2012 Ford F-150 Electrical Problems

The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact was unable to unlock the door while using the remote unlock feature. The lights to indicate that the vehicle was unlocked flashed, but the contact was unable to open the door. Additionally, the contact attempted to open the door manually right after using the key, but the door failed to open. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 147,000.

NHTSA ID

11751067

Incident

Jul 17, 2026

Mileage

147,000 mi

Backup camera interments . I have original stereo and system. No aftermarket components to effect backup camera

NHTSA ID

11749088

Incident

Jun 1, 2026

Rear wheel and steering lock up while traveling at 70mph on interstate causing broken controls on steering wheel . Vehicle is unsafe to drive. Truck was taken to Rivertown Ford 1680 Whittlesey Rd Columbus Ga 31904 for recall repair. Truck was released to me with no signals no wipers. The steering is very loose and hard to control

NHTSA ID

11722639

Incident

Feb 20, 2026

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2012 Ford F-150. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale on January 1st, 2026. At the time of purchase, the mileage was 154,000, and while having the vehicle inspected by a certified mechanic at an Auto Body Shop, it was discovered from a Carfax report that the mileage was 301,348. The contact had not reported the odometer fraud to any other agencies.

NHTSA ID

11712144

Incident

Jan 20, 2026

Mileage

301,348 mi

The vehicle experienced repeated and unpredictable loss of drivability while in operation. The transmission intermittently disengages and the gear indicator rapidly cycles between Park, Reverse, Neutral, and Drive without driver input. During these events, the vehicle loses propulsion and becomes unsafe to operate in traffic. Warning messages and instrument cluster anomalies were observed prior to and during the failures, including erratic dashboard behavior. The issue has occurred multiple times and is reproducible. The condition appears to be related to a known safety recall involving the transmission lead frame / powertrain control system. The failure creates a serious safety risk due to sudden loss of power and inability to control vehicle movement, especially in traffic or while stopped at intersections. The vehicle is not safe to drive and has been removed from regular service. Diagnostic data, video evidence, and photographs documenting the failure and warning indicators are available upon request. The manufacturer has been notified and a recall case has been opened, but the defect has not yet been resolved. The vehicle remains unrepaired at the time of this report.

NHTSA ID

11710829

Incident

Nov 25, 2025

Affected vehicle: Drivers side door latch stopped latching entirely in frozen conditions and then thawed conditions. A frozen door latch, or a bent or kinked door latch actuation cable, may result in a door that will not open, will not close, or opens while driving condition, increasing the risk of injury. This year needs to be added to the recall. Recall 17S33

NHTSA ID

11705630

Incident

Dec 16, 2025

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2012 Ford F-150. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 131,402, and at the time of registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 155,351.

NHTSA ID

11701272

Incident

Nov 24, 2025

Mileage

155,351 mi

Previously had the vehicle diagnostic at Georgia Lina automotive into which I can provide the diagnostics later I was advised that it may be a internal issue dealing with the instrumental cluster a continuously battery warning flash on the dash panel. I was also told that it may be a electrical problem that even cause a fire internally which may damage the vehicle. I was told that out of pocket calls would be $1,956.05 I reviewed all of the issues that are considered or recall and wiring was most definitely listed under recall versus warranty. I've most recently had the issue of the powertrain warranty for the transmission taken care of under the customer satisfactory program. Unfortunately they did not have this particular issue of the instrument cluster listed due to faulty wiring. Now there maybe many others that face the very same issue, for it seems to also affects the Bluetooth connecting with phone under sync. And I am submitting this complaint in a better hope for for the review by your board or committee to conduct their own independent investigation which may makes the difference not only for me but once again for many others. I don't know if there's window. Past the 15 years if a vehicle has been previously purchased such as myself and there was a recall for this particular issue does the manufacturer allows the new owner a grace period as a courtesy which I believe would be appropriate as well as deemed it in the respect of hospitality. I thank you for hearing my complaint hopefully once again it makes the difference not only for me but for others as well. Your time and consideration is highly appreciated, Respectfully Submitted

