Total Complaints
2417 filings
FORD F-150 · model year
2417 NHTSA complaints, 54 crash reports, and 4 active recalls for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2012FORDF-150 carries 2417 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 54 crashes, 21 fires, 39 injuries, and 2 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2012 F-150 is power train with 655 filings, followed by engine (482) and steering (199). 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 4 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 9 investigation files overlapping the 2012 F-150, and 1 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.
Total Complaints
2417 filings
Crashes Reported
54 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Above median complaint volume — review patterns below.
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN | 655 |
| ENGINE | 482 |
| STEERING | 199 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 192 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 152 |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 123 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 118 |
| VISIBILITY/WIPER | 95 |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 84 |
| AIR BAGS | 37 |
| ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | 36 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | 35 |
| SUSPENSION | 18 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY | 18 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 16 |
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Ford F-150 trucks, 2012 Ford Expedition, Lincoln Navigator, and Ford Mustang vehicles. The affected vehicles are equipped with an automatic transmission that may unexpectedly downshift to first gear, regardless of vehicle speed.
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM)
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2011-2013 F-150 vehicles equipped with a 6-speed automatic transmission. The transmission may unexpectedly downshift into first gear, regardless of vehicle speed.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE-INACTIVE
FORD IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012 F-150 VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM NOVEMBER 6, 2011, THROUGH NOVEMBER 15, 2011. INCORRECT SOFTWARE FOR THE OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM MODULE (OCSM) WAS INSTALLED ON THE VEHICLES EITHER AT THE TIME OF MANUFACTURING OR DURING THE COURSE OF REPLACEMENT OF TH
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM)
FORD IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011-2012 FORD F-150, 2012 EXPEDITION AND LINCOLN NAVIGATOR, AND 2012-2013 MUSTANG VEHICLES, FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NOS. 102, "TRANSMISSION SHIFT LEVER SEQUENCE, STARTER INTERLOCK, AND TRANSMISSION BRA
While driving at any speed, 55 , 65 my truck downshift to 1st gear. It locks up the back tires and the truck starts squealing. And sometimes while driving it just jumps into limp mode into 3rd or 5th gear and it wont come out of 3rd or 5th gear. I do understand there is a recall for this but Ford is telling me my truck is not included in the recall.
While driving at any speed, 55 , 65 my truck downshift to 1st gear. It locks up the back tires and the truck starts squealing. And sometimes while driving it just jumps into limp mode into 3rd or 5th gear and it wont come out of 3rd or 5th gear. I do understand there is a recall for this but Ford is telling me my truck is not included in the recall.
Unexpectedly downshifting into first gear make the motor damaged
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake lights and taillights failed to function as intended. The neighbor who was driving behind the contact's vehicle, informed the contact that the brake lights and taillights were inoperable. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with a failed BCM. The contact was informed that the BCM needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced an unknown recall with a similar failure description; however, the VIN was not associated. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.
Mileage: 130,000
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake lights and taillights failed to function as intended. The neighbor who was driving behind the contact's vehicle, informed the contact that the brake lights and taillights were inoperable. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with a failed BCM. The contact was informed that the BCM needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced an unknown recall with a similar failure description; however, the VIN was not associated. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.
Mileage: 130,000
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2012 Ford F-150. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale on January 1st, 2026. At the time of purchase, the mileage was 154,000, and while having the vehicle inspected by a certified mechanic at an Auto Body Shop, it was discovered from a Carfax report that the mileage was 301,348. The contact had not reported the odometer fraud to any other agencies.
Mileage: 301,348
The vehicle experienced repeated and unpredictable loss of drivability while in operation. The transmission intermittently disengages and the gear indicator rapidly cycles between Park, Reverse, Neutral, and Drive without driver input. During these events, the vehicle loses propulsion and becomes unsafe to operate in traffic. Warning messages and instrument cluster anomalies were observed prior to and during the failures, including erratic dashboard behavior. The issue has occurred multiple times and is reproducible. The condition appears to be related to a known safety recall involving the transmission lead frame / powertrain control system. The failure creates a serious safety risk due to sudden loss of power and inability to control vehicle movement, especially in traffic or while stopped at intersections. The vehicle is not safe to drive and has been removed from regular service. Diagnostic data, video evidence, and photographs documenting the failure and warning indicators are ava
The vehicle experienced repeated and unpredictable loss of drivability while in operation. The transmission intermittently disengages and the gear indicator rapidly cycles between Park, Reverse, Neutral, and Drive without driver input. During these events, the vehicle loses propulsion and becomes unsafe to operate in traffic. Warning messages and instrument cluster anomalies were observed prior to and during the failures, including erratic dashboard behavior. The issue has occurred multiple times and is reproducible. The condition appears to be related to a known safety recall involving the transmission lead frame / powertrain control system. The failure creates a serious safety risk due to sudden loss of power and inability to control vehicle movement, especially in traffic or while stopped at intersections. The vehicle is not safe to drive and has been removed from regular service. Diagnostic data, video evidence, and photographs documenting the failure and warning indicators are ava
