Power steering randomly goes out while driving. They need to extend their recall from 2011 as they obviously have not fixed the issue.
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.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Escape years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
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.
Steering complaints
137 reportsThe contact owns a 2012 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact pulled the vehicle off to the shoulder of the roadway. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagno…
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The contact owns a 2012 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact pulled the vehicle off to the shoulder of the roadway. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed with a failure to the steering column. The contact had the ignition and steering column replaced; however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to file a complaint. The approximate failure mileage was 178,000.
Driving at lower speed power steering stopped working, turned off car and restart problem was gone. Drove home and happend again, now steering is sluggish and stickes at times.
I was driving in a 45-mph zone and was preparing to make a right turn and as I slowed down and made the turn, the wheel locked up with no warning light or other indication there was a power steering issue, and I nearly struck a car approaching the stop sign on the street that I was turning onto. I was able to drive my car to my …
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I was driving in a 45-mph zone and was preparing to make a right turn and as I slowed down and made the turn, the wheel locked up with no warning light or other indication there was a power steering issue, and I nearly struck a car approaching the stop sign on the street that I was turning onto. I was able to drive my car to my destination that was right up the street. I turned off my car and turned it back on and the power steering was working again.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at various speeds and attempting to turn the steering wheel, the steering wheel was difficult to maneuver. During the failure the traction control warning was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who was unable to duplicate the failure. There…
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The contact owns a 2012 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at various speeds and attempting to turn the steering wheel, the steering wheel was difficult to maneuver. During the failure the traction control warning was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who was unable to duplicate the failure. There was no repair performed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 95,000.
Power steering suddenly went out on right turn onto residential street at approx 10 mph. No warning lights. When car was restarted, power steering back on. Paid dealer to scan. Failure code B2278-2F. Replace steering shaft torque sensor (internal to steering column), steering shaft must be replaced, too, due to play. Just two pa…
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Power steering suddenly went out on right turn onto residential street at approx 10 mph. No warning lights. When car was restarted, power steering back on. Paid dealer to scan. Failure code B2278-2F. Replace steering shaft torque sensor (internal to steering column), steering shaft must be replaced, too, due to play. Just two parts: part cost $2272, labor $886. Part back-ordered for unknown period. Have not yet told dealer service to order parts. Asked dealer if car was safe to drive: they said "probably not."
On 2 different occasions now while I was driving my steering wheel has locked up and I could barley turn to get off the road. Once in the month of July and then again beginning of September. I don’t feel safe driving far distances for I have no idea if and when my wheel will lock up again, and if on a back or windy road there co…
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On 2 different occasions now while I was driving my steering wheel has locked up and I could barley turn to get off the road. Once in the month of July and then again beginning of September. I don’t feel safe driving far distances for I have no idea if and when my wheel will lock up again, and if on a back or windy road there could be no way to get over or off the road causes and accident. My car is electrical and does not have liquid power steering and my steering torque sensor is not working correctly. My mechanic said the whole steering and frame needs to be replaced. I have done research and see. Other people with my make and year having the same issues. There was also already a recall out in for the same vehicle (Ford Escape) but the years 2008-2011, my car in one year ahead 2012 and has the same exact porblem. There was no warning of a problem it just all of a sudden locked up and I could hardly pull off the road.
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??
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Escape. While his wife was driving and making a left turn, the power steering suddenly failed, and the steering wheel would not turn in either direction, causing the vehicle to nearly crash into a telephone pole. The contact stated that the failure had occurred on multiple occasions. The cause of the…
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The contact owns a 2012 Ford Escape. While his wife was driving and making a left turn, the power steering suddenly failed, and the steering wheel would not turn in either direction, causing the vehicle to nearly crash into a telephone pole. The contact stated that the failure had occurred on multiple occasions. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The local dealer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 140,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Escape. The contact stated while approaching a stop sign to make a right turn, the steering wheel seized. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated she restarted the vehicle and was able to continue driving. The contact stated that she experienced the failure once a mont…
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The contact owns a 2012 Ford Escape. The contact stated while approaching a stop sign to make a right turn, the steering wheel seized. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated she restarted the vehicle and was able to continue driving. The contact stated that she experienced the failure once a month since 9/1/2021. The contact called the local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 125,000.
Official recalls
116V777000 · 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
2PE13003 · 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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