2012 Ford F-450 SD Problems, Complaints & Recalls

Source: NHTSA · Updated Dec 13, 2018 · 3 owner complaints analyzed

Compared with other F-450 SD years
Not enough data 17th of 32 for complaints
NHTSA crash rating
Not rated

Owners have filed 3 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 Ford F-450 SD. That ranks 17th out of 32 F-450 SD model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is steering (2 complaints, 67%), typically at around 37,500 miles. There are 7 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.

Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.

Compare with another car

Most common 2012 Ford F-450 SD problems

Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.

Steering2 · ~37,500 mi
Electrical System1 · ~57,665 mi
Service Brakes1 · ~52,000 mi
Service Brakes, Hydraulic1 · ~23,000 mi
Problem areaComplaintsShareMedian milesOwners mention mostTypical repair cost
Steering267%37,500——
Electrical System133%57,665——
Service Brakes133%52,000——
Service Brakes, Hydraulic133%23,000——

One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.

Complaints by year received

Peak: 2014, with 1 complaints
2014: 1201412015: 1201512018: 120181

n = 3 complaints · Source: NHTSA

2012 Ford F-450 SD recalls (7)

Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.

Power train:automatic transmission:control module (tcm/pcm/tecm)Mar 25, 2015 · NHTSA campaign 15V175000 · 6,322 vehicles

Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2011-2015 Ford F-350, F-450, and F-550 trucks manufactured February 22, 2010, to January 30, 2015, and equipped with ambulance or fire engine preparation packages. The affected vehicles may detect an incorrect Exhaust Gas Temperature Sensor (EGT) fault indicating that the vehicle is too hot, causing the engine management system to shut down the engine and prevent its immediate restart.

Risk: Engine shut down and a subsequent cool down period may delay medical treatment or assistance to those needing it, increasing their risk of injury.

Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will update the Powertrain Control Module (PCM) software, free of charge. The recall began on April 22, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15S09.

EquipmentJun 23, 2014 · NHTSA campaign 14V360000 · 10 vehicles

Problem: Palfleet Truck Equipment Company, LLC (Palfleet) is recalling certain model year 2009-2013 Ford F-350, F-450, and F-550 super duty vehicles modified by Palfleet and equipped with certain Muncie Power Products PTO Assemblies. In the affected vehicles, oil may leak from the PTO pressure switch onto a thermal blanket covering the exhaust.

Risk: The leaking oil may soak into the thermal blanket covering the exhaust, which when combined with heat from exhaust, may result in an increased risk of fire.

Fix: Palfleet will notify owners, and dealers will install a new pressure switch kit that moves the switch away from the exhaust system, free of charge. The recall began on July 29, 2014. Owners may contact Palfleet customer service at 1- 502-376-2458.

EquipmentJun 13, 2014 · NHTSA campaign 14V326000 · 10 vehicles

Problem: Manning Equipment Inc. LLC (Manning) is recalling certain model year 2012-2013 Ford F-350 Super Duty, F-450 Super Duty, and F-550 Super Duty vehicles modified by Manning and equipped with certain Muncie Power Products PTO Assemblies. In the affected vehicles, oil may leak from the PTO pressure switch onto a thermal blanket covering the exhaust.

Risk: The leaking oil may soak into the thermal blanket covering the exhaust, which when combined with heat from exhaust, may result in an increased risk of fire.

Fix: Manning will notify owners, and dealers will install a new pressure switch kit that moves the switch away from the exhaust system, free of charge. This action is the same as the service campaign action. The recall began in July 2014. Owners may contact Manning at 1-800-876-8768.

EquipmentJun 13, 2014 · NHTSA campaign 14V328000 · 21 vehicles

Problem: Iowa Mold Tooling Co., Inc. will notify owners and dealers to inspect the Muncie PTO pressure switch to determine if it is from the range of defective switches and if required, remove the pressure switch assembly and put a plug in the port where the PTO switch had been installed. This switch was never being utilized. This will be done free of charge. The recall is expected to begin in mid-July 2014. Owners may contact Iowa Mold Tooling Co., Inc. at 1-800-247-5958.

Risk: The leaking oil may soak into the thermal blanket covering the exhaust, which when combined with heat from exhaust, may result in an increased risk of fire.

Fix: Iowa Mold Tooling Co., Inc. will notify owners, and dealers will install a new pressure switch kit that moves the switch away from the exhaust system, free of charge. The recall began on July 28, 2014. Owners may contact Iowa Mold Tooling Co., Inc. at 1-800-247-5958.

