P0012
21 owner reports and 498 manufacturer filings across 115 model years from Ford, Kia, Lincoln, Mazda and others.
Where P0012 shows up
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaints| Model year | Filed under | Bulletins | Owner reports | Parts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 Ford Fusion | Power Train | 10 | 1 | |
| 2017 Ford Escape | Engine | 6 | 3 | |
| 2017 Ford Explorer | Power Train | 8 | 1 | |
| 2018 Ford Fusion | Power Train | 9 | — | |
| 2018 Ford Escape | Engine | 5 | 3 | |
| 2020 Ford Fusion | Engine | 8 | — | |
| 2019 Ford Fusion | Power Train | 8 | — | |
| 2016 Ford Fusion | Power Train | 8 | — | |
| 2017 Lincoln MKZ | Power Train | 8 | — | |
| 2018 Ford Explorer | Power Train | 7 | — | |
| 2020 Ford F-150 | Power Train | 7 | — | |
| 2019 Ford F-150 | Power Train | 7 | — | |
| 2018 Lincoln MKZ | Power Train | 7 | — | |
| 2020 Lincoln Nautilus | Power Train | 7 | — | |
| 2019 Lincoln Nautilus | Power Train | 7 | — | |
| 2017 Ford C-MAX | Power Train | 6 | — | |
| 2017 Ford Edge | Power Train | 6 | — | |
| 2019 Ford Escape | Power Train | 4 | 2 | |
| 2017 Ford Expedition | Power Train | 6 | — | |
| 2019 Ford Explorer | Power Train | 6 | — | |
| 2016 Ford Explorer | Power Train | 6 | — | |
| 2018 Ford F-150 | Power Train | 6 | — | |
| 2017 Ford F-150 | Power Train | 6 | — | |
| 2017 Ford Fiesta | Power Train | 6 | — | |
| 2017 Ford Flex | Power Train | 6 | — |
Showing the 25 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.
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P0012 by make
The same record, one make at a time: the model years, bulletins and owner reports that name P0012 on that maker’s vehicles.
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 vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed and DTC: P0012 and P0196 were retrieved, and the contact was advised that the engine was overheating
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
498 manufacturer filings name P0012. Start with what the maker wrote down.
A code names the test that failed, not the part. A bulletin that names it is often a diagnosis someone has already written down — quote its number at the service desk.
Manufacturer filings that name it
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communicationsService bulletins and campaigns whose filed summary names P0012.
- SSM 54366 Service bulletin2025-11-12 · 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-033-25 Service bulletin2025-06-20 · 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.
- NTB25-007 Service bulletin2025-01-29 · 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 service information
- SSM 50067 Service bulletin2021-08-27 · 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 21-2224 Service bulletin2021-07-19 · 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 49821 Service bulletin2021-05-24 · Engine And Engine Cooling
- 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 means a fault was logged and the car should be checked soon; a flashing light means a severe misfire — slow down and get it seen as soon as possible, because severe misfire can quickly damage the catalytic converter. 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.