2012 FORD F-150 Engine Problems

Unexpectedly downshifting into first gear make the motor damaged

i dropped my ford truck off for a recall that was done only three months ago and it had an extended warranty (Recall campaign number 19S07/19V075 sudden downshift powertrian control module programming) with it but it didnt fix the problem. when i picked up my truck after them keeping it for two weeks and telling me they had no loaners, they tried to say nothing was wrong with my truck and tried to charge me a $169 diagnostic fee and never even fixed the recalled downshifting transmission problem. But when I am driving it will just downshift almost causing the truck to jerk rapidly to a complete stop. This has almost caused an accident and ford wouldn’t even try to fix it and because I refused to pay for a service I did not request they told me to never come back. My appointment was made online and clearly stated...

Driving along I-94, 2012 F150 downshifted immediately from 5 gear to 1 gear. There was no previous issues and no warning lights and codes. Caused significant drive issues and had to pull immediately to side of busy highway. Caused immediately backup and believed to have caused back up accident. After taking to dealership was told it was my Molded Lead Frame. Which had been under an extended warranty BUT since my vehicle is older than 10 years and over 150,000 it is not under warranty. Ford knows about the issued due to the extended warranty issued. However, that warranty still is not effective in taking a MAJOR defect off the roads.

- What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? IGNITION SWITCH, TRACTION CONTROL, ABS, STEERING ANGLE SENSOR, STEERING ANGLE MODULE, MISFIRE CYLINDER 3, TPMS SENSOR LIGHT WITH NO TPMS FAILURES, SHIFTER WILL NOT MOVE WITHOUT FORCE OR HAVING TO TRY AND ENGAUGE THAT GEAR MULTIPLE TIMES BEFORE GOING INTO GEAR AND BLINKERS IN-OP. "SERVICE ADVANCE TRAC" WARNING ON DISPLAY. - How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? VEHICLE NO START, LOSS OF TRACTION CONTROL, LOSS OF ABS SYSTEM, TRANSMISSION WILL NOT GO INTO GEAR ON FIRST TRY AND INTERMITTENT DIRECTIONAL FUNCTION. - Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? PROBLEMS CAN BE EASLIY REPRODUCED - ISSUES PRODUCE MIL/ DTC EVEN AFTER CODES HAVE BEEN CLEARED INTERMITTENTLY. OPERATION OF DIRECTIONALS VARIES ON EACH START UP. Has the vehicle or component been inspected...

Wrench icon came on, truck wouldn’t shift out of first gear, speedometer and mileage stopped working. Lead Frame recall according to my mechanic, $2,000 fix out of pocket. Truck only has 140,000 miles but is a 2012 so Ford says I’m outside of the free recall replacement. Had no problems at all until over 135,000 miles, ridiculous that this is paid out of pocket when issues don’t arise until after the approved date

When I was driving on the highway I was going about 65 mph in 6th gear and then without warning my 2012 Ford f150 3.5 truck shifted all the way down to 1st gear which almost caused me to wreck on the highway and other cars to almost slam into me. Now when I try to drive the truck it keeps throwing a wrench and the wrench blinks and my truck will not shift hardly at all between the gears. After I have researched this issue I see that there has been 4 recalls and a few CSP notices for the make and modle of my truck. The recall numbers are #19V075000, 12V190000, 16V248000, 12V198000 and the CSP campaign number is #16N02 regarding the lead frame issue that causes the extreme downshift. I contact the ford dealership to try and get this fixed and they said there is nothing they...

Transmission Repairs, Molded Lead Frame Components Due to sudden downshift symptoms from sixth speed, gear to fist speed gear while drive higher speeds and low speeds. $1,421.00 Repairs completed 9/10/2025, at [XXX] , [XXX] , [XXX] . [XXX] , [XXX] , [XXX] , knowingly sold this said vehicle as Certified Pre-OWNED 8/27/2025. Now additional concerns, issues have been discovered with said vehicle Monday, September 22, 2025, AM, 1. Oil burning odor inside the passenger compartment. Vacuum Pump Gasket Failure, allowing oil to drip onto the exhaust manifold hot engine parts, components. Valve Cover Gasket Leaks. Safety consideration, due to symptoms, this vehicle is UNSAFE to operate, drive. Technical bulletins TSB’s were stated as issued from Ford Motor Company Engineering Service Operations, Ford Customer Service Division, Mr. [XXX] , Director, Ford Motor Company, [XXX] , [XXX] . Symptoms include Fuel Dilution PCV System TSB 15-00003, addresses fuel odor inside the passenger...

