2012 Ford F-150 Complaint Log

The component involved is the Electronic Power Assisted Steering (EPAS) system. It intermittently fails and returns unexpectedly, causing sudden changes in steering effort and jerking of the steering wheel. This creates a serious safety risk because vehicle control can change without warning, especially at highway speeds. The steering system (rack and pinion/EPAS assembly) has been replaced twice, but the issue persists. Replaced parts are not available for inspection. No manufacturer inspection has confirmed a permanent fix. This failure puts my safety and others at risk due to unpredictable steering behavior and potential loss of control. Other owners have reported similar EPAS failures, including sudden loss of steering assist, near-collision events, and accidents documented in public complaint records. The vehicle has received repeated repairs for this issue, including two rack and pinion replacements, without resolution. No police or insurance inspection has occurred. Warning symptoms include intermittent steering assist loss, sudden changes in steering resistance, and inconsistent steering feel. These occur without consistent warning, making the failure unpredictable and dangerous. This appears to be a recurring defect in the EPAS system that has not been reliably resolved through repair attempts or existing recall actions.

Rear wheel and steering lock up while traveling at 70mph on interstate causing broken controls on steering wheel . Vehicle is unsafe to drive. Truck was taken to Rivertown Ford 1680 Whittlesey Rd Columbus Ga 31904 for recall repair. Truck was released to me with no signals no wipers. The steering is very loose and hard to control

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.

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.

Vehicle: 2012 Ford F-150 Incident Description: While driving straight under normal conditions, the “Service Power Steering Service Now” 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

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

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.

“I 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.”**

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 wouldn’t 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 don’t know how to rectify this transmission problem

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.

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 available upon request. The manufacturer has been notified and a recall case has been opened, but the defect has not yet been resolved. The vehicle remains unrepaired at the time of this report.

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.

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

While driving 70 mph on the highway my truck suddenly downshifted into first gear causing the truck to go into a skid. The skid was recovered so nobody was injured but if it were a wet day or pulling a trailer, I doubt it could have been saved. The speedometer quit working and a wrench showed on the dash. Upon restarting the truck both of those issues were resolved but the truck continued to downshift into first gear at highway speeds. I called my local ford dealership, and they said there were no active recalls but that the PCM had already been reprogrammed. If the PCM had been reprogrammed, then this issue should not have happened unless there needs to be another update performed. They alerted me that there was a customer satisfaction program for the molded leadframe in the transmission that would cause this issue, but this is not a satisfaction issue it is a safety issue. If they replace the leadframe but there is never any change made to the way the transmission functions then when it eventually goes bad again the issue could come back, once again posing a major safety risk.

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.

Check engine light , no speedometer , at times it won't shift , light for airbag would stay on .

The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted into first gear, prompting the driver to discontinue driving the vehicle. The “Service Transmission” warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the transmission. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. 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, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 141,000.

When I was driving on the highway I was going about 65 mph in 6th gear and then without warning my 2012 Ford f150 3.5 truck shifted all the way down to 1st gear which almost caused me to wreck on the highway and other cars to almost slam into me. Now when I try to drive the truck it keeps throwing a wrench and the wrench blinks and my truck will not shift hardly at all between the gears. After I have researched this issue I see that there has been 4 recalls and a few CSP notices for the make and modle of my truck. The recall numbers are #19V075000, 12V190000, 16V248000, 12V198000 and the CSP campaign number is #16N02 regarding the lead frame issue that causes the extreme downshift. I contact the ford dealership to try and get this fixed and they said there is nothing they can do to help me.

Wrench icon came on, truck wouldn’t shift out of first gear, speedometer and mileage stopped working. Lead Frame recall according to my mechanic, $2,000 fix out of pocket. Truck only has 140,000 miles but is a 2012 so Ford says I’m outside of the free recall replacement. Had no problems at all until over 135,000 miles, ridiculous that this is paid out of pocket when issues don’t arise until after the approved date

Vehicle started getting stuck in different gears. Would drive fine for a little while and then get stuck causing you to pull over on going traffic. Having to sit for a while until it was ready to shift again. Would have to shift at manual at times to make it back home. You wouldn’t feel safe at times driving because you didn’t know what to expect anymore. Wrench light would come on and sometimes air bag light will come on as well.

2012 Ford F150 transmission lead frame internal failure causing intermittent harsh shifting. Highway speeds and truck shifting into 2/3 gear and almost causing wreck. Took it into shop for repair and they said I had a recall. However Inwas outside of recall period. Now I have to pay $2k to fix a for a known recall issue. Does should fix all vehicles with this known safety issue.

