What 598 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 Ford Escape Gas

My son was driving my 2012 Escape. While entering the Highway the steering became very stiff while making a left had turn. It felt like there was no power steering. the vehicle is at 135,970 miles. I was able to drive it to my parents and take another vehicle to work. Upon returning to the vehicle that evening the and starting it up, the steering had returned to normal. I looked online and saw that this is a common occurrence with the 2012 Escapes and that there was a recall for this for he 2011 Escapes.

NHTSA ODI 11444503

DRIVING CAR AND ALL OF A SUDDEN STEERING LOCKS UP, I PULLED OVER SHUT THE VEHICLE OFF AND LOOKED UNDERNEATH TO SEE IF POWER STEERING FLUID LEAKED OUT, FOUND NO VISIBLE EVIDENCE OF A LEAK , GOT BACK IN VEHICLE AND STARTED IT AND STEERING WAS FINE AGAIN, THAT WAS ABOUT A WEEK AGO, THIS MORNING I'M DRIVING TO WORK AND SAME THING HAPPENS AGAIN. WHEN I GET TO WORK I GO ONLINE AND NOTICE THAT THE SAME THING HAPPENED TO A LOT OF 2012 FORD ESCAPE OWNERS AND THAT THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THOSE VEHICLES MADE IN 2008 TO 2011 AND ASSEMBLED IN KANSAS CITY JUST LIKE MINE WAS. I CALLED FORD AND THEY TOLD THAT THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH MY VEHICLE. THERE ARE NO FAULT CODES OR CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS COMING ON.

NHTSA ODI 11443252

Operator of vehicle will be driving on the roadway, suddenly without warning, steering system locks up. Operator has to forcefully pull vehicle to the side of the roadway. completely shut off the vehicle, wait for a short period and restart the vehicle. This lockup may occur several times during a trip. Vehicle has been repaired. The Steering shaft torque sensor had to be replaced. The steering lockup has been occurring over a period of a year. There appeared to be no pattern in the frequency of occurrences.

NHTSA ODI 11442694

My car was accelerating slowly and making rough sound. The power steering goes out too often without any warning

NHTSA ODI 11442596

My power steering gave out while driving. Fortunately, I was going at a low speed. I researched recalls on the 2012 Ford Escape and found recalls for this same problem were only on Ford Escapes up to 2011.

NHTSA ODI 11442237

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Escape. He stated that while his wife was driving 35 MPH, the steering wheel became inoperable without warning. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the steering column assembly and power assist steering unit needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure however, no further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 93,000.

NHTSA ODI 11434852

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the power steering failed, and the steering wheel was stiff and difficult to turn. The failure almost caused a collision. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed as steering column failure and the steering column was replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The manufacturer suggested that the contact take the vehicle to a dealer for assistance. The failure mileage was 175,000.

NHTSA ODI 11432817

There is something not connecting right when you accelerate from a stopped position. From when you first start the car and begin to drive to slowing down to a complete stop as soon as you begin to accelerate there is almost no going right away when you push down on the pedal. It takes almost 10 seconds or more to even begin to stay with on coming traffic. You have to be at a 3 rpm to even shift to go a little more faster then the speed starts to increase if able. It is available when needed to look over at any point and I dont feel safe driving as theres something not right with the connection to the fuel I believe and it feels like. I have taken it to a local shop and they looked it over and didnt seem to find or see much but they cleaned the air flow meter but that didnt do the trick? Also while driving the car tends to veer to the left with or with no wind. It doesnt like to stay straight while driving and thats also unsafe as the driver your doing everything to stay straight. Have not been inspected by anyone other than the local shop I trust and is family friend. Have never noticed or seen any defective lights come on since I purchased the vehicle. I noticed this not even a month into purchasing and I took it to where I purchased the vehicle and asked about it and they said its normal in this older ford escape? I was kinda stunned and annoyed so I just left. Also when the ac is on it seems to take even more power to try and get going I have noticed. I also have tried to upload a photo of an invoice and my computer isnt allowing me?

NHTSA ODI 11428243

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Escape. The contact stated while his wife was driving at 35 MPH and attempting to make a turn, the electrical power steering became stiff. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact's wife was able to pull to the side of the road. The contact stated when his wife turned off the vehicle and restarted it, she noticed the electrical power steering had loosened up. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact stated the failure had been recurring. The failure reoccurred today while driving. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 167,000.