The vehicle experienced repeated and unpredictable loss of drivability while in operation. The transmission intermittently disengages and the gear indicator rapidly cycles between Park, Reverse, Neutral, and Drive without driver input. During these events, the vehicle loses propulsion and becomes unsafe to operate in traffic. Warning messages and instrument cluster anomalies were observed prior to and during the failures, including erratic dashboard behavior. The issue has occurred multiple times and is reproducible. The condition appears to be related to a known safety recall involving the transmission lead frame / powertrain control system. The failure creates a serious safety risk due to sudden loss of power and inability to control vehicle movement, especially in traffic or while stopped at intersections. The vehicle is not safe to drive and has been removed from regular service. Diagnostic data, video evidence, and photographs documenting the failure and warning indicators are ava
Vehicle: 2012 Ford F-150 Incident Description: While driving straight under normal conditions, the âService Power Steering Service Nowâ warning message suddenly appeared on the dashboard, accompanied by an audible warning alarm. Immediately after this warning, the steering wheel became extremely stiff and difficult to turn, with a sudden loss of power steering assistance. This failure occurred At the time, traffic was heavy, making it very difficult and dangerous to safely maneuver the vehicle and pull over. The sudden loss of steering assistance created a serious safety risk for myself and other drivers and could have resulted in a crash. I was eventually able to pull over to a safe location, This appears to be a sudden steering system failure and represents a significant safety concern
I had just gotton on route 5 north from the Agawam rotary. After I merged onto route 5 I drove a short distance then I heard a loud noise from the rear of my vehicle. Immediately after the loud noise my rear end kicked out and I lost complete control of my truck. I hit the brakes and tried to slightly counter steer and I still had absolutely no control over the truck. I then proceeded to go over a straight edge bridge curbing and then a bridge guardrail. I did not hit any potholes,their were none and I was driving in a straight line at approximately 40 mph. My truck was hanging over the bridge.
Affected vehicle: Drivers side door latch stopped latching entirely in frozen conditions and then thawed conditions. A frozen door latch, or a bent or kinked door latch actuation cable, may result in a door that will not open, will not close, or opens while driving condition, increasing the risk of injury. This year needs to be added to the recall. Recall 17S33
Affected vehicle: Drivers side door latch stopped latching entirely in frozen conditions and then thawed conditions. A frozen door latch, or a bent or kinked door latch actuation cable, may result in a door that will not open, will not close, or opens while driving condition, increasing the risk of injury. This year needs to be added to the recall. Recall 17S33
My truck started experiencing the notorious Ford "limp mode" needs lead frame replaced. Ford has a customer satisfaction program directly related to this issue but though its 20k under their 150k limit it is over 10 yrs old so they are not honoring anything or doing anything about covering and cost associated. Pretty crappy of ford.
âI need to file a complaint because two dealerships refused to perform the required diagnostic for federal safety recall 19S07 on my F-150. They stated they will not replace the lead frame under ANY circumstance, even if the recall-related OSS failure damaged it. Both dealers refused the mandatory recall procedure. My truck is showing ALL recall symptoms, including speedometer dropouts, PRNDL flashing, gear indicator cycling, and erratic shifting. I need Ford to contact the dealership and authorize proper recall handling.â**
i dropped my ford truck off for a recall that was done only three months ago and it had an extended warranty (Recall campaign number 19S07/19V075 sudden downshift powertrian control module programming) with it but it didnt fix the problem. when i picked up my truck after them keeping it for two weeks and telling me they had no loaners, they tried to say nothing was wrong with my truck and tried to charge me a $169 diagnostic fee and never even fixed the recalled downshifting transmission problem. But when I am driving it will just downshift almost causing the truck to jerk rapidly to a complete stop. This has almost caused an accident and ford wouldnât even try to fix it and because I refused to pay for a service I did not request they told me to never come back. My appointment was made online and clearly stated the info about the recall repair not being done right on July 12th 2025. So now I donât know how to rectify this transmission problem
Driving along I-94, 2012 F150 downshifted immediately from 5 gear to 1 gear. There was no previous issues and no warning lights and codes. Caused significant drive issues and had to pull immediately to side of busy highway. Caused immediately backup and believed to have caused back up accident. After taking to dealership was told it was my Molded Lead Frame. Which had been under an extended warranty BUT since my vehicle is older than 10 years and over 150,000 it is not under warranty. Ford knows about the issued due to the extended warranty issued. However, that warranty still is not effective in taking a MAJOR defect off the roads.
Driving along I-94, 2012 F150 downshifted immediately from 5 gear to 1 gear. There was no previous issues and no warning lights and codes. Caused significant drive issues and had to pull immediately to side of busy highway. Caused immediately backup and believed to have caused back up accident. After taking to dealership was told it was my Molded Lead Frame. Which had been under an extended warranty BUT since my vehicle is older than 10 years and over 150,000 it is not under warranty. Ford knows about the issued due to the extended warranty issued. However, that warranty still is not effective in taking a MAJOR defect off the roads.
I have a P0722-00 code which is the output shaft speed sensor which made my truck down shift and change gears while driving on the highway which was very dangerous me
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2012 Ford F-150. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 131,402, and at the time of registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 155,351.
Mileage: 155,351
Unintended Transmission Downshift and Rear Wheel Lock-up
Unintended Transmission Downshift and Rear Wheel Lock-up
Unintended Transmission Downshift
Seatbelt Pretensioner Fire
Brake Master Cylinder Failure
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.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.