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10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
4 / 3
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
36,288 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 engine problems

engine problem

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2012 Ford F-150 Owner Comments (Page 23 of 24)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #23

Feb 172012

F-150 6-cyl

  • 14,890 miles

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

This is my second complaint I am not sure to list this under engine or steering either way I am experiencing the same shaking and shuddering that I was before. Ford fixed the so called intercooler problem but now it is experiencing the same shaking. In the past 2 weeks this has occurred multiple times when I first start out driving in the morning the vehicle begins to shake and shudder while driving at sow speeds of less than 45 mph it even did this yesterday at 5 mph. If you research this complaint there are 1000S F complaints online especially on the Ford F150 forum. Also my gas mileage is absolutely horrible at 13 to 14 mpg and that's on 45 and 55 mph roads in the country. The shaking occurs violently making the vehicle hard to control creating a dangerous situation especially on the freeway where the vehicle will slow down to 35 mph.

- Chardon, OH, USA

problem #22

Jul 092012

F-150

  • 400 miles
Upon receiving vehicle from dealership in July 2012, ecoboost hesitates, then it takes off and goes faster than you want the vehicle to.this happened many times to pass vehicles or speed up to enter highway from on ramp. After starting and letting sit for more than 10 min., putting in drive or reverse, vehicle runs at high RPM & takes off on its own.upon stopping at light/ stop sign, vehicle will lunge forward.upon trying out ecoboost on vehicle one night, the engine would not disengage from ecoboost, pressed brakes, & wouldn't stop, ended up taking down a partial fence and ending up in a ditch.truck wouldn't get out of ditch, every time you pressed on gas to try to get out, even in 4X4, ecoboost kicks in & spins wheels.truck towed and damage fixed at dealership bought from.they repaired truck per my auto insurance coverage, but when asked to check brakes, ecoboost, they couldn't find any errors per computer and engine is performing correctly. But, engine is not as we have gone back with truck many times to complain about these issues and get the same answers.a computer is only as good as what humans put into it.there is an aftermarket computer chip available at expense of truck owner that will correct the hesitation when going into ecoboost, but nothing to fix the problem of the truck disengaging immediately from ecoboost when brakes are pressed. Ford should have put computer chip in engine before selling the vehicle and making sure the ecoboost disengages immediately upon braking. Also, exhaust fumes enter the cab when you put heat, defrost, A/C on. The recirculate button has to be on all the time to keep vehicle exhaust out of the cab interior. But, the dealership cannot find an answer for this problem either. Ford dealership or Ford doesn't seem to be concerned w/ these problem.read on-line that many F150 ecoboost trucks built from 2/2012 to 5/2012 have problems.

- Depew, NY, USA

problem #21

Jan 042013

F-150 6-cyl

  • 14,500 miles
While entering the highway from the ramp I pulled into the first lane and tried to accelerate. The truck started to miss and buck and would not increase in speed causing me to pull off the roadway. I shut the truck off and restarted it. The truck will only run if you accelerate very slowly. Any attempt to gain speed is met with the same response. I took the vehicle to the Ford dealer where they cleared the codes and informed me Ford was having problems with water in the intercooler. At this time they have no parts to repair this problem and told me to drive the vehicle as it is. My fear is someone could get killed. The vehicle is not safe to drive. If Ford knows there is a problem and can't fix it wouldn't they be responsible.

- Richmond Hill , GA, USA

problem #20

Dec 172012

F-150 6-cyl

  • 8,800 miles

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

On a 500 mile trip from va to nyc during rainy weather, engine stalled upon acceleration on 6 occasions. Reproducible after driving at constant speed for an hour, or so, and then accelerating to pass a vehicle or enter a freeway. Absolutely scary and extremely dangerous. I had several such incidences from day 1 of ownership and I already filed a similar report in July 2012 (#10465748). Never happens during dry weather. Ford applied the deflector shield and reprogramming, which did not solve the problem at all, but noticeably reduced the engine power, leading to shudder in 6th gear when going uphill at 60 mph (apparently due to a lack of enough torque; shudder disappears when switching down to 5th gear). Gas mileage is down to 15-16 mpg at constant speed of 65 mph on highway, far from the advertised numbers. The check engine light came on during yesterdays nightmare stalling events and the truck goes back into the shop shortly. $55,000 truck that cannot be driven in bad weather - and every Ford dealer declines having "ever heard of the problem". seeing all the complaints in this database and on F150 forums, I think it is time for Ford to acknowledge the problem publicly and come up wit a fix vial recall.

