P0012
20 owner reports and 490 manufacturer filings across 115 model years from Ford, Kia, Lincoln, Mazda and others.
Where P0012 shows up
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaintsShowing the 60 model years where P0012 appears most; it is on file for 115 in total.
A model year appears here because the code is named in its record, not because every one of these vehicles sets it. Counts are mentions in the federal files, not failure rates — nobody publishes the denominator.
What it gets filed under
What owners said
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseOwners’ own words, one per nameplate, scrubbed of anything identifying. These are unverified reports filed with NHTSA — they are what was said, not a finding that it was true.
The diagnosis said “ Powertain diagnosis troubled codes : P0012 Code Indicates that the Bank1intake camshaft position timing was retarded beyond limits for a predetermined time period of time
The scan returned codes P0012 and P0014 (camshaft timing, stored as permanent), P0300 (random/multiple misfire), and P0301, P0302, P0304 (cylinder misfires); the dash showed "Auto Start/Stop not ready - Stall Alert - Restart Engine." The…
I have serval codes from varies companies, O'Reilly's, Luther Nissan Dearlership from April to June 2025, the code is P0012, camshaft
The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where diagnostic codes: P0011, P0012 and P0016 were retrieved
Took the car to the dealer and was told code P0012 and P0014 were present with metal contamination in oil
Manufacturer filings that name it
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communicationsService bulletins and campaigns whose filed summary names P0012. Quoting the document number at a service desk is often the fastest route to a diagnosis someone has already written down.
- SSM 543662025-11-12 · Power Train
- Some 2015-2021 Ford and Lincoln vehicles may exhibit an illuminated MIL with diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) P0011, P0012, P0014, P0015, P0016, P0017, P0018, P0019, P0021, P0022, P0024 and/or P0025. Pinpoint test HK in the Powertrain Control and Emissions Diagnosis (PC/ED) or in Section 303-14 of the Workshop Manual (WSM) has been updated to address this concern.
- SA-033-252025-06-20 · Engine
- Some vehicles may experience a CHECK ENGINE light ON with DTC P0012, P0011, and possibly P0010. This may be caused by a malfunction in the intake EVVT motor that prevents it from accurately regulating the intake camshaft timing.
- NTB25-0072025-01-29 · Engine
- MIL ON WITH DTC P0196 STORED IN THE ECM IF YOU CONFIRM The MIL is ON with DTC P0196 for “EOT SENSOR� stored in the ECM. HINT: DTC P0012 for “INTAKE VALVE TIMING CONTROL B1� may be stored along with P0196 for “EOT SENSOR�. ACTION Follow the SERVICE PROCEDURE in this bulletin to diagnose DTC P0196 for “EOT SENSOR�.  Disregard P0012 if stored along with P0196.  Do not follow the
- SSM 500672021-08-27 · Electrical System
- Some 2015-2021 Ford and Lincoln vehicles may exhibit an illuminated MIL with diagnostic trouble codes (DTC) P0011, P0012, P0014, P0015, P0016, P0017, P0018, P0019, P0021, P0022, P0024 and/or P0025. This may be due to small debris causing the VCT solenoid to stick. Before attempting any component diagnosis or replacement of the VCT solenoid, refer to Powertrain Control and Emissions Diagnosis (PC/E
- TSB 21-22242021-07-19 · Power Train
- Some 2020 Transit vehicles equipped with a 3.5L Duratec engine and all 2021 Transit vehicles built on or before 01-Jul-2021 may experience an illuminated malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) with diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) P0011, P0012, P0014, P0015, P0016, P0017, P0018, P0019, P0021 and P0022. This may be due to the software in the powertrain control module (PCM). To correct the condition, perfo
- SSM 498212021-05-24 · Power Train — Automatic Transmission
- Some 2015-2021 Ford and Lincoln vehicles may exhibit an illuminated MIL with diagnostic trouble codes (DTC) P0011, P0012, P0014, P0015, P0016, P0017, P0018, P0019, P0021, P0022, P0024 and/or P0025. This may be due to small debris causing the VCT solenoid to stick. Before attempting any component diagnosis or replacement of the VCT solenoid, refer to Powertrain Control and Emissions Diagnosis (PC/E
What P0012 means
Source: SAE J2012 / OBD-IIP0012 sits in the generic range of the OBD-II standard, so it means the same thing on every vehicle sold in the United States — but WhichTrim does not carry a definition for it and will not invent one. What is on this page is the record: who named it and on what.
A stored code names the test that failed, never the part that caused it. It is the starting point of a diagnosis, not its conclusion — the same code has several possible causes and the cheap one is not always right.
Common questions about P0012
Source: NHTSA files and the OBD-II standardCan I keep driving with P0012 stored?
Nobody can answer that from the code alone, and a site that does is guessing. A steady light generally means the fault was logged and the vehicle is in a reduced-risk mode; a flashing light means stop soon, because a misfiring engine can destroy a catalytic converter in minutes. The safe read of this page is the mileage and the components, not permission.
Does a code mean the car is recalled?
No. Recalls are filed by campaign and matched by VIN, and none of them are triggered by a scan tool. If you want to know whether an open recall applies to one specific vehicle, check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls — that is the only source that settles it.
Why do the counts here differ from other sites?
Because these are not estimates. Every number on this page is a count of documents in NHTSA's own files: manufacturer communications that name the code in their filed summary, and owner complaints that name it in the narrative. We do not model, weight or extrapolate them.
Will clearing the code fix it?
Clearing turns the light off and erases the freeze-frame data a technician would have used to work out what happened. If the condition is still there the code returns, usually within a few drive cycles, and the diagnosis now starts from less information than before.