NHTSA ID

11687685

Incident

Aug 26, 2025

Fuel pump went bad causing the pump to overdraw electricity on the electrical circuit which melted the fuse in the fuse box. The fuse and fuse position was melted beyond being able to use this again. It could have caused a fire in the engine compartment if the circumstances were different. My mechanic reported that he's seen some of these melt the whole fuse box, creating major damage and a major fire hazard. he reported there is a Temporary Service Bulletin out for this issue, so it seems like the manufacturer knows its and issue, but has not chosen to do anything about it.

NHTSA ID

11683108

Incident

Aug 25, 2025

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.

NHTSA ID

11674180

Incident

Jul 12, 2025

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.

NHTSA ID

11664412

Incident

Mar 19, 2025

Mileage

130,000 mi

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while attempting to register the vehicle, it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the mileage was 110,458 and at the time of registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 174,000.

NHTSA ID

11664352

Incident

Jun 2, 2025

Mileage

174,000 mi

My 2012 F150 has been experiencing the same rearview camera issue the 2015 Ford F150-450s have been have issues with that can intermittently display "a blank or distorted image," reducing the driver’s view of what’s behind the vehicle – increasing the risk of a crash. This has been happening for the past year and has been found on several message boards stating the same issue.

NHTSA ID

11658296

Incident

May 1, 2025

The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds while the engine was warmed up, the speedometer would occasionally go blank, and the transmission would stay stuck in 3rd or 5th gear. The contact would restart the vehicle and it would provide an interim fix but the failure would recur. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed that the molded transmission lead frame was responsible for the failure and that it would need to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact noted that her vehicle should have been repaired under customer satisfaction program 19N01 however the vehicle was no longer under warranty. The approximate failure mileage was 210,000.

NHTSA ID

11632197

Incident

Oct 31, 2022

Mileage

210,000 mi

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.

NHTSA ID

11631552

Incident

Dec 16, 2024

Mileage

162,000 mi

I started getting a notification on my dash about a issue with the charging system. I checked system and it is fine. Now I am getting other lights on my dash and head lights flashing. Come to find out, it's a bad Body control module. I also have a steering issue, from time to time the truck is hard to steer and I been told it's signs of a bad rack and pinion. I also have had the same issues with my 2011 F-150. The bad body control module I fixed but the steering if bad. I have read on Ford forums that others across the country are have the same issues but of course no recall.

NHTSA ID

11616795

Incident

Mar 20, 2024

This truck is a safety hazard! The waterpump had to be replaced due to overheating, plus numerous other engine issues. it only has 137,000 miles on it But the REAL safety hazard is the power steering goes out at random times. and when this happens the dash goes blank. This has happened 4 times and each time we were lucky it was not on a busy highway, and close to home. The mechanic did everything he knew to do, and when we got it back....It did it again!!! Now, supposedly it is fixed, and we drove it home with no issues.....but...again, they are random, and I am scared to drive the truck. Will it take someone getting killed for this recall to happen? I have seen numerous post about this happening to others. I live on a winding back road, and if the power steering went out, I dont think it would end well. We are thinking of selling it, but I cant in my heart sell it to someone knowing these issues, and if we trade at a dealership, they will find numerous problems and never give us what it is worth, even though these problems are not from neglect

NHTSA ID

11612131

Incident

Jun 28, 2024

The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at 50 MPH, the vehicle stalled with the transmission warning light illuminated. Due to the failure, the contact had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic where a diagnostic was performed. The diagnostic determined that fuse#27 had melted inside the fuse box. The dealer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 161,000.

