2012 Ford Escape Recalls and Problems

NHTSA lists 1 safety recall and 617 owner complaints for the 2012 Ford Escape (including the hybrid).

Recalled components: fuel system. Most-described problem: power steering problems or locked steering (94 complaints, 15%). Most-reported area: steering (141 complaints, 23%; median mileage when it happened: 99,600).

Data: NHTSA recall, complaint and investigation filesUpdated Oct 2, 2026

Year to avoidBest year

Includes the Escape Hybrid.

1 safety recall for the 2012 Ford Escape

Newest first. Summaries are NHTSA's own wording. Open a recall for the fix and the full notice.

Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

NHTSA also lists 1 equipment recall for parts sold for this vehicle, not the vehicle itself: Suspension: front, wheel bearing (Timken Company, 15E-045).

NHTSA investigations

NHTSA has opened 1 investigation that names the 2012 Ford Escape; it is closed. An investigation means NHTSA is reviewing reports of a problem. It is not a finding that the vehicle has a defect.

A preliminary evaluation is NHTSA's first step, to gather information and decide whether to look further. NHTSA lists investigations by make, model and model year only, so one can apply to only some versions of a model, such as one engine; its summary says which.

What owners report

Owners have filed 617 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 Escape. Below, they are sorted by the problems owners describe and by the areas NHTSA files them under. NHTSA does not verify complaints.

Problems owners describe

• Power steering problems or locked steering94 · 15%
  Median 99,500 miles at failure, from 70 reports with mileage
• Stalling or shutting off61 · 10%
  Median 38,500 miles at failure, from 55 reports with mileage
• Rust or corrosion42 · 7%
  Median 62,000 miles at failure, from 22 reports with mileage
• Loss of power or limp mode30 · 5%
  Median 47,400 miles at failure, from 28 reports with mileage
• Hesitation or slow acceleration27 · 4%
  Median 41,000 miles at failure, from 24 reports with mileage
• Fuel smell or fuel leak24 · 4%
  Median 58,000 miles at failure, from 17 reports with mileage
• Jerking, lurching or harsh shifting23 · 4%
  Median 45,500 miles at failure, from 22 reports with mileage
• Check engine light22 · 4%
  Median 52,200 miles at failure, from 16 reports with mileage

Counted from the complaint text: a complaint counts once for each problem it describes (how we match them). Some complaints describe none of these. Compare other models in the problem owners report most for every model year.

Areas named in complaints

• Steering141 · 23%
  Median 99,600 miles at failure, from 102 reports with mileage
• Fuel and propulsion system139 · 23%
  Median 54,000 miles at failure, from 62 reports with mileage
• Engine75 · 12%
  Median 40,500 miles at failure, from 68 reports with mileage
• Body structure70 · 11%
  Most named: body (58) · Median 56,000 miles at failure, from 50 reports with mileage
• Speed control70 · 11%
  Median 42,500 miles at failure, from 58 reports with mileage
• Powertrain67 · 11%
  Median 40,500 miles at failure, from 56 reports with mileage
• Electrical system43 · 7%
  Median 58,000 miles at failure, from 35 reports with mileage
• Unknown or other45 · 7%
  Median 49,000 miles at failure, from 26 reports with mileage

A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%. Mileage is shown where at least 15 owners reported it.

Ford Escape recalls and complaints by model year

The highlighted bars are the 2012 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2011 Escape drew the most (451) and the 2012 drew 123.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

2012 Escape MPG

Questions