2012 Ford F-150 Complaint Log

Transmission suddenly downshifts to first gear. Will not get past third gear before shifting back down. Can’t drive it.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at 45 MPH, the vehicle independently downshifted to first gear with several unknown warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact stated that the failure nearly caused the vehicle to be rear ended by an 18-wheeler that was forced into the emergency lane to avoid rear-ending the vehicle. The contact pulled over and restart the vehicle and the transmission warning light illuminated upon restart. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights remained illuminated on the instrument panel. Despite the failure, the contact was able to drive the vehicle back to the residence. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic and was informed of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V075000 (Power Train). The contact called J.C. Lewis Ford Pooler (501 Memorial Blvd, Pooler, GA 31322) and J.C. Lewis Ford (9505 Abercorn St, Savannah, GA 31406) and was informed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The contact attempted to reach the manufacturer but was unsuccessful in speaking to a representative. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 165,000.

While driving, gear will automatically drop to the 1st gear and won't go past the 3rd gear. The vehicle stalls and swerves, gets stuck in 3rd gear. The vehicle will unsafely drop the speed causing danger not only to us driving and our passengers but also to the other drivers around. F150 (2014) trucks was recently recalled for the same problem. No warning lights appeared prior the problem. Service center noted a code (DTC) P0770 - Shift Solenoid E malfunction.

This truck is a safety hazard! The waterpump had to be replaced due to overheating, plus numerous other engine issues. it only has 137,000 miles on it But the REAL safety hazard is the power steering goes out at random times. and when this happens the dash goes blank. This has happened 4 times and each time we were lucky it was not on a busy highway, and close to home. The mechanic did everything he knew to do, and when we got it back....It did it again!!! Now, supposedly it is fixed, and we drove it home with no issues.....but...again, they are random, and I am scared to drive the truck. Will it take someone getting killed for this recall to happen? I have seen numerous post about this happening to others. I live on a winding back road, and if the power steering went out, I dont think it would end well. We are thinking of selling it, but I cant in my heart sell it to someone knowing these issues, and if we trade at a dealership, they will find numerous problems and never give us what it is worth, even though these problems are not from neglect

The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving approximately 70 MPH, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted to first gear, and the gauges started operating erratically. The power train warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and restarted the vehicle. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the vehicle failed to shift into 4th through 6th gear. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the connector, screen assembly, connector plate, and lead frame needed to be. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 106,000.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact became aware of a failure within the transmission. The contact stated that the transmission failed to shift into gear properly and the transmission remained in drive(D). There was no warning light illuminated. The dealer was not contacted, and the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.

Transmission shifted from 6 to 5 at 60 miles per hour. Truck has 60 thousand one owner miles on truck. Dealership had not heard of 6 to 5. No warning lights or messages. Has not been inspected. Very conserved for safety when this happened.

Driving at approximately 40-50 mph and it suddenly downshifted to 2nd gear, stopping the truck. This was the first time this happened. Recall 19s07 was performed on 05/03/2019 that supposedly fixed and prevented this from happening.

Automatic transmission dropped from 5th gear to first on road and forced the truck to lock up the wheel and come to an abrupt stop in the middle of the road with cars behind us. Brakes were never applied. The new recall For 2014 f150 says it had a previous recall for 2012 but there is no active recall done this truck to be able to have it fixed. We have 2 kids under two we don’t feel safe driving around in the truck as it’s unpredictable when it will happen and has happened 8 times since we bought it from Ford Anderson. Each time they test drive it and it doesn’t happen at those times and they don’t know what to fix.

6months ago it suddenly downshifted on my wife, I told her she must be in 4wd so she turned dial, no issues for a cpl wks then it repeated, went home in low sp, I called a shop and they said Lead Frame issue, not under warranty so I had it repaired, last wk it happened again! I see that newer models (2014 a newer are having this issue, I would like to have mine fixed as well !

My truck would shift gears and I would feel a kick. Then the speedometer would drop, and the airbag sensors would turn off. At times the dealership states it is an issue with the Transmission Lead Frame.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle lost motive power. In addition, an unknown service light was illuminated. The contact who is an independent mechanic, diagnosed the vehicle with turbine shaft sensor failure. Additionally, the lead frame needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 156,200.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at approximately 40 MPH, the speedometer went blank, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact continued driving then but pulled over, turned off and restarted the vehicle and the speedometer became operable, and the check engine warning light was off. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent but had since become a constant failure. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer and the contact was informed that the transmission lead frame needed to be replaced. The contact researched online and related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 19N01 - Transmission Molded Leadframe Extended Warranty (Power Train). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

The backup camera is spuratic in its operations. It works sometimes, but then it goes blank on the screen, or flutters. Also some times the screen shows clear picture, but the picture is 180 degrees out. What is on the left of the truck shows on the screen as on the right.

