NHTSA (USA)High Risk
At a glance
What can fail
The wheelchair lift's side platform can crack. The folding link arms may have oversized pivot holes, allowing bearings to shift out of position.
This page covers 6 recalls and 16 owner complaints for the 2012 Ford E-350.
Powertrain complaints lead the 2012 Ford E-350's complaint record, with owners most frequently describing transmission problems. Reports include the transmission slipping out of gear at low speeds, rough upshifts, and failure to engage reverse after a restart. A separate engine complaint describes sudden, repeated power loss at highway speeds, where the engine shuts off without warning and the vehicle has to be pulled over. Steering accounts for two complaints, though the specific symptoms in that category are limited in this dataset. One isolated report mentions a valve cover gasket flagged during a routine service visit, with no active leak present. Another isolated report describes a fire originating under the hood after a brief highway drive, though the cause was not identified. Tire tread separation appears in a single report involving low-mileage tires across multiple wheels.
16
Total Complaints
1
Fire-Related
By System
The 2012 Ford E-350 has 6 recalls, all involving wheelchair lift equipment, with the most serious being a potential short circuit in the lift's armored pendant cable that can cause a fire or shock hazard if the cable contacts an exposed power lug.
All remaining recalls center on structural failures in Ricon S-series wheelchair lifts installed by various mobility equipment upfitters. The most common issue across several of these recalls is cracking in the lift platform's side plates: when those plates crack, the entire lift platform can break free and drop against the vehicle's lift door, leaving a wheelchair user without a safe way to board or exit. A related problem affects lifts whose folding link arms have oversized pivot holes, which allow the internal bearings to shift out of position. When that happens, the stowed platform develops excessive play and its mounting can fail outright, again causing the platform to separate. Because these recalls were filed by different companies that installed the same underlying Ricon lift hardware, the same owner may be affected by more than one of these campaigns depending on who modified their vehicle. Owners of any E-350 fitted with a Ricon S-series lift should verify which upfitter performed the conversion and confirm remedy status for each applicable recall.
At a glance
What can fail
The wheelchair lift's side platform can crack. The folding link arms may have oversized pivot holes, allowing bearings to shift out of position.
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Complaints are owner-reported and reflect individual experiences, not confirmed defects. They are distinct from recalls. Data sourced from the national vehicle safety complaint database. See trending complaints →
What the fix does
Dealers will inspect the link arms and platform for damage or displaced bearings. Damaged parts will be replaced at no cost.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The folding link arms on certain wheelchair lifts have pivot holes that are oversized, allowing bearings to shift out of position and potentially cause lift failure.
What the fix does
Dealers will inspect link arms for damage and displaced bearings, inspect the platform for cracks, and replace any damaged parts at no cost.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The wheelchair lift platform side plate may crack. The folding link arm pivot holes may be oversized, causing bearings to shift out of position.
What the fix does
Support bumpers will be installed on the platform. Any cracked platforms will be replaced at no cost.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
Wheelchair lift link arms may have oversized pivot holes, causing bearings to shift out of position and affecting lift stability.
What the fix does
Ricon dealers will inspect link arms and platform for damage or displaced bearings, replacing any damaged parts at no cost.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The platform side plate on certain wheelchair lifts installed in these vehicles may develop cracks over time.
What the fix does
Ricon dealers will install reinforcing bumpers on the platform. Any already-cracked platforms will be replaced at no cost.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The armored cable on certain wheelchair lifts may be positioned so it doesn't clear the lift mechanism, potentially causing interference.
What the fix does
Ricon will provide a supplemental cover kit and instructions at no cost to reposition or protect the cable.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.