P0012 on Ford vehicles
P0012 is named on 75 Ford model years (2016–2021): 350 manufacturer filings and 13 owner reports in NHTSA’s files, across Fusion, Escape, Explorer, F-150, C-MAX and 15 more.
Which Ford model years name P0012
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaintsA model year is listed because the code is named in its own record — a bulletin filed against it, or an owner’s complaint about it — not because every one of these vehicles sets it. Counts are documents in NHTSA’s files, not failure rates.
What Ford owners said
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseOwners’ own words, scrubbed of anything identifying. Unverified reports filed with NHTSA — what was said, not a finding that it was true.
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…
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
Ford filings that name P0012
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communicationsBulletins and campaigns Ford filed with NHTSA whose summary names P0012. Quote the document number at the service desk — it is a diagnosis the maker has already written down.
- SSM 46450 Service bulletin2017-03-14 · Equipment — Other — Owners/Service/Other Manual
- SOME 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. 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/ED) PINPOINT TEST HK11 TO C
- SSM 47170 Service bulletin2018-03-21 · Power Train — Automatic Transmission
- Some 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. 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/ED) pinpoint test HK11 to c
- SSM 48423 Service bulletin2019-12-20 · Power Train
- Some 2015-2020 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. 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/
- SSM 49821 Service bulletin2021-05-24 · 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
- 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
- SSM 48894 Service bulletin2020-06-15 · Power Train
- Some 2019-2020 F-150 vehicles equipped with a 5.0L engine may exhibit an illuminated MIL with diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) P0011, P0012, P0021 and/or P0022 stored in the powertrain control module (PCM). In addition to the DTCs, the vehicle may also exhibit noise near the front of the valve covers from the intake variable camshaft timing (VCT) phasers. To resolve this condition, replace only the
- SSM 49082 Service bulletin2020-08-12 · Electrical System
- Some 2019-2020 F-150 vehicles equipped with a 5.0L engine may exhibit an illuminated MIL with diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) P0011, P0012, P0021 and/or P0022 stored in the powertrain control module (PCM). In addition to the DTCs, the vehicle may also exhibit noise near the front of the valve covers from the intake variable camshaft timing (VCT) phasers. To resolve this condition, replace only the
- TSB18-2058 Service bulletin2018-02-16 · Power Train — Automatic Transmission
- Some 2018 F-150 equipped with 5.0L engines built on or before 3-Jan-2018 may exhibit an illuminated MIL with diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) P0316 and/or P0011, P0012, P0016, P0018, P0021, P0022, P0300, P0301, P0302, P0303, P0304, P0305, P0306, P0307, P0308 stored in powertrain control module (PCM) and exhibit no drivability concerns. Follow the Service Procedure steps to correct the condition.
- 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.
- 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
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. The record above is what Ford and its owners have filed about it; the code’s page across every make has the whole file.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA files and the OBD-II standardIs P0012 a known problem on Ford vehicles?
It is a documented one: NHTSA's files hold 350 manufacturer filings and 13 owner reports naming P0012 on 75 Ford model years (2016–2021). Whether it is a problem on one particular car is a diagnosis, not a count — but a bulletin that names the code on your model year is the place to start.
Which Ford models does P0012 appear on most?
2017 Fusion (11 documents), 2017 Escape (9 documents), 2017 Explorer (9 documents).
Does P0012 on a Ford mean it is recalled?
No. Recalls are filed by campaign and matched by VIN; no recall is triggered by a scan tool. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls, or open the model year's page here for the campaigns filed against it.