Model year report

2012 Ford F-150: what breaks, and at what mileage

What breaks on the 2012 Ford F-150

On the 2012 Ford F-150, the failure owners report most often is other powertrain problem, and the reports cluster around 90,000 miles. The earliest to appear is catalytic converter failure, reported by a median of 15,000 miles. Overall it scores 73 out of 100, high risk for a 2012.

High risk for a 2012 — 103rd riskiest of the 271 2012 vehicles we can rate. 2,441 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork.

What breaks on the 2012 Ford F-150

Owners have reported 80 named failure modes on the 2012 Ford F-150, and the three most-reported carry 39% of everything filed.

Other powertrain problem leads with 479 reports, about 1.1 per 1,000 vehicles and with the middle half of reports between 48k to 130,000 miles.

Other engine problem follows with 332 reports, usually reported between 7k to 55,000 miles. 2 of those reports mention a fire.

Other speed control problem follows with 148 reports, usually reported between 11k to 89,000 miles.

By system, the reports fall mostly into engine (560), transmission (500) and adas (216).

At what mileage it happens

2,009 of the reports on the 2012 Ford F-150 came with an odometer reading, and half of those were filed before 59,000 miles.

Cumulatively, 44% by 50,000 miles, 75% by 100,000 miles and 92% by 150,000 miles of the dated reports had been filed, with 27 filed above the top of the chart.

The busiest stretch is between 0 and 10,000 miles, which alone holds 15% of the dated reports.

35% of the dated reports were filed below 36,000 miles, which is early enough that a fair number of these cars were still under a factory warranty when the owner complained.

In the order they tend to show up: catalytic converter failure around 16k, other fuel system problem around 17k, other engine problem around 18k and cruise control failure around 19k.

Median

Other powertrain problem

90k
Other engine problem

18k
Other speed control problem

30k
Other steering problem

76k
Other visibility problem

57k
Other electrical problem

66k
Misfire or rough idle

23k
Control module (ECM/PCM/BCM) failure

84k
Other brake problem

53k
Other fuel system problem

17k
Timing chain, belt or tensioner failure

75k
Steering rack, gear or tie rod failure

52k

Tick median reported mileage Solid middle half of reports Faint 10th to 90th percentile Colour how bad the failure is when it happens

Showing the 12 most-reported failure modes of 80. The full list is in the table below.

How reports accumulate

Share of reports filed by each mileage

half by 59k

Every report with an odometer reading, cumulative, from 0 to 200,000 miles. A further 27 reports came in above that, which is why the line stops short of the top. A curve that climbs early is a car with early problems, whatever its total.

Line share of reports filed by that mileage
Dashed the median reported mileage

What happens when these parts fail

Across the named modes, 49 mention a crash, 20 a fire, 27 an injury and 1 a fatality. Those are the words owners used in their own complaints, and NHTSA does not verify them, but they are the closest thing in this data to a measure of what a failure actually did.

The average severity weight across every report on this year is 4.22, where a stalled engine or a failed airbag weighs many times more than a rattling trim panel, and a figure this high means the reports are dominated by failures with safety consequences rather than annoyances. The weighting is set out in full on the methodology page.

What the top failures cost to put right, as editorial estimates for an independent US shop rather than figures from NHTSA: other powertrain problem at $400–$4,500, other engine problem at $300–$4,000, other speed control problem at $250–$2,000 and other steering problem at $350–$2,400. Dealer labour, a seized bolt or a part that is no longer made can push any of these past the top of its range.

45% of the reports on this year sit in the engine, transmission, drivetrain or cooling systems — the four where a repair bill is usually four figures.

Every reported failure mode

Mileage figures are percentiles of owner-reported readings. Click a column to sort.
Failure mode	System	Reports	With reading	25th	Median	75th	Per 1,000	Typical repair	Severity
Other powertrain problem	transmission	479	394	48k	90k	130k	1.1	$400–$4,500	High
Other engine problem	engine	332	302	7k	18k	55k	0.8	$300–$4,000	High
Other speed control problem	adas	148	126	11k	30k	89k	0.4	$250–$2,000	Critical
Other steering problem	steering	122	100	45k	76k	123k	0.3	$350–$2,400	High
Other visibility problem	glass	116	106	38k	57k	78k	0.3	$150–$1,400	Moderate
Other electrical problem	electrical	102	85	45k	66k	96k	0.2	$250–$2,000	Moderate
Misfire or rough idle	engine	101	95	6k	23k	54k	0.2	$250–$1,600	Moderate
Control module (ECM/PCM/BCM) failure	electrical	85	61	40k	84k	106k	0.2	$700–$3,000	High
Other brake problem	brakes	83	64	35k	53k	89k	0.2	$300–$1,800	High
Other fuel system problem	fuel	70	67	9k	17k	34k	0.2	$300–$2,200	High
Timing chain, belt or tensioner failure	engine	56	45	60k	75k	100k	0.1	$1,200–$4,500	Critical
Steering rack, gear or tie rod failure	steering	52	47	37k	52k	84k	0.1	$700–$2,600	High
Cruise control failure	adas	37	27	9k	19k	61k	0.1	$200–$1,400	High
Stalling while driving	engine	30	23	6k	47k	72k	0.1	$300–$2,500	Critical
Other body or interior problem	body	30	23	21k	58k	93k	0.1	$200–$2,000	Moderate
Other driver assistance problem	adas	28	23	52k	69k	103k	0.1	$250–$1,800	High
No-start or intermittent start failure	engine	27	23	15k	70k	139k	0.1	$200–$1,800	Moderate
Airbag warning light or occupant sensor fault	airbag	27	20	81k	105k	136k	0.1	$300–$1,600	High
Fuel pump failure	fuel	26	20	70k	98k	136k	0.1	$600–$2,600	High
Loss of braking	brakes	24	17	45k	52k	96k	0.1	$400–$3,000	Critical
Loss of power steering	steering	23	17	72k	94k	120k	0.1	$600–$2,800	Critical
Catalytic converter failure	emissions	22	22	6k	16k	25k	0.1	$900–$3,500	Moderate
Instrument cluster or gauge failure	infotainment	18	12	27k	80k	115k	0.0	$350–$1,400	Moderate
Other wheel or tire problem	wheels	14	9	44k	85k	100k	0.0	$200–$1,500	High
Overheating	cooling	13	9	105k	105k	115k	0.0	$400–$3,500	High
Complete transmission failure	transmission	13	11	81k	99k	125k	0.0	$2,800–$8,000	Critical
Sunroof failure or glass breakage	body	13	10	32k	54k	71k	0.0	$700–$4,500	High
Tail light, brake light or signal failure	lighting	13	12	29k	54k	128k	0.0	$100–$900	Moderate
ABS module or sensor failure	brakes	12	10	79k	143k	161k	0.0	$500–$2,400	High
CV axle or driveshaft failure	drivetrain	11	9	58k	58k	90k	0.0	$450–$2,200	High
Master cylinder or brake booster failure	brakes	11	8	89k	90k	138k	0.0	$450–$2,200	Critical
Seat belt or retractor failure	airbag	11	8	57k	89k	120k	0.0	$200–$900	High
Wiring harness or short circuit	electrical	10	6	—	67k	—	0.0	$400–$3,500	High
Rust or structural corrosion	body	10	6	—	82k	—	0.0	$500–$6,000	High
Tire blowout or tread separation	wheels	9	9	16k	30k	38k	0.0	$200–$1,500	Critical
Software fault or failed update	software	9	3	—	12k	—	0.0	$0–$600	Moderate
Other suspension problem	suspension	9	7	—	115k	—	0.0	$350–$2,000	Moderate
Differential or transfer case failure	drivetrain	8	3	—	113k	—	0.0	$900–$4,200	High
Airbag failed to deploy in a crash	airbag	8	8	44k	52k	116k	0.0	$1,000–$5,000	Critical
