2012 Ford Escape Steering Problems
Owners have filed 139 complaints with NHTSA about steering problems on the 2012 Ford Escape, 23% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 100,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “turned off” (18% of reports).
- 139steering complaints
- 100,000median miles at failure
- 3mention a crash
- 2mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 21%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.
- Turned off: mentioned in 25 of 139 complaints (18%)
- Steering column: mentioned in 20 of 139 complaints (14%)
- Wheel became: mentioned in 15 of 139 complaints (11%)
- Torque sensor: mentioned in 11 of 139 complaints (8%)
At what mileage do steering problems happen?
Based on 100 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 139 complaints, 3 mention a crash, 2 an injury.
Ford Escape steering complaints by model year
| Model year | Steering complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Escape | 2 | 8% | — |
| 2022 Escape | 6 | 3% | — |
| 2021 Escape | 4 | 1% | 14,000 |
| 2020 Escape | 18 | 1% | 12,450 |
| 2019 Escape | 16 | 3% | 35,600 |
| 2018 Escape | 32 | 2% | 28,000 |
| 2017 Escape | 49 | 2% | 45,500 |
| 2016 Escape | 73 | 6% | 41,900 |
| 2015 Escape | 81 | 7% | 46,149 |
| 2014 Escape | 151 | 7% | 63,370 |
| 2013 Escape | 302 | 11% | 81,280 |
| 2012 Escape | 139 | 23% | 100,000 |
| 2011 Escape | 411 | 31% | 110,000 |
| 2010 Escape | 423 | 20% | 114,000 |
| 2009 Escape | 828 | 49% | 121,000 |
| 2008 Escape | 1,127 | 57% | 116,000 |
| 2007 Escape | 15 | 6% | 45,500 |
| 2006 Escape | 20 | 4% | 78,816 |
| 2005 Escape | 49 | 4% | 114,500 |
| 2004 Escape | 26 | 5% | 101,000 |
| 2003 Escape | 44 | 8% | 103,204 |
| 2002 Escape | 70 | 7% | 87,986 |
| 2001 Escape | 58 | 6% | 77,700 |
| 2000 Escape | 1 | 20% | 123,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists steering 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 power steering failed unexpectedly. I am not sure what the problem is but there is fluid all over the wheel well. I see that the was a recal on the power steering. How can I find out why my car was not included?
I started the truck and began to back out of my parking spot but the steering was so stiff I couldn't turn so I shut it off. After about 3 minutes I stated it up and the steering was fine. The. It happened the next day while I was driving and that was terrifying!!! It became extremely difficult to…
No power steering hard to turn left and right
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2012 Ford Escapes have steering problems?
No. NHTSA has 139 owner complaints about steering for the 2012 Ford Escape (23% 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 steering?
No recall currently lists steering for this vehicle.
At what mileage do steering problems start?
The median reported mileage is 100,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about steering problems on the 2012 Ford Escape?
The most frequent phrase is “turned off”, in 25 of 139 complaints, followed by “steering column” (20).
Other 2012 Ford Escape problems
See all 2012 Ford Escape problems or steering problems across all Escape years.