.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 MPH, the transmission downshifted from 7th to 6th gear, without warning. The contact pulled to the side of the road and shifted the vehicle into park(P) then back into drive(D). The contact stated that the transmission then selected 5th gear remained in 5th gear. The wrench warning light then illuminated. The contact stated that after arriving home, the vehicle went into LIMP Mode. The contact was able to clear the codes and the vehicle operated as needed. The contact stated that the transmission continued to slip, causing the contact to continually clear the codes to drive the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the lead frame needed to be replaced. The contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 10201087 (Power Train). The vehicle was not repaired due to the contact needing to clear the codes in order to drive the vehicle to the dealer; however, removing the trouble codes would prevent the dealer from performing the Customer Satisfaction Program. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The approximate failure mileage was 145,000.

After arriving at work, when I went out to my truck to drive to lunch I started the truck and it was fine, for about 3 seconds. As I started to drive it the power assist steering failed and the error code displayed on the dash. The steering as you might expect become very heavy and hard. Luckily I was not at speed, and there was not a vehicle near me to hit. Turned off the truck and inspected under the hood. No apparent damage and nothing appeared broken. Closed hood and restarted truck. Same sequence occurred. Could steer initially just enough to start moving, then complete steering assist failure with the error code popping up on the dashboard display. Turned off again. Restarted and left running and popped hood to see if anything looked bad. Nothing bad. After idling for about 5 minutes while I poked around, tried again and for some reason the power assist had restarted itself and was working. After carefully testing in the parking lot, decided to drive to a local auto repair shop I use. They are assessing the error codes and trying to figure out what happened. If this had happened at speed and without warning, I guarantee I could have hit something or someone before I could wrestle the truck to a safe place.

Vehicles cuts off while driving at ramdom speeds Can be 20, 30, or 50

The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to stop the vehicle, excessive force was needed to depress the brake pedal. The contact stated that the brake pedal was hot to the touch. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the vacuum pump had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The failure reoccurred and the vehicle was returned to the mechanic to be repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 175,000.

Unable to perform tire rotation due to swollen lug nuts. Not sure what could cause this issue as all tire changes and tire rotations are performed by authorized service departments.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that on several occasions while the accelerator pedal was depressed, the engine revved and the RPM increased; however, the vehicle failed to perform as needed. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission molded leadframe needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 111,000.

Exhaust manifold studs are breaking on the ecoboost V6 engines (Gen 1 and Gen 2 series trucks), causing exhaust fumes to enter passenger area of vehicle when the heater/AC is on. The exhaust studs are on the back of the engine and happen on both sides. Ford knows of the problem and refuses to recall to replace them.

Turning right the vehicle's steering and brakes locked up. The traction control system warning indicator illuminated. Rac and pinion unit replaced by Ford Dealer. Same problem occurred within 50 miles. Returned to Dealer. Dealer is unable to reproduce problem.

Electronic power steering module went out in the rack and pinion had to replace whole rack and pinion to fix problem. Power steering went out while driving

Sudden down shift while driving

Car was showing near empty but won’t be able to add more fuel.

Timing chains stretch, cam phasers fail , timing chain tensioners fail . This resulting in engine failure, ford charges $5000 for timing chain phasers and tensioners

I was running 65mph and my truck down shifted from 6th to 3rd. I called my dealer and they said they never heard of this problem so I called two more and can’t get any answers. Glad no one was behind me.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle unexpectedly downshifted and jerked. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who advised him to take the vehicle to a transmission specialist. The vehicle was then taken to the transmission specialist, who diagnosed that the molded leadframe and wheel speed sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was included in the Customer Satisfaction Program: 16N02 (Molded Leadframe Extended Coverage) however, the mileage was over the warranty coverage. The failure mileage was 165,982.

The safety recall for my 2012 Ford F-150 that was to fix a sudden downshift on the truck did not work. From what I have read; the root cause for this random downshifting is identified by as this: a defective bulk head connector. When trans fluid leaks past the bulk head sealing rings it can disrupt the transmission's output speed sensor signal. When this happens the ECM automatically downshifts to second or first gear. to fix this issue Ford released a TSB that was comprised of a software update designed to prevent the ECM from automatically downshifting when the loss of signal occurs (I don't know what other conditions have to occur simultaneously). This fix is less labor intensive (thus cheaper) than replacing the actual bulk head connector assembly. Ford has released a revised part number for the bulkhead connector as well. The sudden downshift which has always been prevalent on this truck continues to happen, it’s a safety concern that is going to cost me a lot of money to fix that they should be fixing instead of programming a software update that is a temporary fix.

Rear window shattered with no warning or impact.

