2012 FORD F-150 — Owner-Reported Problems

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-08-22 1,766 complaints · 4 recalls
Most-reported system: POWER TRAIN (545 complaints · 30.9%)
Safety signals:
  • Crashes 40
  • Fires 14
  • Injuries 29
  • Deaths 2
Compare with 2011 →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Component Problem Distribution

Share of owner complaints filed for each vehicle system (unaffected by sales volume)

Component Problem Distribution POWER TRAIN appears in 545 of 1,766 owner complaints (30.9%) in this vehicle snapshot. POWER TRAIN: 545 complaints, 30.9% of reports POWER TRAIN 545 · 30.9% · 6 crash reports ENGINE: 285 complaints, 16.1% of reports ENGINE 285 · 16.1% · 3 crash reports 2 fire reports STEERING: 182 complaints, 10.3% of reports STEERING 182 · 10.3% · 3 crash reports VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL: 140 complaints, 7.9% of reports VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 140 · 7.9% · 2 crash reports VISIBILITY: 120 complaints, 6.8% of reports VISIBILITY 120 · 6.8% · 5 fire reports SERVICE BRAKES: 114 complaints, 6.5% of reports SERVICE BRAKES 114 · 6.5% · 12 crash reports FUEL SYSTEM: 85 complaints, 4.8% of reports FUEL SYSTEM 85 · 4.8% · 1 crash reports 1 fire reports ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: 72 complaints, 4.1% of reports ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 72 · 4.1% · 5 fire reports AIR BAGS: 24 complaints, 1.4% of reports AIR BAGS 24 · 1.4% · 7 crash reports UNKNOWN OR OTHER: 254 complaints, 14.4% of reports UNKNOWN OR OTHER 254 · 14.4% · 5 crash reports 4 fire reports 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

UNKNOWN OR OTHER is an NHTSA classification artifact and is always listed last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
POWER TRAIN 545 30.9% 6 crashes · 0 fires
ENGINE 285 16.1% 3 crashes · 2 fires
STEERING 182 10.3% 3 crashes · 0 fires
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 140 7.9% 2 crashes · 0 fires
VISIBILITY 120 6.8% 0 crashes · 5 fires
SERVICE BRAKES 114 6.5% 12 crashes · 0 fires
FUEL SYSTEM 85 4.8% 1 crashes · 1 fires
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 72 4.1% 0 crashes · 5 fires
AIR BAGS 24 1.4% 7 crashes · 0 fires
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 254 14.4% 5 crashes · 4 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-08-22 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Problem & Recall Timeline

