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10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
10 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
8 / 0
Average Mileage:
73,433 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2012 Ford F-150 drivetrain problems

drivetrain problem

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2012 Ford F-150 Owner Comments (Page 3 of 27)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #493

Jul 142022

F-150

  • 171,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle unintendedly downshifted with the drive(D) gear shift light flashing on the instrument panel. Upon investigation, the contact discovered that the vehicle was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V075000 (Power Train). The vehicle was taken to a dealer where they initially informed him that due to the mileage on the vehicle, the vehicle did not qualify for the recall. The contact left the vehicle in the possession of the dealer and was informed that water was found in the transmission and the radiator; therefore, both parts needed to be replaced. The contact then took the vehicle to an independent mechanic where he had the transmission drained; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 171,000.

- Abbeville, LA, USA

problem #492

Jul 062022

F-150

  • 73,368 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, the transmission downshifted to first gear causing the rear wheels to lock up. The contact stated that the vehicle almost came to an immediate stop. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer where it was diagnosed that the Molded Leadframe (Part Number: AL3Z7G276D) needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 73,368.

- Macedonia, OH, USA

problem #491

Jun 152022

F-150

  • miles
While driving at any speed, the vehicle unexpectedly downshifts into first gear causing a risk of losing control or crashing. This incident has occurred 3 times in the last week and has all the same symptoms related to Ford Recall # 19N01 & 19S19.

- Grand Junctions, CO, USA

problem #490

Jun 052022

F-150

  • 118,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2012 F-150. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently downshifted and the speedometer went to zero. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V248000 (Power Train). The approximate failure mileage was 118,000.

- Gilbert, AZ, USA

problem #489

Jun 042022

F-150

  • miles
Vehicle lost its power in the power steering system, and you lose all control over the vehicle and you can't move left or right Making it very dangerous for me while it occurred, since I was unable to move the car towards any direction.

- Henrico, VA, USA

problem #488

May 222022

F-150

  • miles
On 22MAY2022 I started my vehicle and started pulling out of a parking space when I lost braking power. The failure resembled a similar issue I had in the past when the electronic vacuum pump failed and the brake pedal felt hard and required significant additional effort to bring the vehicle to a stop. The electronic vacuum pump and fuse has been replaced by the dealership previously. The unexpected brake failure caused me to roll farther than I wanted and hit the rock on my passenger side, rear door, causing minor body damage. Ford Customer Service said Customer Satisfaction Program 15N05 is a one time replacement and this vehicle is no longer eligible for the program since it has already been serviced. Additionally, they said any repair associated with this event is limited to 15N05 so body damage would not ne covered.

- Williston, VT, USA

problem #487

May 222022

F-150

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Vehicle shifts from a high gear to a low gear. While driving 60 miles an hour on the expressway my F150 went from six gear to first gear with no warning locking my rear wheels causing my speed to drastically or abruptly be lower almost causing several other vehicles to crash into the back of my pick up. Vehicle stays on gear sometimes first third or fifth gear with no warning switching back-and-forth. While making a stop at 0 mph vehicle stays at a high gear for example he could stay at third gear or fifth gear so they takeoff will be in third or fifth gear not in first gear. Also losing speedometer reading. This has happened multiple times while driving at low speed or high speed. I am concerned that this could cause accidents in the roads. Ford motor company corporate advised me that is an auto pocket fix sensor customer satisfaction program has expired for my vehicle. I never received notification of this issue while on my truck was within warranty. Ford Motor Company stated that they extended their coverage until 10,000 miles or 150,000 miles whichever comes first. My vehicle has 165,000 miles and he-€™s 10 years old. I don-€™t believe this is a normal Tear and water failure. This is a manufactures defective part that has happened in thousands of vehicles is not an isolated incident.

- Penitas, TX, USA

problem #486

May 062022

F-150

  • miles
Brake Failure: The brake Vacuum Boost pump is failing which causes a loss of power assist brakes. This is a massive safety issue and can cause serious accidents. Oddly Fors no longer manufactures the Bracket to be able to replace the pump and there is no aftermarket alternative. My Dealer tells me their notes from ford say obtains from aftermarket but I have scoured the internet and nobody makes the bracket. IT's a terrible design and a huge safety issue that should be recalled completely. Ford watts to charge over $900 to fix it but cant even get the parts as described above. Transmission Lead Rail: Recently had the Transmission Lead rail fail whcih casued sudden downshiting at highway speeds and the shift indicator to not illuinate. THis again is a massive safetey issue that Ford issued sevral TSB on but never recalled. This almost got me killed on thehighway a few times. They charged me over $1500 to replace the LEAD rail when again this defcetive design and craftsmenship that is a massive safetey issue and should be fully recalled. Engine Stutter: My truck has almost always stuttered anytime you wne tover hal throtle, There are sveral TSB on this but FORD has not stepped up and taken care o fht eissue via recall. Apprnetly moisture build up in the inercooler and gets sucked into the intake due to poor design. Timing Chain Stretch: I now have Timing chain stretch, this also seems ot be quite common due to poor design. Rear Door Failure: I can no longer open my rear half door due to failure of internal plastic door components. You can research any o fhtese issues and find that htey are very common pronlems in F150 and other Ford vehicles due to their negligence in design and engineering and some are huge safetey issues that FORD has somehow been alloweed to ignore or issue insufficinet TSB instead of Recall.

