Three problems related to engine exhaust system have been reported for the 2012 Ford F-150. The most recently reported issues are listed below. Please also check out the statistics and reliability analysis of the 2012 Ford F-150 based on all problems reported for the 2012 F-150.
TSB 15-0131 timing chain stretches and makes a loud rattle upon starting and eventually leads to loss of power and engine damage. The known cause of this is all the phasers,the intake and exhaust phasers. This is my main concern. Everyone I know who owns this vehicle has this problem. The other complaint is that I get 14 mpg.
Multiple acceleration issues, especially when attempting to pass another vehicle and/or when accelerating abruptly. I have also noticed condensation from the exhaust when first starting the vehicle in the morning on multiple occasions.
Upon receiving vehicle from dealership in July 2012, ecoboost hesitates, then it takes off and goes faster than you want the vehicle to. This happened many times to pass vehicles or speed up to enter highway from on ramp. After starting and letting sit for more than 10 min. , putting in drive or reverse, vehicle runs at high rpm & takes off on its own. Upon stopping at light/ stop sign, vehicle will lunge forward. Upon trying out ecoboost on vehicle one night, the engine would not disengage from ecoboost, pressed brakes,& wouldn't stop, ended up taking down a partial fence and ending up in a ditch. Truck wouldn't get out of ditch, every time you pressed on gas to try to get out,even in 4x4, ecoboost kicks in & spins wheels. Truck towed and damage fixed at dealership bought from. They repaired truck per my auto insurance coverage, but when asked to check brakes,ecoboost, they couldn't find any errors per computer and engine is performing correctly. But, engine is not as we have gone back with truck many times to complain about these issues and get the same answers. A computer is only as good as what humans put into it. There is an aftermarket computer chip available at expense of truck owner that will correct the hesitation when going into ecoboost, but nothing to fix the problem of the truck disengaging immediately from ecoboost when brakes are pressed. Ford should have put computer chip in engine before selling the vehicle and making sure the ecoboost disengages immediately upon braking. Also, exhaust fumes enter the cab when you put heat, defrost, a/c on. The recirculate button has to be on all the time to keep vehicle exhaust out of the cab interior. But, the dealership cannot find an answer for this problem either. Ford dealership or Ford doesn't seem to be concerned w/ these problem. Read on-line that many f150 ecoboost trucks built from 2/2012 to 5/2012 have problems.