While driving, wrench light comes on dash and I lose ability to accelerate. Have to turn truck off and on again to clear this problem but then it will continue to come back. Unsafe as it downshifts to first gear while driving. Doing research online, this is a common problem with Ford F150 and you issued campaign 19N01 in 2019 - Transmission Molded Leadframe Extended coverage. Problem is, this just started happening to my vehicle, and it looks like this extended warranty would have expired in 2022 or 2023. I purchased the truck used in 2020, but never knew about this. And since I wasn’t having these issues till a few weeks ago, I would not have been covered. I am writing as there are numerous other drivers having this same issue now after the warranty expired, and are having to pay $1500-$4000 out of pocket to fix a known...

The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed that the cam phasers and timing chain had failed, causing engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not covered under a recall or warranty. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 67,000.

The cam phasers are in need of changing. Ford has acknowledged they are aware of the problems with the 3.5 Ecoboost engine but will not take responsibility and repair them. I definitely can not pay for this type of tepair

The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the timing chain and valve had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 151,000.

Engine coolant over temperature condition. Cylinder head overtemperature condition. Engine air filter restriction pending. Ceased running boards/ rusted. Broken suspensions and bad tie rods. Bluetooth doesn’t connect sometimes. Engine or turbo making loud noises when accelerated.

2012 f150 3. 5L Ecoboost engine. Had the all too well known rattle at start up because of failed to ing components/timing chain stretched. Repair cost me 5k dollars and failed AGAIN after only 4000 miles. Got code for timing being over-retarded. Took to dealer that initially did the job. Were supposed to repair at no cost to me, in my opinion anyway. Then they send me a video and tell me something else with the timing was the issue. When I called back to confirm, the story changed again that they never replaced the current failed part in the first place. All these engines have the same problem spanning numerous years and not my truck is being held hostage because they want another 15,000 from me for a new engine! 20,000 for a remanufactured engine is crazy! Please help owners and investigate this issue with Ford Ecoboost engines!

ECM automatically downshifts to fifth or third gear. The picture uploaded is a picture while driving on interstate.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 40-50 MPH, the vehicle hesitated and jerked. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal, but the vehicle hesitated and lost motive power. The transmission slipped and downshifted to first gear. The contact was able to move over to the side of the road. The wrench warning light and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact turned off the vehicle and waited for a while. The vehicle was restarted and returned to normal functionality; however, the vehicle failed to get up to speed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the lead frame needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle had been taken to the dealer weeks prior the failure for service. The contact was provided with the manufacturer's recall number: 19N01 and an unknown...

The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated when the vehicle started, there was an abnormal rattling sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with failed variable camshaft timing (VCT) cam phasers. The contact was informed that the VCT cam phasers and the timing chain needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 74,000.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated while depressing the accelerator pedal, there was an abnormally loud sound coming from the engine. An independent mechanic was contacted. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the air conditioner had seized, and the pulley from the engine was damaged and had detached from the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 130,000.

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...

The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle downshifted with the check engine, transmission, and the air bag warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was restarted; however, the failure recurred. The contact also noticed the vehicle had gone into LIMP Mode after the vehicle was restarted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the lead frame failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 187,000.

Driving down the road at 60 mph and heard a boom pulled over and seen oil coming out of motor and a pulley was broken off of the timing housing of the motor putting a hole in motor where pulley used to be. (Did some research ford 2011-2012 do not have supports on engine housing where pulley mounts but the newer 5.0 motors do have the supports to stop motor from breaking where pulley mounts I will include photos below the new supplied replacement part has supports) This has happened to multiple people

Driving at approximately 40-50 mph and it suddenly downshifted to 2nd gear, stopping the truck. This was the first time this happened. Recall 19s07 was performed on 05/03/2019 that supposedly fixed and prevented this from happening.

