Vehicle started getting stuck in different gears. Would drive fine for a little while and then get stuck causing you to pull over on going traffic. Having to sit for a while until it was ready to shift again. Would have to shift at manual at times to make it back home. You wouldn’t feel safe at times driving because you didn’t know what to expect anymore. Wrench light would come on and sometimes air bag light will come on as well.
2012 Ford F-150: airbag warning light
38 of the 1,784 complaints about the 2012 Ford F-150 describe airbag warning light.
- owner complaints
- 38
- of this car's complaints
- 2%
- typical repair cost reported
- $1,180
- typical mileage
- 96,000
- recalls
- 1
Is there a fix? There is 1 recall for this area of the car. See below
Airbag warning light by model year
What owners say
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 85 MPH, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted from 6th to 2nd gear, the wheels locked up and the vehicle came to a complete stop. The transmission and air bag warning lights illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and then into a gasoline station and the vehicle shifted into first gear. The vehicle was driving in 1st gear and then shifted to 3rd gear. The contact stated that he went to a different store and was able to drive the vehicle in 5th gear. The contact then drove the vehicle to the residence. The vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and offered the contact a Customer Satisfaction warranty repair. The failure mileage was approximately 165,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving approximately 60 MPH, the transmission downshifted to second gear and the vehicle almost stalled. The contact stated that the "WRENCH" and air bag warning lights were illuminated. Additionally, the speedometer needle was at "0". The contact stated that the failure had occurred at various speeds. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission leadframe needed to be replaced. The contact was advised by the dealer that the manufacturer had issued Customer Satisfaction Program: 19N01 (Power Train) in 2019; however, the vehicle was no longer under warranty. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle downshifted with the check engine, transmission, and the air bag warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was restarted; however, the failure recurred. The contact also noticed the vehicle had gone into LIMP Mode after the vehicle was restarted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the lead frame failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 187,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at undisclosed speeds, the vehicle unintendedly downshifted from sixth to first gear. The check engine and air bag warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated the failure had been more consistent in the past month. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the Insurance provider informed her that the vehicle was included in an unknown recall related to the failure; however, the manufacturer was contacted and stated the recall had expired. No further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 166,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving on several occasions at various speeds, the vehicle downshifted and would not shift into any other gear. During one failure, the air bag warning light illuminated, and the instrument panel stopped working. The vehicle was steered to the side of the road and restarted. On one occasion the vehicle took approximately five attempts to restart. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving at approximately 40 MPH the powertrain malfunction indicator light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 118,000.
Summary VIN [XXX] Airbag light continues to come on after beinig serviced multiple times by the dealer. 1)1-4-18 the airbag light turned on. The dealer completed $1,180.82 in repairs replacing the RCM. 2)11-6-18, a second issue occurred with the air bag light. Cost was $943.46 to replace the seat belt tensioner 3)11-12-18 CAS 16338506. On 11/23/18 the case was still under review. On 12/14/18 I was told the case was closed with no action taken. Escalated case CAS [XXX]was created. 4)4-30-19 – same issue as #2. 5)2-11-20 RCM replaced again. As the repair was 1 month out of warranty I paid $106.52 after negotiations with Ford Service Representative. 6)3-23-20 $635.88 (less ~ $200 for battery) Told by dealer a loose pin at a connector was the cause. 7)1-2-2021 Air bag light on again. (letter #5) 8)10-24-21 B1211 restraint control module code 9)11-16-22 B11D8 restraint control module code 10)1-28-23 B1211 restraint control module code 11) 11-27-2023 Codes B1211 and B0091 (Attached Airbag light on) INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Automatic transmission dropped out of gear while driving on the Interstate going around 60-65mph today. The wheels locked up and the vehicle just reved like it was in neutral. From other Ford owners (Unintended downshift into first gear can cause an abrupt wheel speed reduction, which could cause the rear tires to slide until the vehicle slows down. This condition could result in a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash) My truck shows no mileage and the airbag light is on.No inspection has been performed as of today. Recall # 19507
I had the Sudden Transmission Downshift Recall, 19S07, performed on my truck in 2022. The output speed sensors are well known to go out on these trucks. Instead of fixing the problem correctly, the 19S07 recall only programmed the transmission not to downshift rapidly. This takes care of one of the safety issues, but when the speed sensor inevitably breaks, it makes the vehicle extremely dangerous to drive. The transmission will get stuck in 1st gear, or sometimes 6th gear, or anything in between. The truck goes in to limp mode and restricts power to the transmission. I was trying to get onto interstate 94 and the truck was not speeding up. I almost got rear ended before quickly steering off of the road. There were no injuries but it was close. This issue now happens daily and I am not able to safely drive the vehicle. The truck shifts loudly and "bucks" forward when put into drive even with the brakes engaged. Ford refuses to fix this critical safety problem and there are thousands of Ford vehicles on the road with the same transmission lead frame, and same issue. Ford dealership confirmed that the Lead Frame and Output Speed Sensor Have gone out. Almost $2000 to repair this critical safety issue. I will be putting myself at risk by attempting to fix it myself, as I cannot afford the repair. Warning Lights I see include the check engine light, wrench light, AIRBAG light, the speed drops to zero, and the mileage drops to zero. The truck is EXTREMELY UNSAFE! This issue has happened over 15 times, starting November 2022 after I took it in for recall.
