YearToAvoid

2012 Ford F-250 Brakes Problems

NHTSA lists 18 brake complaints for the 2012 Ford F-250, about 6% of that year's 323 total complaints. No related recalls are listed, and NHTSA records no crashes, fires, or injuries tied to these reports. Median mileage at failure was 34,500 miles.

Brakes complaints
18
6% of 323
Crashes reported
0
Fires reported
0
Injuries reported
0
Median mileage
34,500 mi
Related recalls
0

Typical brake symptoms owners report

  • Brake pedal sinks toward the floor before engaging, sometimes requiring pumping to stop the truck.
  • Soft or spongy pedal feel with reduced stopping power, in one case leading to a low-speed collision avoided only by using the trailer brake switch.
  • Sticking front brake calipers causing a loud squeal at startup, which owners say dealers linked to a technical issue seen on the 2011 model year.
  • Brakes losing effectiveness after driving through snow in cold temperatures, returning to normal once temperatures rose.
  • Vehicle shaking violently over bumps at highway speed with ABS activating and brakes failing to slow the truck properly.
  • Smoking brakes and poor stopping performance reported after a hard stop from highway speed.

When 2012 Ford F-250 brake complaints were filed

First complaint Feb 11, 2013, latest May 15, 2021.

2012 Ford F-250 brakes complaints: complaints filed per month2Feb 2013Jun 2014Nov 2015Apr 2016Nov 2019Apr 2021
18 complaints filed with NHTSA from Feb 2013 to May 2021; peak Mar 2016 (2).

Brakes recalls for the 2012 Ford F-250

No safety recalls on record for this model year.

Brakes complaints by F-250 model year

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

  1. 200531 (7%)
  2. 200630 (6%)
  3. 20074 (4%)
  4. 200840 (12%)
  5. 20092 (3%)
  6. 20102 (2%)
  7. 201121 (6%)
  8. 201218 (6%)
  9. 20135 (4%)
  10. 20144 (2%)
  11. 201514 (5%)
  12. 20166 (2%)
  13. 201731 (3%)
  14. 201811 (3%)
  15. 201927 (2%)
  16. 20205 (2%)
  17. 20217 (4%)
  18. 20226 (5%)
  19. 20237 (16%)
  20. 20245 (13%)
  21. 20255 (31%)

Frequently asked questions

How many brake complaints does NHTSA have for the 2012 Ford F-250?
NHTSA lists 18 brake-related complaints for the 2012 Ford F-250, which is 6% of the 323 total complaints filed for that model year.
Is there a brake recall for the 2012 Ford F-250?
No. The data shows no related recalls listed for brake issues on the 2012 Ford F-250.
At what mileage do 2012 F-250 brake problems usually show up?
The median mileage at failure for brake complaints on the 2012 Ford F-250 is 34,500 miles.
Did the 2012 F-250 brake issues cause any crashes or injuries?
NHTSA records show zero crashes, zero fires, and zero injuries linked to the brake complaints for this model year.
How does the 2012 F-250 compare to other years for brake complaints?
The 2012 F-250's brake complaint share is 6%, similar to 2011 (6%) but higher than years like 2014 (2%), 2016 (2%), 2019 (2%), and 2020 (2%).

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.