Avoid the Worst Year for the Ford F-150
Carlos Kirby
· 4 min read
The
Ford
F-150 is one of the most popular trucks on the market, and it has a long history of success. It is also a truck that demonstrates major technological advancements, as seen in the electric F-150 Lightning
. When shopping for a used Ford F-150, there are great model years to pick from, but there have also been some duds.What is the worst year for the Ford F-150, though? According to
MotorBiscuit
, one year stands out for falling particularly short. The 2012 Ford F-150 gained a reputation for being unreliable and having very little upside. 
Why is 2012 the worst year for the Ford F-150?
Ford F-150s are immensely popular
, but the early years of the last decade were not the best for the signature pickup brand. Drivers particularly noticed issues with the truck's engines and brakes.2012 F-150 drivers experienced enough engine problems to make this model year infamous among truck enthusiasts. Sometimes the engine struggled to maintain power, and other times it misfired while accelerating. Engines especially encountered issues when it rained, as drivers saw more misfires in this condition.
As for the truck's brakes, they gained a reputation for experiencing an issue with a vacuum pump. This issue led to brakes either not working entirely or only partially working. Brake problems can be particularly dangerous, so this made the already troubled image of the 2012 F-150 even worse.
The worst year for the Ford F-150: 4 recalls in 2012
Even acclaimed vehicles experience undetected issues that lead to recalls. However, the 2012 model year of the Ford F-150 was already a car with negative attention, so recalls only made things worse. According to
Consumer Reports
, there were four recalls on the 2012 F-150.Two separate recalls were issued for concerns with the truck's power train. In the event of the F-150 dropping to first gear quickly, there were reports of tires locking or drivers losing control.
Another recall was issued over an issue 2012 F-150 drivers experienced when putting the truck in reverse. In the worst cases of the problem, the F-150 would not go into reverse at all. In other cases, the truck would reverse, but reverse lights failed to turn on.
The final recall notice for the 2012 F-150 is a safety concern dealing with the truck's airbags. Airbags reportedly failed to deploy, which puts drivers and passengers at risk. 2012 F-150s that are on the road today likely have the recall issues repaired, but this still demonstrates the problems with quality the truck experienced.
Finding a 2012 Ford F-150 today
The recalls and other issues are just some of the reported problems with the 2012 Ford F-150. Poor fuel economy, general ride discomfort, and other issues plague the truck. However, this negative reputation means that this model year is not highly demanded, and interested buyers could find a used truck for $10,725 to $27,450.
For other drivers looking for the model year when Ford improved the F-150, they will have to look at the 2014 model year or newer. Despite 2012 being the worst year for the Ford F-150, the 2013 F-150 was found to still have many of the same problems. Things did seem to improve for the 2014 F-150, though.
Drivers who want to save some money to afford a better model year of their truck of choice can switch to a cheaper car insurance plan. With
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