The issue that is wrong with this vehicle matches a previous recall that Ford has put out for the same year, make, model. However, this vehicle was excluded from the recall. The recall is 19S07 for the other vehicles. This recall needs to be extended to more than just the 1.2 million vehicles that were recalled. This issue is common in this vehicle, even in ones that were not included in the call. This is a Ford issue, not a customer/owner issue. It caused my vehicle to lose control of the speedometer, it dropped to zero. It caused my vehicle to get stuck in a gear and not be able to move out of it. This causes a safety issue for not only myself but other vehicles around. It can cause car accidents due to the sudden jerking and decrease in speed. I have had this issue diagnosed by a Ford dealer AND independent transmission shop. The issue gives no warning and pops up randomly. People’s lives are at risk. EXTEND THE RECALL!!!!!

Lug nuts bulging/rusting under chrome coating. Potential for lug nut failure/wheel coming off vehicle while driving. Yes, problem was found by independent service center. It has not been inspected. No warnings.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 35-40 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently downshifted causing the wheels to lock-up and the vehicle to slide. The contact also stated that the speedometer warning light flashed on and off and then remained. The dealer was notified of the failure and scheduled an appointment to diagnose the vehicle. The vehicle was not yet diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 190,000.

Unsure of how fire started but truck was in garage at repair facility and the dash spontaneously caught fire and burned. The truck had been parked for over 48 hours and keys were not in ignition . The truck can be seen on security camera video with a small flash starting in the dash then larger flames inside the cab. It burned for about 3 minutes then the fired died out but not before completely burning the dash . There is security camera footage which was too large to upload.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated while turning on the vehicle, the power assist failure warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to drive to his residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 107,000.

The truck will randomly downshift while driving losing all power on the highway not allowing the truck to increase in speed until it is turned off and restarted. After it is restarted, the speedometer stays at 0 not showing how fast we are going. While this is happening, the check engine light flashes. I have contacted the Ford dealership in our area multiple times over the last month, and they have yet to respond on the concern. Not all the trucks electrical components are working. The radio, power locks, power windows, and horn do not work. In July 2022 the truck was taken to a Ford dealership to be diagnosed, and they couldn't find a reason/cause for this in order to get the truck repaired.

This is a follow up to a complaint I made on 7-25-2022. Ref# 114-75779. My truck will not start sometimes or it will just shut off while driving. I have searched online and found that the fuel pump fuse in the distribution box is being burned. I have had it checked by two Ford mechanics and they both have confirmed that is the issue. My truck has just shut off 4 times in the last two weeks while driving without warning. The first time was July 22, the next was July 24, 2022. I've been very fortunate to avoid an accident so far. When this happens, I have to replace the fuse before it will restart, so I'm having to keep a pack of fuses with me at all times.The earliest any dealer close can repair it is August 12. This SHOULD be a safety recall with the vehicle just shutting off with no warning at all. Ford makes the fuse relocation kit to fix this issue, so it us a known problem. I'm very concerned as to why this hasn't been a safety recall, seeing the symptoms that are listed in the fuse relocation kit sold by Ford. Today, August 02, my truck shut off twice while driving in traffic and the fuel pump fuse slot was very hot and smoking. I replaced the fuse so I could get it out of the roadway and not cause an accident.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at speeds above 50 MPH, the vehicle had experienced sudden transmission down shifting. Eventually the transmission failure occurred in all gears and the vehicle would not properly accelerate. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the transmission was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The contact indicated that the vehicle had previously been serviced under the NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V075000 (Power Train). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 130,000.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle downshifted to a lower gear and with the engine revving. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The failure had been ongoing. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The contact researched the failure and related it to NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V248000 (Power Train). The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 142,000.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving approximately 25 MPH, the steering was seized and could not be turned to the left or the right. The contact stopped the vehicle, shifted into neutral(N), restarted the vehicle, and the vehicle regained steering functionality. The contact stated that the failure recurred twice. The contact stated that the steering assist fault warning light was illuminated with an audible chime. The contact drove the vehicle to the dealer and was informed that the rack and pinon system needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 114,000.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed; however, the mechanic was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The mechanic was able to start the vehicle. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH the vehicle lost motive power without warning. The contact stated that while looking under the hood he became aware that the pump fuse had dislodged. The contact replaced the pump fuse and the vehicle was able to restart however, the failure reoccurred. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the fuse box needed to be rewired. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the vehicle was not under recall. The failure mileage 170,000.

2012 FORD F-150. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD TO EXPERIENCING RANDOM DOWNSHIFTS INTO FIRST GEAR WHILE DRIVING. THE CONSUMER STATED THERE WAS A RECALL DETAILING THE SAME DOWNSHIFTING FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED. THE CONSUMER BELIEVED THE VEHICLE SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN RECALLS 16V248000, 19V075000, AND 19V07500.