Your vehicle report
2012 Ford Escape
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 604
- Received Nov 2011 to Oct 2026
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Power steering cuts out while driving60 complaints · 9.9% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly52 complaints · 8.6% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Unintended acceleration despite braking28 complaints · 4.6% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #16V777000Ford 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.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
- Power steering cuts out while drivingFirst signal: Feb 2016
- Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenlyFirst signal: Dec 2012
- Frame rusts and corrodes throughFirst signal: Nov 2017
Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 38 crashes, 3 fires, 27 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 20 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Electrical & lights
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2011 | 2 |
| 2012 | 22 |
| 2013 | 51 |
| 2014 | 45 |
| 2015 | 43 |
| 2016 | 47 |
| 2017 | 71 |
| 2018 | 119 |
| 2019 | 51 |
| 2020 | 19 |
| 2021 | 37 |
| 2022 | 20 |
| 2023 | 26 |
| 2024 | 19 |
| 2025 | 21 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 11 |
| Total | 604 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power steering cuts out while driving | 60 | 9.9% | 5.7× | BrakeNews flag · First signal: Feb 2016 Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 0.6% |
| Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly | 52 | 8.6% | 17.5× | BrakeNews flag · First signal: Dec 2012 Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 0.8% |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 28 | 4.6% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 27 | 4.5% | – | |
| Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline | 26 | 4.3% | 10.2× | NHTSA recall #16V777000 |
| Electronic throttle body fails and cuts power | 26 | 4.3% | – | |
| Ford Escape engine overheats from coolant intrusion | 24 | 4.0% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 21 | 3.5% | – | |
| Rear door latch fails to open or close | 18 | 3.0% | – | |
| Frame rusts and corrodes through | 18 | 3.0% | 11.3× | BrakeNews flag · First signal: Nov 2017 Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 0.5% |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 18 | 3.0% | – | |
| Steering wanders or pulls at highway speed | 18 | 3.0% | 13.6× | |
| Glass shatters or cracks without impact | 16 | 2.6% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 14 | 2.3% | – | |
| Water leaks into cabin during rain | 10 | 1.7% | – | |
| Tailgate or trunk latch fails | 8 | 1.3% | – | |
| Hood latch fails and hood flies open | 7 | 1.2% | – | |
| Fuel pump fails and engine stalls | 6 | 1.0% | – | |
| Check engine light comes on repeatedly | 5 | 0.8% | – | |
| Ford Focus transmission clutch slips and hesitates | 4 | 0.7% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #16V777000October 26, 2016329,265 vehicles affected
fuel system, gasoline: delivery: fuel pump
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.
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.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2012 Ford Escape.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN