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10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
10 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
8 / 0
Average Mileage:
76,071 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 4 of 31)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #550

Jul 012023

F-150

  • 75,000 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 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.

- Williamsport, PA, USA

problem #549

Feb 282021

F-150

  • 125,000 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond and lost motive power. Additionally, the speedometer was inoperable. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact activated the hazard lights and veered to the side of the road. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle and was able to continue driving. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring while driving. The power train warning light was illuminated. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the failure was related to the transmission; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist because Ford Campaign Number: 19N01 had expired. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 125,000.

- Houston, TX, USA

problem #548

Jan 252024

F-150

  • miles
I had just purchased this well-used 2012 F150XL [XXX] ) because well into retirement at [XXX] and officially handicapped, it was all I could afford and had to get a personal loan for it anyway. First thing was a Lake Keowee Ford (REFLASH RECALL) which was performed and within a few days, everything electrical stopped and the battery started draining overnight over and over. The truck would not start, the column shifter was locked in Park and I could not even push it clear of a carport for a tow truck. With endless research, I find that this Shift Interlock failure is very, very common on these trucks of all related years and mileages. Below is a quote from a site: According to a survey, more than 75000 complaints reported against this problem across the USA in the last 15 to 17 years. In addition, it has affected the reliability of these F150 models due to sudden column shifter failure with minor internal damage. In my case, the Horn stopped working, the seats no longer adjust, the truck is in Limp Mode only and the steering is now only manual. It is a danger to drive, yet Lake Keowee is too busy to return my calls and chat efforts, a local repair facility charged $800 to NOT fix it and refuse to look at it again for -??maybe-?? two weeks-?? As said, I am disabled and a lifelong type one Diabetic so very brittle. I require a means of transportation, yet no one cares enough to offer / or knows how to fix it. This is a known problem that Ford has gotten away with for decades now and an official Recall on the Shift Interlock needs to be fixed. The ball is in your court now. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

- Seneca, SC, USA

problem #547

Jan 062024

F-150

  • miles

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

Got the software update for the recall and it made the problem worse

- Gulfport, MS, USA

problem #546

Sep 152023

F-150

  • miles
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

- Lebanon, MO, USA

problem #545

Nov 012023

F-150

  • miles
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.

- Murphy, NC, USA

problem #544

Dec 232023

F-150

  • miles

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

Vehicle shifted from fifth gear down to first gear while traveling fifty mph. Rear tires locked up and caused the vehicle to skid into a break down lane. Vehicle will not shift out of first gear now.

- New Bedford , MA, USA

problem #543

Aug 012012

F-150

  • 30 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the transmission downshifted to first gear with the check engine warning light illuminated. After restarting the vehicle, the failure was corrected. The vehicle was taken to a dealer on several occasions where it was later repaired. Recently, the failure recurred, and the vehicle was towed to Holmes Tuttle Ford (660 W Auto Mall Dr, Tucson, AZ 85705) where it remained in dealer possession. The contact was informed by the manufacturer that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V075000 (Power Train). The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 30.

- Paradise Valley, AZ, USA

problem #542

Dec 112023

F-150

  • 50,000 miles
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.

- Paradise Valley, AZ, USA

problem #541

Oct 012023

F-150

  • 199,000 miles
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.

- Inchelium, WA, USA

problem #540

Dec 182023

F-150

  • 172,000 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 received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V075000 (Power Train). The vehicle was taken to a local dealer and the recall was serviced. The contact stated that while driving at 70 MPH, the vehicle unexpectedly downshifted without warning. The contact pulled over as certain parts of the instrument panel had gone blank. The contact restarted the vehicle and the vehicle resumed normal operation. The contact called a dealer and made an appointment to have the vehicle serviced; however, once the vehicle arrived at the dealer, the contact was informed that the vehicle could not be serviced for several weeks. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle remained in the possession of the dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 172,000.

- Milton, FL, USA

problem #539

Dec 192023

F-150

  • 200,000 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle suddenly downshifted and lost motive power. The contact was able to pull to the shoulder of the roadway, where the failure persisted. The transmission warning light was 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 notified of the failure but did not assist. The failure mileage was 200,000.

- Antioch, TN, USA

problem #538

Oct 012019

F-150

  • 70,000 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact initially stated that while driving at low rates of speed, the vehicle would unexpectedly downshift without warning. The contact then stated that while driving at highway speeds, the vehicle downshifted as the indicator warning light appeared on the instrument panel. Soon after the failure, the instrument panel went blank. Upon restart of the vehicle, the vehicle resumed normal operation; however, the failure persisted as the contact stated that the failure would occur more frequently. The contact stated that the check engine warning light had appeared on the instrument panel. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V075000 (Power Train) which was linked to the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

- Kaneohe, HI, USA

problem #537

Nov 102023

F-150

  • miles
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.

- Murphy, NC, USA

problem #536

Nov 272023

F-150

  • miles
transmission down shifted to 1st gear at a high rate of speed.

- Ponchatoula, LA, USA

problem #535

Oct 282023

F-150

  • 161,000 miles
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.

- Owasso, OK, USA

problem #534

Nov 132022

F-150

  • miles
Cylinder 2 had a stored code for misfire and oil and coolant mixture leaking from block. With the F150 raised up on the lift I removed the lower splash shields and continued inspection. Oil was found predominantly on passenger side with a mixture of oil and coolant leaking out drivers side. Using my lab scope I was able to locate the damage in the block. A large crack split down in a Y pattern. This split is located on cylinder #2 location. I would say #2 connecting rod has impacted block due to internal failure.

- Washington Twp , OH, USA

problem #533

Oct 052023

F-150

  • miles
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.

- Suffolk, VA, USA

problem #532

Jul 012023

F-150

  • miles
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....

- Prospect, TN, USA

problem #531

Sep 202023

F-150

  • miles
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

- Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA

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