NHTSA ODI 11422866

THE POWER STEERING GOES OUT WHILE DRIVING. IT DONT MATTER WHERE YOU ARE EITHER. SO IN ORDER FOR IT TO WORK AGAIN YOU HAVE TO PUT YOUR VEHICLE IN PARK TURN IT OFF WAIT AND RESTART IT. THERE ARE TIMES YOU HAVE DO DO THIS MULTIPLE TIMES. IT IS NOT SAFE TO LOSE YOUR ABILITY TO STEER WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. THIS ISSUE WAS RECALLED ON 2008 TO 2011 BUT THE SAME PARTS WERE USED ON THE 2012. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS WHEN YOUR DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR A WHILE BUT IT JUST GETTING WORSE.

NHTSA ODI 11415009

LOST POWER STEERING WHILE GOING DOWN HIGHWAY. TURNED VEHICLE OFF AND BACK ON AND IT FIXED IT. RECALL ON THIS PROBLEM FOR THIS MAKE VEHICLE UP TO 2011 MODEL. SOME OF THE PARTS CARRIED OVER TO 2012. 2012 NEEDS RECALL ALSO. VERY DANGEROUS.

NHTSA ODI 11408304

TOTAL LOSS OF STEERING WHILE DRIVING ON EXPRESSWAY. THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME STIFF. NO MAINTENANCE LIGHTS COME ON BUT MANAGED TO SLOWLY PULL OVER TO THE SHOULDER. TURNED OFF VEHICLE FOR 5 MINS, THEN TURN BACK ON AND STEERING WAS WORKING AGAIN. LUCKILY I WAS JUST 2 MILES AWAY FROM MY DESTINATION. CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID NO RECALLS HAVE BEEN MADE FOR THE YEAR/MAKE/MODEL. IT APPEARS THOUGH THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL BUT DIFFERENT YEARS 2008-2011 WERE RECALLED FOR SAME THING. I AM TOTALLY TERRIFIED TO DRIVE VEHICLE BECAUSE IT MIGHT HAPPEN AGAIN WITHOUT ANY WARNING.

NHTSA ODI 11406684

VEHICLE IN MOTION PULLING IN PARKING LOT, UPON TRYING TO MAKE A LEFT TURN TO A PARKING SPOT STEERING WHEEL BECAME EXTREMELY HARD TO TURN RIGHT OR LEFT ALMOST FEELING AS IF IT WERE SEIZING UP. TEMPERATURE OUTSIDE ON THAT DATE, FEB. 10, 2021 WAS APPROXIMATELY 20-30 DEGREES. VEHICLE HAS 61,158 MILES. VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF FOR ABOUT AN HOUR, ONCE RESTARTED STEERING WENT BACK TO NORMAL. FEARFUL THIS WILL AGAIN ESPECIALLY WHILE DRIVING ON MAIN ROADS IN TRAFFIC AND POSSIBLY GETTING INTO AN ACCIDENT.

NHTSA ODI 11397096

LOSS OF POWER STEERING WHILE DRIVING.

NHTSA ODI 11396984

WHILE DRIVING ON A COLD DAY (20-30 DEGREES), THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING STOPPED WORKING. THE CAR COULD BE STEERED WITH SOME DIFFICULTY BUT THERE DIDN'T APPEAR TO BE ANY POWER ASSIST AT ALL. NO WARNINGS OR ERROR MESSAGE WAS DISPLAYED. SHUTTING OFF AND RESTARTING THE CAR CORRECTED THE PROBLEM, AT LEAST FOR NOW.

NHTSA ODI 11395623

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE CONTACT STATED NO WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED WITH NEEDING THE TORQUE SENSOR TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS INFORMED OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VIN WAS NOT UNDER RECALL AND THAT THERE WOULD BE NO ASSISTANCE PROVIDED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 71,009.

NHTSA ODI 11391006

POWER STEERING STOPPED WORKING WHILE DRIVING A FEW TIMES. FORD SERVICE CENTER DID NOT FIND A PROBLEM, WOULD VISIT ANOTHER SERVICE CENTER. RECALL SEEMS TO BE ISSUED FOR SIMILAR PROBLEM FOR SAME MODEL, MANUFACTURED AT SAME FACILITY AROUND SAME TIME. HOWEVER THERE SEEMS TO BE NO RECALL FOR THIS VIN. PLEASE ADVISE

NHTSA ODI 11390701

TURNING THE VEHICLE BECOMES VERY STRENUOUS/HEAVY WHILE DRIVING AT LOWER SPEEDS (INTO PARKING LOTS, DRIVEWAYS, ETC). DIFFICULTY TURNING IS NOTICED MOSTLY DURING RIGHT HAND TURNS. THE STEERING WHEEL ALSO WILL NOT TURN ITSELF BACK AFTER MAKING A TURN. ALL OF THE ISSUES I HAVE EXPERIENCED WITH THE ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING SYSTEM IS CONSISTENT WITH THE POWER STEERING RECALL WHICH ONLY INCLUDED FORD ESCAPES UP TO 2011.