Transmission lead frame module needs replacement. Truck will not shift properly and the wrench light illuminated on dash; I took it for an assessment and it was determined that the lead frame module was bad. I found a safety recall for the lead frame module for my truck for which I never received any correspondence about and would like to have it investigated.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently downshifted from 6th gear to 1st gear. The contact was unaware if any warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact that the vehicle was out of warranty and to call the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 172,000.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine compartment. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the cam phasers. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N03. 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 156,000.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated while at a stop light, the low oil pressure warning light illuminated, and the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The contact called a tow truck company, which declined to tow the vehicle. The tow truck driver informed the contact that there was severe rust damage to the subframe. The vehicle was towed by another tow truck company to an independent mechanic, who informed the contact that there was significant rust on the cross member and that the vehicle was unsafe to drive. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 151,000.

Driving down the road at 60 mph and heard a boom pulled over and seen oil coming out of motor and a pulley was broken off of the timing housing of the motor putting a hole in motor where pulley used to be. (Did some research ford 2011-2012 do not have supports on engine housing where pulley mounts but the newer 5.0 motors do have the supports to stop motor from breaking where pulley mounts I will include photos below the new supplied replacement part has supports) This has happened to multiple people

The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle unexpectedly downshifted to first gear. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously serviced under NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V075000 (Power Train) however, the failure reoccurred. The local dealer was contacted and stated that the recall was a one-time free repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 187,000.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while reversing, the “Service Power Steering Now” message was displayed. Additionally, the contact stated that the steering wheel became stiff and would not turn as intended. The vehicle was taken to the residence, and the battery was replaced but the failure persisted. The vehicle was then taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the electronic power steering rack needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 89,073.

Truck down shifts randomly while driving and does not shift when it is supposed to on take off the RPMs go up 3 something. You can stop turn truck off and it starts to work again for 1 or 2 take offs then does it again.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed the speed, the vehicle unexpectedly downshifted. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or local dealer. The contact related the failure with an unknown recall. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 198,000.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while his son was driving at an undisclosed speed, he heard an abnormal sound emanating from the engine compartment. The check engine 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 Customer Satisfaction Program: 19N01 (Lead frame Extended Coverage). The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 137,000.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at approximately 55 MPH, the message "Service Power Steering Now" activated, and the power steering malfunctioned, causing the steering wheel to become difficult to turn in either direction. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The local dealer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 139,000.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost motive power and would not accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal. During the failure the speedometer and odometer failed was inoperable. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who determined that the leadframe was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified and informed that the vehicle did not qualify for the manufacturer's extended coverage to address the failure. The failure mileage was 40,000.

Transmission will abruptly shift into 1st gear at slow speeds. Transmission has been checked and there are know known mechanical issues with the unit. I saw an article where some 2011-14 F-150’s had the same issue.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at 50 MPH, the vehicle stalled with the transmission warning light illuminated. Due to the failure, the contact had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic where a diagnostic was performed. The diagnostic determined that fuse#27 had melted inside the fuse box. The dealer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 161,000.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the transmission unexpectedly shifted from 3rd and 2nd gears to first gear, causing the vehicle to abruptly decelerate. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V075000 (POWER TRAIN). The contact indicated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 175,000.

I started getting a notification on my dash about a issue with the charging system. I checked system and it is fine. Now I am getting other lights on my dash and head lights flashing. Come to find out, it's a bad Body control module. I also have a steering issue, from time to time the truck is hard to steer and I been told it's signs of a bad rack and pinion. I also have had the same issues with my 2011 F-150. The bad body control module I fixed but the steering if bad. I have read on Ford forums that others across the country are have the same issues but of course no recall.