- Hampstead, NH, USA

problem #19

Oct 052012

F-150

  • 10,250 miles
I was driving to work entering the freeway doing 55 I tried to accelerate the vehicle past a slower moving car and the vehicle began to shake violently and the truck lost power. Had I been in heavy traffic this would have certainly caused a serious collision as I was unable to control the vehicle and had to slow down to 30 mph on the freeway before I could slowly accelerate back up to speed. This has occurred multiple times since October especially after rain or even in the mornings when it has been a heavy frost overnight. Also my M.P.G is down to 11 to 13 M.P.G this is horrible especially this day and age in vehicle technology. I have brought my truck to the local dealer and of course they stated they were unaware of a problem. I had to show them multiple complaints from this website and off the Ford 150 forum. It has been 6 weeks and the part still is not in for my vehicle.

- Chardon , OH, USA

problem #18

Aug 302012

F-150 6-cyl

  • 8,500 miles
Traveled from benton, la to little rock ar. Was driving down two lane highway at 55 mph in the rain. Had to come to stop as a vehicle was turning left. Upon accelerating vehicle began to shake violently and would not accelerate past 15 mph. Was able to pull over to shoulder. Turned off vehicle and removed key. Restarted engine. Vehicle would only run approximately 20 mph. Drove to next town about 10 miles away. Stopped at gas station for approximately an hour. Since it was late in the evening we had to continue traveling. Truck then would run about 70 mph down the interstate, but any acceleration would cause the truck to hesitate, shake, and loose power. Only extremely easy acceleration would work. No down shifting possible. Truck was diagnosed at chenal Ford in little rock ar. Found to have water in the engine from entering the turbo charger air intake. Water apparently accumulates in the turbo charger in the rain. If hard acceleration occurs during the rain, water is pulled to the engine damaging the spark plugs and coil packs. This is a known issue with Ford as the have several service bulletins out. Unfortunately, the dealer in Louisiana has not been provided a correction from Ford. My understanding is that the turbo intake system has been redesigned for the 2013 model year. Ford at this time is not offering to replace the air intake. As such, I this vehicle is not safe in the rain. A car should not stall when accelerating.

- Benton, LA, USA

problem #17

Mar 152011

F-150 6-cyl

  • 3,000 miles

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

While attempting to merge into traffic pulling a trailer I pushed the gas pedal and the truck down shifted but would not accelerate. The truck will drop into 3rd gear and will not exceed 4000 RPM. This has occurred several times and has been in the shop 3 or 4 times. It has also happened without a trailer. On several occasions I have had to pull over and turn the truck off to get it to go. Sometimes I can just come off the pedal and press it again to correct. This is a dangerous issue that could cause an accident. The dealer has reprogrammed the truck several times and replaced the converters twice. I have asked Ford to buy back the truck but they have not responded yet. The truck is going back into the shop tomorrow and I am considering utilizing the lemon law.

- Forest Hill, LA, USA

problem #16

Nov 012012

F-150

  • 13,100 miles
2012 F150 ecoboost. Was cruising on the highway at 60-65 closing in on a slower moving bus. Pulled out to pass and gave it more throttle the vehicle did not accelerate even with throttle to the floor. Had to hit the brakes and pull back behind the bus to avoid a collision. After recovering the motor seemed to recover and allowed for acceleration again. This was the second time this has happened to us. Neither time did the computer register a fault code or check engine light. The first time we took it for the issue, Ford service could not do anything as no code was found and unable to recreate in test drive. At that time tsb 12-6-4 was out pertaining to this issue. After the second time, again there was no code or recreation but a new tsb 12-10-19 superseded the previous tsb and allowed for repairs. This is a dangerous condition that Ford is aware of and could possibly affect all 2011-2012 F150 ecoboost motors and some early 2013 models. The charge air cooler as originally designed is creating condensation that causes these power loss events. The corrective actions in tsb 12-10-19, if successful, should be applied to all F150 ecoboost vehicles built with the older intercooler design.

