RoadVitals

2012 Ford F-350 Brakes Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the brake system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Brakes reportsComplaints 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.
8
Latest Jul 4, 2025
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
5%
of 149 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
2
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
1

What this page shows

Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2012 Ford F-350 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 8 reports on file name it.

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

Owner reports naming brake

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

BrakesDriver assistanceInterior & seats
Filed Jul 4, 2025
Crash reported

Death wobble

NHTSA ID
11671293
Incident
Jul 4, 2025
BrakesEngineSteering
Filed Jul 8, 2020

WHILE DRIVING MY VEHICLE TO GET ON TO THE FREEWAY, THE ENGINE STARTED REVVING AND RATTLING I COULD SMELL SOMETHING BURNING. WHEN I TRIED TO PRESS ON THE BRAKES IT WASN'T WORKING THAN THE STEERING LOCKED. I HIT MY EMERGENCY BREAKS PUT ON MY HAZARD LIGHT AND TURNED OFF THE CAR UNTIL A POLICE OFFICER ARRIVED. I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE ON 2/28/2020 AND WHEN I RETURNED TO PICK UP THE TRUCK THE NEXT DAY THEY COULD NOT PRODUCE THE KEYS, THIS TOOK ABOUT 2 WEEKS. ON 04/06/2020 APPROX. 2 WEEKS AFTER PICKING UP THE TRUCK THE IT WOULDN'T START, I JUMPED THE TRUCK AT WHICH TIME THERE WAS A RATTLING AND KNOCKING SOUND IN THE ENGINE, I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR SERVICING. I GOT THE TRUCK BACK AGAIN A LITTLE OVER 2 WEEKS LATER ON 04/23/2020. I FEEL THE TRUCK IS SO UNSAFE THAT IT WILL CAUSE ME TO GET INTO AN ACCIDENT PLACING MY LIFE THAT OF MY FAMILY OR ANOTHER DRIVER IN A SEPARATE VEHICLE AT STAKE. UPON REVIEWING ALL OF THE DOCUMENTS NONE OF THE DOCUMENTS HAVE THE SAME ODOMETER READING AND THE NUMBER IS APPROX. 24000 OFF.

NHTSA ID
11338214
Incident
Jun 30, 2020
Mileage
90,000 mi
BrakesDriver assistance
Filed Feb 17, 2020
Crash reported1 injury reported

TRUCK HIT BUMP (SMALL CURB) WITH DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT WHEEL AND SIMULTANEOUSLY STARTED ACCELERATING AND HAD TOTAL BRAKE LOSS. THIS HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING TOWARDS A GAS BUMP IN A FILLING STATION. VEHICLE ACCELERATED FROM ABOUT 10 MPH TO PROBABLY OVER 30 MPH UNTIL IT HIT A STATIONARY TRUCK.

NHTSA ID
11309643
Incident
Jan 25, 2020
Mileage
110,000 mi
BrakesSteeringSuspension
Filed Feb 13, 2020

4 MONTHS AGO I WAS TRAVELING AT 50 MPH. WHILE DRIVING MY FORD F350 SUPERDUTY AT THAT SPEED THE TRUCK HAD AN EXTREMELY BAD AND VIOLENT SHAKE IN THE STEERING WHEEL. DURING THIS TIME I HAD NO STEERING CONTROL, BRAKING WAS AT A VERY MINIMAL, AND PULLED THE TRUCK INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. THIS HAS HAPPENED 6 OTHER TIMES IN THE PAST 4 MONTHS. DURING THIS TIME FORD MECHANICS HAVE TOLD ME THAT THIS DOESNT APPEAR TO BE A COMMON ISSUE SINCE IT DOESNT HAPPEN ALL THE TIME. I REPLACED SHOCKS, TIRES, AND EVEN HAD THE SUSPENSION LOOKED AT BY CERTIFIED MECHANICS AND NOBODY HAS AN ANSWER FOR THIS PROBLEM. THIS PROBLEM IS A KNOWN ISSUE BY NHTSA AND FORD AND NOBODY SEEMS TO BE DOING ANYTHING TO FIX THIS ISSUE. IT'S GETTING TO THE POINT WHERE I CANNOT DRIVE MY ONLY MODE OF TRANSPORTATION FOR FEAR OF CAUSING A SERIOUS ACCIDENT INJURING OR KILLING MYSELF, MY FAMILY, OR SOMEONE ELSE IN THE ROAD. IF AN INVESTIGATION IS NOT DONE VERY SOON I WILL SEEK LEGAL ACTION AGAINST FORD AND AGAINST THE NHTSA FOR OVERLOOKING THE SEVERITY OF THIS PROBLEM. YOU CAN READ ALL THE OTHER REPORTS ON WHAT THE INTERNET IS CALLING THE DEATH WABBLE. THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED SITUATION AND IF I NEED TO BRING THIS TO THE ATTENTION OF THE NEWS SO IT'S MORE PUBLIC I WILL DO THIS.

