2012 Ford Escape

Family: Escape · filed with NHTSA as ESCAPE, ESCAPE HYBRID

Summary

In its first three years the 2012 Escape drew 123 complaints — 0.7× the median of its generation (2008–2012). It does not stand out from the other years of this generation.
These are complaint counts, not failure rates: they are not divided by how many cars were sold, because no public source reports U.S. sales by model year.
Complaints are spread across systems: the largest, Fuel & Propulsion, holds 27% of the 594 that name a component.
2 recalls filed for this model year.
3 federal defect investigations cover this model year.

At a glance

Owner complaints: 619
Recalls: 2
Investigations: 3
NCAP overall: 3 of 5 stars
Combined MPG: 20–32
Annual fuel cost: $1,950–$3,100
Median mileage at complaint: 56,000 mi (n = 426)
Crashes / fires / injuries / deaths: 41 / 3 / 29 / 0

What owners report

Fuel & Propulsion

162 complaints · 27% of complaints that name a component · median 54,000 mi (n = 75)

Owner report The contact owns a 2012 Ford Escape. The contact stated that after refueling the vehicle, there was a strong fuel-like odor entering the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The appro…

Owner report Clearly the vehicle is leaking and is a fire hazard. I received a notice that it has been recalled but it’s not showing up under my vin.

Steering

142 complaints · 24% of complaints that name a component · median 100,000 mi (n = 102)

Owner report [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 OF INFORMATION ACT (…

Owner report 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?

Engine

81 complaints · 14% of complaints that name a component · median 40,000 mi (n = 74)

Owner report Check engine light having a single code P2111 occurring after reduction of power. Vehicle looses power at varying speeds including highway speeds. I have not had it professionally diagnosed. In the process of replacing the I A C. My research indicates that the NHTSA is in the process of investigating complaints of…

Owner report The contact owns a 2012 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 70 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact pulled over and restarted the vehicle and the vehicle drove as designed. The contact stated that the “Stop Safely Now” message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer h…

4% of complaints name no specific component and are left out of the shares above.

Across the generation (2008–2012)

To compare years fairly, each year is counted over the same span: complaints received up to two calendar years after its model year. A year is compared only when that span is over and it holds at least 50 complaints. Median of the comparable years: 168.

Model year	All complaints	First three years	Note
2008	2,417	227
2009	1,846	90	fewest complaints
2010	2,129	168
2011	1,355	451	most complaints
2012	619	123

Recalls

Whether a recall has been fixed on a specific car depends on its VIN; check it at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

16V777000 · FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP

Filed 2016-10-26 · 329,265 vehicles

Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2010-2012 Ford Escape vehicles manufactured February 26, 2009, to April 29, 2012, and 2010-2011 Mercury Mariner vehicles manufactured February 25, 2009, to December 12, 2010. On vehicles with a 3.0L engine, the Fuel Delivery Module (FDM) may crack, causing a fuel leak.

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

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the FDM flange with one that has a redesigned fuel supply port, free of charge. Remedy parts are currently unavailable. Interim notices were mailed to owners on December 13, 2016. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S41.

15E045000 · SUSPENSION:FRONT:WHEEL BEARING

Filed 2015-06-03 · 576 vehicles

Defect: The Timken Company (Timken) is recalling certain aftermarket front wheel bearings, part number 510072, sold from January 22, 2015, to May 21, 2015, to be used as service parts on 2001-2012 Ford Escape, 2001-2011 Mazda Tribute, and 2005-2011 Mercury Mariner vehicles. The affected wheel bearings have incorrect dimensions of a 42mm bore, 76mm outer dimension, and 39mm width, instead of a 42mm bore, 78mm outer dimension and a 45mm width.

Risk: Use of an incorrectly sized wheel bearing can adversely affect the braking and steering of the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Timken has begun notifying distributors who will offer purchasers replacement wheel bearings, free of charge. The recall began on May 21, 2015. Owners may contact Timken customer service at 1-866-984-6536.

Federal investigations

Action	Component	Opened	Closed	Recall
DP22005	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM	2023-01-27	2023-08-07	22V063000
PE13003	ENGINE	2013-02-21	2014-02-28
DP12006	ENGINE	2012-10-02	2013-02-21

