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2012 Ford Escape
1 recall campaign and 415 complaints are on NHTSA's register for the 2012 Ford Escape; the recalls concern fuel system, gasoline.
The component named most often is fuel/propulsion system: 203.1 of every 1,000 component mentions for this year, above the 39.5 per 1,000 across all 2012 model-year vehicles and against 64 per 1,000 for the Ford Escape line as a whole.
That is about the same as the average of 498.1 complaints per model year across the 27 Ford Escape model years on this register; 31 complaints reported a crash and 3 a fire.
Complaints were received in the largest number in 2018 (119); the most recent in the file is dated 3 May 2019.
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation has opened 2 investigations naming this model year.
Complaints are consumer reports and have not been verified by NHTSA. Recall text is the manufacturer's Part 573 report as filed with NHTSA. Complaint file through 15 May 2019; recall file through 24 Sep 2026.
Recalls by model year:
Recall campaigns
Defect, as filed: 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: 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.
Filed by Ford Motor Company (manufacturer campaign 16S41).
Each entry links to the NHTSA record. NHTSA states that safety recall repairs are free of charge at an authorised dealer; check a specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Complaints by component
Component mentions per 1,000 for the 2012 Ford Escape (black) against all 2012 model-year vehicles in the file (yellow). A complaint can name more than one component.
| Per 1,000 component mentions | 2012 | Escape line | All 2012 vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 203.1 | 64 | 39.5 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 109.4 | 110.8 | 39.1 |
| Engine | 109.4 | 127.2 | 127.7 |
| Power Train | 95.5 | 122.2 | 110.4 |
| Steering | 93.8 | 122.9 | 96.7 |
| Structure | 79.9 | 65.1 | 43 |
| Component | Mentions | Per 1,000 | Line | All 2012 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 117 | 203.1 | 64 | 39.5 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 63 | 109.4 | 110.8 | 39.1 |
| Engine | 63 | 109.4 | 127.2 | 127.7 |
| Power Train | 55 | 95.5 | 122.2 | 110.4 |
| Steering | 54 | 93.8 | 122.9 | 96.7 |
| Structure | 46 | 79.9 | 65.1 | 43 |
| Electrical System | 34 | 59 | 76.3 | 134.9 |
| Unknown or Other | 32 | 55.6 | 32.6 | 60.4 |
| Air Bags | 21 | 36.5 | 25.9 | 113 |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 18 | 31.3 | 20.4 | 6.2 |
| Seat Belts | 12 | 20.8 | 8.1 | 14.2 |
| Visibility/Wiper | 10 | 17.4 | 6.9 | 18.7 |
| Service Brakes | 9 | 15.6 | 20.7 | 55.5 |
| Visibility | 8 | 13.9 | 16.2 | 11.3 |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 6 | 10.4 | 50.2 | 9.3 |
| Suspension | 6 | 10.4 | 49.6 | 17.8 |
| Electronic Stability Control (ESC) | 5 | 8.7 | 9.4 | 24.2 |
| Seats | 4 | 6.9 | 3.1 | 9.3 |
| Latches/Locks/Linkages | 4 | 6.9 | 9.8 | 6.2 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 3 | 5.2 | 23.9 | 5 |
| Traction Control System | 2 | 3.5 | 0.7 | 1.4 |
| Equipment | 1 | 1.7 | 3.4 | 3 |
| Wheels | 1 | 1.7 | 13.7 | 13.2 |
| Equipment Adaptive/Mobility | 1 | 1.7 | 0.9 | 1.9 |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 1.7 | 3.8 | 24.5 |
415 unique complaints, 576 component mentions; 18 injuries and 0 deaths reported by complainants. Complaint narratives are not republished.
Complaints by year received
Investigations
| Action | Type | Subject | Component | Opened | Closed | Recall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PE13003 | Preliminary evaluation | Electronic Throttle Body Malfunction | engine | 21 Feb 2013 | 28 Feb 2014 | — |
| DP12006 | Defect petition | Electronic Throttle Body Malfunction | engine | 2 Oct 2012 | 21 Feb 2013 | — |
Other Ford Escape model years
| Model year | Recalls | Complaints | Units in campaigns |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 NHTSA | 0 | 5 | — |
| 2001 | 13 | 986 | 2,346,736 |
| 2002 | 8 | 1,005 | 2,623,977 |
| 2003 | 7 | 518 | 2,379,447 |
| 2004 | 6 | 482 | 2,057,544 |
| 2005 | 4 | 1,320 | 466,744 |
| 2006 | 3 | 415 | 270,208 |
| 2007 | 2 | 209 | 70,266 |
| 2008 | 3 | 1,640 | 811,144 |
| 2009 | 1 | 1,214 | 740,878 |
| 2010 | 3 | 1,745 | 1,070,162 |
| 2011 | 2 | 955 | 1,070,143 |
| 2012 | 1 | 415 | 329,265 |
| 2013 | 18 | 1,270 | 10,108,284 |
| 2014 | 16 | 714 | 10,384,836 |
| 2015 | 9 | 204 | 9,434,835 |
| 2016 | 4 | 169 | 4,491,298 |
| 2017 | 4 | 145 | 3,078,749 |
| 2018 | 4 | 34 | 3,053,841 |
| 2019 | 3 | 5 | 3,058,409 |
| 2020 | 23 | 0 | 5,016,688 |
| 2021 | 19 | 0 | 3,871,269 |
| 2022 | 19 | 0 | 3,900,354 |
| 2023 | 11 | 0 | 1,819,290 |
| 2024 | 8 | 0 | 1,131,733 |
| 2025 | 9 | 0 | 169,567 |
| 2026 | 2 | 0 | 988 |
Model years with a single campaign and fewer than 25 complaints have no page here; the NHTSA link opens the agency's record for that year.
All Ford Escape model years · Ford: 201 model lines
Questions and answers
How many recalls does the 2012 Ford Escape have?
1 NHTSA recall campaign name this model year; the most recent, 16V777000, was reported to NHTSA on 26 Oct 2016 and concerns fuel system, gasoline:delivery:fuel pump. Across all model years the Ford Escape line has 95 campaigns.
Is there an open NHTSA investigation into the 2012 Ford Escape?
NHTSA's investigation file lists 2 actions naming this model year; the table above shows each action's opening and closing dates. An action with no closing date was still open when the file was produced.
What component do owners of the 2012 Ford Escape complain about most?
Fuel/Propulsion System: 117 of 576 component mentions (203.1 per 1,000). Next is vehicle speed control with 63. Complaints are consumer reports and have not been verified by NHTSA.
How do I get a recall repaired?
NHTSA states that safety recall repairs are performed free of charge by the manufacturer's authorised dealers. Each campaign's remedy text above is the manufacturer's statement as filed with NHTSA. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
Where does this data come from?
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation recall, complaint and investigation flat files, public domain, downloaded 24 Sep 2026. Complaint counts are unique complaint numbers per make, model and model year; component figures count each component a complaint names. The NHTSA record linked from each campaign is authoritative.
Provenance
Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Office of Defects Investigation flat files (recalls, complaints, investigations), public domain, files dated 24 Sep 2026 (recalls) and 15 May 2019 (complaints). Complaints since 1 Jan 1995. Counts are unique complaint numbers per make, model and model year; per-1,000 rates divide a component's mentions by all mentions for the same group. Errors in processing are corrected at the next daily build; see corrections and the methodology.