NHTSA ID
11309061
Incident
Oct 4, 2019
Mileage
116,000 mi
Brakes
Filed Dec 30, 2019

ON 12-24-19 I WAS DRIVING ~55 MPH ON A 2 LANE ROAD AND HAD AN ACCIDENT OCCUR IN FRONT OF ME IN WHICH I HAD TO SLAM ON MY BRAKES TO AVOID THE WRECK. MY TRUCK SLOWED BUT NOT LIKE IT WAS SUPPOSED TO AND I HAD TO SWERVE OFF THE SHOULDER TO AVOID CONTACT WITH OTHER VEHICLES. THE BRAKES MASTER CYLINDER RESERVOIR HAD BLOW OFF CAUSING MY TRUCK TO LOOSE BRAKE FLUID AND THE USE OF MY BRAKES.

NHTSA ID
11292084
Incident
Dec 24, 2019
Mileage
165,000 mi
Brakes
Filed May 10, 2017

BRAKES ARE SPONGY AND TAKE LONGER TO RESPOND IN A CRITICAL STOP.

NHTSA ID
10984718
Incident
May 5, 2017
Mileage
25,340 mi
Brakes
Filed May 14, 2015

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD F-350. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO STOP THE VEHICLE, THE BRAKES SUDDENLY MALFUNCTIONED AND MADE THE VEHICLE VERY DIFFICULT TO STOP. THE REMOVED THE BRAKE PADS AND DISCOVERED THAT THE BRAKE PISTONS IN THE CALIPER WERE SHATTERED. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, THE CONTACT DISCOVERED THAT THE FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY THREE RIVETS ON THE BRAKE PADS THAT MADE CONTACT WITH THE PISTONS. THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT THE BRAKE PADS WERE ORIGINAL PARTS INSTALLED ON THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 66,000.

NHTSA ID
10716536
Incident
May 1, 2015
Mileage
66,000 mi
Brakes
Filed Jul 4, 2013

2012 F350 SUPER DUTY WAS PARKED AT THE TOP OF A DRIVEWAY THAT SLOPED DOWNWARD ON A 33% GRADE. I PUT THE TRUCK IN REVERSE TO BACK DOWN THE DRIVEWAY AND WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO PRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL TO REGULATE THE SPEED ON DESCENT OF THE SLOPE, THE BRAKES FROZE UP AND HAD NO POWER. I HAD TO STAND ON THEM TO ATTEMPT TO SLOW DOWN. THIS DID NOT HAVE ANY EFFECT SO I SLAMMED THE TRANSMISSION INTO PARK, WHICH ALSO HAD NO EFFECT DUE TO THE TRANSMISSION RATCHETING SAFETY FEATURE. I HAD TO STOP THE TRUCK WITH THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. BY THIS POINT I WAS IN THE NEIGHBOR'S FRONT YARD. THE BRAKE PEDAL DID NOT DROP TO THE FLOOR, IT JUST NEVER MOVED AT ALL AND WAS FROZEN AT THE UNPRESSED, HIGHEST POSITION. HAVE DELIVERED VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION AND REPAIR. THIS COULD HAVE EASILY RESULTED IN MAJOR PROPERTY DAMAGE OR FATALITIES. VERY UNSAFE SITUATION. TRUCK IS PRACTICALLY NEW AND STILL UNDER WARRANTY. *TR

NHTSA ID
10523164
Incident
Jul 3, 2013
Mileage
26,000 mi

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.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .