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2012 Ford EscapeProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 604 owner complaints about the 2012 Ford Escape, most often about the steering. It is covered by 1 safety recall, and for recall 16V-777 the manufacturer reports only 52% of affected cars repaired.

2012 Ford Escape
65
CarFlaw IndexSolid year46% below the Escape median · #17 of 24 years by complaints
Safety recalls1Lowest repair rate 52%Owner complaints60460 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage100kSteering, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through October 18, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: Elise240SX, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Complaints by system

Where the 2012 Ford Escape has problems

604 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Steering1404
Fuel/propulsion system1373
Engine733
Vehicle speed control708
Structure686
Power train663
Electrical system422
Fuel system, gasoline260
Air bags2521
17 other systems10813

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

1 recall

2012 Ford Escape recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

52%repaired · 2019 Q1

Delivery: fuel pump

Recall 16V-777 · Oct 26, 2016 · 329,265 vehicles · 170,211 repaired

Risk. A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Ford.

Mileage at failure

When do steering problems start?

100kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 100 steering complaints. 49% were reported before 100,000 miles.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
6under 30k miles49under 100k miles51100k miles or more
Best & worst years

2012 vs. every other Escape year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Escape median. How we score

'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25'26
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
NHTSA crash tests

2012 Ford Escape safety ratings

2012 Ford Escape SUV 4x4 in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

★★★★★Overall rating
2012 Ford Escape frontal crash test, NHTSA
Frontal crash★★★★★
2012 Ford Escape side barrier test, NHTSA
Side barrier★★★★★
2012 Ford Escape side pole test, NHTSA
Side pole★★★★★
  • Rollover: 3 stars (20.4% risk)
  • Stability control: Standard
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
2 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2012 Ford Escape, and the recalls they led to.

  1. Electronic Throttle Body MalfunctionDP12006 · closed Feb 21, 2013
    No recall
  2. Electronic Throttle Body MalfunctionPE13003 · closed Feb 28, 2014
    No recall
In owners' words

What Escape owners report

Recent steering complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

[XXX]. We were pulling away from the gas pump with our children and the steering wheel suddenly stiffened on my husband and we almost hit another car! There was absolutely no warning and it was a scary experience. This should be fixed and it known issue. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM…
Complaint 11771888 · Oct 18, 2026
The power steering failed unexpectedly. I am not sure what the problem is but there is fluid all over the wheel well. I see that the was a recal on the power steering. How can I find out why my car was not included?
Complaint 11767723 · Sep 29, 2026
I started the truck and began to back out of my parking spot but the steering was so stiff I couldn't turn so I shut it off. After about 3 minutes I stated it up and the steering was fine. The. It happened the next day while I was driving and that was terrifying!!! It became extremely difficult to…
Complaint 11767066 · Sep 26, 2026

Own a 2012 Escape?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.