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2012 Ford Escape

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2012 Ford Escape do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 996.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

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
Mileage unknown · Aug 17, 2022
Tires

July 2020, we purchased 4 Cooper Tires, size is 225/65 R17 102T. These tires are 80,000-mile tires. Vehicle was taken into Discount Tire due to heavy vibration when driving on June 13, 2022. The tires had 13,663 miles on them. A tire was found to be separated. Discount Tire changed it out with a new tire. On Aug 10, 2022, the v…

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July 2020, we purchased 4 Cooper Tires, size is 225/65 R17 102T. These tires are 80,000-mile tires. Vehicle was taken into Discount Tire due to heavy vibration when driving on June 13, 2022. The tires had 13,663 miles on them. A tire was found to be separated. Discount Tire changed it out with a new tire. On Aug 10, 2022, the vehicle was taken into Discount Tire again due to heavy vibration in the vehicle while driving. A 2nd tire was found to be separated, and a 3rd tire has a flat spot in it. These tires now have 15,714 miles on them. Again, changed out the separated tire with a new tire. Do not have the DOT information on the 2 separated tires. Discount Tire disposed of the 2 separated tires each time they serviced the vehicle. The tire with the flat spot is still on the vehicle. There are 2 original tires on my vehicle from the July 2020 purchase. These 2 remaining tires pose potential for a blowout and an accident. DOT number U92Y 1CW 4919 & R72Y 1CW 2322. I contacted Cooper Tire, manufacturer, via email 8-16-2022. Received a standard minimal response 8-17-2022. Sent a certified letter 8-17-2022, requesting further assistance. Received another email response stating, "Have your dealer inspect the tires and if he determines that the tires failed due to a workmanship or materials condition, he can process the warranty and get the tires replaced." I will follow this route. return to the

NHTSA ODI #11479822

Mileage unknown · Jul 23, 2022
Vehicle Speed Control

I recently purchased a 2012 ford escape, and the engine runs loud, and after researching, I feel that the throttle body is not in working condition. I looked up recalls on this vehicle and there is an incomplete throttle body repair/replace open recall, but when I looked it up via NHTSA it said no recalls. I would like this is…

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I recently purchased a 2012 ford escape, and the engine runs loud, and after researching, I feel that the throttle body is not in working condition. I looked up recalls on this vehicle and there is an incomplete throttle body repair/replace open recall, but when I looked it up via NHTSA it said no recalls. I would like this issue resolved. [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

NHTSA ODI #11475469

Mileage unknown · Jul 14, 2022
Structure

Frame rotted out under normal use.

NHTSA ODI #11473803

Mileage unknown · Jul 5, 2022
Unknown Or Other

Latch/hinge on rear tailgate glass has corroded and broken allowing for potential for glass to fall off. Corrosion has taken place over the last few years. Completely broken on 06/17/2022.

NHTSA ODI #11472302

Mileage unknown · Jun 25, 2022
Structure

Unknown. Both rear wheel wells are rusting away. Chunks of this falls off while I’m driving. I do believe that falling rusty chunks of metal may harm another driver that will either run over it and flatten a tire. Or that someone may swerve to miss a piece and cause an accident.

NHTSA ODI #11470986

46,236 miles · Jun 16, 2022
Power Train

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle failed to shift from 2nd to 3rd without force. The contact also stated she had to depress the accelerator pedal for the vehicle to change gear. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer …

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The contact owns a 2012 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle failed to shift from 2nd to 3rd without force. The contact also stated she had to depress the accelerator pedal for the vehicle to change gear. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and diagnosed with transmission failure. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train). The approximate failure mileage was 46,236.

NHTSA ODI #11469603

70,000 miles · Jun 16, 2022
Power Train

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while shifting out of park(P) into drive(D), the vehicle started jerking. The contact kept the brake pedal depressed and shifted back to park(P) before attempting to shift to drive(D) again. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer …

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The contact owns a 2012 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while shifting out of park(P) into drive(D), the vehicle started jerking. The contact kept the brake pedal depressed and shifted back to park(P) before attempting to shift to drive(D) again. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the PIN needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 70,000.

NHTSA ODI #11469554

Mileage unknown · May 3, 2022
Service Brakes

The caliber on our front wheel drive 2012, right wheel of the Escape overheated and locked up almost causing an accident. After taking it to be repaired (this time not a Ford dealer), the mechanic said the caliber got so hot that it melted the brake pad. The cost of repair is $900. Our brakes were installed and guaranteed by …

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The caliber on our front wheel drive 2012, right wheel of the Escape overheated and locked up almost causing an accident. After taking it to be repaired (this time not a Ford dealer), the mechanic said the caliber got so hot that it melted the brake pad. The cost of repair is $900. Our brakes were installed and guaranteed by Tri-County Ford. This situation could have easily cause a serious accident or a car fire and caused bodily harm or worse. Our current mechanic said this is a common problem with our year (2012) Escape. Ford Motor Company needs to address this issue.

NHTSA ODI #11463178

100,000 miles · May 2, 2022
Power TrainCrashInjury

The contact owned a 2012 Ford Escape. The contact stated that after parking the vehicle on an inclined road and turning the engine off the vehicle erroneously rolled down the hill and crashed into a tree. During the crash, the front driver sustained facial, right knee, injuries, and a concussion which required medical treatment.…

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The contact owned a 2012 Ford Escape. The contact stated that after parking the vehicle on an inclined road and turning the engine off the vehicle erroneously rolled down the hill and crashed into a tree. During the crash, the front driver sustained facial, right knee, injuries, and a concussion which required medical treatment. The front passenger sustained two fractured wrists. The vehicle was destroyed during the crash. A police report was taken at the scene and the vehicle was towed away. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were not notified of the failure. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 100,000.

NHTSA ODI #11463093

Mileage unknown · Mar 27, 2022
Steering

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 replacemen…

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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??

NHTSA ODI #11458537

Official recalls

1

16V777000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:fuel Pump

Oct 26, 2016

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.

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