EquipmentJun 12, 2014 · NHTSA campaign 14V327000 · 10 vehicles

Problem: Stahl is recalling certain model year 2009-2014 Ford F-350 Super Duty, F-450 Super Duty, and F-550 Super Duty vehicles modified by Stahl and equipped with certain Muncie Power Products PTO Assemblies. In the affected vehicles, oil may leak from the PTO pressure switch onto a thermal blanket covering the exhaust.

Risk: The leaking oil may soak into the thermal blanket covering the exhaust, which when combined with heat from exhaust, may result in an increased risk of fire.

Fix: Stahl will notify owners, and dealers will install a new pressure switch kit that moves the switch away from the exhaust system, free of charge. Owners may contact Stahl customer service at 1-800-277-8245, or Muncie at 1-800-367-7867.

Equipment; engine and engine cooling:engine:gasolineJun 10, 2014 · NHTSA campaign 14V379000 · 16 vehicles

Problem: Utility Truck Equipment Company, LLC (Utility Truck) is recalling certain model year 2010-2013 UTLI41A, 2011 UTLN41, and 2012 UTLN46 aerial trucks manufactured December 2010 to September 2013 equipped with certain Muncie Power Products PTO Assemblies installed on 2010-2013 Ford F-350, F-450 and F-550 vehicles. In the affected vehicles, oil may leak from the PTO pressure switch onto a thermal blanket covering the exhaust.

Risk: The leaking oil may soak into the thermal blanket covering the exhaust, which when combined with heat from exhaust, may result in an increased risk of fire.

Fix: Utility Truck will notify owners, and dealers will install a new pressure switch kit that moves the switch away from the exhaust system, free of charge. The recall began in June 2014. Owners may contact Utility Truck customer service at 1-254-857-8813.

Equipment; engine and engine cooling:engine:gasolineJun 10, 2014 · NHTSA campaign 14V382000 · 4 vehicles

Problem: Somerset Welding & Steel, doing business as J&J Truck equipment (J&J), is recalling certain model year 2009-2013 Ford F-350, F-450, and F-550 Super Duty chassis with 6.8L gasoline engines modified by J&J to be equipped with certain Muncie Power Products PTO Assemblies. In the affected vehicles, oil may leak from the PTO pressure switch onto a thermal blanket covering the exhaust.

Risk: The leaking oil may soak into the thermal blanket covering the exhaust, which when combined with heat from exhaust, may result in an increased risk of fire.

Fix: Somerset will notify owners, and dealers will install a new pressure switch kit that moves the switch away from the exhaust system, free of charge. The recall began August 2014. Owner's may contact Somerset customer service at 1-800-777-2671.

To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.

NHTSA defect investigations

  • Vehicle Commanded Engine Shutdown (RQ14005) — opened Jan 13, 2015, closed Mar 15, 2016, led to recall 15V175000.

Recent owner reports

Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.

The a/c compressor just went out for the second time and from what it looks to me is why the second failure has occurred is because the dealership did not replace the condenser as was required and also paid for by me. The truck has the "death-wobble" even though i have reinforced the steering in…

Service Brakes · received Dec 13, 2018 · NHTSA complaint 11161082

As per your odi resume #rq14-005, my rv built on 2012 chassis experienced egt sensor malfunction to number 13 and 14. This occurred on i-75 outside of lexington, ky. I was very lucky to be in the right lane and just barely pulled to the shoulder before the engine shutdown. Had to call state police…

Electrical System · received Feb 10, 2015 · NHTSA complaint 10682653

Vehicle was initially not running and in driveway. There had been no prior indication of any problem, and no issue noted with on-board diagnostic system. Vehicle had recently been serviced at local ford dealer for oil/filter change. Dealer inspection noted no issues with the vehicle. Vehicle was…

Service Brakes, Hydraulic · received Nov 14, 2014 · NHTSA complaint 10734188

Other Ford F-450 SD years

← 2011 F-450 SD · 2013 F-450 SD →

See all Ford F-450 SD problems by year, every Ford model, or the Ford VIN decoder.

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Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2012 Ford F-450 SD?

Owners most often report steering, electrical system, service brakes problems. The top one, steering, accounts for 2 complaints.

Was there a recall on the 2012 Ford F-450 SD?

Yes, 7 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.

Was the 2012 Ford F-450 SD a good year?

Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other F-450 SD model years, the 2012 has too little data to compare. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.