2012 Ford Explorer Power Train Problems
Owners have filed 55 complaints with NHTSA about power train problems on the 2012 Ford Explorer, 7% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 46,740 miles. The words owners use most often: “turn off” (16% of reports).
- 55power train complaints
- 46,740median miles at failure
- 1mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 30%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Turn off: mentioned in 9 of 55 complaints (16%)
- Throttle body: mentioned in 8 of 55 complaints (15%)
- Wrench icon: mentioned in 6 of 55 complaints (11%)
At what mileage do power train problems happen?
Based on 50 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 55 complaints, 1 mention a crash, 1 an injury.
Ford Explorer power train complaints by model year
| Model year | Power Train complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Explorer | 3 | 7% | — |
| 2025 Explorer | 15 | 15% | 8,967 |
| 2024 Explorer | 1 | 5% | — |
| 2023 Explorer | 12 | 11% | 10,600 |
| 2022 Explorer | 61 | 23% | 22,000 |
| 2021 Explorer | 126 | 29% | 46,000 |
| 2020 Explorer | 495 | 40% | 42,000 |
| 2019 Explorer | 35 | 12% | 82,500 |
| 2018 Explorer | 50 | 7% | 86,000 |
| 2017 Explorer | 123 | 7% | 55,425 |
| 2016 Explorer | 215 | 9% | 47,075 |
| 2015 Explorer | 86 | 5% | 50,000 |
| 2014 Explorer | 79 | 5% | 75,207 |
| 2013 Explorer | 119 | 5% | 60,000 |
| 2012 Explorer | 55 | 7% | 46,740 |
| 2011 Explorer | 64 | 5% | 50,500 |
| 2010 Explorer | 28 | 24% | 80,500 |
| 2009 Explorer | 3 | 9% | 78,000 |
| 2008 Explorer | 36 | 24% | 84,325 |
| 2007 Explorer | 57 | 27% | 69,000 |
| 2006 Explorer | 296 | 47% | 60,460 |
| 2005 Explorer | 99 | 20% | 75,000 |
| 2004 Explorer | 460 | 35% | 50,000 |
| 2003 Explorer | 335 | 30% | 77,000 |
| 2002 Explorer | 1,502 | 46% | 80,173 |
| 2001 Explorer | 42 | 11% | 108,700 |
| 2000 Explorer | 133 | 14% | 77,500 |
| 1999 Explorer | 115 | 9% | 91,000 |
| 1998 Explorer | 103 | 5% | 102,157 |
| 1997 Explorer | 104 | 6% | 95,594 |
| 1996 Explorer | 120 | 8% | 138,579 |
| 1995 Explorer | 119 | 14% | 103,310 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists power train for the 2012 Ford Explorer. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40-60 MPH, the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. In addition, the contact stated that there was an abnormal burning odor coming from the…
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 3 MPH, the power steering fault, the turn signal, advance-trac alert, and power train warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the steering wheel became inoperable. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic…
The truck has been in shop 5 times or actually 5 different dealerships. The recall has yet to be fixed but I continually pay to have the problem INVESTIGATED. The dash flashes loss of fuel pressure, service advance track soon, Battery level and mechanic wrench . I have this on video as it is…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2012 Ford Explorers have power train problems?
No. NHTSA has 55 owner complaints about power train for the 2012 Ford Explorer (7% of the 829 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2012 Ford Explorer power train?
No recall currently lists power train for this vehicle.
At what mileage do power train problems start?
The median reported mileage is 46,740 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about power train problems on the 2012 Ford Explorer?
The most frequent phrase is “turn off”, in 9 of 55 complaints, followed by “throttle body” (8).
Other 2012 Ford Explorer problems
- Steering problems (360)
- Structure problems (144)
- Engine problems (79)
- Electrical System problems (63)
See all 2012 Ford Explorer problems or power train problems across all Explorer years.