2012 Ford F-150 Steering Problems
Owners have filed 204 complaints with NHTSA about steering problems on the 2012 Ford F-150, 11% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 72,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “steering assist” (16% of reports).
- 204steering complaints
- 72,000median miles at failure
- 3mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $2,500typical repair cost reported by owners
- 25%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.
- Steering assist: mentioned in 32 of 204 complaints (16%)
- Electronic power: mentioned in 17 of 204 complaints (8%)
- Advance trac: mentioned in 16 of 204 complaints (8%)
- Service advancetrac: mentioned in 14 of 204 complaints (7%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical steering repair on the 2012 Ford F-150 at $2,500, and half of them between $2,250 and $2,700.
Based on 19 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2015–2025), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do steering problems happen?
Based on 165 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 204 complaints, 3 mention a crash, 1 an injury.
Ford F-150 steering complaints by model year
| Model year | Steering complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 F-150 | 1 | 8% | — |
| 2025 F-150 | 3 | 3% | — |
| 2024 F-150 | 4 | 2% | 9,250 |
| 2023 F-150 | 17 | 4% | 108,050 |
| 2022 F-150 | 9 | 2% | 10,100 |
| 2021 F-150 | 42 | 4% | 64,500 |
| 2020 F-150 | 10 | 1% | 54,279 |
| 2019 F-150 | 22 | 2% | 11,800 |
| 2018 F-150 | 83 | 4% | 16,075 |
| 2017 F-150 | 59 | 4% | 30,500 |
| 2016 F-150 | 64 | 3% | 48,500 |
| 2015 F-150 | 84 | 5% | 38,200 |
| 2014 F-150 | 159 | 10% | 70,000 |
| 2013 F-150 | 216 | 7% | 74,500 |
| 2012 F-150 | 204 | 11% | 72,000 |
| 2011 F-150 | 419 | 19% | 76,000 |
| 2010 F-150 | 48 | 6% | 60,500 |
| 2009 F-150 | 29 | 9% | 57,500 |
| 2008 F-150 | 53 | 14% | 63,184 |
| 2007 F-150 | 29 | 6% | 69,250 |
| 2006 F-150 | 55 | 9% | 60,000 |
| 2005 F-150 | 34 | 3% | 80,000 |
| 2004 F-150 | 75 | 4% | 41,000 |
| 2003 F-150 | 15 | 4% | 46,610 |
| 2002 F-150 | 25 | 3% | 82,759 |
| 2001 F-150 | 33 | 3% | 75,000 |
| 2000 F-150 | 68 | 6% | 60,000 |
| 1999 F-150 | 50 | 5% | 61,000 |
| 1998 F-150 | 96 | 7% | 84,926 |
| 1997 F-150 | 202 | 7% | 111,000 |
| 1996 F-150 | 20 | 6% | 122,848 |
| 1995 F-150 | 25 | 4% | 37,385 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists steering 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.
While Driving power steering failed, in addtion this complaint is noted on numerous Ford formums and websites for my year and model truck.
The component involved is the Electronic Power Assisted Steering (EPAS) system. It intermittently fails and returns unexpectedly, causing sudden changes in steering effort and jerking of the steering wheel. This creates a serious safety risk because vehicle control can change without warning…
Rear wheel and steering lock up while traveling at 70mph on interstate causing broken controls on steering wheel . Vehicle is unsafe to drive. Truck was taken to Rivertown Ford 1680 Whittlesey Rd Columbus Ga 31904 for recall repair. Truck was released to me with no signals no wipers. The steering…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2012 Ford F-150s have steering problems?
No. NHTSA has 204 owner complaints about steering for the 2012 Ford F-150 (11% 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 steering?
No recall currently lists steering for this vehicle.
At what mileage do steering problems start?
The median reported mileage is 72,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix steering problems on the 2012 Ford F-150?
Owners report a typical cost of $2,500 (half paid between $2,250 and $2,700), from 19 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about steering problems on the 2012 Ford F-150?
The most frequent phrase is “steering assist”, in 32 of 204 complaints, followed by “electronic power” (17).
Other 2012 Ford F-150 problems
See all 2012 Ford F-150 problems or steering problems across all F-150 years.