2012 FORD ESCAPE Steering Problems

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.

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.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon driving into the garage, the steering wheel was significantly loose. The steering wheel then detached but was held together by the electrical wires. There was no warning light illuminated. A mobile mechanic diagnosed the vehicle at the residence. The mechanic determined that the upper steering column shaft had detached. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure and advised the contact to take the vehicle for diagnostic testing. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.

In other year models the power steering sensor has been under recall. I have a 2012 ford escape. That randomly the power steering does out this part has been replaced twice with no ultimately fixing the issue. It’s so dangerous when your driving 75 on the highway and the power steering goes out and the power heel jerks from your hands and you almost run off the road or run someone else off the road.

Was driving approximately 35mph and the steering got extremely difficult. Was able to get car safely off street. Turned car off, restarted car and steering was back to normal. Haven’t had problem since this one time. Called local dealer about electric steering and was told it was not in previous recall group of vehicles.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds and attempting to make a left or right turn, the steering wheel made an abnormal whining sound. Additionally, the contact stated that while accelerating from a stop, the vehicle hesitate. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed. The contact was informed that the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 160,000.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at approximately 25 MPH, the vehicle became difficult to maneuver. No warning light was illuminated. The failure had occurred on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the steering column needed to be replaced. The contact researched and was made aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 130,000.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed around a roundabout, the vehicle independently veered toward the right before the steering wheel became firm. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the electronic steering column needed to be replaced. The local dealer was contacted; however, the part to perform the repair was not available. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 145,000.

RE: Subject: Urgent Concern Regarding Power Steering Failure - 2012 Ford Escape (VIN: [XXX] ) I am writing to express my urgent concern regarding a significant and recurring power steering failure in my 2012 Ford Escape, which I have owned for thirteen years. I have been experiencing a complete loss of power steering while driving, creating extremely dangerous situations. This issue is not intermittent; it occurs frequently and without warning, making my vehicle difficult to control, particularly at lower speeds. I am now unable to drive my beloved car, My research indicates that Ford issued a safety recall for similar power steering problems in several 2011-2013 Ford models, including the Taurus, Flex, Fusion, and others. The recall, as described on [XXX] , addressed "a potential intermittent electrical connection in the steering gear that might result in the loss of electric power steering assist while driving." This description perfectly matches the...

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel seized, and the vehicle became difficult to turn to the left or right. The contact stated that as a temporary repair, the vehicle was restarted. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the steering column assembly needed to be replaced due to the steering wheel seizing. Upon further investigation, the contact related the failure to an unknown Ford Recall; however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was scheduled to be repaired at the owner's expense. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 158,000.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at 5 MPH, the steering wheel failed to respond as needed. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact was attempting to straighten the steering wheel and the steering wheel was difficult to turn. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start, and the gear shifter failed to move or operate as intended. The local dealer was not contacted, and the vehicle was not diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 98,000.

Steering wheel locked while turning into a parking lot traveling about 10 MPH. No amount of force on the steering wheel would turn the front wheels. It was total steering failure. Braking failed at the same time. Car coasted to a stop. No warning lamps or dashboard indication of failure. There would have been total loss of vehicle control had this happened at highway speed with catastrophic results. By luck there was not an accident or collision as a result of the failure. The engine was turned off then restarted a few minutes later. Steering and brake function returned after restarting the engine. Researching similar incidents regarding model 2012 Ford Escape shows this is a common problem judging from the number of complaints filed by other owners of this model Ford. A recall was issued for Escape model years up to 2011 but not for the 2012 or later. Problem...

I was driving this morning and the steering wheel became very hard to turn. I slowed down because I didn’t know what was happening, tried to turn into my workplace and had to use all of my strength to turn the steering wheel. No dashboard warning lights. It was sudden and was a scary situation.

