NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2012 Ford F-150. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the transmission downshifted to first gear causing the vehicle to abruptly decelerate. After restarting the vehicle, the failure was corrected. The contact stated that the failure progressed, and the transmission would no longer shift gear as needed. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure. 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 50,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission independently downshifted and an unknown warning light illuminated. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle jerked and decelerated. The contact proceeded to drive the vehicle to the residence; however, the failure reoccurred. The contact drove the vehicle to the shoulder of the roadway and turned off the vehicle. The contact attempted to restart the vehicle however, the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 85 MPH, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted from 6th to 2nd gear, the wheels locked up and the vehicle came to a complete stop. The transmission and air bag warning lights illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and then into a gasoline station and the vehicle shifted into first gear. The vehicle was driving in 1st gear and then shifted to 3rd gear. The contact stated that he went to a different store and was able to drive the vehicle in 5th gear. The contact then drove the vehicle to the residence. The vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and offered the contact a Customer Satisfaction warranty repair. The failure mileage was approximately 165,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the transmission malfunctioned, causing the vehicle to unexpectedly downshift into first gear. During the failure, the vehicle abruptly decelerated with the maintenance and check engine warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the transmission speed sensor was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and the contact was informed that the vehicle did not qualify for the Extended Warranty Coverage to fix the failure. The failure mileage was 92,000.
transmission down shifted to 1st gear at a high rate of speed.
Summary VIN [XXX] Airbag light continues to come on after beinig serviced multiple times by the dealer. 1)1-4-18 the airbag light turned on. The dealer completed $1,180.82 in repairs replacing the RCM. 2)11-6-18, a second issue occurred with the air bag light. Cost was $943.46 to replace the seat belt tensioner 3)11-12-18 CAS 16338506. On 11/23/18 the case was still under review. On 12/14/18 I was told the case was closed with no action taken. Escalated case CAS [XXX]was created. 4)4-30-19 – same issue as #2. 5)2-11-20 RCM replaced again. As the repair was 1 month out of warranty I paid $106.52 after negotiations with Ford Service Representative. 6)3-23-20 $635.88 (less ~ $200 for battery) Told by dealer a loose pin at a connector was the cause. 7)1-2-2021 Air bag light on again. (letter #5) 8)10-24-21 B1211 restraint control module code 9)11-16-22 B11D8 restraint control module code 10)1-28-23 B1211 restraint control module code 11) 11-27-2023 Codes B1211 and B0091 (Attached Airbag light on) INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted from 4th gear to 1st gear. The contact stated that the vehicle jerked, and the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent. The contact pulled over to the shoulder of the road and turned off the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure was self-corrected. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the transmission sensors needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 92,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle unexpectedly downshifted from seventh gear to first gear, nearly causing several crashes. The contact stated that the transmission warning light was illuminated. The contact stated the failure had been reoccurring. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was determined that an update of the TCM needed to be performed. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to an unknown recall; however, the manufacturer confirmed the vehicle was not included and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 155,000.
highway traveling, transmission dropped into lowest gear from 65mph. no injury of myself or others in the vehicle. no accident occurred as result. I have not taken the issue up with the manufacturer or scheduled inspection. no other representatives police, insurance were contacted. no warning lights on dash when this happened two separate times since owning the vehicle in 2021.
hello i purchased my truck in april 2020.since this purchase this past year i've been on the highway and all of the sudden truck drops down from 65mph to 20mph. no injurys in these three separate instances. I will file this claim and visit closest dealer.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 70 MPH, the vehicle unintendedly downshifted to first gear. The wrench symbol was illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed, and the mechanic retrieved DTC code: P0500. The mechanic related the failure to a wheel speed sensor failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 161,000. The VIN was not available.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving from a complete stop and while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that the transmission unexpectedly downshifted while driving at various speeds. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to pull into a parking lot. The contact stated that upon adding fuel to the vehicle, the vehicle restarted and was drivable. The power train warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with transmission lead frame failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not covered because Ford Campaign Number: 19N01 had expired. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while her husband was driving 80 MPH, the vehicle unexpectedly downshifted to a lower gear. The Service Vehicle Soon warning light was illuminated. The Vehicle was diagnosed by an independent mechanic with speed sensor relay failure. The independent mechanic related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V433000 (Power Train). The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the recall. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was unavailable.
TRUCK MADE RUMBLING/GRINDING NOISE FROM REAR-RIGHT BEDSIDE AREA, THEN WHILE APPROACHING A STOP SIGN, AN ATTEMPT TO SLOW+STOP THE TRUCK WAS MADE, BUT THE PEDAL WENT STRAIGHT TO THE FLOOR AND VEHICLE PROCEDED THROUGH INTERSECTION, AFTER PULLING INTO SAFE SPOT, BRAKES STARTED FUNCTIONING CORRECTLY AGAIN. A FEW HOURS LATER BRAKING COMPLETELY FAILED. TRUCK IS CURRENTLY SITTING UNTIL WE CAN HAVE A DIAGNOSIS (AND REPAIR) DONE...
