Reliability & 5-year cost of ownership — 2012 Ford F-150
NHTSA data on file today
The 2012 Ford F-150 has 4 NHTSA recall campaigns and 1,717 owner complaints on file as of . Recall data is refreshed daily from NHTSA.
NCAP overall rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars, averaged across 6 NHTSA-tested trims.
Recall campaigns on file
- NHTSA #19V075000 Unexpected Transmission Downshift NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #16V248000 Unexpected Transmission Downshift NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #12V190000 "PRNDL" ILLUMINATION AND BACKUP LAMP ACTIVATION NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #12V198000 OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM NHTSA notice
Most-cited components in owner complaints
- Power Train 642 complaints
- Engine 473 complaints
- Steering 197 complaints
- Vehicle Speed Control 188 complaints
- Electrical System 163 complaints
- Service Brakes 123 complaints
Of the 1,717 complaints on file, 37 report a crash and 14 a fire; across all 1,717 complaints, owners report 26 injuries and 2 deaths (owner-reported, not verified by NHTSA).
Below average
Estimated 5-year repair + maintenance cost: $12,000–$18,000AI estimate — not from NHTSA data
The 2012 Ford F-150 has a significant number of complaints related to the power train, engine, and steering systems, leading to reduced reliability.
Most-common failures
| Part | Typical mileage (AI estimate) | Cost range (AI estimate) | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| power train | 80,000–120,000 miles | $3,500–$5,500 | very common |
| engine | 70,000–110,000 miles | $4,000–$7,000 | common |
| steering system | 60,000–100,000 miles | $1,000–$2,500 | common |
AI estimate — not from NHTSA data: the mileage bands and repair-cost ranges above. Get a written repair quote before you budget.
Scheduled maintenance to budget
Routine items every owner should plan for.
- Oil and filter change every 5,000 miles
- Brake fluid change every 2 years
- Transmission fluid change every 60,000 miles
- Coolant replacement every 100,000 miles
- Tire rotation every 6,000 miles
Warning signs to watch for
Symptoms that signal a major upcoming repair.
- Transmission slipping or harsh shifts
- Engine misfires or rough idling
- Steering wheel vibration or play in steering
- Unusual engine noises
- Delayed or hard starts
Generated by gpt-4o on from the NHTSA recall campaigns and owner-complaint counts on file for the 2012 Ford F-150 at the time. The rating is an AI assessment; cost and mileage figures are AI estimates, not NHTSA data.