Steering column or shaft failure	steering	8	5	—	54k	—	0.0	$600–$2,500	Critical
Wheel, stud or lug nut failure	wheels	8	2	—	22k	—	0.0	$150–$1,500	Critical
Radiator or coolant leak	cooling	7	6	—	73k	—	0.0	$350–$1,900	High
Airbag inflator rupture	airbag	7	7	—	119k	—	0.0	$0–$0	Critical
Wiper or washer failure	glass	7	5	—	103k	—	0.0	$120–$800	Moderate
Water pump failure	cooling	5	5	—	67k	—	0.0	$500–$2,200	High
Audio or connectivity failure	infotainment	5	1	—	63k	—	0.0	$150–$900	Low
Torque converter failure	transmission	4	4	—	21k	—	0.0	$1,100–$3,200	High
Fuel tank, filler or EVAP failure	fuel	4	3	—	31k	—	0.0	$250–$1,800	Moderate
Parasitic battery drain	electrical	4	4	—	39k	—	0.0	$200–$1,200	Moderate
Ignition switch, key fob or immobilizer failure	electrical	4	4	—	36k	—	0.0	$250–$1,500	High
Backup camera failure	infotainment	4	2	—	187k	—	0.0	$250–$1,200	Moderate
Door latch or handle failure	body	4	3	—	68k	—	0.0	$250–$1,200	High
Other lighting problem	lighting	4	3	—	96k	—	0.0	$120–$1,200	Moderate
Electrical fire or melted wiring	electrical	3	3	—	48k	—	0.0	$1,500–$9,000	Critical
Complete engine failure or seizure	engine	3	3	—	91k	—	0.0	$4,500–$12,000	Critical
Fuel gauge or level sensor failure	fuel	3	2	—	10k	—	0.0	$300–$1,200	Moderate
Alternator or charging system failure	electrical	3	1	—	73k	—	0.0	$450–$1,600	High
Control arm, ball joint or bushing failure	suspension	3	3	—	100k	—	0.0	$400–$2,200	High
Head gasket failure	engine	2	2	—	62k	—	0.0	$1,400–$4,000	Critical
Excessive oil consumption	engine	2	1	—	17k	—	0.0	$900–$6,500	High
Oil leak	engine	2	0	—	—	—	0.0	$250–$2,200	Moderate
Engine knock or bearing noise	engine	2	2	—	152k	—	0.0	$2,500–$9,000	High
Harsh or jerky shifting	transmission	2	2	—	91k	—	0.0	$600–$4,000	Moderate
Shifter, linkage or stuck-in-park failure	transmission	2	2	—	45k	—	0.0	$250–$1,400	High
Engine sensor failure	electrical	2	2	—	33k	—	0.0	$180–$900	Moderate
Infotainment screen failure	infotainment	2	1	—	31k	—	0.0	$400–$2,600	Low
Lane keep or steering assist fault	adas	2	0	—	—	—	0.0	$200–$1,600	High
Blower motor or climate control failure	hvac	2	1	—	109k	—	0.0	$250–$1,200	Moderate
Exhaust leak or fumes in the cabin	emissions	2	1	—	130k	—	0.0	$250–$2,000	High
Piston, ring or cylinder wall damage	engine	1	0	—	—	—	0.0	$3,000–$9,500	Critical
Lifter, cam or cylinder-deactivation failure	engine	1	1	—	168k	—	0.0	$1,800–$7,000	High
Turbocharger or supercharger failure	engine	1	0	—	—	—	0.0	$1,500–$4,500	High
Thermostat failure	cooling	1	0	—	—	—	0.0	$250–$900	Moderate
Fuel injector failure	fuel	1	1	—	53k	—	0.0	$450–$2,800	Moderate
Premature brake pad or rotor wear	brakes	1	1	—	105k	—	0.0	$300–$1,400	Moderate
Parking sensor failure	adas	1	0	—	—	—	0.0	$180–$900	Low
Power steering pump or fluid leak	steering	1	1	—	69k	—	0.0	$350–$1,600	Moderate
Liftgate, tailgate or trunk failure	body	1	1	—	85k	—	0.0	$250–$1,500	Moderate
Air conditioning failure	hvac	1	0	—	—	—	0.0	$400–$2,800	Moderate
Headlight failure or clouding	lighting	1	1	—	85k	—	0.0	$150–$1,800	Moderate
Unclassified problem	other	106	76	36k	61k	91k	0.3	—	Moderate

Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound. Repair costs are typical independent-shop ranges for the failure, not figures from these reports.

