520 problems related to power train 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.
I was just told my 2012 F-150 molded lead frame needed to be replaced. I google this issue and it seems to be a major issue with f150 pickups spanning multiple years. I checked this site for recalls and my truck is not included in any of the recalls, butexists the same issue on different year models. The recalls need to be expanded as the fault is not a consumer caused issue but a design flaw by Ford and it's outrageously expensive!!.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving on several occasions at various speeds, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted, and the vehicle decelerated. The contact stated that the power train warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and was diagnosed with lead frame failure. The contact was informed that the lead frame needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 200,400.
While driving, wrench light comes on dash and I lose ability to accelerate. Have to turn truck off and on again to clear this problem but then it will continue to come back. Unsafe as it downshifts to first gear while driving. Doing research online, this is a common problem with Ford f150 and you issued campaign 19n01 in 2019 - transmission molded leadframe extended coverage. Problem is, this just started happening to my vehicle, and it looks like this extended warranty would have expired in 2022 or 2023. I purchased the truck used in 2020, but never knew about this. And since I wasn’t having these issues till a few weeks ago, I would not have been covered. I am writing as there are numerous other drivers having this same issue now after the warranty expired, and are having to pay $1500-$4000 out of pocket to fix a known issue. This seems like it should be a recall fixed free of charge, no matter when it starts happening. Just because it happens now vs before 2022-2023 does not make the issue any less serious. This can still cause accidents. Is there any solution to having this covered by Ford? can the campaign be extended or just be turned into a repair recall?.
Vehicle rolls backwards or potentially forwards intermittently depending on direction of incline. Have only observed it rolling backwards. When changing gears, above third gear usually, there is a resonant grumbling sound.
The transmission made a noise of metal and all electrical when out while driving but the engine stay on but no power to the road. Yes its available. My car loss all power electrical and power to the road, had to put off to the side on the road and turn the truck off and on again. The problem has been reproduced but not confirmed by a dealer. I have done a existential look of the under and power train and cant see everything out of place. Yes like every warning light when on seconds before all power when out. Has never done that before.
Vehicle is downshifting unexpectedly into 2nd gear. Rear tires momentarily lock up and the engine rpm’s go extremely high. This behavior is causing potential accidents to happen.
While driving on local roads travelling at approximately 30 mph truck downshifted unexpectedly into 1st gear. The message area in the instrument cluster had a large wrench image displayed. Proceeded slowly to the grocery store and went shopping. When I restarted the truck the wrench image was gone and the truck appeared to operate normally on the drive home but I drove slowly on back roads because I was afraid of what would happen if the issue occurred at highway speeds. The truck is available for inspection. I have not taken the truck to the dealer. This issue seems to be what the current NHTSA investigation is about.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact came to a stop and then while attempting to proceed, the instrument cluster showed a black screen, and the transmission independently downshifted to first gear. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road. The contact drove the vehicle in limp mode to the residence. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission lead frame had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA hotline to report the failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 19v075000 (power train). The failure mileage was approximately 134,000.
Wrench light popped on downshift to first gear, speedometer goes to zero. My son and I driving down highway and it suddenly drops to first gear. Dealer said it sounds like transmission molded lead frame. Code reader says it's speed sensor which is in lead frame harness.
I am having safety related issues that are perfectly described in compliance recall notice "12c23". However, when calling a Ford dealership, or looking up the VIN myself, there is no open recalls on my vehicle. My truck was manufactured at the same plant as the recall, in the same time frame. The issues I am seeing are related to the transmission range sensor inside the lead frame. This causes my gear indicator to not work, starting difficulties, sudden shifts while driving, and reverse lights to not turn on when in reverse gear. These issues have been inspected and verified by an ase certified auto shop "north county auto" in oceanside, CA. This is firstly a safety issue that is recognized by Ford on the 6r80 transmission. Secondly, this is a very costly fix to come out-of-pocket. However, because my VIN does not reflect it as an open recall even though all symptoms are exactly the same Ford will not make corrective action. I think a revision needs to be made to the initial recall notice, and include more VIN numbers.
Sudden shift into first gear at any speed. Dash lights flickering between p,r,n,d. Tool light coming on dash.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving on the highway at various speeds, the transmission occasionally struggled to get out of gear or was slipping. The contact stated that the “service vehicle soon” warning light remained illuminated, and the miles to empty was blank on the instrument panel; however, and the rpm gauge remained illuminated. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage 121,600.
When slowing down the transmission slams down into a lower gear with a loud noise. It hits hard.
2012 Ford F-150 platinum, 154000 miles. My truck has the problem of un-commanded transmission gear change to a lower gear. It started a couple of years ago but it took me a while to identify the problem and when it happened. Once, I was traveling at 70mph and, all by itself, it downshifted into 1st gear. The truck lurched and made a loud bang. It also caused a minor control problem due to the change is gears at that speed. I took it to my local Ford dealer and they replaced the shift motor in the transfer case (at my expense), maybe in Nov 2024. It worked fine after that until my recent road trip, Mar 2025. The un-commanded shift happened again three times during my trip to GA from PA. I'm taking it back to Ford tomorrow. When this shift happens, there is a bang followed by a sudden slowing of the vehicle. It's somewhat scary to have the truck act in this manner.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving on the highway at various speeds, the transmission was slipping. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that occasionally the electric mirrors were moving in and out while driving without user input. Additionally, the taillights was turning on and off unintendedly. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed, and the contact was advised that the main power distribution box was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 130,000.
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 was provided with the manufacturer's recall number: 19n01 and an unknown update was performed on the vehicle. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the nhsta hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 175,000.