The power steering locks up and you can not use the steering wheel at all. I was doing a michigan left turning onto a busy main road and the steering locked up. I had to put my car in park, turn off the ignition and then restart it. All before being hit by upcoming traffic. I had 2 babies in the back and a passenger. This should be a recall and I'm shocked to not see it on the list. No warnings or lights to indicate that the steering was locked up. Did not take it to the dealership yet, I was checking the recall on it first. This malfunction could of lead to 4 deaths today.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 20 MPH and turning right onto a main road, the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The contact pulled over, turned off and restarted the vehicle to reset the steering functionality. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact had the vehicle towed to a dealer. The vehicle was diagnosed, and it was determined that the steering torque sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 127,170.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed; the lever under the steering column was used to adjust the steering wheel, which caused the steering wheel to detach. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

The power steering fails without warning. I have been waiting on a new part for months with no ETA from Ford.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the power steering assist had failed without warning while driving at various speeds. The contact then pulled over to the side of the road, turned off and then restarted the vehicle and the vehicle regained power steering functionality. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent. The vehicle had been taken to the dealer; however, the dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact became aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 109,000.

The power steering turned off while driving. I have an electrical power steering system. Almost crashed because it was too hard to turn. No warning lamps or inspection done

Ford Dealership diagnosed with Code B2278, Power Steering Torque Angle sensor malfunction. I see recalls on same item for many years up to 2011, but my 2012 not included. Many on web describing the same problem with their 2012 Ford Escape. Only have 131,000 miles. Has spoken to service advisors from several Ford dealerships and all have said they see this same problem all the time in 2012 Escapes. It's a safety matter because you drive down the road and it goes out, especially when slowing down the power steering goes out, meaning the steering wheel stiffens to manual mode, even while turning. Many times the engine shuts off. Then in a complete stop while on the road, turning key off/on resets the EPAS steering. This sequence has happened several times. Is dangerous to drive. Don't feel safe letting wife or daughter drive it. All this same info provided to...

While doing an exhaust inspection on my car, I noticed the front subframe is rusted completely through on the right hand side near the rear lower control are bushing. This is a major structural component of the vehicle and I believe it is a huge safety risk driving it. The car has around 114,000 miles on it. I feel Ford should issue a recall and replace these rusted trough front subframes. I cannot afford to replace it at the cost of $2000 including labor. Please help, thank you.

Power steering has failed a few times while driving. Purchased this Ford 2012 Escape in November 2023. Had 46,412 miles on it. Noticed a howl like a power steering pump. Took it to mechanic and he said there is no pump and that it could be the alternator. Had that replaced. Thought this issue might be part of a recall for that year with the power steering but dealership said no. Continues to howl and have lost power steering so we are not driving it presently. When the power steering fails it becomes hard to steer. Thank goodness it has failed at slower speeds. No warning lights have come on.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 40-45 MPH, the vehicle was difficult to steer, and was veering to the left independently. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the subframe was detaching the axle from the vehicle. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and transferred the call to the NHTSA Hotline. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced a loss of power steering assist. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who informed the contact that there was no recall associated with the VIN. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 97,000.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 5 MPH and tuning into a parking lot, the power steering became inoperable, and the steering wheel failed to turn. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 177,000.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at approximately 25 MPH, the steering wheel was difficult to turn. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to steer the vehicle off the road. The contact stopped, turned off, and restarted the vehicle and the vehicle regained proper steering functionality. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer however, the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 112,000.

Power steering failed on my 2012 Ford Escape multiple times, without warning, or any indication light. To fix it required the car to be turned off and on again, which is difficult if you are actively driving. The steering failed while making both left and right hand turns, often at speeds <30mph. 2008-2011 Ford Escape models were recalled for this same issue - 2012 Escapes were never included in the recall however it seems to be the exact same issue. It was brought to the dealership once a year ago to inquire about this issue, but the issue could not be replicated. It was just again brought to the dealership after experiencing a loss of power steering 4 times in 4 days, and they replicated the issue and recorded diagnostic code B2278. It required replacing and reprogramming the steering shaft torque sensor (the exact same fix from the 2014 recall)....