How often, against how many were built

Scaled by an estimate of how many of these cars exist, the 2012 Ford F-150 draws about 5.8 per 1,000 vehicles, which puts it in the 86th percentile of complaint rates among 2012 vehicles we can rate.

That denominator is the weakest number on the page and it is fair to say so plainly. Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound.

The working figure is 421,017 vehicles. If the true number is twice that, every rate on this page is half what it says; the ranking against other 2012 vehicles, which is what the risk score uses, is far more robust than the rate itself.

What owners wrote

Verbatim from NHTSA complaint narratives, trimmed for length. The odometer reading is the one the owner gave.

Recalls on the 2012 model year

NHTSA has issued 4 recall campaigns covering the 2012 Ford F-150, affecting an estimated 453,584 vehicles. A recall is a different kind of evidence from a complaint: it is the regulator and the manufacturer agreeing that something has to be fixed, and the fix is free for as long as the car exists.

The campaigns cover power train:automatic transmission, air bags:frontal:sensor/control module-inactive and power train:automatic transmission:control module (tcm/pcm/t. Whether the work was actually done on the car in front of you is a question only the VIN can answer, and the manufacturer or NHTSA will answer it free.

Recalls also distort complaint counts. Publicity about a campaign reminds owners that complaining is possible, so reports for a recalled component often spike after the recall rather than before it.

19V075000

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

1,263,051 vehicles 2019-02-11

Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2011-2013 F-150 vehicles equipped with a 6-speed automatic transmission. The transmission may unexpectedly downshift into first gear, regardless of vehicle speed.
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.

16V248000

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

153,581 vehicles 2016-04-27

Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Ford F-150 trucks, 2012 Ford Expedition, Lincoln Navigator, and Ford Mustang vehicles. The affected vehicles are equipped with an automatic transmission that may unexpectedly downshift to first gear, regardless of vehicle speed.
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.

12V198000

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE-INACTIVE

101 vehicles 2012-05-03

Defect: Ford is recalling certain model year 2012 f-150 vehicles manufactured from november 6, 2011, through november 15, 2011. Incorrect software for the occupant classification system module (ocsm) was installed on the vehicles either at the time of manufacturing or during the course of replacement of the module as part of a service repair. Under certain driving conditions, the ocsm may misclassify the passenger seats occupant such that the passenger side airbag does not deploy when it should, does not deploy as intended, or deploys when it should not.
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.

12V190000

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM)

10,500 vehicles 2012-05-03

Defect: Ford is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 ford f-150, 2012 expedition and lincoln navigator, and 2012-2013 mustang vehicles, for failing to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard nos. 102, "transmission shift lever sequence, starter interlock, and transmission braking effect" and 108 lamps, reflective devices and associated equipment. these vehicles may have a transmission range sensor (trs) that was calibrated out of specification for reverse gear.
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 vehicles 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 vehicles 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.

Recall work is free at a franchised dealer regardless of the car's age. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before assuming it was done.

How it ranks in the 2012 field

The score at the top of the page, placed among its peers. The zones are the same thresholds the scorer applies, read out of the scorer itself, so the picture and the band word cannot disagree.

Risk score against the rest of the 2012 field

Scores are ranked within the model year, never across years, because an older car has had longer to accumulate reports.

Left fewer and less serious reports
Right more, or worse
Marker this vehicle

Where 2012 sits in the model line

High risk for a 2012 — 103rd riskiest of the 271 2012 vehicles we can rate. The comparison is always within the same model year, so an older car is never penalised for having had longer to break.