Hello, this is an update to ref 11396297 Since the last incident 1-3-21 letter, I have had 3 more air bag related codes: 10-24-21 B1211 Restraint contol module code 10-24-22 B11D8 Restraint contol module code 1-28-23 B1211 Restraint contol module code, air bag light on. Dealer has done about $2600 in repairs and the issue(s) continue. I have written to Ford again (Attached) Please update your file, and please let me know if you have any new information on regarding Ford F150 air bag issues. Thank you, Pete
Over a couple years had several occasions where the air bag light came on. First time was in 2017 and several times through 2021. See repair reports. Sometimes the light went out on its own, sometimes the dealer couldn’t find anything and cleared the fault or just cleaned the contacts. Finally in August 2021 the light came on and stayed on and the dealer had to replace the Restraint Control Module. It was unclear if the air bag system was functional over these numerous faults and months. Very expensive repair.
Was driving on the highway when all of a sudden the wrench icon on my dash came up, airbag light, and my speedometer dropped to 0. My truck also dropped a gear and slowed down so much that I was almost rear ended by a semi truck. I took it to my dealer to see if there was a recall but apparently the recall for the lead frame, expired for my truck. I personally think that there should be no expiration on this recall because it's a safety issue and someone could get hurt or killed because Ford doesn't wanna take care of their mistake.
Related recalls
Air bags: frontal: sensor/control module-inactive
- What is wrong
- Ford is recalling certain model year 2012 f-150 vehicles manufactured from november 6, 2011, through november 15, 2011. Incorrect software for the occupant classification system module (ocsm) was installed on the vehicles either at the time of manufacturing or during the course of replacement of the module as part of a service repair. Under certain driving conditions, the ocsm may misclassify the passenger seats occupant such that the passenger side airbag does not deploy when it should, does not deploy as intended, or deploys when it should not.
- Risk
- A failure to deploy, failure to deploy as intended, or a deployment when not intended, increases the risk of injury to the passenger side seat occupant.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ocsm free of charge. The safety recall began on may 21, 2012. Owners may contact the ford motor company customer relationship center at 1‑866‑436‑7332.
Recall number 12V198000 · Recall details
Questions about the 2012 Ford F-150 airbag light
Is airbag warning light a common problem on the 2012 Ford F-150?
38 of 1,784 owner complaints about the 2012 Ford F-150 (2%) mention airbag warning light. The model year with the most reports is 2013.
How much does it cost to fix airbag warning light on the 2012 Ford F-150?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $1,180 (median of 6 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2012 Ford F-150?
There is 1 recall and 0 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2012 Ford F-150
Loss of power 246Check engine light 196Stalling 100Won't shift 90Power steering loss 76Misfire 73Shudder 71Jerking 58Engine failure 47Hesitation 31Grinding brakes 28Adaptive cruise 26Brake failure 26Harsh shifting 23Steering lock-up 22Fuel pump 20Won't start 18Fire or smoke 16Transmission failure 16Sudden acceleration 13No deployment 12Door locks 12Knocking 12Slipping 12Backup camera 11Overheating 11Spongy pedal 10Wipers 10ABS 9Sunroof shattered 9Tire blowout 8Steering noise 7Ball joint 6Fuel smell 6Headlights 5Water leak 5
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