My grandmothers vehicle has had an intermittent loss of power steering while driving at slow speeds and is a serious safety concern, the safety recall I had found "14S05" is exactly what's goin on with her vehicle and it matches up exactly to the recall down to the assembly plant other than her vehicle was assembled a year after the recall, but yet these symptoms of this recall is exactly what she is having. She has brought it to multiple ford dealerships and they turn her away unless she pays them over $200? I would fix it as a consumer, but no lights come on or even point me in a proper direction of repairs. There's no warning lights or anything and the only way it can be repaired is by the dealer so how can my grandmother be liable for this if the car tells me nothing is wrong?...

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 15 MPH, the contact made a right turn, and the vehicle lost power steering functionality and the steering wheel became firm. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was diagnosed by an independent mechanic, and it was determined that the steering torque sensor failed and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and determined that the VIN was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 68,000.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at various speeds and turning the steering wheel to the right, the steering wheel was jerking abnormally. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to several independent mechanics where it was discovered that the subframe connectors were defective and needed to be replaced. The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure and informed the contact that there were no recalls on the VIN. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 173,000.

Shortly after start-up, the power steering stopped working and the steering wheel locked up. I attempted to turn the car off and back on (something I saw suggested online by other 2012 Ford Escape owners), but the power steering did not return. There were no warning lamps indicating a malfunction. When I researched the issue, I found a recall on previous models of the Ford Escape for the same issue. When I searched my car's VIN, it was not included in the recall.

The steering wheel came off in my hands. I pushed it back on and went to Ford to get it fixed, they couldn't help me because they had no techs employed that work on my year vehicle, they never told me it was a safety issue and sent me on my way to look for outside mechanic not a FORD specialist. I was driving and the airbag exploded while I was backing up. It caused me injury and could have caused an accident because there was no warning, it suddenly exploded with a loud noise, if this happened when I was on the highway it would have caused severe accident, luckily I was backing the car up when it happened. I didn't hit anything to cause the airbag to deploy. When the steering wheel came off in my hands it was when I was parked, it could have happened when...

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 60-65 MPH, the vehicle experienced a loss of power steering assist. The battery, TPMS, ABS, and AWD warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering) however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 180,000.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Escape. The contact stated while making a left turn, the steering wheel seized. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle, and the steering wheel operated as needed. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic and made them aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 147,000.

The steering acted like it lost power, it was extremely hard to turn. It showed slide marks on dashboard. It also has airbag light on dashboard. We had a mechanic to run a test, the only thing it showed was that the airbag had no signal to the computer

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 15 MPH and making a left turn into a parking lot, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact stated that after restarting the vehicle, the power steering functionality returned. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent; however, had become a recurring failure. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic however, the mechanic could not duplicate the failure. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering). The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.

Power steering was not working upon starting vehicle. Extremely hard to steer. If this had occurred at road speeds, particularly on curves it could have resulted in a loss of control and potentially life. Extremely frightening, especially as a quick search of the internet found it has occurred for many people and there was a recall for similar issue on prior years of Ford Escape. I am petrified to drive my car.

Power steering randomly goes out while driving. They need to extend their recall from 2011 as they obviously have not fixed the issue.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact pulled the vehicle off to the shoulder of the roadway. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed with a failure to the steering column. The contact had the ignition and steering column replaced; however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to file a complaint. The approximate failure mileage was 178,000.

Driving at lower speed power steering stopped working, turned off car and restart problem was gone. Drove home and happend again, now steering is sluggish and stickes at times.

I was driving in a 45-mph zone and was preparing to make a right turn and as I slowed down and made the turn, the wheel locked up with no warning light or other indication there was a power steering issue, and I nearly struck a car approaching the stop sign on the street that I was turning onto. I was able to drive my car to my destination that was right up the street. I turned off my car and turned it back on and the power steering was working again.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at various speeds and attempting to turn the steering wheel, the steering wheel was difficult to maneuver. During the failure the traction control warning was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who was unable to duplicate the failure. There was no repair performed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 95,000.

