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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

Latches/locks/linkages complaints

8 reports
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Mileage unknown · Apr 8, 2023
Electrical SystemLatches/locks/linkagesUnknown Or Other

Warning on the dash panel intermittently says Lift gate/back glass is ajar even though it is closed. This causes the interior lights to turn on and off. I believe this is due to a manufacturer defect in the gasket that allows water/condensation to seep into the lift gate and cause corrosion of the electrical wires

NHTSA ODI #11516130

Mileage unknown · Feb 7, 2023
Latches/locks/linkagesStructure

Both rear doors will not open from inside or outside. No way to take panels off to repair. Can’t exit in case of emergency.

NHTSA ODI #11506055

Mileage unknown · Jun 5, 2021
Latches/locks/linkages

I have a 2012 Ford Escape what the following safety malfunctions: 1. Driver's door malfunction Driver's side door failed to close/ door lock ajar even when system door lock buttons are pressed. It first began June 1, 2021. Door flung open while driving my daughter and I to school and work. I had to hold the door with one hand an…

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I have a 2012 Ford Escape what the following safety malfunctions: 1. Driver's door malfunction Driver's side door failed to close/ door lock ajar even when system door lock buttons are pressed. It first began June 1, 2021. Door flung open while driving my daughter and I to school and work. I had to hold the door with one hand and steer with other as this door malfunction posed a safety risk to others. Hazzard light for door is functioning when key is in ignition. I am in the process of contacting the dealer for inspection and servicing the vehicle. 2. Steering wheel Steering wheel will sometimes lock up while key is in ignition not long after starting the car. When this vehicle is in this state of condition, it will not turn and steering wheel will lock in place while in motion. Began noticing more of the occurrences February 2021. When this happens I immediately restart the vehicle by turning it off and then on again to unlock the steering wheel to drive in the direction I need to go. This poses a major risk to others, my 9 year old daughter and myself because it happens unexpectedly while car is in motion which can lead to incidents. 3. Check engine light Car warning light appears and then disappears on any occasion. Vehicle has passed Smog testing, and has previously been serviced for tune-up and oil changes regularly. (December 2019)

NHTSA ODI #11419764

118,685 miles · Jun 24, 2020
EngineLatches/locks/linkages

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER ENTERING THE VEHICLE, THE DRIVER DOOR WAS CLOSED BUT FAILED TO LATCH SECURELY. ADDITIONALLY, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START-UP. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE DOOR LATCH FRACTURED AND NEEDED TO…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER ENTERING THE VEHICLE, THE DRIVER DOOR WAS CLOSED BUT FAILED TO LATCH SECURELY. ADDITIONALLY, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START-UP. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE DOOR LATCH FRACTURED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE DOOR LATCH WAS REPLACED HOWEVER, THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO START THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 118,685.

NHTSA ODI #11330620

140,000 miles · Mar 5, 2018
Latches/locks/linkagesUnknown Or Other

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD ESCAPE. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE HOOD OPENED AND BLOCKED THE CONTACT'S VISION. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED BEFORE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE CONTACT'S HOME. THE DEALER (MORRISTOWN FORD, 1112 W MORRIS BLVD, MORRISTOWN, TN 37813) WAS CONTACTED, BUT THE VEHICLE WAS…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD ESCAPE. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE HOOD OPENED AND BLOCKED THE CONTACT'S VISION. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED BEFORE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE CONTACT'S HOME. THE DEALER (MORRISTOWN FORD, 1112 W MORRIS BLVD, MORRISTOWN, TN 37813) WAS CONTACTED, BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,000.

NHTSA ODI #11076349

90,000 miles · Oct 4, 2016
Latches/locks/linkagesStructure

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD ESCAPE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE DOOR OPENED INDEPENDENTLY WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DOOR LOCKED ONCE IT WAS AT THE RESIDENCE, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE CONTACT NOTIFIED THE LOCAL DEALER AND …

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD ESCAPE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE DOOR OPENED INDEPENDENTLY WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DOOR LOCKED ONCE IT WAS AT THE RESIDENCE, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE CONTACT NOTIFIED THE LOCAL DEALER AND AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THE DOOR WAS FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000.

NHTSA ODI #10913716

25,000 miles · Apr 16, 2014
Electrical SystemLatches/locks/linkages

ON 6 DIFFERENT OCCASIONS DOOR LATCHES HAVE BEEN REPLACED, I'VE BEEN LOCKED IN AND OUT OF MY VEHICLE, MY HUSBAND IS DISABLE AND I HAD TO CLIMB THROUGH THE HATCH BACK TO GET DOORS TO OPEN. I AM AFRAID OF THIS VEHICLE, IF IT CATCHES FIRE WILL I GET OUT? I FEEL THIS IS A DEATH TRAP AND FORD IS JUST SOOTHING MY FEATHERS TO KEEP ME HA…

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ON 6 DIFFERENT OCCASIONS DOOR LATCHES HAVE BEEN REPLACED, I'VE BEEN LOCKED IN AND OUT OF MY VEHICLE, MY HUSBAND IS DISABLE AND I HAD TO CLIMB THROUGH THE HATCH BACK TO GET DOORS TO OPEN. I AM AFRAID OF THIS VEHICLE, IF IT CATCHES FIRE WILL I GET OUT? I FEEL THIS IS A DEATH TRAP AND FORD IS JUST SOOTHING MY FEATHERS TO KEEP ME HAPPY. ALSO, I WAS SOLD A 2012 4X4 VEHICLE, HOWEVER MY VEHICLE IS NOT A 4X4. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THEY GO BY VIN, THIS ONE IS WRONG! *TT

NHTSA ODI #10583147

33,000 miles · Mar 25, 2014
Electrical SystemLatches/locks/linkagesStructure

ON THE WAY TO WORK AT 7PM, THE BACK HATCH BEGAN RANDOMLY LOCKING AND UNLOCKING AND OPENED SLIGHTLY. AFTER WORK THE NEXT MORNING AT 8AM, THE BACK HATCH UNLOCKED AND OPENED WHILE DRIVING ON A BUSY ROAD AT 10MPH. I CONTACTED AIRPORT FORD IN FLORENCE, KY AND THEY STATED NEVER HEARING OF THIS HAPPENING WITH ANOTHER ESCAPE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10574732

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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