What 598 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 Ford Escape Gas

POWER STEERING WENT OUT WHILE I WAS DRIVING COULD NOT STEER AT ALL! COULD NOT GET THE VEHICLE OUT OF TRAFFIC, FINALLY TURNED THE IGNITION OFF AND STARTED THE CAR AGAIN AND MY STEERING RETURNED. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THE 2008-2011 YEAR MODELS AND THEY WERE RECALLED. WHY HASN'T A RECALL BEEN DONE ON THE 2012 MODEL?

NHTSA ODI 10808607

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD ESCAPE. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE FAILURE WAS UNDETERMINED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 62,000.

NHTSA ODI 10790541

I WAS DRIVING AT A RATE OF 23 MPH AND THE POWER STEERING LOCKED UP ON ME, ALMOST CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. THIS MADE THE VEHICLE VERY HARD TO MANUEVER. I GOT THE VEHICLE TO A SAFE PLACE AND LOOKED TO SEE IF ANY BELTS HAD COME OF THE ENGINE. THERE WAS NO APPEARANT EVIDENCE OF A LOOSE OR BROKEN BELT. I RESTARTED THE CAR AND THE STEERING WAS WORKING FINE. I LOOKED INTO SEVERAL COMPLAINT BLOGS AND THIS SEEMS TO BE A SERIOUS ISSUE THAT FORD SHOUDL BE LOOKING INTO FOR A POSSIBLE RECALL. I RESEARCHED SEVERAL BLOG AND CAR COMPLAINT SITES AND THERE ARE MANY, MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE 2012 ESCAPE AS WELL. I AM ONE MONTH OUT OF MY 3YR/36000 WARRANTY. THE THREE YEAR PART CAME FIRST. I DO NOT FEEL IT IS FAIR FOR SO MANY PEOPLE TO HAVE TO PAY FOR THIS WHEN PREVIOUS YEARS HAVE HAD THIS ISSUED RECALLED ON THE ESCAPE.

NHTSA ODI 10746657

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT A PROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE POWER STEERING BECAME DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ONCE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE STEERING CONTROL MODULE WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 39,781.

NHTSA ODI 10700615

JUST AFTER LEAVING A 4 WAY STOP, AS I TRIED TO ROUND THE CURVE THE STEERING IN OUR 2012 ESCAPE STOPPED WORKING AND I COULD NOT TURN THE STEERING WHEEL AT ALL. I JUST KEPT GOING STRAIGHT. LUCKILY, I SLOWED DOWN WITH THE BRAKES BUT THE ESCAPE CONTINUED STRAIGHT AND WENT OVER THE CURB AND DOWN A 50+ FT EMBANKMENT. EVEN WITH ALL OF THIS IMPACT, NO AIRBAGS WERE DEPLOYED THROUGHOUT THE CAR ANYWHERE! THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKING UP WAS BAD ENOUGH, BUT AFTER THE ACCIDENT AND THE CONDITION OF THE CAR AND THEN NO AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT- THAT WAS WAY TOO MUCH! *TR

NHTSA ODI 10671678

WHILE DRIVING AT 70MPH I LOST POWER STEERING. ALMOST IN ACCIDENT WITH BARRIER. AT FIRST I THOUGHT CAR SHUT OFF, BUT REALIZED COULD STILL STEER WITH GREAT DIFFICULTY. TOOK VEHICLE TO SHOP AND WAS TOLD ECU WAS BAD, $1050 FOR REPAIR. RESEARCHED ONLINE AND THE 2008-2011 WAS ON A RECALL FOR A TORQUE CONVERTER ISSUE. CALL FORD TO NO AVAIL. NO WARNING LIGHTS APPEARED, NOR DID THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COME ON. DEALER FOUND CODE STATING THE ECU WAS BAD? WAITING ON PART. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10653112

TOOK MY 2012 ESCAPE TO THE DEALER FOR AUTHORIZED RECALL REPLACEMENT OF TORQUE SENSOR. WHEN PULLING OUT OF THE GARAGE AFTER THE REPAIR WAS MADE, FOUND I HAD NO POWER STEERING. BACKED IT BACK INTO THE GARAGE AND THE MECHANIC SAID HE WOULD TAKE A LOOK. SHUT THE CAR OFF AND TURNED IT ON AGAIN AND THE POWER STEERING WAS BACK. NO CODES WERE THROWN. THIS IS AN ESCAPE BUILT FEBRUARY 2012 IN KANSAS CITY. *JS

NHTSA ODI 10617263

WHILE DRIVING AT AVERAGELY ABOUT 40 MPH THE POWER STEERING ON THE FORD ESCAPE 2012 JUST FAILS. THIS MAKES IT INCREDIBLY IMPOSSIBLE TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE AND THE ONLY REMEDY IS TO CUT OFF THE CAR AND START IT AGAIN. THIS INCIDENT HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES IN THE PAST AND IS STILL CONTINUING TO HAPPEN SPORADICALLY EVEN AFTER BEING TO THE DEALERSHIP MULTIPLE TIMES AT WHICH THEY CLAIM EACH TIME THAT THE ISSUE HAS BEEN RESOLVED. I REALLY HOPE FORD TAKES TIME TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED AND THERE IS A HUGE CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AS I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS SAME PROBLEM OCCURS ON DIFFERENT FORD MODELS ACROSS MULTIPLE YEAR MODELS. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10560247

WHEN DRIVING THE CAR WOULD COMPLETELY SHUT OFF, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WOULD COME ON, AND I LOST CONTROL OF STEERING AND ACCELERATION. I HAD TO TRY TO GET OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE CAR WOULD USUALLY TURN BACK ON. I HAD TO TAKE IT BACK INTO THE FORD DEALERSHIP 4 TIMES FOR THEM TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS WRONG WITH IT, AS THEY THOUGHT THEY HAD FIXED IT EACH TIME.

NHTSA ODI 10542293

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE TRAVELING 40 MPH, THE BRAKES, TRACTION CONTROL AND POWER STEERING ASSIST FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS MOVED TO THE SHOULDER TO BE RESTARTED AND IT BEGAN TO FUNCTION NORMALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE REPLICATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE RECURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNAVAILABLE. ... UPDATED 02/28/13 *BF

NHTSA ODI 10489190

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING STOPPED FUNCTIONING WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH AND THE STEERING WHEEL WAS DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THEY WOULD CONTACT HIM AT A LATER DATE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 468.

NHTSA ODI 10457154

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH THE POWER STEERING FAILED AND IT BECMAE EXTREMELY DIFFICUTL FOR THE CONTACT TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY ADVISED HIM THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY ADVISED HIM THAT THEY WOULD LOOK INTO THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 235. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

NHTSA ODI 10434868