Across the 30 model years of this car that carry enough reports to score, 1996 comes out best at 63 and 2007 worst at 80, with 2012 itself at 73.

If the model year is negotiable, 1996, 2004, 2005, 1999, 1998, 1997, 2010, 2009, 2006, 2002, 2025 and 2000 score lower than 2012 by a margin worth acting on. Same body, same engines, different luck — usually a supplier change or a mid-cycle fix, which the complaint data can show but never explain.

Within the 2009–2013 generation specifically, 2010 is the strongest year at 69 and 2011 the weakest at 73.

Scores compare each year against other cars of the same model year, so a low number on an older car is a real result and not an artefact of age.

Risk score by model year, out of 100

Shorter is better. Years with too few reports to score are shown without a bar rather than as a zero, because no data is not good news.

Within the 2009-2013 generation, 2010 Ford F-150 scores best at 69 and 2011 Ford F-150 worst at 73.

What the numbers say to check

The mileages below are where the first quarter of reports for each mode had already been filed, which makes them the point at which a fault is worth looking for rather than the point at which it happens: stalling while driving from about 6k, catalytic converter failure from about 6k, misfire or rough idle from about 6k and other engine problem from about 7k.

On a 2012 Ford F-150 with more miles than that on it, the useful question to put to a seller or a mechanic is whether stalling while driving has been dealt with, and if so with what parts and at whose expense. A car that has already had the repair is in a different position from one that has not.

None of this is a diagnosis. It is a list of what other owners of the same model year reported, ordered by when they reported it, which is a good place to point an inspection and a poor place to stop.

What this page cannot tell you

2,441 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork. Every count on this page is therefore a floor: it is the number of owners who went to the trouble of filing with a federal agency, which is a small and self-selected fraction of the owners who had the fault.

Of those 2,441 reports, 2,009 carried an odometer reading, so the mileages here describe 82% of the sample rather than all of it. Owners also round: readings pile up on multiples of ten thousand, which is why this site publishes "about 90,000 miles" and not "91,438".

Named failure modes come from matching phrases in the complaint text, so a badly worded complaint can land in the wrong bucket. The effect washes out across hundreds of reports and does not wash out across five.

And nothing here predicts what one car will do. These are other people's complaints, filed years apart, on cars maintained by strangers. Read the page as a map of where this model year has previously gone wrong, then have the specific car in front of you inspected.

Questions this page answers

What are the most common problems with the 2012 Ford F-150?

The most-reported failures are other powertrain problem (479 reports, median 90,000 miles), other engine problem (332 reports, median 18,000 miles) and other speed control problem (148 reports, median 30,000 miles). Counts come from owner complaints filed with NHTSA, which are voluntary, so they show what owners bothered to report rather than every fault that occurred.

At what mileage do 2012 Ford F-150 problems start?

Catalytic converter failure is the earliest failure mode to show up, with a median reported mileage of 15,000 miles and a quarter of reports before 5,000 miles. Across all failure modes on this year, the median report sits at 59,000 miles.

Is the 2012 Ford F-150 reliable?

It scores 73 out of 100 on our risk index, which is high — 103rd riskiest of the 271 2012 vehicles we can rate. The score is a comparison against other 2012 vehicles, not a prediction about any individual car, and it is built from complaint rates, severity and how early failures appear.

Which year of the Ford F-150 is best?

Within the 2009–2013 generation, 2010 scores best at 69 out of 100 and 2011 worst at 73. Same body, same engines, different luck.

Where this comes from. Every figure above is computed from NHTSA owner complaints and recall records for this exact make, model and year. Complaints are voluntary and self-selected, so treat counts as a floor. The methodology page writes out each formula, and the same numbers are available as JSON.

What breaks at my mileage Compare with another car

Source Owner complaints and recall records published by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, model years 1996–2027 Figures rebuilt 30 August 2026 Published by AtWhatMileage How every figure is computed