NHTSA ODI 11387464

LOST POWER ASSIST FOR STEERING WHEN I TURNED LEFT AROUND AN ISLAND ON A BUSY STREET IN THE MIDDLE OF A CITY.

NHTSA ODI 11387471

2012 FORD ESCAPE. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD TO REIMBURSEMENT FOR REPLACEMENT OF STEERING COLUMN. *AS THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE'S STEERING COLUMN LOCKED UP WHILE DRIVING.*JS

NHTSA ODI 11385912

ON SEVERAL OCCASSIONS OVER THE PAST FEW WEEKS, WHILE DRIVING, MY STEERING GOES OUT BUT THE CAR IS STILL POWERED. IT HAS HAPPENED WHILE IN MOTION BUT SLOWING DOWN TO MAKE RIGHT HAND TURNS. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON LOCAL CITY STREETS. I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE IT ON THE HIGHWAY DUE TO HIGHER SPEEDS AND THE DANGER OF CRASH AT HIGHER SPEEDS. IT BECOMES IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN THE WHEEL. ONCE VEHICLE IS TURNED OFF AND STARTED AGAIN, THE POWER RETURNS. THE CAUSE FOR THIS IS UNKNOWN, EXCEPT IT SOUNDS LIKE THE SAME ISSUE AS THE STEERING RECALLS FOR THE 2008-2011 FORD ESCAPE MODELS PREVIOUSLY.

NHTSA ODI 11384027

DRIVING ON A OFF RAMP SUDDENLY LOST ALL POWER STEERING NO WARNING MY YOUNG DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING AND COULD BARELY CONTROL/MANEUVER THE VEHICLE THIS IS CLEARLY A PROBLEM WITH FORD ESCAPE HENCE THE RECALL ON 2009-2011 MODELS WHY AREN'T THE 2012 MODELS INCLUDED, THIS VERY UNSAFE!

NHTSA ODI 11376400

WHILE DRIVING THE CAR THE STEERING LOCKS UP. I HAVE TO PULL THE CALL OVER, SHUT THE CAR OFF AND RESTART THE CAR SOMETIMES SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE THE POWER STEERING COMES BACK. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THIS IS COMMON PROBLEM. WHY WAS THIS NOT A RECALL?

NHTSA ODI 11342378

2012 FORD ESCAPE - KANSAS PLANT. INTERMITTENT POWER STEERING FAILURE WHILE DRIVING. HAS HAPPENED THREE TIMES IN THE LAST 10 DAYS. HAS HAPPENED AT LOWER SPEED WHILE TURNING INTO PARKING LOT / PARKING SPACE. SEEMS TO CORRECT ITSELF IF CAR IS TURNED OFF AND RESTARTED. *TR

NHTSA ODI 11327774

WAS COMING HOME FROM WORK, AND PARKED THE CAR IN THE DRIVEWAY. THE NEXT DAY IN THE MORNING, WHEN I TURNED THE CAR ON IT STARTED VIBRATING, WHICH I THOUGH WAS FROM THE COLD TEMPERATURE, BUT WHEN I TRIED TO DRIVE IT, THE STEERING WHEEL WOULDN'T TURN LIKE NORMALLY. HAD A MECHANIC COME TO LOOK AT IT, AND WAS TOLD IT WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING, AND THAT THIS WAS A RECOGNIZED PROBLEM WITH THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING SYSTEM IN OTHER ESCAPES FROM DIFFERENT YEARS. WE FOUND THE RECALL FOR PREVIOUS YEARS, BUT DOESN'T INCLUDE THE 2012 MODEL. CAR HAS REMAINED PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY SINCE OCTOBER 2019. HAVE TRIED TO CONTACT THE LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP REGARDING THE RECALL AND THEY SAY IT'S NOT APPLICABLE TO OUR MODEL YEAR. *TR

NHTSA ODI 11321528