Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
800–25K
8825–50K
9850–75K
5375–100K
67100–150K
27150K+
413 reports with mileage · 185 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
Fuel/propulsion System. Review the 137 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Steering. Review the 137 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Engine. Review the 72 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
37 crash reports3 fire reports18 injury reports
What owners actually said
598 reports
1,000 miles · Apr 5, 2013
Suspension
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SHOCKS ON THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE MADE NOISES WHENEVER A POTHOLE WAS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE SHOCKS WERE REPLACED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY WERE GOING SEND THE SHOCKS TO FORD'S ENGINEERS TO BE INSPECTED SINCE THIS WAS A KNOWN PROBLEM.…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SHOCKS ON THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE MADE NOISES WHENEVER A POTHOLE WAS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE SHOCKS WERE REPLACED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY WERE GOING SEND THE SHOCKS TO FORD'S ENGINEERS TO BE INSPECTED SINCE THIS WAS A KNOWN PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN INSPECTED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 1,000. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10507264
20,000 miles · Apr 4, 2013
Vehicle Speed Control
VEHICLE IS REPEATEDLY SURGING WITHOUT WARNING OR STALLING WITHOUT WARNING. OFTEN DURING TURNS IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. DEALER IS UNABLE TO REPLICATE BUT SUSPECTS THROTTLE BODY MALFUNCTION. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10507062
10,000 miles · Apr 3, 2013
Engine
AS WE WERE DRIVING THE CAR STALLED AND STOPPED WORKING. THIS HAS NOW HAPPENED 4 TIMES. WE HAVE ALSO HAD THE THROTTLE SURGE. I HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO FORD ONLY TO BE TOLD THEY CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM THEREFORE THEY CANNOT FIX IT. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10507008
500 miles · Mar 17, 2013
Engine
ENGINE STALLS AND DOES NOT RESPOND AT DIFFERENT TIMES. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10503354
6,412 miles · Mar 17, 2013
EnginePower Train
WHEN MY ESCAPE IS IN THE RUNNING MODE, THE ENGINE DOES NOT SOUNDS LIKE A GAS RUNNING VEHICLE, BUT IT RUNS LOUD LIKE A TRUCK. WHEN PRESSING THE GAS I HAVE TO PRESS THE GAS PEDAL TO THE FLOOR BEFORE MOVING AT A GOOD SPEED, THE TRANSMISSION SLIPS INTO GEARS. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10503303
15,371 miles · Mar 15, 2013
Engine And Engine CoolingVehicle Speed Control
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH AND DECELERATING, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED AND RESUMED NORMAL FUNCTION. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 15,3…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH AND DECELERATING, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED AND RESUMED NORMAL FUNCTION. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 15,371. UPDATED 04/10/13*LJ THE DEALER STATED THE COMPUTER DID NOT REGISTER A PROBLEM. UPDATED 04/18/13 UPDATED 11/19/13*LJ UPDATED 11/26/2013 *JS
NHTSA ODI #10503163
69,016 miles · Mar 2, 2013
Vehicle Speed Control
I WAS DRIVING MY ESCAPE ABOUT 15 MPH AND WENT TO ACCELERATE. WHEN I PUSHED THE GAS PEDAL DOWN, THE TOTAL CAR DID NOTHING. I JUST HESITATED AND STUMBLED THEN FINALLY ACCELERATED. IT HAS DONE THIS SINCE NEW, BUT THOUGHT IT WAS JUST THE DRIVE BY WIRE SYSTEM THEY USE NOW. THIS MAKES ME NERVOUS IF IN A SUDDEN AVOIDANCE SITUATION AND …
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I WAS DRIVING MY ESCAPE ABOUT 15 MPH AND WENT TO ACCELERATE. WHEN I PUSHED THE GAS PEDAL DOWN, THE TOTAL CAR DID NOTHING. I JUST HESITATED AND STUMBLED THEN FINALLY ACCELERATED. IT HAS DONE THIS SINCE NEW, BUT THOUGHT IT WAS JUST THE DRIVE BY WIRE SYSTEM THEY USE NOW. THIS MAKES ME NERVOUS IF IN A SUDDEN AVOIDANCE SITUATION AND CAN'T AVOID IT. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10501078
11,000 miles · Mar 1, 2013
Engine
WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AT APPROX. 35-40 MPH, MY FORD ESCAPE JUST STALLED. NO WARNING LIGHTS WERE ON PRIOR TO OR AFTER THE INCIDENT. I COASTED TO A SAFE PLACE WITH MY HAZARD LIGHTS ON, PUT IT IN PARK, AND IT STARTED UP ON THE FIRST TRY. IT HAS NOT HAPPENED AGAIN (IT HAS BEEN 6 DAYS). THE FORD DEALERSHIP COULD NOT FIND AN…
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WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AT APPROX. 35-40 MPH, MY FORD ESCAPE JUST STALLED. NO WARNING LIGHTS WERE ON PRIOR TO OR AFTER THE INCIDENT. I COASTED TO A SAFE PLACE WITH MY HAZARD LIGHTS ON, PUT IT IN PARK, AND IT STARTED UP ON THE FIRST TRY. IT HAS NOT HAPPENED AGAIN (IT HAS BEEN 6 DAYS). THE FORD DEALERSHIP COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG AND HAS INSTALLED A RECORDER TO SEE IF IT HAPPENS AGAIN WITHIN THE NEXT 2 WKS. THIS WAS A VERY SCARY OCCURRENCE AND I AM NERVOUS WITH MY CHILDREN IN THE CAR. SOMETHING LIKE THIS, COULD HAVE A VERY SERIOUS CATASTROPHIC OUTCOME. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10500979
