Home · 2012 Ford E-250 · Complaints

What 8 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 Ford E-250

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (8)Crash / fire / injury (2)Electrical system (2)Seat belts (2)Transmission & drivetrain (2)Body & structure (1)Engine (1)Engine & cooling (1)Fuel system (1)Tires (1)Wheels (1)

Newest first · 8 complaints

May 23, 2022Seat belts

The contact owns a 2012 Ford E-250. The contact stated that the front passenger’s seat belt was locked as the seat belt was unable to be removed from the buckle. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic for diagnostic test or repair. The contact stated that he called a dealer however, the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The contact stated the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 80,000.

NHTSA ODI 11465755

Sep 10, 2018Seat beltsFire

POSSIBLE PASSENGER SEAT BELT FIRE IN UNOCCUPIED PARKED VEHICLE. THIS VAN WAS IN BUSINESS PARKING LOT UNOCCUPIED WHEN A VEHICLE FIRE OCCURRED THAT APPEARS TO ORIGINATE FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT LOCK (PICTURED ATTACHED). THE HOST COMPANY ALSO HAS VIDEO FOOTAGE SHOWING THE VEHICLE ON CAMERA WHERE YOU CAN SEE THE WINDOWS TURN FROM CLEAR TO BLACK.

NHTSA ODI 11128517

Jun 20, 2016Transmission & drivetrain

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD E-250. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE VEHICLE INDEPENDENTLY DOWNSHIFTED INTO FIRST GEAR AND THE WHEELS SEIZED. WHEN THE CONTACT SLOWED DOWN THE VEHICLE, THE FAILURE SUBSIDED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE FAILURE WAS RELATED TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V248000 (POWER TRAIN), BUT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 125,000.

NHTSA ODI 10875395

Mar 11, 2015EngineFuel system

VEHICLE WARNING SYSTEM INDICATED TO SAFELY STOP TRUCK IMMEDIATELY. TRUCK WOULD NOT RESTART. TRUCK WAS TOWED TO DEALERSHIP (~60 MILES). FORD REPLACED ONE OF THE EXHAUST GAS SENSORS UNDER WARRANTY. DEALERSHIP PERSONNEL INDICATED THAT THIS WAS A RECURRING PROBLEM AND IT WOULD PROBABLY HAPPEN AGAIN. MARCH OF 2015 SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCES, VEHICLE WARNING SYSTEMS INDICATED TO SAFELY STOP TRUCK IMMEDIATELY. TRUCK CONTINUED RUNNING AND DROVE THE 80 MILES BACK TO DEALERSHIP. MILEAGE AT THE DATE OF THE SECOND OCCURRENCE WAS ~54,500. A DIFFERENT EXHAUST GAS SENSOR WAS REPLACE, NO WARRANTY COVERAGE. DEALERSHIP PERSONNEL CONTINUE TO INDICATE RECURRING PROBLEM AND IT WOULD PROBABLY HAPPEN AGAIN. CONTACTED FORD, NO RESOLUTION ON COST INCURRED OR IF THERE IS A RE-DESIGN AND REPLACEMENT OF SENSOR (S). *TR

NHTSA ODI 10693668

Nov 24, 2014Transmission & drivetrainElectrical systemBody & structureCrash

AS I WAS DRIVING MY 2012 FORD F250 DIESEL A LIGHT CAME ON INDICATING A PROBLEM WITH THE ELECTRONIC LOCKING REAR DIFFERENTIAL. SECONDS LATER THE COMPUTER SCREEN STATED FLASHING DIFFERENT WARNINGS- THE COMPUTER CHIMED NON-STOP WITH THE ALARMS UNTIL, WITHIN 10 SECONDS FROM THIS STARTING, THE ENGINE WAS SHUT DOWN BY THE COMPUTER AND I WAS LEFT TO COAST TO A STOP. IT WAS NOT AN EASY STOP- THIS TRUCK WEIGHS 8,500 POUNDS AND WITH NO POWER IT IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO NAVIGATE OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. TWO CARS APPEARED TO COLLIDED WHEN THE ENGINE CUT OUT AND I COULD NOT KEEP IN THE LANE ON THE CURVE. I WOULD SURELY BE SERIOUSLY INJURED OR DEAD OR INJURED/KILLED OTHERS IF I WAS TOWING A LOAD ON ONE OF THE MOUNTAIN PASSES WHEN THIS SHUT DOWN OCCURED- THIS TRUCK HAS A DIESEL AND PURPOSELY DESIGNED FOR HEAVY TOWING- 16,000 MILES ON IT AND FORD'S NEW DIESEL IS A POTENTIAL KILLER. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10660701

Nov 21, 2014Engine & cooling

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD E-250. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE RADIATOR WAS LEAKING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 57,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

NHTSA ODI 10660112

Sep 4, 2014Electrical system

HAD 1ST EXHAUST HEAT SENSOR GO OUT LAST YEAR APPROX. 50,000 MILES. SECOND ONE ON 8/15/14 APPROX. 110,000 MILES THIRD ONE ON 9/1/14 APPROX. 113,000 MILES ALL THREE TIMES LEFT ME STRANDED ON BUSY INTERSTATE HI-WAY. HAVE EXTENDED WARRANTY SO COVERED FOR PARTS AND LABOR LESS THE 100.00 DEDUCTIBLE. BUT WITH OUT MY TRUCK FOR 2 TO 3 DAYS EACH TIME OVER A 40.00 PART. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10630825

Jul 31, 2014TiresWheels

VEHICLE HAD FOUR NEW TIRES ALL OF SAME BRAND AND SIZE ONE OF THE TIRES HAD A BLOW OUT, REPLACED THE TIRE WITH NEW TIRE OF SAME BRAND AND SIZE. ONE WEEK LATER ANOTHER TIRE STARTED VIBRATING SO WE TOOK IT IN AND THEY CHECKED IT AND FOUND THE TREAD IS SEPARATING FROM THE CARCASS. I HAD THEM PULL ALL FOUR TIRES AND REPLACE WITH NEW TIRES OF DIFFERENT BRAND. I KEPT THE FOUR TIRES AND CHECKED FOR ANY RECALLS. THIS PARTICULAR TIRE DOES NOT HAVE A RECALL YET BUT ANOTHER SIMILAR DOES. THE TIRES WE HAVE ARE THE HANKOOK DYNAPRO AS LT245/75R16 THE TIRE THEY HAVE RECALLED IS HANKOOK DYNAPRO MT LT325/60R18. HANKOOK SAYS THEY WILL ONLY WARRANT THE ONE TIRE SHOWING SEPARATION BUT WILL NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT THE FIRST ONE BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE IN OUR POSSESSION OR THE OTHER THREE BECAUSE THEY HAVE NOT FAILED YET. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10617968

Working with the data? Download all 8 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 15, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2012 Ford E-250 verdict →