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the vehicle unintendedly downshifted on four occasions while driving at various speeds. Additionally, the vehicle began shaking violently, and the wheels locked up and the vehicle skidded. The power train warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 145,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was being serviced for an oil change. The contact stated that the dealer observed condensation in the coolant reservoir and diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 158,000.
On a cold start, my truck will not go into first gear until the rpm’s get from 1500-2000 and then it slams into first gear. Other times it won’t have barely any power and will accelerate so slowly that I’ve nearly missed getting in an accident more than a few times. Also, it will slam down into lower gears when down shifting. All of the problems listed above will cause my truck to violently shake to where it feels like I got hit.
Back-up camera works sometimes then goes blank
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle downshifted into first gear. The contact stated that the wrench warning light was illuminated, and the speedometer and other gauges malfunctioned. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle however, the failure persisted. The contact drove the vehicle to the residence and contacted the dealer however, no assistance was provided. The vehicle was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V075000 (Power Train). The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 199,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced a loss of power steering assist. The contact was able to drive to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 17,362.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that after starting the engine, a rattling noise was present coming from the engine compartment and the vehicle would not properly accelerate. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the engine cam phasers and engine timing system needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 150,000.
While driving down the highway, a wrench appeared on the display, then the speedometer went down to zero and the truck wasn’t shifting or accelerating. I took it to the Ford dealership and the diagnosed it as an issue with the Leadframe sensor assembly. They also let me know this is a known issue and there was an extended warranty program that my vehicle is over mileage for. The repair cost estimate was $800 for parts/labor. They also stated that the part is on back order and may be a month before they could get it. When I asked about driving with the issue they said it won’t do damage to my transmission but may intermittently cause shifting issues and could result in loss of reverse. I don’t feel comfortable driving it like that but it is my only vehicle. I also contact Ford customer care directly but there was nothing they could do to assist and pointed me here.
Unexpected downshift into first gear that caused the vehicle to slow down suddenly without warning and the rear tires slide and locked which could have caused me to crash
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle unintendedly downshifted. As a result of the failure, the vehicle briefly lost motive power before returning to normal functionality. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V075000 (Power Train) but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 160,000.
The wrench light on the dashboard comes on I loose all speedometer readings and mpg. The transmission will not go ro 6th gear or down shift past third gear the transmission also jerks and rpms go up really high. This occurs going down the interstate or anywhere really if I turn the truck of and restart it the warnings will go away but later come back
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle unintendedly downshifted to first gear and the vehicle slowed to 20 MPH. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the wheel speed sensor had malfunctioned. The contact stated that there was a Customer Satisfaction Program and an Extended Warranty coverage for the failure; however, the VIN was not included. Additionally, the vehicle had exceeded the mileage limitation. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 149,960.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving approximately 70–75 MPH, the transmission downshifted into first gear. The vehicle became uncontrollable. The contact was able to swerve to avoid a crash. The contact pulled over and restarted the vehicle. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle continued to downshift without warning. The vehicle was taken to an unknown local dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The contact stated that the failure was like NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V075000 (Power Train). The failure mileage was approximately 87,000.
Attempted to merge onto a highway and car stayed in first and not allowing for proper acceleration. Ended up not being included under a current recall. Replace the lead frame connector in the transmission.
I have this exact problem (usually get an inverted, distorted, or blank image (blue screen)) with the backup camera on my 2012 F150. It's been happening for about two years. Why does the recall only go back to 2015? "Ford is recalling about 1.5 million vehicles in the United States due to a rear-view camera issue causing inverted, distorted, or blank image, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said on Sept. 9. The recall affects select vehicles from model years 2015 to 2019 of Lincoln MKC, Lincoln Navigator, Mustang, F-250, F-350, F-450, F-550, Expedition, Edge, Transit, Transit Connect, Econoline and Ranger, NHTSA said."
Transmission downshifts during normal driving conditions on highway. There is a recall for this defect. Recall #1901(transmission). Called Ford on 9.6.23 and spoke to employee #219738 and Ford refused to correct known defects.
While driving on the NYS Thruway my brake light came on and when I tried to engage my brakes it was difficult to push the pedal and the brakes were barely responsive. Now the brake pedal is difficult to push each time I start the vehicle and it barely stops when I begin moving. The rotors and pads are fine. My mechanic diagnosed the problem and it's a failed vacuum pump.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact while driving at an undisclosed speed and making a left turn, the steering wheel became firm. The "Power Steering Assist Failure" message was displayed. The contact pulled over and turned off and restarted the vehicle several times while driving to the residence. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V316000 (Steering). The contact was referred to the dealer for assistance. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted that stated there was no recall on the VIN related to the failure. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 228,000.
