2012 Ford Escape Power Train Problems
Owners have filed 66 complaints with NHTSA about power train problems on the 2012 Ford Escape, 11% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 41,967 miles. The words owners use most often: “throttle body” (17% of reports).
- 66power train complaints
- 41,967median miles at failure
- 3mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 28%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Throttle body: mentioned in 11 of 66 complaints (17%)
At what mileage do power train problems happen?
Based on 56 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 66 complaints, 3 mention a crash, 1 an injury.
Ford Escape power train complaints by model year
| Model year | Power Train complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Escape | 3 | 12% | — |
| 2024 Escape | 2 | 3% | — |
| 2023 Escape | 23 | 23% | 33,000 |
| 2022 Escape | 31 | 13% | 21,500 |
| 2021 Escape | 44 | 13% | 79,845 |
| 2020 Escape | 241 | 15% | 50,000 |
| 2019 Escape | 127 | 21% | 64,460 |
| 2018 Escape | 275 | 15% | 80,000 |
| 2017 Escape | 391 | 15% | 75,456 |
| 2016 Escape | 320 | 28% | 88,000 |
| 2015 Escape | 286 | 26% | 94,000 |
| 2014 Escape | 481 | 23% | 89,804 |
| 2013 Escape | 401 | 15% | 81,500 |
| 2012 Escape | 66 | 11% | 41,967 |
| 2011 Escape | 268 | 20% | 45,380 |
| 2010 Escape | 508 | 25% | 51,430 |
| 2009 Escape | 301 | 18% | 65,000 |
| 2008 Escape | 329 | 17% | 68,100 |
| 2007 Escape | 44 | 17% | 74,500 |
| 2006 Escape | 80 | 17% | 80,000 |
| 2005 Escape | 117 | 8% | 91,928 |
| 2004 Escape | 27 | 5% | 72,000 |
| 2003 Escape | 55 | 10% | 69,000 |
| 2002 Escape | 105 | 10% | 74,000 |
| 2001 Escape | 128 | 13% | 68,308 |
| 2000 Escape | 1 | 20% | 76,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists power train for the 2012 Ford Escape. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at 5 MPH, the steering wheel failed to respond as needed. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact was attempting to straighten the steering wheel and the steering wheel was difficult to turn. The contact stated that…
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the gear shifter was shifted into drive however, the gear shifter failed to respond as intended. The contact stated that after several attempts, the gear shifter responded as needed. The vehicle was driven to…
After starting the vehicle for the first time that day, the vehicle was driven 4 miles. When attempting to shift the center console shifter into the PARK position, the shifter was unable to fully move into the PARK position as it was blocked from transiting through the REVERSE position. The vehicle…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2012 Ford Escapes have power train problems?
No. NHTSA has 66 owner complaints about power train for the 2012 Ford Escape (11% of the 603 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2012 Ford Escape power train?
No recall currently lists power train for this vehicle.
At what mileage do power train problems start?
The median reported mileage is 41,967 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about power train problems on the 2012 Ford Escape?
The most frequent phrase is “throttle body”, in 11 of 66 complaints.
Other 2012 Ford Escape problems
See all 2012 Ford Escape problems or power train problems across all Escape years.