2012 Ford F-150 Engine Problems

Which parts fail

• Exhaust system › Emission control › Catalytic convertor
  1

Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).

Mileage when the problem started

• Under 25k
  22951%
• 25k–50k
  7517%
• 50k–75k
  6114%
• 75k–100k
  327%
• 100k–150k
  358%
• 150k+
  164%

Owner reports

Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2012 Ford F-150 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).

The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 40-50 MPH, the vehicle hesitated and jerked. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal, but the vehicle hesitated and lost motive power. The transmission slipped and downshifted to first gear. The contact was able to move over to the side of the road. The wrench warning light and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact turned off the vehicle and waited for a while. The vehicle was restarted and returned to normal functionality; however, the vehicle failed to get up to speed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the lead frame needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle had been taken to the dealer weeks prior the failure for service. …

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.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the transmission seized while driving 15 MPH and making a left turn onto the highway in oncoming traffic, and the vehicle suddenly stopped. The wrench symbol was displayed. The instrument panel was blank. The contact stated that the transmission unexpectedly downshifted. The failure had occurred several times while driving at various speeds. The contact logged into the Ford account and became aware of Customer Satisfaction Program: 19N01. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, but the dealer referred the contact to the manufacturer. The manufacturer was contacted and informed the contact that the program had expired and opened a case. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond and went into LIMP Mode. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact veered to the side of the road. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle several times; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to exceed 30 MPH. The contact was able to drive to the residence. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the timing chain had failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 145,000.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the contact attempted to accelerate however, the vehicle failed to respond. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over and turned off and restarted the vehicle. The vehicle drove normally however, the check engine warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where an unknown calibration was performed however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was contacted and informed the contact that the vehicle was out of warranty. The contact was referred to the NHTSA for assistance. The failure mileage was 139,501.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle downshifted with the check engine, transmission, and the air bag warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was restarted; however, the failure recurred. The contact also noticed the vehicle had gone into LIMP Mode after the vehicle was restarted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the lead frame failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 187,000.

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 depressing the accelerator pedal, there was an abnormally loud sound coming from the engine. An independent mechanic was contacted. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the air conditioner had seized, and the pulley from the engine was damaged and had detached from the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 130,000.

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 when the vehicle started, there was an abnormal rattling sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with failed variable camshaft timing (VCT) cam phasers. The contact was informed that the VCT cam phasers and the timing chain needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 74,000.

NHTSA investigations

Engine complaints in other F-150 years