Observed complaint volume and manufacturer recall actions over time

Problem & Recall Timeline Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Jan 2012; the first recall shown was reported in May 2012. 2012-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2012-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2012-Q3: 17 owner reports 17 2012-Q4: 21 owner reports 21 2013-Q1: 32 owner reports 32 2013-Q2: 106 owner reports 106 2013-Q3: 67 owner reports 67 2013-Q4: 34 owner reports 34 2014-Q1: 32 owner reports 32 2014-Q2: 23 owner reports 23 2014-Q3: 32 owner reports 32 2014-Q4: 26 owner reports 26 2015-Q1: 49 owner reports 49 2015-Q2: 27 owner reports 27 2015-Q3: 32 owner reports 32 2015-Q4: 32 owner reports 32 2016-Q1: 42 owner reports 42 2016-Q2: 32 owner reports 32 2016-Q3: 49 owner reports 49 2016-Q4: 36 owner reports 36 2017-Q1: 46 owner reports 46 2017-Q2: 40 owner reports 40 2017-Q3: 33 owner reports 33 2017-Q4: 58 owner reports 58 2018-Q1: 66 owner reports 66 2018-Q2: 43 owner reports 43 2018-Q3: 50 owner reports 50 2018-Q4: 38 owner reports 38 2019-Q1: 95 owner reports 95 2019-Q2: 60 owner reports 60 2019-Q3: 41 owner reports 41 2019-Q4: 27 owner reports 27 2020-Q1: 33 owner reports 33 2020-Q2: 17 owner reports 17 2020-Q3: 24 owner reports 24 2020-Q4: 21 owner reports 21 2021-Q1: 15 owner reports 15 2021-Q2: 9 owner reports 9 2021-Q3: 13 owner reports 13 2021-Q4: 17 owner reports 17 2022-Q1: 13 owner reports 13 2022-Q2: 18 owner reports 18 2022-Q3: 22 owner reports 22 2022-Q4: 10 owner reports 10 2023-Q1: 16 owner reports 16 2023-Q2: 16 owner reports 16 2023-Q3: 23 owner reports 23 2023-Q4: 17 owner reports 17 2024-Q1: 16 owner reports 16 2024-Q2: 30 owner reports 30 2024-Q3: 25 owner reports 25 2024-Q4: 19 owner reports 19 2025-Q1: 16 owner reports 16 2025-Q2: 20 owner reports 20 2025-Q3: 24 owner reports 24 2025-Q4: 19 owner reports 19 2026-Q1: 7 owner reports 7 2026-Q2: 7 owner reports 7 2026-Q3: 8 owner reports 8 Owner reports Jan 2012 Jul 2026 Recall campaign 12V190000 ◆ Recall campaign 12V190000 Recall campaign 12V198000 ◆ Recall campaign 12V198000 Recall campaign 16V248000 ◆ Recall campaign 16V248000 Recall campaign 19V075000 ◆ Recall campaign 19V075000 Investigation PE13018 ● Investigation PE13018 Investigation PE15026 ● Investigation PE15026 Investigation EA15006 ● Investigation EA15006 Investigation RQ17010 ● Investigation RQ17010
  • Campaign 16V248000 was reported 1,383 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 19V075000 was reported 2,403 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2012-Q1 Owner reports 2
2012-Q2 Owner reports 3
2012-Q3 Owner reports 17
2012-Q4 Owner reports 21
2013-Q1 Owner reports 32
2013-Q2 Owner reports 106
2013-Q3 Owner reports 67
2013-Q4 Owner reports 34
2014-Q1 Owner reports 32
2014-Q2 Owner reports 23
2014-Q3 Owner reports 32
2014-Q4 Owner reports 26
2015-Q1 Owner reports 49
2015-Q2 Owner reports 27
2015-Q3 Owner reports 32
2015-Q4 Owner reports 32
2016-Q1 Owner reports 42
2016-Q2 Owner reports 32
2016-Q3 Owner reports 49
2016-Q4 Owner reports 36
2017-Q1 Owner reports 46
2017-Q2 Owner reports 40
2017-Q3 Owner reports 33
2017-Q4 Owner reports 58
2018-Q1 Owner reports 66
2018-Q2 Owner reports 43
2018-Q3 Owner reports 50
2018-Q4 Owner reports 38
2019-Q1 Owner reports 95
2019-Q2 Owner reports 60
2019-Q3 Owner reports 41
2019-Q4 Owner reports 27
2020-Q1 Owner reports 33
2020-Q2 Owner reports 17
2020-Q3 Owner reports 24
2020-Q4 Owner reports 21
2021-Q1 Owner reports 15
2021-Q2 Owner reports 9
2021-Q3 Owner reports 13
2021-Q4 Owner reports 17
2022-Q1 Owner reports 13
2022-Q2 Owner reports 18
2022-Q3 Owner reports 22
2022-Q4 Owner reports 10
2023-Q1 Owner reports 16
2023-Q2 Owner reports 16
2023-Q3 Owner reports 23
2023-Q4 Owner reports 17
2024-Q1 Owner reports 16
2024-Q2 Owner reports 30
2024-Q3 Owner reports 25
2024-Q4 Owner reports 19
2025-Q1 Owner reports 16
2025-Q2 Owner reports 20
2025-Q3 Owner reports 24
2025-Q4 Owner reports 19
2026-Q1 Owner reports 7
2026-Q2 Owner reports 7
2026-Q3 Owner reports 8
Recall campaign 1 12V190000
Recall campaign 1 12V198000
Recall campaign 1 16V248000
Recall campaign 1 19V075000
Defect investigation 1 PE13018
Defect investigation 1 PE15026
Defect investigation 1 EA15006
Defect investigation 1 RQ17010
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-08-22 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Safety Recalls (4)

Official safety recall campaigns filed with NHTSA

  1. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 12V190000

    Report date
    Component:
    EXTERIOR LIGHTING
    Consequence:
    IF THIS CONDITION EXISTS, THE TRANSMISSION MAY NOT GO INTO REVERSE OR WHEN THE DRIVER PUSHES THE SHIFT LEVER IN THE REVERSE “R” POSITION AND THE VEHICLE’S TRANSMISSION DOES GO IN REVERSE, THE “R” MAY NOT ILLUMINATE ON THE DASHBOARD OF THE F-150, EXPEDITION, OR NAVIGATOR MODELS AND/OR THE BACKUP LAMP ON THE REAR OF THE F-150, EXPEDITION, NAVIGATOR, OR MUSTANG VEHICLES MAY NOT ILLUMINATE. THESE CONDITIONS INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH OR A PEDESTRIAN BEING STRUCK DUE TO THE VEHICLE’S NOT SIGNALING IT IS IN REVERSE.
    Remedy:
    FORD WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND REPLACE THE TRS AS NECESSARY, FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JUNE 11, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD MOTOR COMPANY CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP CENTER AT 1-866-436-7332.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 12V198000

    Report date
    Component:
    AIR BAGS
    Consequence:
    A FAILURE TO DEPLOY, FAILURE TO DEPLOY AS INTENDED, OR A DEPLOYMENT WHEN NOT INTENDED, INCREASES THE RISK OF INJURY TO THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT OCCUPANT.
    Remedy:
    FORD WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE OCSM FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 21, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP CENTER AT 1-866-436-7332.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  3. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 16V248000

    Report date
    Component:
    POWER TRAIN
    Consequence:
    An unexpected downshift into first gear can cause the vehicle to slow down suddenly without warning and the rear tires may slide or lock, increasing the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    Ford will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the powertrain control module with updated software, free of charge. The recall began on September 19, 2016. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S19.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  4. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 19V075000

    Report date
    Component:
    POWER TRAIN
    Consequence:
    Unexpectedly downshifting into first gear may result in a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    Ford will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the powertrain control module, free of charge. The recall began March 4, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S07.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Complaint Narrative Explorer

Verbatim owner-reported defect narratives from NHTSA public records

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-08-21
Safety incident filters
Showing 0 of 1,766 complaints · page 1 of 71

No complaints match the current filters.
EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

 Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Data sourced from NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Snapshot date: 2026-08-21.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources