Most common 2012 Ford F-550 SD problems
Share of the 6 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Ford F-550 SD complaints by model year
Best F-550 SD years: 2018, 2013, 2017. Years to avoid: 2000, 1999, 2004, 2006, 2005. Compare all years →
2012 Ford F-550 SD recalls (10)
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 adaptive/mobility
Farber Specialty Vehicles (Farber) is recalling various specialty vehicles modified by Farber and equipped with model S2005, S2010, S5005, S5010, S5505, and S5510 wheelchair lifts manufactured by Ricon Corporation. The platform side plate of the affected wheelchair lifts may crack.
Remedy: Farber will notify owners to take their vehicles to a Ricon dealer or service center who will install supplemental platform support bumpers.
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
Dual-Tech, Inc. (Dual-Tech) is recalling certain model year 2009-2014 Ford F-550 Super Duty trucks modified by Dual-Tech, 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: Dual-Tech 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 June 20, 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.
Show 4 more recalls
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.
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 2 possible defects involving the 2012 Ford F-550 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.
CNG Fuel Container Securement
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) is aware of 1 incident related to the alleged defect. By letter dated January 10, 2014, Almared, Inc. (doing business as A-1 Alternative Fuel Systems) has notified ODI that it has conducted a safety recall (NHTSA Recall No. 14V-040) to address a safety defect in 18 model year 2011-2012 Ford F-550 transit buses manufactured between May 2011 and April 2013.
What 2012 Ford F-550 SD owners say
Engine & cooling
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 Ford f-550 SD. The contact stated that while driving approximately 20 MPH, a loud banging sounded was heard inside the cabin and the engine power reduced substantially. The engine was turned off and restarted, but the failure persisted. An independent mechanic diagnosed the vehicle and detected that the turbo became stuck and the turbo hose disconnected. The hose was reconnected; however, the failure continued. The vehicle was not repaired a second time. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 45,000. The VIN was unavailable. Ma 10/6
The turbo bearing failed in the truck at 21,101 miles. The dealership replaced it, but since then I have spent way too much time at the dealership for problems with this truck that I should not be having. There is also a typewriter ticking noise coming from the engine after oil changes, Ford is aware of it, but says it is not a problem. They state that some motors do it, and some don't. Again this sounds like a serious quality control problem. I noticed the A/C was not working in April of this year, the first time it was warm enough to use it. It just blew hot air and the truck had about 50,000 miles on it. Ford serviced the A/C at 55,019 miles on 22 April 14. The A/C worked for a day and then stopped working again. Took it back to Ford at the next service and they spent several hours working on the truck and think they have it solved. …
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2012 Ford F-550 SD a good car?
Based on 6 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2012 F-550 SD rates average: 16% fewer complaints than a typical year of the F-550 SD at the same age. 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-550 SD?
The engine & cooling — 3 complaints, 50% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the equipment & accessories (2) and wheels & tires (1).
How many recalls does the 2012 Ford F-550 SD have?
There are 10 recalls for the 2012 Ford F-550 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-550 SD?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2018, 2013 and 2017. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2000, 1999, 2004, 2006 and 2005. See the full Ford F-550 SD years comparison.
At what mileage do 2012 Ford F-550 SD problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 45,000 miles; 75% 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.