Most common 2012 Ford F-350 SD problems
Share of the 29 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Ford F-350 SD complaints by model year
Best F-350 SD years: 2014, 2013, 2012. Years to avoid: 2017, 2019, 2020, 2018, 2022. Compare all years →
2012 Ford F-350 SD recalls (9)
Power train › Automatic transmission › Control module (TCM/PCM/tecm)
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2011-2015 Ford F-350, F-450, and F-550 trucks manufactured February 22, 2010, to January 30, 2015, and equipped with ambulance or fire engine preparation packages.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will update the Powertrain Control Module (PCM) software, free of charge. The recall began on April 22, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332.
Equipment
Godwin Manufacturing Company, Inc. (Godwin) is recalling certain model year 2010 Ford F-450; 2011 Ford F-550; 2012 Ford F-350 and 2013 F-350 Super Duty trucks modified by Godwin and equipped with certain Muncie Power Products PTO Assemblies.
Remedy: Godwin will notify owners, and dealers will install a new pressure switch kit that moves the switch away from the exhaust system, free of charge. The recall began October 28, 2014.
Equipment
Palfleet Truck Equipment Company, LLC (Palfleet) is recalling certain model year 2009-2013 Ford F-350, F-450, and F-550 super duty vehicles modified by Palfleet and equipped with certain Muncie Power Products PTO Assemblies.
Remedy: Palfleet will notify owners, and dealers will install a new pressure switch kit that moves the switch away from the exhaust system, free of charge. The recall began on July 29, 2014.
Equipment
Manning Equipment Inc. LLC (Manning) is recalling certain model year 2012-2013 Ford F-350 Super Duty, F-450 Super Duty, and F-550 Super Duty vehicles modified by Manning and equipped with certain Muncie Power Products PTO Assemblies.
Remedy: Manning will notify owners, and dealers will install a new pressure switch kit that moves the switch away from the exhaust system, free of charge. This action is the same as the service campaign action.
Equipment
Iowa Mold Tooling Co., Inc. will notify owners and dealers to inspect the Muncie PTO pressure switch to determine if it is from the range of defective switches and if required, remove the pressure switch assembly and put a plug in the port where the PTO switch had been installed. This switch was never being utilized.
Remedy: Iowa Mold Tooling Co., Inc. will notify owners, and dealers will install a new pressure switch kit that moves the switch away from the exhaust system, free of charge. The recall began on July 28, 2014.
Equipment
Stahl is recalling certain model year 2009-2014 Ford F-350 Super Duty, F-450 Super Duty, and F-550 Super Duty vehicles modified by Stahl and equipped with certain Muncie Power Products PTO Assemblies. In the affected vehicles, oil may leak from the PTO pressure switch onto a thermal blanket covering the exhaust.
Remedy: Stahl will notify owners, and dealers will install a new pressure switch kit that moves the switch away from the exhaust system, free of charge.
Show 3 more recalls
Equipment
Somerset Welding & Steel, doing business as J&J Truck equipment (J&J), is recalling certain model year 2009-2013 Ford F-350, F-450, and F-550 Super Duty chassis with 6.8L gasoline engines modified by J&J to be equipped with certain Muncie Power Products PTO Assemblies.
Remedy: Somerset will notify owners, and dealers will install a new pressure switch kit that moves the switch away from the exhaust system, free of charge. The recall began August 2014.
Equipment
Utility Truck Equipment Company, LLC (Utility Truck) is recalling certain model year 2010-2013 UTLI41A, 2011 UTLN41, and 2012 UTLN46 aerial trucks manufactured December 2010 to September 2013 equipped with certain Muncie Power Products PTO Assemblies installed on 2010-2013 Ford F-350, F-450 and F-550 vehicles.
Remedy: Utility Truck will notify owners, and dealers will install a new pressure switch kit that moves the switch away from the exhaust system, free of charge. The recall began in June 2014.
Equipment
Tactical Vehicle Outfitters (Tactical) is recalling certain model year 2010-2014 Ford F-350 and F-550 vehicles modified by Tactical and equipped with certain Muncie Power Products PTO Assemblies. In the affected vehicles, oil may leak from the PTO pressure switch onto a thermal blanket covering the exhaust.
