Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2012 Ford F-250 SD owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
While traveling I-10 west near crestview, fl at approximately 70 MPH, I received a Ford diagnostic screen notification to stop vehicle immediately. I pulled over on the side of the interstate and slowed the truck to a stop. The engine shut off immediately when I fully stopped. I attempted to restart the truck, but the truck engine would not even 'turn over'. There was no additional information provided by the Ford diagnostic screen. I was stranded on the side of the interstate with family members and luggage at 8 pm on a Sunday night, and 2 hours from home (mississippi). I had the truck towed to the nearest Ford dealership. The next day, the dealership informed me that it was a egt sensor failure. This is unbelievable that a failed sensor would leave me stranded without a previous warning stating the shutdown would occur. …
After driving for 5 minutes a warning light came on for the rear locking differential- no change in the drivability. About 5 minutes after that the computer started flashing different symbols indicating many problems- the alarms were going off non-stop- then the engine was shut down by the computer. This truck is heavy and I May have caused an accident when it happened because I had to use all my strength to keep it on the road and went into the other lane! If this happened while towing a load on one of the mountain passes I could have been seriously injured or killed- and hurt or killed others! Ford has had bad diesel engines since they dropped the 7.3 years ago and are ripping off people in this country- please don't let someone die over a known problem. Seems cheaper for Ford to put us in danger by shutting down this engine and therefore not replacing the engine and computer system.
On the first day of an extended trip with our truck and rv, we arrived at camp to discover a major coolant leak. The truck did not give us any warning messages that anything was wrong. We had the truck towed to the closest Ford dealer. Thank goodness this problem happened in camp, rather than on an isolated road where we could have been 100+ miles away from any sort of service. It turned out that both the water pump and radiator had failed, with under 29,000 miles on the truck. The water pump was covered under warranty, but the radiator was not. The Ford service manager advised us that they had already replaced several radiators this year, with leaks in the same place (driver's side lower corner). We also did some checking on the internet and learned that this failure seems fairly common. The radiator should not have failed in such a short amount of time, with limited miles on our truck.
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 Ford f-250 SD. The contact stated that the accelerator pedal failed to respond while the vehicle was in reverse. Prior to the failure, an unknown sensor was replaced by the dealer. The gear was shifted into drive and the vehicle was driven to the driveway. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. In addition, coolant leaked from the reservoir into the valley of the engine and the four power door locks would intermittently unlock when driving. On a separate occasion, in extremely cold weather, the engine failed to start. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to the dealer. The contact was uncertain of the repair that was performed. The manufacturer was notified of the failures. The approximate failure mileage was 20,000.
I was driving my vehicle east on the highway in miami (sr-836 just before nw 107th avenue) and it gave me a message to "stop safely now". I pulled over immediately and had the truck towed to gus machado Ford of kendall. The repair ended up costing me over $700. My son did some research and found out there was a recall query (rq-14-005) sent to Ford on February 5, 2015. I just wanted to be added to the list of affected owners and would like to be added to any e-mail or mail distribution lists.
Radiator leak from drivers side lower portion. Same as previous model year issues. Ford currently warranties earlier production, but will not extend to 2011 and up. Truck has only 56000 miles on it. Leak occurs after vehicle has reached operating temperature and is parked and/or turned off. Inspection conducted by Ford discovered tank crimping has failed and truck needs a new radiator. I am not the only one with this issue, but still nothing is being done to correct it.
Tl contact owns a 2012 Ford f-250 SD. The contact stated that while driving at an unknown speed, the "stop safely now" message illuminated and minutes later the engine would stall. The failure recurred numerous times. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the exhaust gas temperature egt sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 38,000.
Egt exhaust gas sensor # 2 on 2012 f250 - I had no warning that the sensor had gone bad - truck had to be towed - I'm concerned that this could happen again when I'm towing my trailer and that I won't be able to get safely out of traffic - I often travel to national parks where I have no shoulder or cell service or am not near a dealership - I would be stranded with my family I had to pay have this sensor replaced - May have to pay for tow service as this issue is not covered under extended warranty or as a recall I feel that this issue should be covered under warranty or as a recall as it is a safety concern if one cannot safely get out of traffic - there are 4 sensors - perhaps one sensor should be used as "spare" so that truck doesn't just "stop" and leave one stranded - how many accidents has this issue caused? …
Traveling down the highway at 55mph with cruise set and hit brake to turn corner. Engine immediately died with subsequent loss of power brakes and steering--scary because it happened at a critical time while turning a corner on a highway. Absolutely no warning--engine seemed fine prior. Truck would not start. Towed the dead truck to nearest Ford dealer in wellington, ks. High pressure fuel pump failure was the diagnosis. Evidently when this happens, metal filings from the shredded pump take out all the injectors, fuel rail, pressure regulator, and also sends metal filings into the fuel tank via the return line. Ford corporate, not the dealer mind you, claims this failure is a result of fuel contamination in spite of the fact that there are 2 fuel filters and a water separator in the system and they were well maintained. …
I have experienced twice now with my 2012 f-250 super duty with the 6.7 diesel engine. On Friday January 22nd and was similar to a previous event involving a sudden and unexpected acceleration of my truck while in drive. Both instances have occurred from the truck being in a parked position with the engine off. Upon starting the truck and shifting into drive, I begin to pull forward approximately 20 to 40 feet and prepare to stop prior to entering traffic or repositioning. The truck will suddenly accelerate and lunge forward. Fortunately in both instances my right foot is lightly on the break preparing to stop when this happens. I immediately depress the brake with a constant and hard pressure as the truck's RPM is in the 2500 to 3000 range and I can feel the truck wanting to surge forward. …
Engine complaints in other F-250 SD years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2012 Ford F-250 SD?
NHTSA has 22 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2012 Ford F-250 SD, 39% of the model year's 57 complaints. The component named most often is engine › diesel (7 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2012 Ford F-250 SD engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2012 Ford F-250 SD. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2012 Ford F-250 SD engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 54,000 miles, and 19% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 0 injuries to engine & cooling problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.