2012 Ford F-150 Electrical System Problems
Owners have filed 173 complaints with NHTSA about electrical system problems on the 2012 Ford F-150, 10% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 66,500 miles. The words owners use most often: “rear defrost” (8% of reports).
- 173electrical system complaints
- 66,500median miles at failure
- 1mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 51%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.
- Rear defrost: mentioned in 13 of 173 complaints (8%)
- First gear: mentioned in 10 of 173 complaints (6%)
- Heard loud: mentioned in 10 of 173 complaints (6%)
- Window shattered: mentioned in 9 of 173 complaints (5%)
At what mileage do electrical system problems happen?
Based on 138 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 173 complaints, 1 mention a crash, 8 a fire, 1 an injury.
Ford F-150 electrical system complaints by model year
| Model year | Electrical System complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 F-150 | 2 | 17% | — |
| 2025 F-150 | 23 | 21% | 24,000 |
| 2024 F-150 | 40 | 21% | 25,000 |
| 2023 F-150 | 83 | 20% | 9,000 |
| 2022 F-150 | 125 | 21% | 20,000 |
| 2021 F-150 | 130 | 13% | 27,500 |
| 2020 F-150 | 88 | 12% | 3,500 |
| 2019 F-150 | 100 | 7% | 44,500 |
| 2018 F-150 | 172 | 7% | 26,000 |
| 2017 F-150 | 134 | 9% | 44,500 |
| 2016 F-150 | 187 | 9% | 40,000 |
| 2015 F-150 | 176 | 10% | 52,000 |
| 2014 F-150 | 162 | 11% | 65,000 |
| 2013 F-150 | 324 | 11% | 67,000 |
| 2012 F-150 | 173 | 10% | 66,500 |
| 2011 F-150 | 235 | 11% | 68,000 |
| 2010 F-150 | 166 | 20% | 59,571 |
| 2009 F-150 | 46 | 14% | 66,350 |
| 2008 F-150 | 29 | 8% | 82,350 |
| 2007 F-150 | 42 | 9% | 74,100 |
| 2006 F-150 | 60 | 10% | 62,000 |
| 2005 F-150 | 73 | 7% | 69,750 |
| 2004 F-150 | 99 | 5% | 55,000 |
| 2003 F-150 | 47 | 11% | 60,000 |
| 2002 F-150 | 106 | 13% | 88,000 |
| 2001 F-150 | 137 | 11% | 88,000 |
| 2000 F-150 | 191 | 18% | 81,143 |
| 1999 F-150 | 85 | 8% | 86,000 |
| 1998 F-150 | 87 | 6% | 120,000 |
| 1997 F-150 | 198 | 7% | 112,000 |
| 1996 F-150 | 56 | 17% | 100,500 |
| 1995 F-150 | 65 | 10% | 110,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists electrical system for the 2012 Ford F-150. 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 F-150. The contact stated that the transmission seized while driving 15 MPH and making a left turn onto the highway in oncoming traffic, and the vehicle suddenly stopped. The wrench symbol was displayed. The instrument panel was blank. The contact stated that the…
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact was unable to unlock the door while using the remote unlock feature. The lights to indicate that the vehicle was unlocked flashed, but the contact was unable to open the door. Additionally, the…
Backup camera interments . I have original stereo and system. No aftermarket components to effect backup camera
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2012 Ford F-150s have electrical system problems?
No. NHTSA has 173 owner complaints about electrical system for the 2012 Ford F-150 (10% of the 1,783 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 F-150 electrical system?
No recall currently lists electrical system for this vehicle.
At what mileage do electrical system problems start?
The median reported mileage is 66,500 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about electrical system problems on the 2012 Ford F-150?
The most frequent phrase is “rear defrost”, in 13 of 173 complaints, followed by “first gear” (10).
Other 2012 Ford F-150 problems
See all 2012 Ford F-150 problems or electrical system problems across all F-150 years.