Remedy: Tactical will notify owners, and dealers will install a new PTO pressure switch, free of charge. The recall began on August 1, 2014. Owners may contact Tactical customer service at 1-405-603-6700.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2012 Ford F-350 SD:
Vehicle Commanded Engine Shutdown
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this RQ to investigate allegations that the scope and remedy of safety recall 13V-535 were inadequate. Recall 13V-535 was limited to a relatively small population of Ambulance Package vehicles and ODI received complaints of pickup trucks and Fire Engine Prep Package vehicles being affected by the same defect.
What 2012 Ford F-350 SD owners say
Suspension
Truck has on more than one occasion started to bounce violently after hitting a bump in the road at highway speeds has been in for drag link replacement and steering dampener replacement which correct issue temporarily for a few months before it begins to happen again dealership does not want to address the issue and tries to blame the issue on road conditions or tire wear or tire pressure on internet searches this is a common issue with these trucks and Ford has not fixed it yet. When this bouncing happens it is quite scary and really throws the truck around it does not stop bouncing until the speed is slowed to around 35 MPH on the highway this could cause an accident either by throwing the truck into a median or into another lane of traffic as the vehicle is difficult to control during the bouncing condition
Multiple times while driving at 50 - 60mph towing my 12,000 lb 5th wheel trailer, often if I drive over a bump in the road, my 2012 Ford f350 will start to violently shake from the front steering. I have had parts replaced, alignment done, new tires, new shocks, but nothing stops this problem. I can't tow my trailer anymore. This problem has also happened when not towing. There needs to be a recall for this to be safe. The dealer cannot figure out the solution. Ford seems to ignore it. Please help
Steering
Ford super duty truck developed a severe vibration at 70mph on interstate highway. It was a dangerous situation that caused the vehicle to swerve to the left instantly. I was in heavy traffic, I had to slow the vehicle drastically which caused other traffic to have to avoid me. Investigated online, they even have a nick name "death wabble" I found hundreds and hundreds of cases in 15 minutes, what are you doing there? This has to be a recall or something, I'm afraid to drive my truck. Help us
Death wobble at speeds starting anywhere from 40 MPH up. Very difficult to control especially when you are on a highway or overpass and there's nowhere to slow down or try to steer to. Extremely scary. Have had the problem 'try' to be fixed greater than 5 times. The last fix was about 4 months ago and has lasted so far but I'm starting to feel vibration again. The fixes aren't cheap either. Always greater than $1000 with parts and labor. I love my truck but this is getting out of hand.
Engine & cooling
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-350 SD. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the vehicle went into LIMP Mode and lost motive power. The message "Stop Vehicle Safely Now" was displayed. The contact was able to pull to the side of the road. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to restart after several attempts and the message remained displayed. The contact stated that the vehicle started up after an hour and half. The vehicle was taken to a local Pep Boys, where it was diagnosed that the failure was related to the exhaust gas temperature sensor. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that Ford Campaign Numbers: 15N01 and 15N02 had expired unless the vehicle was an ambulance. The failure mileage was approximately 196,475. …
June 23 2017, I was traveling down the road when a message the read stop when safe popped onto the truck instrument display. I attempted to get to a safe area to pull the truck over but was unable due to a loss in momentum that I later found out was a manufacturer safety precaution due to a faulty egt sensor. I was now currently in the middle of the road and unable to restart the truck. After 20 minutes waving down vehicles so that a serious accident did not happen the truck restarted. I sent back down the road to attempt to get into a safer location instead of blocking 1 lane of the road. I was able to proceed .9 miles before the truck shut off again on a blind hill. The tow truck was arrived and we were then able to remove it from the roadway. …
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2012 Ford F-350 SD a good car?
Based on 29 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2012 F-350 SD rates better than average: 73% fewer complaints than a typical year of the F-350 SD at the same age. It is one of the best F-350 SD years by this measure. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2012 Ford F-350 SD?
The suspension — 10 complaints, 34% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the steering (9) and engine & cooling (8).
How many recalls does the 2012 Ford F-350 SD have?
There are 9 recalls for the 2012 Ford F-350 SD, the most recent from March 25, 2015 (control module (tcm/pcm/tecm)). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Ford F-350 SD?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2014, 2013 and 2012. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2017, 2019, 2020, 2018 and 2022. See the full Ford F-350 SD years comparison.
At what mileage do 2012 Ford F-350 SD problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 36,000 miles; 63% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
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.