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2012 Ford F-250 problems: engine and transmission complaints and recalls
No elevated drivetrain complaint concentration in the available NHTSA records for the 2012 Ford F-250. Engine, transmission and fuel system account for 27% of relevant complaints.
Better than 76% of the 1,790 model years we track (2010–2023).
Does the 2012 Ford F-250 have engine or transmission problems?
Not as a pattern, going by owner complaints. 85 of 323 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2012 Ford F-250 concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (27%). For comparison, the 2011 scores 27% and the 2013 scores 27%. This describes the model year, not any one car: a well-maintained or already-repaired example can be fine, and a clean model year can still have a bad car in it.
Complaints by component
The years either side
Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.
How the 2012 compares with other Ford F-250 years
Of the 14 Ford F-250 years with enough complaints to score, the 2012 is the 6th-worst on engine and transmission share (27%). The worst is the 2020 (46%), the best the 2019 (8%). By volume, the 2012 drew 323 complaints (85 drivetrain), against 370 for the 2011 and 116 for the 2013.
Ford F-250 years to avoid and best years →
2010 F-250 problems · 2011 F-250 problems · 2012 · 2013 F-250 problems · 2014 F-250 problems · 2015 F-250 problems · 2016 F-250 problems · 2017 F-250 problems · 2018 F-250 problems · 2019 F-250 problems · 2020 F-250 problems · 2021 F-250 problems · 2022 F-250 problems · 2023 F-250 problems
The rest of the picture on the 2012 Ford F-250
- The mileage where it happens. When owners of the 2012 Ford F-250 said the problem showed up, and the range most of them fell in.
- Up to 15 owner reports, with the ones about your car's own engine first.
- What to ask the seller and what to check on the test drive, for this car.
- Two cars side by side, if you are deciding between them.
What one owner reported
One of 85 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows up to 15, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.
2012 Ford F-250 transmission recalls
Yes. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign on the 2012 Ford F-250 involving the engine, transmission or fuel system, out of 1 in total. A recall is the manufacturer admitting a defect and paying to fix it; whether a specific car still has one open depends on its VIN, which the full report checks. The owner complaints above are a separate record and often point at problems that never became a recall.
FORD IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011 F-150 VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM SEPTEMBER 9, 2011, THROUGH SEPTEMBER 22, 2011, AND MODEL YEAR 2012 F-250, F-350, F-450 AND F-550 HEAVY DUTY VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM SEPTEMBER 12, 2011, THROUGH SEPTEMBER 22, 2011. THESE VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NUMBER 114, THEFT PROTECTION. THE TRANSMISSION CAN BE SHIFTED…
Risk: THIS WILL ALLOW THE OPERATOR TO INADVERTENTLY SHIFT THE VEHICLE INTO GEAR WITHOUT THE BRAKE PEDAL BEING DEPRESSED, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH OR INJURY TO A NEARBY PEDESTRIAN.
Fix: FORD WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE BRAKE SHIFT INTERLOCK SWITCH FUNCTION AND REPLACE THE SWITCH IF NECESSARY, FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON DECEMBER 22, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT THE…
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns filed against this year, make and model; one of NHTSA's listings did not answer when this page was built, so the list may be incomplete. Checked October 3, 2026.
Checking one particular 2012 Ford F-250? This page is about the model year. Accidents, title brands and odometer records belong to the individual car, and that is what a vehicle history report covers.
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Does the 2012 Ford F-250 have engine or transmission problems?
Not as a pattern, going by owner complaints. 85 of 323 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2012 Ford F-250 concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (27%). It describes the model year, not any one car, so an inspection still matters.
What is the most common problem with the 2012 Ford F-250?
Going by NHTSA owner complaints, the most common problem filed against the 2012 Ford F-250 is suspension: 139 of 323 complaints (43%) name it, followed by steering (130) and engine (42). A complaint can name more than one component, so these overlap. Engine, transmission and fuel-system complaints together make up 27% of the relevant total.
Is the 2012 Ford F-250 reliable?
On the engine and transmission, nothing stands out: 27% of relevant complaints filed with NHTSA concern the drivetrain, below the 33% line where we call a signal elevated. That is better than 76% of the 1,790 model years we track. Among the 14 Ford F-250 years we score, it ranks 6th-worst. Complaint data describes the model year, not one car, and it says nothing about trim, paint or electronics outside the drivetrain; an independent inspection still decides it.
Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2012 Ford F-250?
Yes. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign on the 2012 Ford F-250 involving the engine, transmission or fuel system, out of 1 in total: 11V582000 (power train: automatic transmission). Whether a specific car still has one open depends on its VIN.
Which Ford F-250 years are better?
Among the Ford F-250 years we track, the 2017 (8%), the 2019 (8%) and the 2018 (10%) have a lower engine and transmission complaint share than the 2012 (27%). Manufacturers fix things mid-generation, so the year before or after can be a different car. Every year side by side: https://thelanecheck.com/cars/ford-f-250
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Check a VINExperimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition of any individual vehicle. Combined across 3 body styles NHTSA files separately.