- Glendive, MT, USA

problem #15

Sep 112012

F-150

  • 3,800 miles
2012 Ford F150 with ecoboost - driving back to NY from Maine - hit rain in Vermont - tried to pass a vehicle on highway - truck lost power - bogged down - stuttering along. Had to quickly pull over to slow lane to avoid having accident with vehicles coming up from behind - very dangerous situation. My daughter has the same truck she had same problem in July. In researching online have found this is a common occurrence with the ecoboost. Dealer was unaware that there have been any issues with this engine. My daughter found on Ford forums and this site that Ford issued the tsb 12-6-4 that is suppose to fix this problem. The dealer placed the shield on the intercooler and reset the computer - time will tell if this will work before someone gets killed.

- Frankfort, NY, USA

problem #14

Jul 292010

F-150 6-cyl

  • 2,500 miles
2012 Ford F150 with ecoboost mileage 2,500 - driving for approx. 2hrs on highway - raining off/on throughout drive - when accelerating to pass a vehicle going uphill the F150 lost power and bogged down - stuttering along - had to quickly pull over to slow lane - to avoid possible accident with traffic that was approaching in fast lane. The truck continued to stutter along at various times after the 3 hr trip. No problems since but truck has not been used much (3,600 miles now). Saw on other forums and this site that other F150's with ecoboost are having this issue. Took truck to dealer - they had not heard of any problems with the ecoboost. I showed them the printout from this site highlighting the tsb 12-6-4, which they are going to do. My father purchased the same truck and he had the same thing happen to him this September. Hope this works before someone gets hurt or killed.

- Ilion , NY, USA

problem #13

Oct 092012

F-150 6-cyl

  • 5,000 miles

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

Was driving at 60mph, accelerated a little and vehicle shuddered/hesitated and didn't accelerate, and check engine light flashed, then became solid. Took to Ford dealership was told a calibration update fixed the problem. Same problem occurred 3 days later. Took it back to dealership, it has been there for 3 days and they state "are waiting for Ford to advise them on what to do next." This is a 2012 Ford F150 ecoboost lariat 4X4 supercrew with only 5,000 miles on it and has a sticker of nearly $50,000. I would expect no problems or at least a timely solution. Either way, merging onto the interstate or needing to accelerate and the truck failing to do so is a safety issue.

- Little Rock, AR, USA

problem #12

Aug 152012

F-150

  • 60 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F150. The contact stated that the air bags failed and whenever the front passenger seat was occupied, the air bag warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact also stated that the eco boost caused the engine to stall. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection where they stated that the seat rail needed to be replaced and that the eco boost was working extremely well. The dealer reprogrammed the computer but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 60.

- Shorewood, IL, USA

problem #11

Sep 292012

F-150

  • 768 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F150. The contact stated that while driving 70 mph in rain weather, the vehicle stalled with the illumination of the check engine warning light. The contact moved the vehicle to the shoulder because it had engaged into limp mode. The contact was able to regain speed once he drove away from the shoulder. The contact stated that the failure recurred whenever it rained. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection where they advised that there was water in the engine and the spark plugs had become damaged. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified and stated that they were aware of the problem and that they were working on a remedy. The failure mileage was 768. The VIN was unavailable.