Power steering suddenly went out on right turn onto residential street at approx 10 mph. No warning lights. When car was restarted, power steering back on. Paid dealer to scan. Failure code B2278-2F. Replace steering shaft torque sensor (internal to steering column), steering shaft must be replaced, too, due to play. Just two parts: part cost $2272, labor $886. Part back-ordered for unknown period. Have not yet told dealer service to order parts. Asked dealer if car was safe to drive: they said "probably not."

On 2 different occasions now while I was driving my steering wheel has locked up and I could barley turn to get off the road. Once in the month of July and then again beginning of September. I don’t feel safe driving far distances for I have no idea if and when my wheel will lock up again, and if on a back or windy road there could be no way to get over or off the road causes and accident. My car is electrical and does not have liquid power steering and my steering torque sensor is not working correctly. My mechanic said the whole steering and frame needs to be replaced. I have done research and see. Other people with my make and year having the same issues. There was also already a recall out in for the same vehicle (Ford Escape) but the years 2008-2011, my car...

I was driving on 169S and I lost steering. I was lucky to pull off to the side of the road. Found out it was the electric power steering assist torque sensor. I paid hundreds of dollars to get it fixed. I had to have a new steering column put in. I have to bring it back in to see if the computer is now affected by the replacement. The second incident involves losing the ability to accelerate on the highway when trying to pass. My child and I almost died! Why are all the models years not recalled??

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Escape. While his wife was driving and making a left turn, the power steering suddenly failed, and the steering wheel would not turn in either direction, causing the vehicle to nearly crash into a telephone pole. The contact stated that the failure had occurred on multiple occasions. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The local dealer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 140,000.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Escape. The contact stated while approaching a stop sign to make a right turn, the steering wheel seized. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated she restarted the vehicle and was able to continue driving. The contact stated that she experienced the failure once a month since 9/1/2021. The contact called the local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 125,000.

My son was driving my 2012 Escape. While entering the Highway the steering became very stiff while making a left had turn. It felt like there was no power steering. the vehicle is at 135,970 miles. I was able to drive it to my parents and take another vehicle to work. Upon returning to the vehicle that evening the and starting it up, the steering had returned to normal. I looked online and saw that this is a common occurrence with the 2012 Escapes and that there was a recall for this for he 2011 Escapes.

DRIVING CAR AND ALL OF A SUDDEN STEERING LOCKS UP, I PULLED OVER SHUT THE VEHICLE OFF AND LOOKED UNDERNEATH TO SEE IF POWER STEERING FLUID LEAKED OUT, FOUND NO VISIBLE EVIDENCE OF A LEAK , GOT BACK IN VEHICLE AND STARTED IT AND STEERING WAS FINE AGAIN, THAT WAS ABOUT A WEEK AGO, THIS MORNING I'M DRIVING TO WORK AND SAME THING HAPPENS AGAIN. WHEN I GET TO WORK I GO ONLINE AND NOTICE THAT THE SAME THING HAPPENED TO A LOT OF 2012 FORD ESCAPE OWNERS AND THAT THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THOSE VEHICLES MADE IN 2008 TO 2011 AND ASSEMBLED IN KANSAS CITY JUST LIKE MINE WAS. I CALLED FORD AND THEY TOLD THAT THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH MY VEHICLE. THERE ARE NO FAULT CODES OR CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS COMING ON.

Operator of vehicle will be driving on the roadway, suddenly without warning, steering system locks up. Operator has to forcefully pull vehicle to the side of the roadway. completely shut off the vehicle, wait for a short period and restart the vehicle. This lockup may occur several times during a trip. Vehicle has been repaired. The Steering shaft torque sensor had to be replaced. The steering lockup has been occurring over a period of a year. There appeared to be no pattern in the frequency of occurrences.