2012 FORD ESCAPE — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data
3/5
Safety Rating
788
Owner Complaints
2
Recalls
4
Service Bulletins
0
Investigations
Overview of the 2012 FORD ESCAPE
The 2012 FORD ESCAPE has received a total of 788 safety complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). It earned an overall safety rating of 3 out of 5 stars in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program crash tests. There have been 2 recall campaigns affecting this vehicle, covering issues with FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP, SUSPENSION:FRONT:WHEEL BEARING. 4 technical service bulletins have been issued by Ford Motor Company for this model year. The most commonly reported problems involve the Fuelpropulsion System (137 complaints), Steering (133 complaints), and Engine (72 complaints).
Recalls for the 2012 FORD ESCAPE
NHTSA has recorded 2 recalls for the 2012 FORD ESCAPE, potentially affecting up to 329,841 vehicles.
Recall 16V777000 — FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
| 329,265 vehicles affected
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.
Consequence: 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...
View full details →Recall 15E045000 — SUSPENSION:FRONT:WHEEL BEARING
| 576 vehicles affected
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...
Consequence: 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.
View full details →Owner Complaints for the 2012 FORD ESCAPE
788 complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2012 FORD ESCAPE. Below is a breakdown by vehicle component.
Most Recent Complaints
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 approximate failure mileage was 153,000.
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.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH, the steering wheel locked. The contact used force to turn the steering wheel while driving to the residence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who inspected the vehicle and retrieved DTC: B2278. The independent mechanic determined that the power steering control module and sensor had failed and needed to be replaced. The sensor was replaced. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 121,000.
Took my mothers car to the Ford dealership for inspection. Upon inspection the mechanic told us that the subframe is rotted out and that it is not safe to drive which is why there was issues with steering and tire leaning due to control arm coming off subframe. This vehicle has been taken care of through out the years. My 70 year old mother could have been seriously injured if not dead. Never have i seen a sub frame rot like that on a car unless it was sitting for many years. Now the dealership wants 3,000 dollars to replace sub frame.
Driving at normal rate of speed, Power steering quits and almost lost control of vehicle. I had to struggle with steering to park vehicle away from traffic. Steering wheel becomes very stiff.
Safety Rating for the 2012 FORD ESCAPE
The 2012 FORD ESCAPE received an overall safety rating of 3 out of 5 stars from NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program (NCAP).
| Test Category | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall Rating | ★★★☆☆ (3/5) |
| Frontal Crash | ★★★☆☆ (3/5) |
| Side Crash | ★★★☆☆ (3/5) |
| Rollover | ★★★☆☆ (3/5) |
Safety ratings are based on controlled crash tests conducted by NHTSA. A 5-star rating indicates the highest level of occupant protection.
Technical Service Bulletins for the 2012 FORD ESCAPE
Ford Motor Company has issued 4 technical service bulletins (TSBs) for the 2012 FORD ESCAPE. TSBs are notices sent by manufacturers to their dealers describing a known issue and the recommended repair procedure.
TSB-14-0056 — POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
MERCURY/FORD: ON SOME VEHICLES, THERE IS A FLUID LEAKAGE, COMING FROM LEFT HAND (LH) HALFSHAFT SEAL OF THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION AND A SERVICE KIT IS AVAILABLE NOW, FOR REPAIR. MODEL 2009-2012 ESCAPE, MARINER, FUSION, MILAN. *PE
TSB-14-0016 — STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
FORD/MERCURY: IF DIAGNOSTIC CODE B2278 IS STORED IN POWER STEERING CONTROL MODULE (PSCM), IT NEEDS REPLACING WITH TORQUE SENSOR SERVICE KIT THAT IS AVAILABLE AND IF NOT, DOES NOT APPLY. MODEL 2008-2012 ESCAPE, 2008-2011 MARINER. *PE
ASI-44363 — ENGINE
FORD: WITHIN 20 SECONDS AFTER REMOTE STARTING VEHICLE, THERE IS A START STALL ISSUE AND DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE (DTC) P1594 IS SET IN BODY CONTROL MODULE (BCM). MODEL 2012-2014 FOCUS, 2013-2014 ESCAPE, C-MAX. *PE
ASI-32332 — POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM)
FORD: DUE TO AN INTERMITTENT LOSS OF RPM OR LACK OF ACCELERATION, IN SOME VEHICLES, WITH ILLUMINATED WRENCH LIGHT, DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES (DTCS) P2111, P2112 MAY OR MAY NOT BE STORED IN POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE (PCM). MODELS 2009-12 ESCAPE, MARINER, FUSION, MILAN. *PE
NHTSA Investigations for the 2012 FORD ESCAPE
There are no NHTSA defect investigations on record for this vehicle.
Other Model Years of the FORD ESCAPE
- 2007 FORD ESCAPE — 350 complaints
- 2008 FORD ESCAPE — 2,395 complaints
- 2009 FORD ESCAPE — 2,333 complaints
- 2010 FORD ESCAPE — 3,166 complaints
- 2011 FORD ESCAPE — 1,863 complaints
- 2012 FORD ESCAPE (current)
- 2013 FORD ESCAPE — 3,648 complaints
- 2014 FORD ESCAPE — 2,591 complaints
- 2015 FORD ESCAPE — 1,199 complaints
- 2016 FORD ESCAPE — 1,147 complaints
- 2017 FORD ESCAPE — 3,052 complaints
Other FORD Models
- FORD F-150 — 45,660 total complaints
- FORD EXPLORER — 42,140 total complaints
- FORD FOCUS — 29,539 total complaints
- FORD FUSION — 28,243 total complaints
- FORD TAURUS — 23,867 total complaints
- FORD WINDSTAR — 19,456 total complaints
- FORD EDGE — 17,247 total complaints
- FORD MUSTANG — 11,551 total complaints