DP22005: Pedestrian alert sounds

PE13003: Electronic Throttle Body Malfunction

DP12006: Electronic Throttle Body Malfunction

Engines and fuel economy

Version	Engine	Transmission	Drive	City	Hwy	Combined	Fuel cost / yr
Escape AWD	2.5L 4cyl	Automatic 6-spd	All-Wheel Drive	20	26	23	$2700
Escape AWD FFV	3.0L 6cyl FFV	Automatic 6-spd	All-Wheel Drive	18	23	20	$3100
Escape FWD	2.5L 4cyl	Automatic 6-spd	Front-Wheel Drive	21	27	23	$2700
Escape FWD	2.5L 4cyl	Manual 5-spd	Front-Wheel Drive	23	28	25	$2500
Escape FWD FFV	3.0L 6cyl FFV	Automatic 6-spd	Front-Wheel Drive	19	25	21	$2950
Escape Hybrid AWD	2.5L 4cyl Hybrid	Automatic (variable gear ratios)	All-Wheel Drive	30	27	29	$2150
Escape Hybrid FWD	2.5L 4cyl Hybrid	Automatic (variable gear ratios)	Front-Wheel Drive	34	30	32	$1950

Fuel cost is EPA's estimate at the fuel prices of its last update, not today's.

Crash test ratings (NCAP)

Variant	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover
2012 Ford Escape SUV 4x4	★★★☆☆	★★★☆☆	★★★☆☆	★★★☆☆
2012 Ford Escape SUV 4x2	★★★☆☆	★★★☆☆	★★★☆☆	★★★☆☆
2012 Ford Escape Hev SUV 4x4	★★★☆☆	★★★☆☆	★★★☆☆	★★★☆☆
2012 Ford Escape Hev SUV 4x2	★★★☆☆	★★★☆☆	★★★☆☆	★★★☆☆

Service bulletins

Ford issued 49 service bulletins listed against this model year, most often about equipment.

A bulletin tells dealers how to fix a known condition. It is not a recall and not a defect finding. Most bulletins cover several model years at once, so one listed here may not be specific to this year. The number of bulletins tracks how long and how widely a model was sold, so it is not a measure of reliability.

Date	Component	Summary
2026-02-24	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with wired keyless entry keypad systems and accessory wireless keyless entry keypad systems may or may not come with a wallet card containing the master code. Unlike the integrated wired keypad, the access…
2024-10-10	UNKNOWN OR OTHER	While performing a transmission repair on some 2012-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, a transmission seal kit may be on backorder due to supply chain interruptions. …
2024-04-24	EQUIPMENT	All accessory stick-on keyless entry keypads come with a wallet card containing the master code. If the accessory keypad was factory installed, this card will be placed in the glove box and should be handed to the vehicles owner during ini…
2023-04-04	STRUCTURE	For 2000-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, swapping a module from a vehicle for diagnosis purposes is likely to cause errors and is not recommended. It is also not recommended to order a replacement module using a vehicle identification numbe…
2020-06-03	ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTOR	These SKUs are Exhaust Manifolds with Catalytic Converters. The customer communication requested return of unsold inventory due to a loss of CARB certification. These SKUs can no longer be sold as they do not meet CARB standards, but part…
2020-06-03	ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTOR	These SKUs are Exhaust Manifolds with Catalytic Converters. The customer communication requested return of unsold inventory due to a loss of CARB certification. These SKUs can no longer be sold as they do not meet CARB standards, but part…
2018-03-30	EQUIPMENT	Replacing the original equipment SYNC/Navigation system with either an aftermarket SYNC/Navigation kit or modifying original SYNC/Navigation parts to provide additional features is not recommended nor supported on any Ford, Mercury or Linco…
2018-02-14	EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC.	2010-2018 various vehicles equipped with SYNC or SYNC 3 may not function when attempting to find or use the Spotify app via AppLink. As of an update released on 1/15/2018 Spotify will no longer be supporting their AppLink integration. No re…
2018-01-10	EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL	The Accessory (Wireless) Keyless Entry Keypad can only be used with vehicles that are factory built with Remote Keyless Entry (RKE). The master code for the Accessory (Wireless) Keyless Entry Keypad can be retrieved from FMCDealer - Parts a…
2018-01-10	EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL	The Accessory (Wireless) Keyless Entry Keypad can only be used with vehicles that are factory built with Remote Keyless Entry (RKE). The master code for the Accessory (Wireless) Keyless Entry Keypad can be retrieved from FMCDealer - Parts a…

How to read this page

Complaint counts are not failure rates. A model that sells more cars draws more complaints, and owners file more often after news coverage or a recall. That is why this page compares a model year only with other years of the same generation, never with other models.

Each complaint is counted once, even when it names several components; a complaint that names several systems appears under each of them. Owner reports are quoted as filed and have not been verified by NHTSA or by us.

Every model year of this Escape, including the ones without a page of their own, is listed on the Ford Escape model page.

Sources

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation: complaints, recalls and investigations (bulk files, data as of 2026-10-28).
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program: crash test ratings.
U.S. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov: engines, transmissions and fuel economy.

MotorAlmanac is independent and not affiliated with NHTSA, EPA or any manufacturer. This page summarises public records; it is not a mechanical inspection. Before buying a used car, check its VIN for open recalls and have it inspected.