I am the second owner of the vehicle and there were no disclosed repairs or issues provided at the time of purchased. The 2012 Ford F-150, is shifting sporadically and harsh. Throwing out code p0722. Which directly relates to the below previous recall. Recall reference number: 24s37. Issue: an intermittent failure of the output shaft speed (oss) sensor in the transmission can lead to an unintended downshift to first gear. Affected vehicles: some 2014 Ford F-150 models. Reason for recall: the abrupt downshift can cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash. Potential codes: p0720, p0722, p0731 and/or p1500.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 5 - 10 mph, the vehicle went into limp mode. There were no warning lights illuminated. The dtc: p0720 (faulty output shaft speed sensor) was retrieved. The contact stated that the failure was related to customer satisfaction program: 16n02. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and opened a case and referred the contact to the nhsta hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 164,000.
Check engine light came on p0720 output speed sensor.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted into first gear. The contact stated that the light for the speedometer went black and failed to illuminate as intended. The contact stated that the vehicle then lost power. The vehicle was steered to the side of the road and restarted after several minutes after each failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 122,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle suddenly downshifted on its own, after which he heard an abnormal sound emanating from underneath the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the transmission. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 19v075000 (power train), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 154,000.
On 17 Dec 2024, I drove my 2012 f150 truck down a busy road (powers blvd). As I was accelerating to the speed limit of 45mph, the truck suddenly slammed into first gear and redlined the rpm gauge before the whole front dashboard went dead. As the truck suddenly slowed down, the seat belt grabbed my shoulder and held me back from the dashboard. Luckily all the traffic was to my right and the car behind me was a stoplight away. If this was later in the day, I have no doubt the truck would have created a multi-car accident. The truck remained in 1st gear as I slowed my speed and within a short time frame - maybe 20 seconds, the truck jerked into another gear. I brought the truck to a nearby parking lot and turned it off. I searched online and identified that there were recalls for this very item. Within an hour I called the Ford dealership and explained the issue, and they set me an appt a short time later. I drove the truck to the dealership and dropped it off and about an hour later they reproduced the issue. Ford found dtc p0722 for the output speed sensor, monitored data, and confirmed failure. I asked what about the recalls and Ford told me that none had been approved for my truck’s VIN. They gave me an estimated cost of $1900. 00 to repair the issue, which I approved. The sensor is part of the lead frame, they removed the lead frame, removed the main control body, and replaced it as appropriate. They cleared the codes and test-drove the truck. The vehicle or component had not been inspected before this event. There were no warning lights, messages, or indication of any issues prior to this event. The truck has 85332 miles on it and maintenance is performed routinely by a local professional garage.
Stuck in 1st gear.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving 50 mph, the transmission downshifted unexpectedly to third gear and then downshifted to first gear. The power train warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to drive to the residence. The contact stated that the vehicle had been experiencing erratic transmission shifting. The contact stated that upon coming to a stop, the transmission remained stuck in third gear. The contact stated that the transmission had been shifting between third gear and fifth gear. The speedometer and the odometer were inoperable. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 162,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated while her husband was driving 70 mph, the speedometer failed to operate as intended, and the transmission was stuck in first gear. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the valve body and connector needed to be replaced, and the transmission fluid needed to be flushed and refilled. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact the NHTSA hotline to report the failure. The contact related the failure to customer satisfaction program: 16n02 (transmission powertrain control module reprogramming); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was 129,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 30 mph, the speedometer failed to operate as designed and went to zero. The contact pulled over to the side of the road. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic however, the result from the diagnostic test was unknown. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer to be diagnosed; however, the contact was unaware of the results. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The contact was referred to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The contact related the failure to customer satisfaction program: 19n01 (6r80 transmission 6r80 sudden transmission downshift – powertrain control module programming). The failure mileage was 41,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at 50 mph, the vehicle downshifted with no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 307,600.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted with the transmission warning light flashing on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The independent mechanic retrieved a fault code for transmission failure. The contact was informed of NHTSA campaign number: 19v075000 (power train); which the mechanic linked to the failure. The dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the vehicle was not under recall or warranty. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 135,000.
The known issue of a lead frame failure in the transmission of my vehicle occurred causing the vehicle to lose it's speedometer input and traction. Extremely dangerous condition and Ford refuses to acknowledge or take any responsibility for the incident.
Driving home at approx. 50 mph my F-150 Ford downshifted into 1st gear for no reason? locking up the rear tires and slamming me forward. I put in my VIN number and found my truck is not part of Ford's recall for f 150's 2011 thru 2014. I don't know why it's not part of the recall ? the recall 19so7 describes what happened exactly. Ford said the dealers fixed this by reprogramming the tcu or transmission control module. I believe there is damage to the transmission. I took it to goode Ford in burley,idaho they said it has too many miles they would not even look at it ?.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving at approximately 15 mph, the vehicle lost power and did not accelerate as intended. The power train warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 135,000.
It shifted out of gear into first. It wouldn’t pull giving it gas didn’t help I was lucky I wasn’t injured when it shifted. A wrench flashed on dash board when it jumped gears.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at unknown speeds, the vehicle was flopping between gears. The vehicle downshifted while driving at 70 mph. The wrench tool symbol was displayed. The gear message turned on and off while driving. While traveling, an unknown check light was illuminated. The contact used a code reader and determined the failure was due to the speed output sensor. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who informed him there was no recall coverage. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact called the manufacturer who opened a case and referred to the NHTSA hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 179,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving approximately 60 mph the vehicle shifted down to second gear and nearly stalled. The contact stated that the "wrench" and air bag warning was illuminated. The contact also stated that the speedometer needle was at "zero. " the contact stated that failure was occurring at all speeds. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission leadframe needed to be replaced. The contact was advised by the dealer that the manufacturer had issued a customer service program in 2019 for the transmission leadframe 19n01 (power train), however her vehicle was no longer under warranty. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.
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.