- College Station, TX, USA

problem #10

May 142012

F-150

  • 7,000 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving 55 mph, the vehicle began to shake abnormally and exhibiting noises just as the vehicle lost power. The contact attempted to accelerate however, the vehicle would not respond. The failure recurred without warning and most often, after the vehicle had been sitting in the rain or when traveling uphill. The vehicle was taken to dealer who advised that the failure was caused by moisture build-up in the intercooler. The vehicle was repaired by adding a shroud over the radiator and reprogramming the computer. The failure recurred and the check engine light illuminated permanently. The manufacturer was made aware of failure and no further assistance was offered. The approximate failure mileage was 7,000. The current mileage was 23,246.

- Chester , WV, USA

problem #9

Aug 102012

F-150

  • 300 miles
While driving in rain or fog moderate to heavy acceleration causes engine to miss fire and loose power. Sets engine maint light po-300 random miss fire. Has also degressed to flashing engine maint light which does not allow truck to maintain highway speed. Dealer applied tsb 12-6-4 intercooler shroud and flash program ECM. Condition still exists and is dangerous. Ford needs to make the fix a top priority.

- Easton, PA, USA

problem #8

Jun 152012

F-150 6-cyl

  • 1,200 miles
Purchased truck new April 2012. While driving on the interstate I tried to accelerate past a slower vehicle. The truck would hardly run, lost power and speed. This is a known problem with Ford ecoboost engine. Unfortunately I did not do my "homework" on this engine package. Many complaints of this problem can be found on the internet. Ford Motor Co. Knows and admits that there is a problem with condensation build up in the intake tract of this engine. It has been aproblem from introduction. They still have not found a "fix" for this defect. So far this truck has been to the dealer 2 times for this problem and nothing has worked. This truck is dangerous to myself and my family. If it is raining while driving, it will hardly run. It is unsafe to own or operate.

- Foley, AL, USA

problem #7

Jul 212012

F-150

  • 1,000 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. While driving approximately 55 mph, the engine misfired with a temporary loss of engine power. After a few seconds the vehicle resumed normally. In addition, the engine warning indicator would intermittently illuminate. The engine malfunction occurred five times. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer on eight separate occasions for the failure. The turbo boost, catalytic converter and C02 sensor were replaced at different times. The manufacturer was notified of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 1,000.

- Luling, TX, USA

problem #6

Aug 132012

F-150

  • 2,000 miles
After using cruise control for 1 hour on a 4 lane highway at 70 mph during high humidity early in the morning I try to accelerate and the motor loses all power. I had tsb 12-6-4 applied to the vehicle Friday, three days ago, and though it may reduce the likelihood of this situation, it does not overcome what appears to be a design flaw with the intercooler in this ecoboost motor. This flaw allows for condensated water to be sucked into the motor and causing the misfire during hard accelerations after long periods of using cruise control in high humidity situation. The impact of losing power will be a fatal accident for a customer at some point in time if it has not already occurred.

- Gainesville, FL, USA

problem #5

Aug 122012

F-150 6-cyl

  • 2,800 miles
On two occasions I was cruising in high humidity or rainy conditions for close to 2 hours. Upon trying to pass the engine lost total power and the check engine light went on. After the first occasion I went to a dealer in Canada because I was vacationing there, they performed tsb 12-6-4 and sent me on my way. Today on the return trip back to the usa the problem occured again in Maine and the check engine light is on again. This problem can cause a sudden loss in power under certain conditions that could lead to a major accident since this event only shows it self at highway speeds when attempting to pass. Some have suggested that the problem is associated with the intercooler condensing water while cruising at speed and then ingesting the water upon acceleration causing the misfire and lost of power.

- New York, NY, USA

problem #4

Aug 102012

F-150 6-cyl

  • 800 miles
While driving a brand new 2012 Ford F-150 w/ 3.5L V6 eco-boost I was attempting to merge onto interstate while towing a small boat trailer when I lost towing power (RPM dropped instantly from ~4000 to ~2000 RPM despite having accelerator depressed) and the entire truck started violently shaking. This continued until I completely let off the gas for a few seconds. I then pressed down on the accelerator and things were back to normal. I could have easily lost control during the rapid deceleration had the roads been wet or if a big ole 18-wheeler had been behind me things could have ended poorly.

- Laplace, LA, USA

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