How many 2012 Ford Explorer owners reported transmission or powertrain problems?

NHTSA lists 55 Transmission & Powertrain complaints for the 2012 Ford Explorer, which is 7% of the 827 total complaints filed for that model year.

Is there a recall for the 2012 Ford Explorer transmission or powertrain?

No related recall is listed in the NHTSA data for this component on the 2012 Explorer.

At what mileage do these transmission and powertrain problems typically show up?

The median mileage at failure reported to NHTSA is 46,740 miles.

What do owners describe happening with the 2012 Explorer powertrain?

Owners describe sudden loss of throttle power, stalling at speed, a transmission that feels like it slips into neutral, and throttle body issues causing hesitation, sometimes alongside power steering warnings.

Were there any crashes or injuries linked to these complaints?

NHTSA data for this component and year shows 1 crash and 1 injury among the 55 complaints, with 0 fires reported.

2012 Ford Explorer Transmission & Powertrain Problems

NHTSA lists 55 Transmission & Powertrain complaints for the 2012 Ford Explorer, 7% of its 827 total complaints for the year. No related recall is tied to this component, and the median mileage at failure was 46,740 miles.

Transmission & Powertrain complaints: 55; 7% of 827
Crashes reported: 1
Fires reported: 0
Injuries reported: 1
Median mileage: 46,740 mi
Related recalls: 0

Typical transmission symptoms owners report

Vehicle suddenly loses all power to the throttle while driving, sometimes multiple times, with a wrench icon and AWD-off warning on the dash.
Vehicle stalls or drops power at highway speed, forcing the driver to coast to the shoulder without engine power.
Transmission feels like it drops into neutral mid-drive, with the engine still running but no power reaching the wheels.
Throttle body or air intake issues cause hesitation after turns and reduced power on acceleration.
Power steering assist fails intermittently, often paired with a terrain management or advance-track system error, making the vehicle hard to steer.

When 2012 Ford Explorer transmission complaints were filed

First complaint Aug 20, 2012, latest Jul 21, 2025.

55 complaints filed with NHTSA from Aug 2012 to Jul 2025; peak Nov 2015 (3).

Transmission & Powertrain recalls for the 2012 Ford Explorer

No safety recalls on record for this model year.

Transmission & Powertrain complaints by Explorer model year

Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.

201028 (25%)
201164 (5%)
201255 (7%)
2013119 (5%)
201479 (5%)
201586 (5%)
2016214 (9%)
2017123 (7%)
201850 (7%)
201935 (12%)
2020487 (40%)
2021121 (28%)
202261 (23%)
202312 (11%)
20241 (5%)
202515 (15%)

Frequently asked questions

How many 2012 Ford Explorer owners reported transmission or powertrain problems?: NHTSA lists 55 Transmission & Powertrain complaints for the 2012 Ford Explorer, which is 7% of the 827 total complaints filed for that model year.
Is there a recall for the 2012 Ford Explorer transmission or powertrain?: No related recall is listed in the NHTSA data for this component on the 2012 Explorer.
At what mileage do these transmission and powertrain problems typically show up?: The median mileage at failure reported to NHTSA is 46,740 miles.
What do owners describe happening with the 2012 Explorer powertrain?: Owners describe sudden loss of throttle power, stalling at speed, a transmission that feels like it slips into neutral, and throttle body issues causing hesitation, sometimes alongside power steering warnings.
Were there any crashes or injuries linked to these complaints?: NHTSA data for this component and year shows 1 crash and 1 injury among the 55 complaints, with 0 fires reported.