Ecoboost engine shut down on highway in rush hour traffic. Had my truck in the shop after 9526.00 in repairs and new engine it happened again this week. 1 year later. My truck was under 2 warranty extensions . And was in the Ford dealership at those times. I mentioned to service manager that it seems that possible could be the problem. Now I'm stuck with this mess . And it took 18 months for them to fix/ not fix it. Ford dealership

My vehicle is experiencing an intermittent loss of the transmission output speed sensor (oss) signal to the powertrain control module resulting in a temporary, unintended downshift into first gear. In some cases, the oss signal recovers while Im driving, and the vehicle resume normal function; in other cases, my vehicle needs to be stopped and restarted to regain normal transmission operation. I believe Ford is aware of three reports of accidents and no injuries related to this condition on the affected vehicles.

The cam phasers are in need of changing. Ford has acknowledged they are aware of the problems with the 3.5 Ecoboost engine but will not take responsibility and repair them. I definitely can not pay for this type of tepair

The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, there was a clicking and rubbing sound in the front passenger's wheel well. Additionally, the contact stated while driving approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle was decelerating and was not shifting out of first gear. The contact waited 15 minutes and restarted the vehicle. The failure recurred and the contact was unable accelerate above 15 MPH. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact was notified of the Customer Satisfaction Program: 19N01 (Lead Frame Extended Coverage); however, the contact was informed that the vehicle could not be repaired under the Customer Satisfaction Program. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 88,000.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford-150. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle unexpectedly downshifted to first gear. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously serviced under NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V075000 (Power Train); however, the failure occurred. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that the failure was related to the recall. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 107,000.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that upon attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start as intended, prompting the contact to attempt to jump-start the vehicle, but the vehicle failed to start. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the power train control module. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was towed back to the dealer, who then diagnosed an additional failure with the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. 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 168,000.

At 76,000 miles my Turbo’s started leaking engine coolant. From what I am told the rubber seal failed on the lines from the radiator to the turbos. The repair parts are cheap but the labor is intensive (7.5 hrs). To get to the turbos in 7.5 hrs the cab has to be lifted off the chassis. Without lifting it takes longer. In the end I spent over $2000 to fix some pieces of rubber. I consider this a design flaw that is costing the consumer big money. I am [XXX] old. This is the only car I ever owned that had engine trouble at 76,000 miles. I am soured on Ford at this time. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The check engine warning light and other unknown warning lights were illuminated. Additionally, the odometer displayed dashes only, not numbers. The vehicle was driven to the residence. The contact stated that previously the vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V075000 (Power Train) and linked the failure to the recall. The contact stated that prior to the recall repair, the vehicle had experienced similar failures on several occasions. The dealer was contacted and informed that the failure had reoccurred. The contact was informed that previously the power train control module was reprogrammed and since the failure had reoccurred, maybe the power train control module needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to report the failure to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 89,000.

I have a 2012 f 150. I am the second owner of this truck. going down the road a wrench appears on my dash board. The issue seems to be Safety recall notice 16s19/ NHTSA recall 16v-248. The software update was done in 2019. The problem started 4-5 months ago. Ford tells me they dont have to fix the problem now because the it is out of the extended warranty they put on the vehicle. They admit there is a problem but won't fix it. I am driving a unsafe vehicle. I think they should. I drive my grandchilden to school in this truck. do i have any recourse?

The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while attempting to accelerate from and stationary position, the transmission malfunctioned, and the vehicle hesitated while accelerating. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the transmission was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 145,000.

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)

I was proceed up to 45mph, when back tires started sliding. I rolled the truck and damage my ribs, was pined for 1.5hrs lost a $80k+

The antilock brake system locked up causing me not to be able to stop the vehicle .The shift gear froze up .When I put my foot on the brake pedal it was frozen, I could not control the pedal Also the shift level gear did not work presenting a safety hazard when I tried to put it in park. The Sudden Transmission Downshift which was a safety recall happened There were no warning lamps or lights prior to this incident. The accident caused me to total my vehicle My safety was at risk I injured my leg, I filed a police report I also filed a claim with the Ford company which they quickly denied stating that the recall on the parts had expired I only had liability insurance and my truck was a total loss. I hope I'm still in the time frame to put in a claim

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

The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted, causing the vehicle to decelerate unintendedly. During the failure, the service wrench symbol was illuminated. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously serviced under an Extended Warranty coverage, but the failure occurred. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 85,000.

The paint is bubbling and has severe corrosion on the body and frame. There is issues with using the rear door due to the rust.

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.

Speed control/transmission goes out while driving which results in my speedometer dropping down to zero and my RPMs going up. I have to completely shut my vehicle iff and wait a moment to restart it. Sometimes it fixes it and sometimes it doesn’t. It happens quite often, not everyday but several times a week.

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.

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.