4,900 miles · Feb 28, 2013
Vehicle Speed Control
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE VEHICLE BECAME UNRESPONSIVE TO ACCELERATION ATTEMPTS HOWEVER, THE ENGINE RPMS INCREASED. THERE WAS A TWENTY SECOND DELAY IN VEHICLE RESPONSE. THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING ON …
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE VEHICLE BECAME UNRESPONSIVE TO ACCELERATION ATTEMPTS HOWEVER, THE ENGINE RPMS INCREASED. THERE WAS A TWENTY SECOND DELAY IN VEHICLE RESPONSE. THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING ON FOUR DIFFERENT OCCASIONS AND EACH TIME THE CONTACT WAS TOLD THAT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE REPLICATED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 4,900 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 9,900.
NHTSA ODI #10500777
6,900 miles · Feb 26, 2013
Engine
WHEN DRIVING TO PICK UP MY MANUAL IRONICALLY FROM THE DEALERSHIP, PULLED INTO THE DEALERSHIP LOT AND LOWERED SPEED TURNING INTO LOT AND ENGINE STALLED...ALSO WHEN I WOULD BACK UP OUT OF MY WORK PARKING LOT SPACE, PUTTING THE VEHICLE IN DRIVE FROM A COMPLETE STOP THE VEHICLE WOULD SURGE AND HAVE ALMOST HIT THE PARKED CARS NEXT TO…
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WHEN DRIVING TO PICK UP MY MANUAL IRONICALLY FROM THE DEALERSHIP, PULLED INTO THE DEALERSHIP LOT AND LOWERED SPEED TURNING INTO LOT AND ENGINE STALLED...ALSO WHEN I WOULD BACK UP OUT OF MY WORK PARKING LOT SPACE, PUTTING THE VEHICLE IN DRIVE FROM A COMPLETE STOP THE VEHICLE WOULD SURGE AND HAVE ALMOST HIT THE PARKED CARS NEXT TO ME. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS FOR 2012 FORD ESCAPES AS WELL...ENGINE AS SURGED AND STALLED AND HESITATES WHEN DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS...THANK YOU... *TR
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 & remedy
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 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.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
2
PE13003 · Electronic Throttle Body Malfunction
Opened Feb 21, 2013 · Closed Feb 28, 2014
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Engine
On February 21, 2013, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation PE13-003 to investigate allegations of electronic throttle body (ETB) failures resulting in sudden reduction of engine power in model year (MY) 2009-2013 Ford Escape, Fusion, Mariner and Milan vehicles. During this investigation, Ford identified a condition in subject vehicles equipped with 2.5L and 3.0L engines that may result in a sudden reduction of engine power.According to Ford, the ETB internal motor contacts may develop a high resistance material buildup condition on the commutator, resulting in intermittent electrical connectivity and reduced engine power. When this condition occurs, the Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) or Wrench light will illuminate and the vehicle may enter a limited limp home mode.Ford?s trade name for the feature is Failure Mode Effects Management (FMEM) mode.In this mode, engine power and vehicle speed are reduced, while full function of the power steering, power braking, lighting, and climate control systems are maintained.ODI?s complaint analysis indicate that the predominant failure mode involved reduced motive power associated with the limited limp home mode with engine speeds limited to approximately 900 RPM. Analysis of warranty claims provided by Ford identified 59,807 claims related to ETB replacements and approximately 50 percent of claims are associated with diagnostic trouble codes (DTC) P2111, Throttle Body Stuck Open, and P2112, Throttle Body Stuck Closed.Ford described several factors where the ETB motor may fail resulting in DTCs P2111 or P2112 but the failure is not an existing stuck open or closed ETB valve position.According to Ford, the ETB control strategy provides the driver with three FMEM modes that allow varying degrees of vehicle mobility depending on the severity of the fault detected.DTCs associated with stuck open or closed throttle valves are designated the highest failure severity resulting in engine speeds limited to high idle corresponding to the limited limp home mode.Vehicles are not likely to unexpectedly stall as a result of this condition, but drivers may characterize the reduced functionality as a stall, even though their vehicle may still has motive capability.Other FMEM limp modes may result in reduced engine performance but will maintain vehicle speed above 20mph. During this investigation, Ford and its suppliers, Delphi and Igarashi, updated the