RoadVitals

2012 Ford Econoline

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
1
Latest Sep 1, 2025
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
1
Latest Jun 10, 2019
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
1
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
0

Overview

Our database contains 1 NHTSA owner-reported complaint for the 2012 Ford Econoline, most frequently naming the powertrain (other) category. 1 safety recall has been issued covering this model year; 1 NHTSA investigation names it; and 1 manufacturer communication is on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Powertrain (other)1100.0%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

1 campaign cover this model year

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov
19V432000

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION; POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY

Jun 10, 2019
3,868 units potentially affected
The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2009-2016 Ford Econoline vehicles equipped with a 5R110W transmission, 5.4L engine, and a school bus or ambulance preparation package. A weld within the coast clutch may fail, causing an unexpected loss of drive power.
The risk: A sudden loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash. Transferring occupants of a disabled school bus or ambulance to another vehicle increases their risk of injury.
The remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the single-engaging coast one-way clutch with a new dual-engaging one-way clutch, free of charge. The recall began August 19, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S20.
Ford Motor CompanyManufacturer number 19S20View on NHTSA.gov

Safety investigations

NHTSA inquiries naming this vehicle. An investigation is not a finding of a defect.

PE18010ClosedPreliminary Evaluation

Internal transmission failure

Opened Aug 21, 2018
Closed Jul 16, 2019

By letter dated June 10, 2019, Ford Motor Company notified the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) of a safety defect that may exist in certain model year (MY) 2009 through 2016 Ford Econoline vehicles equipped with a 5R110W transmission. Following the receipt of consumer complaints alleging transmission failures in vehicles built with a 5R110W transmission, NHTSA opened this investigation to assess the manufacturer's data including warranty claims, field reports, design changes, etc.Vehicles equipped with a 5R110W transmission contain a capacitive discharge weld within a coast clutch component in the transmission. A substandard weld may fatigue and fail, causing an elevated rate of loss of motive power in subject vehicle applications. Reports indicate that most of the weld failures occur when the torque is highest, which is when the driver attempts to accelerate from a stop.Analysis of the data provided by Ford Motor Company found that the risk of a transmission failure is very high in vehicles equipped with the combination of a W-MOD 5.4L SOHC EFI NA V8 G-NP engine and a 5R110W transmission. This vehicle population mainly consists of school buses and ambulances. A loss of mobility in school bus applications may result in the transfer of children when the vehicle is immobilized in a roadway, and a loss of vehicle mobility in ambulance applications may result in the delay of patient treatment.In response to this investigation, Ford Motor Company agreed to conduct recall 19V-432. Owners will be notified by mail and instructed to take their vehicle to a Ford or Lincoln dealer to have the coast clutch cylinder replaced and to replace the single-engaging coast one-way clutch with a dual-engaging one-way clutch. With recall action 19V-432 taken by Ford Motor Company this investigation is closed. Further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist on other model or MY vehicles outside of the recall scope. The agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONLed to recall 19V432000

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Powertrain (other)
Filed Sep 1, 2025

Sped up a bit today get in front of my husband and as I did i noticed that all of a sudden I lost power. I wasn't able to go faster than 40 mph, and I wasn't able to go into gear.

NHTSA ID
11684246
Incident
Dec 20, 2023

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

19B40

POWER TRAIN

In the affected vehicles, the single-engaging coast one-way clutch (OWC) inside the transmission may experience a weld concern. If this weld fails, it can affect the ability of the transmission to transmit torque. Loss of vehicle mobility in this application may result in the need to transfer passengers if the vehicle is immobilized.

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Ford Econoline by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2026010—
2025000—
2019120—
2018020—
2017310—
2016311—
2015011—
2014011—
2013011—
2012Viewing111—
2011011—
2010111—
2009111—
2007020—
2006020—
2005020—
2003224154.9
2002234155.8
2001285155.5
2000395157.8
1999847158.0
1998464148.3
1997794157.7
1996815161.9
1995736158.3
19941246364.3
1993655054.1
1992835264.1
1991243254.5
1990304055.4
1989322155.2
1988220042.6
1987155053.9
1986760—
1985106060.3
1984770—
1983260—
1982130—
1981020—
1980140—
1979180—
1978020—
1977030—
1976020—
1975020—
1972010—
1971010—
1969030—
1967010—

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.