2012 Ford F-250 Problems, Recalls & Reliability
520 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2012 Ford F-250, alongside 1 recall campaign and 1 defect investigation. It scores 27/100 on the trouble index — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Suspension leads the reports, typically around 85,350 miles.
Typical
Where 2012 sits among all F-250 years
What owners report
“Between 55 and 65 mph when you hit a bump in the road the truck begins to shake violently and you almost loose control. The only way to recover control of the vehicle is to slow down to almost a stop. It is called the death wobble. My truck is stock from the factory and only has 56,00o miles on it.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 F-250
“Driving to dallas, tx. On freeway and hit a small bump. Truck went into front end speed wobble. Had to slow to about 30 mph before i could regain control of steering wheel. This happened 3 times on a crowded freeway.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 F-250
“The diesel def safety swirches go out turning off the engine if truck going less than 10 mph. A very bad safety issue if pulling into traffic.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 F-250
“Severe shaking in front end around 60mph. Truck becomes uncontrollable and very dangerous. "death shudder"”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 F-250
“Driving, had just pulled into a parking lot so was out of traffic truck engine stopped. No re-start. Had towed to ford, replaced 4 egt sensors”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 F-250
“"takata recall" vehicle engine failure at speed, failed egt sensor caused the truck to shut-off in the middle of an interstate”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 F-250
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 390 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 69,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 37,000 and 120,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (1)
Icon Vehicle Dynamics, LLC (Icon) is recalling all 05-UP FSD 2.5 Centerline Stabilizer Kits with part number 65050. The kits were sold as an accessory for certain 2005-2021 Ford F-250 4X4 and F-350 4X4 pickup trucks. The foam ring inside the stabilizer…
Fix: Icon will notify owners, and dealers will install a new shock assembly with a revised foam ring and steel support disc, free of charge. The recall began December 21, 2020. Owners may contact Icon…
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 15V175000.
Technical service bulletins
149 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on engine and electrical — are on file for the 2012 Ford F-250. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2012 Ford F-250 reliable?
The 2012 Ford F-250 drew 520 complaints in federal safety records — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Its trouble index is 27/100, scored against the model's worst year (2019).
What are the most common 2012 Ford F-250 problems?
The top reported problems for the 2012 Ford F-250 are suspension (139 complaints), steering (130), and engine (74).
At what mileage do 2012 Ford F-250 problems show up?
Owners most often report 2012 Ford F-250 problems around 69,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 37,000 and 120,000 miles.
Does the 2012 Ford F-250 have recalls?
1 recall campaign applies to the 2012 Ford F-250. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.