Total Complaints
1 filings
FORD F-53 · model year
2012 FORD F-53
1 NHTSA complaints, and 1 recall campaign listed for this cohort. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2012FORDF-53 carries 1 consumer safety complaint in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 2012 F-53 is suspension with 1 filings. Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause. This cohort has 1 NHTSA recall campaign listed below. Enter a VIN in NHTSA's official recall lookup to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
NHTSA currently has 179 investigation files overlapping the 2012 F-53, and 6 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.
1
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| SUSPENSION | 1 |
Recalls (1)
12V03500002/02/2012
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)
FORD IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011 F-53 AND F-59 STRIPPED CHASSIS VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM FEBRUARY 1, 2010 THROUGH JULY 1, 2011 AND CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012 F-53 AND F-59 STRIPPED CHASSIS VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM MAY 10, 2011 THROUGH OCTOBER 25, 2011. THE PRNDL CABLE MAY BREAK AT THE A
Recent Complaints
20190326SUSPENSION
WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY I NOTICED A SUDDEN AND DISTINCT DETERIORATION IN HANDLING, SO SEVERE THAT IN CROSSWINDS OR WHEN BEING PASSED BY A SEMI-TRAILER IT WAS DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN CONTROL AND STAY IN MY LANE OR ON THE ROAD. WHEN I INSPECTED THE VEHICLE I FOUND THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR ANTI-SWAY BAR BUSHING BRACKET, MOUNTING BOLTS, AND NUTS WERE ALL MISSING, EFFECTIVELY DISCONNECTING THE REAR ANTI-SWAY BAR AND CAUSING DANGEROUS BODY ROLL. IN TRYING TO DETERMINE HOW THIS OCCURRED I FOUND A THREAD ON THE WWW.IRV2.COM FORUM INDICATING THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH ALL YEAR MODELS OF THE FORD F53 MOTORHOME CHASSIS.
Mileage: 22,000
Compare 2012FORDF-53 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 6 Open
EA26004Engineering AnalysisOpen
Timing Belt Failure
DP26004Defect PetitionOpen
Anti-lock brake system (ABS) Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) illuminated
EA26001Engineering AnalysisOpen
Unintended Transmission Downshift and Rear Wheel Lock-up
PE25020Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Timing Belt Failure
DP25001Defect PetitionClosed
Underbody shields detachment
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 2012 FORD F-53 have?▼
The 2012 FORD F-53 has 1 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
Are there any recalls for the 2012 FORD F-53?▼
Yes, the 2012 FORD F-53 has 1 recall(s). The most common affected component is POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL). Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2012 FORD F-53?▼
The most-complained component for the 2012 FORD F-53 is SUSPENSION with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include various components.
Is the 2012 FORD F-53 safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. 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 vintage: August 2026. 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.
Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 2012 FORD F-53; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.