Problems · by component
2012 Ford F-150 electrical system problems
163 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2012 Ford F-150 cite electrical system, 9% of all 1,717 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
163
9% of all complaints
Crashes
1
Reported by owners
Fires
8
Reported by owners
Injuries
1
Reported by owners
What owners say about the electrical system
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
Showing 6 of 163 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 3, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.