Safety recall # 19S07 for my 07/12 2012 F150 followed by Ford Customer Service 19N01 Vehicles with 6R80 transmissions molded lead frame replacement extends warranty coverage 10 years 150000 miles but does not cover the early vehicles that have the same problems my truck is 13 years old with 78000 mlies this is an extremely dangerous condition to down shift into low gear at Hi way speeds

I had an issue with the Transmission lead frame where my vehicle downshifted from 5th to 1st gear which to me is a safety issue. Notified Ford and they said this was a customer satisfaction program that expires after 10 years. How is this not a safety recall?? This could be very dangerous if you were on the interstate and you’re going 70 mph, please help.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted and the rear wheels locked up. No warning light was illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V075000 (Power Train); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 275,000.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at various speeds, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted to first gear, and the instrument cluster became inoperable. The power train warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to AutoZone, where the contact borrowed a scanner to scan the vehicle. The contact retrieved diagnostic trouble codes indicating an output shaft speed sensor failure. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V075000 (Power Train); however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed, but the vehicle had not yet been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

Transmission Repairs, Molded Lead Frame Components Due to sudden downshift symptoms from sixth speed, gear to fist speed gear while drive higher speeds and low speeds. $1,421.00 Repairs completed 9/10/2025, at [XXX] , [XXX] , [XXX] . [XXX] , [XXX] , [XXX] , knowingly sold this said vehicle as Certified Pre-OWNED 8/27/2025. Now additional concerns, issues have been discovered with said vehicle Monday, September 22, 2025, AM, 1. Oil burning odor inside the passenger compartment. Vacuum Pump Gasket Failure, allowing oil to drip onto the exhaust manifold hot engine parts, components. Valve Cover Gasket Leaks. Safety consideration, due to symptoms, this vehicle is UNSAFE to operate, drive. Technical bulletins TSB’s were stated as issued from Ford Motor Company Engineering Service Operations, Ford Customer Service Division, Mr. [XXX] , Director, Ford Motor Company, [XXX] , [XXX] . Symptoms include Fuel Dilution PCV System TSB 15-00003, addresses fuel odor inside the passenger cabin on EcoBoost engines, this 3.5 L V6 (DOHC) Turbocharged Twin, PCV Valve Calibrations to reduce the fuel dilution in the engine oil. Oil leaks from the valve cover gaskets and turbo seals especially when accelerating and stopping said vehicle. Creating the oil dripping onto hot engine parts, components, causing the strong burnt oil smell within inside the passenger compartment while driving said vehicle. Intercooler condensation, 2011-2012 EcoBoost 3.5L V6 engine experiences intercooler condensation leading to above symptoms and causing stumbling while driving, operating said vehicle and misfiring, which also creates is accompanied by odors within passenger compartment. Safe Concern, vehicle can cause, catch fire due to oil, fuel leak, seapage into related component areas, while driving, operating. Your serious attention please and the costs asso INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Previously had the vehicle diagnostic at Georgia Lina automotive into which I can provide the diagnostics later I was advised that it may be a internal issue dealing with the instrumental cluster a continuously battery warning flash on the dash panel. I was also told that it may be a electrical problem that even cause a fire internally which may damage the vehicle. I was told that out of pocket calls would be $1,956.05 I reviewed all of the issues that are considered or recall and wiring was most definitely listed under recall versus warranty. I've most recently had the issue of the powertrain warranty for the transmission taken care of under the customer satisfactory program. Unfortunately they did not have this particular issue of the instrument cluster listed due to faulty wiring. Now there maybe many others that face the very same issue, for it seems to also affects the Bluetooth connecting with phone under sync. And I am submitting this complaint in a better hope for for the review by your board or committee to conduct their own independent investigation which may makes the difference not only for me but once again for many others. I don't know if there's window. Past the 15 years if a vehicle has been previously purchased such as myself and there was a recall for this particular issue does the manufacturer allows the new owner a grace period as a courtesy which I believe would be appropriate as well as deemed it in the respect of hospitality. I thank you for hearing my complaint hopefully once again it makes the difference not only for me but for others as well. Your time and consideration is highly appreciated, Respectfully Submitted

Fuel pump went bad causing the pump to overdraw electricity on the electrical circuit which melted the fuse in the fuse box. The fuse and fuse position was melted beyond being able to use this again. It could have caused a fire in the engine compartment if the circumstances were different. My mechanic reported that he's seen some of these melt the whole fuse box, creating major damage and a major fire hazard. he reported there is a Temporary Service Bulletin out for this issue, so it seems like the manufacturer knows its and issue, but has not chosen to do anything about it.

I was just told my 2012 F-150 molded lead frame needed to be replaced. I google this issue and it seems to be a major issue with F150 pickups spanning multiple years. I checked this site for recalls and my truck is not included in any of the recalls, butexists the same issue on different year models. The recalls need to be expanded as the fault is not a consumer caused issue but a design flaw by Ford and it's outrageously expensive!!

I had several instances where my electronic power assist steering (EPAS) has failed resulting in advance trac and other errorson my information screen.This has resulted in effectively NO steering. Thank goodness I was in a parking lot or going slow otherwise may have resulted in severe injury or death. This appears to be a problem with my make and model of truck based on what I have read on the internet and my personal experiences. I am in shock that there has not been a proper recall as of this date. I am having dealer put in a second EPAS unit in less than 2 years and considerable cost to me.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving on several occasions at various speeds, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted, and the vehicle decelerated. The contact stated that the power train warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and was diagnosed with lead frame failure. The contact was informed that the lead frame needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 200,400.

I have a 2012 F150 that has an issue with its Output shaft speed sensor, at random times my speedometer and odometer will quit working and my the transmission will make hard shift or won’t shift at all while driving.

While driving, wrench light comes on dash and I lose ability to accelerate. Have to turn truck off and on again to clear this problem but then it will continue to come back. Unsafe as it downshifts to first gear while driving. Doing research online, this is a common problem with Ford F150 and you issued campaign 19N01 in 2019 - Transmission Molded Leadframe Extended coverage. Problem is, this just started happening to my vehicle, and it looks like this extended warranty would have expired in 2022 or 2023. I purchased the truck used in 2020, but never knew about this. And since I wasn’t having these issues till a few weeks ago, I would not have been covered. I am writing as there are numerous other drivers having this same issue now after the warranty expired, and are having to pay $1500-$4000 out of pocket to fix a known issue. This seems like it should be a recall fixed free of charge, no matter when it starts happening. Just because it happens now vs before 2022-2023 does not make the issue any less serious. This can still cause accidents. Is there any solution to having this covered by Ford? Can the campaign be extended or just be turned into a repair recall?

Suddenly downshifting into low gear. Recall not being accepted by ford. Please help

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.

Vehicle rolls backwards OR potentially forwards intermittently depending on direction of incline. Have only observed it rolling backwards. When changing gears, above third gear usually, there is a resonant grumbling sound.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed that the cam phasers and timing chain had failed, causing engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not covered under a recall or warranty. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 67,000.

The transmission made a noise of metal and all electrical when out while driving but the engine stay on but no power to the road. yes its available. my car loss all power electrical and power to the road, had to put off to the side on the road and turn the truck off and on again. The problem has been reproduced but not confirmed by a dealer. I have done a existential look of the under and power train and cant see everything out of place. yes like every warning light when on seconds before all power when out. has never done that before.

Vehicle is downshifting unexpectedly into 2nd gear. Rear tires momentarily lock up and the engine RPM’s go extremely high. This behavior is causing potential accidents to happen.

While driving on local roads travelling at approximately 30 mph truck downshifted unexpectedly into 1st gear. The message area in the instrument cluster had a large wrench image displayed. Proceeded slowly to the grocery store and went shopping. When I restarted the truck the wrench image was gone and the truck appeared to operate normally on the drive home but I drove slowly on back roads because I was afraid of what would happen if the issue occurred at highway speeds. The truck is available for inspection. I have not taken the truck to the dealer. This issue seems to be what the current NHTSA investigation is about

The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the timing chain and valve had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 151,000.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted to first gear. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. 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 27,000.

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while attempting to register the vehicle, it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the mileage was 110,458 and at the time of registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 174,000.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact came to a stop and then while attempting to proceed, the instrument cluster showed a black screen, and the transmission independently downshifted to first gear. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road. The contact drove the vehicle in LIMP Mode to the residence. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission lead frame had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V075000 (POWER TRAIN). The failure mileage was approximately 134,000.

Wrench light popped on downshift to first gear, speedometer goes to zero. My son and I driving down highway and it suddenly drops to first gear. Dealer said it sounds like transmission molded lead frame. Code reader says it's speed sensor which is in lead frame harness.

I am having safety related issues that are perfectly described in compliance recall notice "12C23". However, when calling a ford dealership, or looking up the VIN myself, there is no open recalls on my vehicle. My truck was manufactured at the same plant as the recall, in the same time frame. The issues I am seeing are related to the Transmission Range Sensor inside the lead frame. This causes my gear indicator to not work, starting difficulties, sudden shifts while driving, and reverse lights to not turn on when in reverse gear. These issues have been inspected and verified by an ASE certified auto shop "North County Auto" in Oceanside, CA. This is firstly a safety issue that is recognized by ford on the 6R80 transmission. Secondly, this is a very costly fix to come out-of-pocket. However, because my VIN does not reflect it as an open recall even though ALL symptoms are exactly the same Ford will not make corrective action. I think a revision needs to be made to the initial recall notice, and include more VIN numbers.

Unexpectedly downshifting into first gear make the motor damaged

The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted from a higher gear into a lower gear. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed and DTC: P0721 (Output speed Sensor Circuit Range/Performance; TCM)was displayed. The contact was informed that the transmission leadframe was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 175,000.

Sudden shift into first gear at any speed. Dash lights flickering between p,r,n,d. Tool light coming on dash.

The backup camera intermittently work then gose dark and won't come back on it dose it while backing up