Car · Ford problems

2012 Ford Escape problems

604 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2012 Ford Escape. The most reported area is fuel system (26% of them). NHTSA also lists 36 service bulletins and 1 recall campaign.

Counts are what owners told NHTSA, as filed. NHTSA does not confirm each report, and a complaint is not proof of a cause. Injuries: 27. Deaths: 0.

Complaints by area

Each bar is the share of this model year's 604 complaints that name that area. A complaint can name more than one area, so the shares add up to more than 100%.

• Fuel system160 · 26%
• Steering140 · 23%
• Engine and engine cooling79 · 13%
• Speed control and throttle70 · 12%
• Body and structure68 · 11%
• Power train (transmission and drive)66 · 11%
• Other or unknown44 · 7%
• Electrical system42 · 7%

15 smaller areas not shown (125 complaints in total).

Do not compare models by these numbers. NHTSA has no sales count for each model, so a model with more complaints may just have sold more cars. Use them to see which areas owners write about, not to rank cars.

Service bulletins

NHTSA's database lists 36 repair bulletins from Ford for the 2012 Ford Escape. A bulletin is a repair instruction sent to dealers. It is not a recall and does not mean your car is covered. The 8 newest:

1. SSM 53040Received October 16, 2024

   While performing a transmission repair on some 2012-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, a transmission seal kit may be on backorder due to supply chain interruptions.

2. SSM 51536Received May 4, 2023

   Body and structure

   For 2000-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, swapping a module from a vehicle for diagnosis purposes is likely to cause errors and is not recommended.

3. TSB160043Received December 20, 2021

   Power train (transmission and drive)

   6F35 Transmission - Fluid leak at left side halfshaft seal - built on or before 10/14/2013.

4. TSB160066Received December 20, 2021

   Equipment

   Touchscreen navigation system - arabic language - blank screen.

5. 16-0066Received December 7, 2020

   Electrical system

   Some 2012-2016 vehicles equipped with a touchscreen navigation system and the language set to Arabic may exhibit a blank screen.

6. DOR-M3J3F-07Received July 27, 2020

   Engine and engine cooling

   These SKUs are Exhaust Manifolds with Catalytic Converters.

7. SSM 47201Received May 21, 2018

   Equipment

   Replacing the original equipment SYNC/Navigation system with either an aftermarket SYNC/Navigation kit or modifying original SYNC/Navigation parts to provide additional features is not recommended...

8. SSM 47080Received May 14, 2018

   Equipment

   2010-2018 various vehicles equipped with SYNC or SYNC 3 may not function when attempting to find or use the Spotify app via AppLink.

Recalls

NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for the 2012 Ford Escape. Recall repairs are free at a Ford dealer.

1. 16V777000October 26, 2016

   Fuel system, gasoline

   On vehicles with a 3.0L engine, the Fuel Delivery Module (FDM) may crack, causing a fuel leak.

See all 1 recall for the 2012 Ford Escape, or check your VIN below to see which are open on your car.

Common repairs in this area (not a diagnosis)

These are repair jobs that sit in the areas owners report most. A complaint may need a diagnosis first: the same symptom can come from many causes, and a serious one such as engine failure is not fixed by a cheap part. They are not a forecast of what your Escape will need. Ranges are US estimates for all makes.

Start with a diagnosis

• Diagnostic scan (check engine light)$55 to $250

Fuel system 160 complaints · 26%

• Fuel pump replacement$370 to $1,075
• Fuel injector replacement (one injector)$170 to $820
• EVAP purge valve replacement$80 to $240
• Gas cap replacement$5 to $95

Steering 140 complaints · 23%

• Tie rod end replacement (one side)$130 to $380
• Wheel alignment (four-wheel)$85 to $250

Engine and engine cooling 79 complaints · 13%

No repair price here: this area usually needs a diagnosis first. A diagnostic scan (check engine light) runs $55 to $250.

Speed control and throttle 70 complaints · 12%

• Throttle body cleaning$75 to $180
• Throttle body replacement$290 to $900

Check a quote you got

Check your VIN

Complaints and bulletins cover a whole model year. Only the VIN shows what is open on your car.

By VIN By year, make and model

VIN (17 characters, on the dashboard by the windshield or the driver door jamb)

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Look up this VIN

Recall and complaint data comes from NHTSA, the US government's vehicle safety agency, and is cached for up to a day. Recall repairs at a dealer are free. A recall that is not listed may not apply to your car or may not be filed yet. Check nhtsa.gov/recalls too.

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2012 Ford Escape: questions

What are the most common problems on the 2012 Ford Escape?

Of the 604 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2012 Ford Escape, 160 (26%) name fuel system, and 140 (23%) name steering. A complaint can list more than one area, so the shares add up to more than 100%. These are owner reports, not proven causes.

Is the 2012 Ford Escape reliable?

These numbers cannot say. NHTSA complaints have no sales count to compare against, so a high number on one model does not mean it fails more than another. Use them to see which areas owners write about, then check your own VIN for open recalls.

Do these complaints include crashes or fires?

Owners marked 38 of the 604 complaints as involving a crash and 3 as involving a fire. They also reported 27 injuries and 0 deaths. NHTSA records these as the owner reports them and does not confirm each one.

How many recalls does the 2012 Ford Escape have?

NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for the 2012 Ford Escape. Recall repairs are free at a Ford dealer. Enter your VIN to see which ones are open on your car.

What is a service bulletin?

A service bulletin is a repair instruction a maker sends to its dealers. It is not a recall, and it does not mean your car is covered. NHTSA lists 36 repair bulletins for the 2012 Ford Escape.

More

• 2022 Escape problems
• 2021 Escape problems
• 2020 Escape problems
• 2019 Escape problems
• 2018 Escape problems
• 2017 Escape problems
• 2016 Escape problems
• 2015 Escape problems
• 2014 Escape problems
• 2013 Escape problems
• 2011 Escape problems
• 2010 Escape problems
• 2012 recalls
• All Ford recalls
• Ford problems by model
• Check-engine codes

Sources

• NHTSA complaint and technical service bulletin files, checked October 29, 2026
• NHTSA recalls

Complaint, bulletin and recall counts come from NHTSA as filed. Repair prices are estimates from our own ranges. Not a repair shop, estimates only.