2012 Ford F-250: Reliability Data

418
Total Complaints
78,000mi
Median Mileage
Suspension
Top Issue
5
Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

37,000 25th Percentile
78,000 Median Mileage
130,000 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Suspension
119
Steering
111
Engine
27
Unknown Or Other
25
Wheels
16
Electrical System
15
Power Train
14
Fuel/Propulsion System
13
Service Brakes
9
Body
8

Severity Assessment

5
Crashes
8
Fires
6
Injuries
0
Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"DRIVING THROUGH A FARM FIELD AND SOMETHING HIT THE OIL PAN AND CRACKED IT WITH A HAIR LINE FRACTURE, 1/8 INCH, AND OIL LEAKING. NO VISABLE DAMAGE OR MARKING UNTIL PULLED FROM TRUCK, EVEN THAN NO MARKS BUT A SLIGHT DENT IN PLASTIC. NO OTHER VISABLE DAMAGE ANYWERE ELSE UNDER TRUCK. ASKED IF ALL OI..."
"DRIVING THROUGH A FARM FIELD AND SOMETHING HIT THE OIL PAN AND CRACKED IT WITH A HAIR LINE FRACTURE, 1/8 INCH, AND OIL LEAKING. NO VISABLE DAMAGE OR MARKING UNTIL PULLED FROM TRUCK, EVEN THAN NO MARKS BUT A SLIGHT DENT IN PLASTIC. NO OTHER VISABLE DAMAGE ANYWERE ELSE UNDER TRUCK. ASKED IF ALL OI..."
"DRIVING THROUGH A FARM FIELD AND SOMETHING HIT THE OIL PAN AND CRACKED IT WITH A HAIR LINE FRACTURE, 1/8 INCH, AND OIL LEAKING. NO VISABLE DAMAGE OR MARKING UNTIL PULLED FROM TRUCK, EVEN THAN NO MARKS BUT A SLIGHT DENT IN PLASTIC. NO OTHER VISABLE DAMAGE ANYWERE ELSE UNDER TRUCK. ASKED IF ALL OI..."

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

When Does Each Component Fail?

Median mileage at complaint for top components.

Suspension 119 complaints
25th: 44,250 mi Median: 85,350 mi 75th: 135,593 mi
Steering 111 complaints
25th: 49,750 mi Median: 89,877 mi 75th: 132,750 mi
Engine 27 complaints
25th: 36,642 mi Median: 50,000 mi 75th: 90,000 mi
Unknown Or Other 25 complaints
25th: 52,000 mi Median: 89,755 mi 75th: 140,000 mi
Wheels 16 complaints
25th: 40,000 mi Median: 108,657 mi 75th: 155,000 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

TX: 85 FL: 30 CA: 24 LA: 22 GA: 20 NC: 20 VA: 19 PA: 18 CO: 14 OH: 14

Who Files Complaints?

1.4%
Original Owners
98.6%
Second+ Owners

Ford F-250 — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

YearComplaintsCrashes
19911455
19921496
19931836
19941567
199523812
199621211
199734821
1998762
199970261
200041739
200126920
200218915
20031487
200420112
20052074
200633214
2007843
200825512
2009920
20101092
20113848
20131532
20142353
20154257
20164249
2017171318
201861510
2019191225
20203364
20212005
20221364

Active Recalls (1)

Federal safety recalls issued for this vehicle.

Automatic Transmission
Campaign 11V582000 | 08/12/2011
THIS WILL ALLOW THE OPERATOR TO INADVERTENTLY SHIFT THE VEHICLE INTO GEAR WITHOUT THE BRAKE PEDAL BEING DEPRESSED, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH OR INJURY TO A NEARBY PEDESTRIAN.
FORD WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE BRAKE SHIFT INTERLOCK SWITCH FUNCTION AND REPLACE THE SWITCH IF NECESSARY, FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON DECEMBER 22, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP CENTER AT 1-866-436-7332.

Extend Your Suspension Life

Based on the most common issues reported for this vehicle.

  • Avoid potholes and speed bumps at high speed
  • Replace shocks/struts every 50,000-75,000 miles even if they seem fine
  • Get alignment checked if the car pulls or tires wear unevenly
  • Don't overload the vehicle beyond its rated capacity
  • Address clunking or bouncing immediately — worn suspension damages other components

Looking for a replacement?

Based on the data above, here are relevant options.

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Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28