Whilst driving, suddenly power steering assist fault light flashed on and steering became very difficult to turn. Was able to safely pull off the road. After several attempts, the fault cleared and steering was fully functional again. Had I been on interstate it most likely would have caused accident.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at 20 MPH, the vehicle collided head-on with another vehicle that failed to stop at a red light. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed, and injuries were reported. The contact stated that he had suffered minor injuries to his jaw but had not sought medical attention. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 320,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently downshifted and was unable to upshift above 3rd gear. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway. After turning off and restarting the vehicle, the vehicle seemed to return to normal functionality; however, the failure had since become a regular failure. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed due to aftermarket parts being installed. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V075000 (Power Train) but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 148,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at highway speeds, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted from sixth to third gear. During the failure, the vehicle abruptly decelerated, causing the driver to almost lose control of the steering wheel. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 95,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle downshifted from 4th gear to 1st gear. The power train warning light and the check engine warning light were illuminated. The contact veered to the side of the road. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle; however, the check engine warning light remained illuminated. The contact turned on the hazard lights and continued driving 10 MPH. The contact parked the vehicle at the residence. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the failure was related to the transmission. The contact stated that the PCM was reprogrammed in 2021 under NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V075000 (Power Train) however, the repair failed to fix the vehicle. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that recall repairs were a onetime free repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the dealer for assistance. The failure mileage was unknown.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond and went into LIMP Mode. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact veered to the side of the road. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle several times; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to exceed 30 MPH. The contact was able to drive to the residence. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the timing chain had failed. 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 145,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle unexpectedly downshifted from 6th gear to 1st gear and nearly caused the contact to lose control of the vehicle. The contact stated that the instrument cluster went black. The contact pulled off the roadway, turned off and restarted the vehicle, and was able to resume normal driving. The contact stated that failure was a recurring failure and occurred at various speeds. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the power train control module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V075000 (Power Train). The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 119,000.
Service Advance Trac warning light comes on when backing while steering wheel turned. Multiple instances. Clears after a few minutes, but researching issue seems to be widespread across the Ford community, and has resulted in steering locking up while vehicle is in motion. Scheduled for maintenance visit to local dealership to diagnose. Codes read were C1963 & U0428
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 appears the Fuse 27 which provides power to the Fuel Pump has a commonly known issue of burning up. For my instance today this did appear to be the problem. Fuse 27 was completely burned up on the side of the fuse closest to the engine. Fortunately, I was parked in this instance and my safety or the safety of others was not put at risk, but my big concern is if the fuse were to go out while driving down the road or highway. The sudden loss of fuel due to this common electrical issue could have greatly put my safety and the safety of others at risk. The only warning message that I noticed prior to this issue was a battery warning, but when the vehicle was taken by an auto parts store to pull the code and check the battery, there was not issue with the battery. Note: The battery was replace 5 months ago. I believe this common issue that I and other Ford F150 owners have experience should be investigated further by the NHTSA to keep myself and others safe when driving or traveling in a 2012 Ford F150 to avoid the sudden loss of fuel to the engine that could result in significant injury or death.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted to first gear, nearly causing a crash. The power train warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled to the side of the road temporarily. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring while driving. The contact used a vehicle scanner and retrieved diagnostic trouble code 720, which indicated a speed output sensor. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the contact was informed that the vehicle was not covered under an unknown recall because the recall had expired. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 142,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving 20–70 MPH, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted to first gear. While at a stop, the vehicle shut off. The contact pulled over and restarted the vehicle. The contact stated that the instrument cluster had gone blank several times. The wrench symbol was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who was unable to duplicate the failure. The mechanic performed a tune-up. The vehicle was taken to a transmission specialist, who stated that the failure was related to the computer sensor. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V444000 (Power Train). The manufacturer was contacted, and opened a case and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 325,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle suddenly downshifted and hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact would restart the vehicle to reset the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where a diagnostic test was performed. The mechanic linked the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V075000 (Power Train) but stated that the vehicle was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure and the contact was referred to the NTHSA Hotline for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.
My 2012 Ford F150 XLT truck goes from 6th gear going down highway 60 to 65mph and then it goes to 1st gear Intermittent... Safety wise very unsafe for my family and others....Problem was reproduced and confirmed by shop....Ford could not get part or help and they know about the problem.....Leed frame defective on transmission....
The gasses inside the gas tank are building up and causing a farting noise.
Turbo booster are causing the wastegate to be stuck in the open position and then causing the gas pedal to accelerate on its own.
Truck has jumped time and or timing chain stretched will driving truck geared down and was like it went into limp mode I turn the truck off and back on it straightened out enough to get it home dealer said it was the timing chain after running scans on it
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced a loss of power steering assist. The restraint warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who informed the contact that the steering gear assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 209,000.
vehicle died when driving (and has continued to die when driving). Seems to sputter as if downshifting and then totally stalls out, causing safety concern when driving in traffic and randomly dying. Luckily had somewhere to pull off of the road and not cause an accident. Have confirmed with auto repair shop that the main concern is the powertrain control module. Shop has been able to replicate this happening as they have driven it as well. No warning lamps/lights/etc present prior to this happening.