NHTSA ID

11578901

Incident

Mar 21, 2024

Mileage

161,000 mi

Ecoboost engine shut down on highway in rush hour traffic. Had my truck in the shop after 9526.00 in repairs and new engine it happened again this week. 1 year later. My truck was under 2 warranty extensions . And was in the Ford dealership at those times. I mentioned to service manager that it seems that possible could be the problem. Now I'm stuck with this mess . And it took 18 months for them to fix/ not fix it. Ford dealership

NHTSA ID

11578090

Incident

Mar 14, 2024

My vehicle is experiencing an intermittent loss of the transmission output speed sensor (oss) signal to the powertrain control module resulting in a temporary, unintended downshift into first gear. In some cases, the oss signal recovers while Im driving, and the vehicle resume normal function; in other cases, my vehicle needs to be stopped and restarted to regain normal transmission operation. I believe Ford is aware of three reports of accidents and no injuries related to this condition on the affected vehicles.

NHTSA ID

11577528

Incident

Mar 11, 2024

I had just purchased this well-used 2012 F150XL [XXX] ) because well into retirement at [XXX] and officially handicapped, it was all I could afford and had to get a personal loan for it anyway. First thing was a Lake Keowee Ford (REFLASH RECALL) which was performed and within a few days, everything electrical stopped and the battery started draining overnight over and over. The truck would not start, the column shifter was locked in Park and I could not even push it clear of a carport for a tow truck. With endless research, I find that this Shift Interlock failure is very, very common on these trucks of all related years and mileages. Below is a quote from a site: According to a survey, more than 75000 complaints reported against this problem across the USA in the last 15 to 17 years. In addition, it has affected the reliability of these F150 models due to sudden column shifter failure with minor internal damage. In my case, the Horn stopped working, the seats no longer adjust, the truck is in Limp Mode only and the steering is now only manual. It is a danger to drive, yet Lake Keowee is too busy to return my calls and chat efforts, a local repair facility charged $800 to NOT fix it and refuse to look at it again for “maybe” two weeks” As said, I am disabled and a lifelong type one Diabetic so very brittle. I require a means of transportation, yet no one cares enough to offer / or knows how to fix it. This is a known problem that Ford has gotten away with for decades now and an official Recall on the Shift Interlock needs to be fixed. The ball is in your court now. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11568084

Incident

Jan 25, 2024

Back-up camera works sometimes then goes blank

NHTSA ID

11548262

Incident

Oct 4, 2023

While driving down the highway, a wrench appeared on the display, then the speedometer went down to zero and the truck wasn’t shifting or accelerating. I took it to the Ford dealership and the diagnosed it as an issue with the Leadframe sensor assembly. They also let me know this is a known issue and there was an extended warranty program that my vehicle is over mileage for. The repair cost estimate was $800 for parts/labor. They also stated that the part is on back order and may be a month before they could get it. When I asked about driving with the issue they said it won’t do damage to my transmission but may intermittently cause shifting issues and could result in loss of reverse. I don’t feel comfortable driving it like that but it is my only vehicle. I also contact Ford customer care directly but there was nothing they could do to assist and pointed me here.

NHTSA ID

11546985

Incident

Sep 27, 2023

The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle unintendedly downshifted from 6th to 1st gear. The contact shifted the vehicle into neutral and coasted to the side of the roadway. The vehicle was turned off and restarted and regained proper function. The contact stated that the turn signal was also blinking abnormally. Additionally, the speedometer failed while making a left turn at slow speeds. The vehicle was restarted to remedy the failure. The contact also stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to a certified mechanic and was informed that the vehicle had been producing incorrect DTC codes. The vehicle was diagnosed, and it was determined that the molded leadframe had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 138,000.

NHTSA ID

11534500

Incident

Apr 5, 2023

Mileage

138,000 mi

Service Advance Trac warning light comes on when backing while steering wheel turned. Multiple instances. Clears after a few minutes, but researching issue seems to be widespread across the Ford community, and has resulted in steering locking up while vehicle is in motion. Scheduled for maintenance visit to local dealership to diagnose. Codes read were C1963 & U0428

NHTSA ID

11533033

Incident

Jul 17, 2023