- Wynantskill, NY, USA

problem #485

Apr 092022

F-150

  • 137,000 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted into first gear. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 137,000.

- Baytown, TX, USA

problem #484

Mar 242022

F-150

  • miles
My truck when driving will shift into 1st gear temporarily until the truck is turned off. Check engine light comes on with p0721 code.

- Ocala, FL, USA

problem #483

Jan 292022

F-150

  • 60,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated while her son was driving approximately 70 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently downshifted and the driver was able to pull over safely off the highway. There were several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 60,000.

- Torrance, CA, USA

problem #482

Mar 012019

F-150

  • 98,000 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V075000 (Power Train). The contact took the vehicle to local dealer to have the recall remedy completed. The contact stated while driving 75 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle inadvertently decelerated. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to park on the side of the roadway. The contact called a local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The vehicle was not drivable. The contact towed the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the transmission to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 98,000.

- Chappell Hill, TX, USA

problem #481

Jan 302022

F-150

  • miles
On multiple occasions, driving at highways speeds, the vehicle with go from 6th gear to 1st or 3rd gear, causing a lock up of the tires skidding till the engine speed slows to match transmission gear. Both times there have been vehicle behind me and have had to swerve to avoid. The first time it happened in 2019/05 and a PCM recalibration was done at a dealership, and I was not aware that there was a recall available for this specific problem, replacing the lead frame in transmission. Now that its out of the recall date that was issued by ford, it is now showing the exact same issues, 2022/01/30. After every time it happens, a warning lamp has not signaled on, and no error code results. I've talk to multiple dealerships and ford customer relations, and will not issue the recall.

- Calgary, AL, USA

problem #480

Jan 282022

F-150

  • miles
My truck has been experiencing sudden downshifting. I took it to the dealership in June of 2021 and mentioned the CSB 19N01, they said because there was no codes stored that were related to this problem they couldnt replace the leadframe, but said they would reprogram the PCM, this did nothing.Yesterday my transmission slammed really hard and check engine light came on. Code P0501 (VSS vehicle speed sensor) Truck was built in 5/2012 which means it is still within the CSB guideline of 10 years 150000 miles. Just because the error code isnt the one that is on the checklist that they use to determine if it qualifies for the CSB doesnt mean the problem isnt there. I have about 3 months before my 10 year extension is up, This needs to be repaired asap. Thank you

- Gilbert, AZ, USA

problem #479

Dec 292021

F-150

  • miles
I have a 2012 F-150 that has a recall under 16N02, it has happened more and more frequently where the transmission will die and go into a sort of "limp mode" and will not shift out of first gear. Will show a wrench and engine codes on the instrument cluster. I have now taken it into my local ford dealership where they said they cannot find any codes nor will they fix the said recall unless the transmission actually fails. I talked to a service tech and manager and they both told me that there was nothing they can do and of course my warranty and recall warranty ends December 31st. They told me at first on the phone that they wouldn't cover it anyways for the simple fact that they couldn't get me in till February and my warranty would be over by that point. I made a big enough fuss and they allowed me to bring it today only to be told there was nothing they could do and I was told to leave with my truck. I find this very hard to believe and am at a loss of words.

- Anchorage, AK, USA

problem #478

Dec 092021

F-150

  • miles
Ford is aware these trucks have a problem with their transmissions and are making repairs extremely difficult for me. I am very lucky not to have been in an accident in this truck as it will get stuck in gear when turning out into a busy highway because of their transmissions sensor and lead frame issues. The government has addressed this issue to some degree, but Ford has already once refused the repair because they couldn't replicate the problem. I almost got into a severe accident last week because of the problem they know the trucks have. These trucks should be fixed correctly and people on the road shouldn't have to worry about getting people severely injured or killed over a problem with their 6r80 transmissions that should have been fixed. Please do what you can to help Ford do the right thing and get these repaired quickly.

- Long Beach, MS, USA

problem #477

Dec 102021

F-150

  • miles
Wrench light comes on and down shifts without warning. Very scary when on the highway at 70mph

- Grantville , PA, USA

problem #476

Nov 012021

F-150

  • 105,000 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while his son was driving 30 MPH, the vehicle downshifted independently. The contact stated that the power train warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to park on the side of the road and restart the vehicle however, the vehicle continued to experience failure. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and the dealer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V248000 (Power Train) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 105,000.

- Excelsior, MN, USA

problem #475

Jul 062021

F-150

  • 156,543 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact-€™s husband stated while driving approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle unexpectedly downshifted from 6th to 3rd gear. The contact stated that the power train warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer and diagnosed with needing the Powertrain Control Module (PCM) replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and informed the contact that they were unable to assist. The failure mileage was approximately 156,543.

- Clearwater, FL, USA

problem #474

Mar 182019

F-150

  • 99,000 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that he received a notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V075000 (Power Train) and had the software reprogrammed. Upon return of the vehicle, the contact stated that the vehicle inadvertently downshifted while driving at various speeds. The service engine warning light was illuminated on the instrument panel. The dealer and the manufacturer had been notified of the failure and informed him that the parts to repair the vehicle were on backorder. The contact stated that due to the parts not being available, the failure had worsened. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 99,000

- Fallon, NV, USA

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