powertrain control module (PCM) software to include a throttle body motor cleaning cycle during key-on and modified the ETB internal motor components design, surface finish and material composition to improve durability. Additionally, Ford developed a remedy procedure and issued a special Customer Satisfaction Program (CSP) 13N03 extending the ETB warranty coverage and instructing dealers to update the powertrain calibration to improve vehicle performance in the event that intermittent electrical connectivity of the throttle body motor contacts occurs. The program extends the coverage for up to 10 years of service or 150,000 miles from the warranty start date of the vehicle, all vehicles are eligible for the program through January 31, 2015 regardless of mileage.Owners of the affected vehicles will be contacted by mail to take their vehicle to a Ford dealer who will reprogram the PCM to the latest calibration. The bulletin was sent to dealers on January 17, 2014 and the owner letter mailing began on January 27, 2014. See the investigative file for copies of Ford's bulletin and owner letter. This preliminary evaluation is closed. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding that
DP12006 · Electronic Throttle Body Malfunction
Opened Oct 2, 2012 · Closed Feb 21, 2013
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Engine
In a letter dated August 30, 2012, The North Carolina Consumers Council (NCCC) petitioned the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to initiate a defect investigation of alleged electronic throttle body failures resulting in engine stall or surge while driving in model year (MY) 2005 through 2012 Ford Escape vehicles. On October 2, 2012 the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Defect Petition DP12-006 to evaluate whether to grant or deny the petition. The petition is hereby granted on certain model years. The NCCC letter cites two complaints of stall while driving in MY 2009 Ford Escape vehicles that were diagnosed as failed throttle bodies with diagnostic trouble codes (DTC) P2111, Throttle Body Stuck Open, and P2112, Throttle Body Stuck Closed. The petitioner indicates that the owners of both vehicles reported experiencing repeated incidents of stalling and engine surging. According to Ford, Escape non-hybrid vehicles are equipped with Electronic Throttle Body (ETB) assemblies beginning with MY 2009. Vehicles manufactured between June 22, 2009 and October 15, 2009 may contain contaminated printed circuit boards (PCB) with plating variations. Plating variations could lead to a lack of continuity in the throttle position sensor circuit where P2111 and/or other DTCs would be generated and stored. Ford and its electronic throttle body supplier, Delphi, modified the PCB manufacturing process and issued a technical service bulletin (TSB) 09-23-5. Vehicles produced after October 15, 2009 incorporated ETBs manufactured with a PCB process that resolved this condition. ODI's analysis identified a total of 123 unique reports indicating allegations of reduced motive power or vehicle stall. Depending on the condition of throttle control system malfunction, a driver may experience varying levels of reduced engine performance associated with three limp home modes. In two limp modes, reduced engine performance may maintain vehicle speeds above 20mph while the third is a limited limp home mode with engine speeds limited to approximately 900 RPM. Allegations of stall appear to be related to the limited limp home mode. Vehicles are not likely to unexpectedly stall as a result of this condition, but drivers may characterize the reduced functionality as a stall, even though their vehicle may still has motive capability. Allegations of vehicle surge appear to be related to limp home mode operation. Complaints alleging surge are most likely related to engine RPM fluctuations at low vehicle speeds or idle as the control system engages to prevent engine stall. In limited limp mode, rough-idle conditions may exist while the control system attempts to modulate engine RPMs once the vehicle reaches a reduced speed to maintain approximately 900 RPM. Separately, ODI received 59 complaints alleging incidents of engine stall while driving in model year (MY) 2010-2011 Ford Fusion vehicles. Approximately 60 percent (36) of the incidents occurred at speeds of 40 miles per hour or more. Eighty percent of complaints (47) were received beginning March 2012 and 14 complaints reported that the throttle body was replaced or DTCs associated with limp home modes. Additionally, Ford issued TSB 10-21-6 addressing DTCs associated with idle speed drops and limited limp home mode. The petition is granted on certain model years.Preliminary Evaluation PE13-003 has been opened to assess the scope, frequency and potential safety consequences associated with the alleged defect.See full copy of the closing resume for this defect petition for list of the VOQs associated with the defect petition analysis.