Transmission lead frame module needs replacement. Truck will not shift properly and the wrench light illuminated on dash; I took it for an assessment and it was determined that the lead frame module was bad. I found a safety recall for the lead frame module for my truck for which I never received any correspondence about and would like to have it investigated.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that upon attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start as intended, prompting the contact to attempt to jump-start the vehicle, but the vehicle failed to start. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the power train control module. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was towed back to the dealer, who then diagnosed an additional failure with the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 168,000.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while his son was driving at an undisclosed speed, he heard an abnormal sound emanating from the engine compartment. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 19N01 (Lead frame Extended Coverage). The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 137,000.

At 76,000 miles my Turbo’s started leaking engine coolant. From what I am told the rubber seal failed on the lines from the radiator to the turbos. The repair parts are cheap but the labor is intensive (7.5 hrs). To get to the turbos in 7.5 hrs the cab has to be lifted off the chassis. Without lifting it takes longer. In the end I spent over $2000 to fix some pieces of rubber. I consider this a design flaw that is costing the consumer big money. I am [XXX] old. This is the only car I ever owned that had engine trouble at 76,000 miles. I am soured on Ford at this time. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

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

hello i purchased my truck in april 2020.since this purchase this past year i've been on the highway and all of the sudden truck drops down from 65mph to 20mph. no injurys in these three separate instances. I will file this claim and visit closest dealer.

highway traveling, transmission dropped into lowest gear from 65mph. no injury of myself or others in the vehicle. no accident occurred as result. I have not taken the issue up with the manufacturer or scheduled inspection. no other representatives police, insurance were contacted. no warning lights on dash when this happened two separate times since owning the vehicle in 2021.

Attempted to merge onto a highway and car stayed in first and not allowing for proper acceleration. Ended up not being included under a current recall. Replace the lead frame connector in the transmission.

Cylinder 2 had a stored code for misfire and oil and coolant mixture leaking from block. With the F150 raised up on the lift I removed the lower splash shields and continued inspection. Oil was found predominantly on passenger side with a mixture of oil and coolant leaking out drivers side. Using my lab scope I was able to locate the damage in the block. A large crack split down in a Y pattern. This split is located on cylinder #2 location. I would say #2 connecting rod has impacted block due to internal failure.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was being serviced for an oil change. The contact stated that the dealer observed condensation in the coolant reservoir and diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 158,000.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that after starting the engine, a rattling noise was present coming from the engine compartment and the vehicle would not properly accelerate. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the engine cam phasers and engine timing system needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 150,000.

Truck has jumped time and or timing chain stretched will driving truck geared down and was like it went into limp mode I turn the truck off and back on it straightened out enough to get it home dealer said it was the timing chain after running scans on it

The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond and went into LIMP Mode. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact veered to the side of the road. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle several times; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to exceed 30 MPH. The contact was able to drive to the residence. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the timing chain had failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 145,000.

Turbo booster are causing the wastegate to be stuck in the open position and then causing the gas pedal to accelerate on its own.

The problem with this vehicle is the body control module has gone out. It controls everything from the safety functions to back up cameras and engine function and starting. My truck first, lost its back up camera within the first year of purchase, then the driver side, turn signals, stopped working, the battery drains overnight, and the latest issue is that the truck will turn off while driving down the road. Three months ago, the engine cut off and all systems locked up while I was driving 45 mph in town. There are no issues with any other system in the truck. Mechanics have tested everything and state. It is only the body control module. I am unable to purchase a body control module from Ford and my mechanic, the Ford mechanics, the Ford distributor for this region, nor Carmax, where I bought the car can get the part because...

3.5L ecoboost timing chain failure at only 58,000 miles (code P0016 possible turbo problems TBD Front suspension springs are broken. All of these are common threads on many forums. Ford should be held accountable even though mine is 10 years old, the mileage is the issue. FWIW, they completely redesigned the engine a few years later, but never notified anyone to watch out for these common problems or offer a recall

Illuminated wrench light followed by malfunctioning speedometer, cruise control, & turn signal cancellation. Delayed and no gear shifting including an unexpected transmission downshift to 1st gear occurring at 40 mph: rear wheels locked up, engine revved to redline, had to put hazard flashers on and shut engine down in heavy moving traffic. Finally Check Engine/Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL); later reading P0720 code.

