2012 Ford Escape: engine and transmission complaints
HIGH COMPLAINT SIGNAL
43%
249 of 575 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system
43% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2012 Ford Escape are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. That is a model-level pattern, not bad luck.
Worse than 52% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).
Excludes 38 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 41%).
The percentage is each model year's drivetrain complaint share. No elevated signal describes the model year, not any one car; a well-kept example of a flagged model can still be the right buy, and any of these still needs an inspection.
What owners reported
POWER TRAIN05/02/2022CRASH2 INJURED
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 …
PLEASE FORWARD TO APPROPRIATE PERSONNEL, ON THURSDAY, AUGUST 14TH AT ~5:45PM A CLEAR DAY: OUR MOM/MOTHER IN-LAW HAD JUST DROPPED OF MY DAUGHTER AFTER SHOPPING AND WAS MAKING HER WAY HOME THRU THE WINDY BACK ROADS LESS THAN TWO MILES FROM OUR HOME. AS SHE CLIMBED A HILL A FEW BLOCKS AROUND THE CORNER FROM HER HOME …
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM01/08/2026
Clearly the vehicle is leaking and is a fire hazard. I received a notice that it has been recalled but it’s not showing up under my vin.
Three of 249 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.
Recall campaigns on this model year (2)
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 …
SUSPENSION:FRONT:WHEEL BEARING
The Timken Company (Timken) is recalling certain aftermarket front wheel bearings, part number 510072, sold from January 22, 2015, to May 21, 2015, to be used as service …
This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.
Before you buy a 2012 Ford Escape
Ask the seller whether the fuel system has ever been repaired or replaced, and whether the car has shown hard starts, stalling, hesitation, a fuel smell or a check-engine light.
Drive it from a cold start and long enough to warm up. Many fuel system faults hide once the car is warm.
Get an independent pre-purchase inspection from a mechanic you choose, and tell them to focus on the fuel system.
2 recall campaigns on this model year. Whether a specific car still has one open depends on the VIN; the report checks that.
Ask for service records. A fuel system already replaced under warranty is a different car from one that was not.
Have the VIN?Paste it and get the full report for that car. First report free, then a 30-day pass covers a whole car search.
Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history
report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition
of any individual vehicle. Combined across 2 body styles NHTSA files separately.