Timing chains stretch, cam phasers fail , timing chain tensioners fail . This resulting in engine failure, ford charges $5000 for timing chain phasers and tensioners

The safety recall for my 2012 Ford F-150 that was to fix a sudden downshift on the truck did not work. From what I have read; the root cause for this random downshifting is identified by as this: a defective bulk head connector. When trans fluid leaks past the bulk head sealing rings it can disrupt the transmission's output speed sensor signal. When this happens the ECM automatically downshifts to second or first gear. to fix this issue Ford released a TSB that was comprised of a software update designed to prevent the ECM from automatically downshifting when the loss of signal occurs (I don't know what other conditions have to occur simultaneously). This fix is less labor intensive (thus cheaper) than replacing the actual bulk head connector assembly. Ford has released a revised part number for the bulkhead connector as well. The sudden downshift which has always been prevalent...

The issue that is wrong with this vehicle matches a previous recall that Ford has put out for the same year, make, model. However, this vehicle was excluded from the recall. The recall is 19S07 for the other vehicles. This recall needs to be extended to more than just the 1.2 million vehicles that were recalled. This issue is common in this vehicle, even in ones that were not included in the call. This is a Ford issue, not a customer/owner issue. It caused my vehicle to lose control of the speedometer, it dropped to zero. It caused my vehicle to get stuck in a gear and not be able to move out of it. This causes a safety issue for not only myself but other vehicles around. It can cause car accidents due to the sudden jerking and decrease in speed. I have had this issue diagnosed by a...

Our truck suddenly went into "limp-mode," for no reason. When we turned the truck off and back on, it was fine.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the contact attempted to accelerate however, the vehicle failed to respond. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over and turned off and restarted the vehicle. The vehicle drove normally however, the check engine warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where an unknown calibration was performed however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was contacted and informed the contact that the vehicle was out of warranty. The contact was referred to the NHTSA for assistance. The failure mileage was 139,501.

Brake Failure: The brake Vacuum Boost pump is failing which causes a loss of power assist brakes. This is a massive safety issue and can cause serious accidents. Oddly Fors no longer manufactures the Bracket to be able to replace the pump and there is no aftermarket alternative. My Dealer tells me their notes from ford say obtains from aftermarket but I have scoured the internet and nobody makes the bracket. IT's a terrible design and a huge safety issue that should be recalled completely . Ford watts to charge over $900 to fix it but cant even get the parts as described above. Transmission Lead Rail: Recently had the Transmission Lead rail fail whcih casued sudden downshiting at highway speeds and the shift indicator to not illuinate. THis again is a massive safetey issue that Ford issued sevral TSB on but never recalled. This almost got me killed on...

My 2012 Ford F-150 has 98000 miles on it right now. Right about when it reached 90000 miles on it, it started having this loud rattling sound during startups, coming from the engine compartment. Everywhere I looked, it stated it was a “timing chain” issue. I took it to 2 separate Ford dealerships, each numerous times, and neither would fix the issue, apparently because the issue did happened at the dealership. Note, the truck was still on the warranty at the time. Now, 8000 miles later, the issue has gotten worse. The noise is getting louder and last for almost 3-5 seconds. I don’t know what to do. I don’t feel I have to put out of my pocket to fix this problem.

I began to hear timing chain rattle upon cold start up around 100000miles. I had the motor replaced at 122,000miles and both turbos per dealer and extended warranty recommendation. Now after strictly following oil change intervals over the last 28,000miles I am in the same boat. I have horrible chain rattle upon cold engine crank on a new motor.

Wrench light comes on and down shifts without warning. Very scary when on the highway at 70mph

Throttle body - Truck stalls, reduced power

Vehicle shut off while driving approx 30 mph making a slight right hand turn. Thus losing all throttle, power steering and power brakes. Vehicle error message is low oil pressure but oil level is checked out to be good. Based on online research the culprit is an overheated fuel pump fuse and a very common issue.

When driving, vehicle will drop from 50 mph to 0, causing a sudden stop. Vehicle then will struggle to get out of first gear, and whine. Vehicle will not move in the speedometer, and will not shift past first gear.