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What 598 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 Ford Escape Phev

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (598)Crash / fire / injury (40)Fuel system (160)Steering (137)Engine (72)Speed control (69)Body & structure (67)Transmission & drivetrain (66)Electrical system (42)Airbags (24)Brakes (20)Visibility & wipers (20)

3 of 598 complaints match · Fuel system · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Apr 8, 2019Speed controlFuel systemCrash

IN A PRIVATE PARKING LOT, AFTER EXECUTING A 90 DEGREE LEFT TURN INTO A PARKING SPOT AND WITH THE BRAKE PEDAL APPLIED IN ORDER TO SLOW THEN STOP THE VEHICLE, THE VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD JUST BEFORE COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP. YOU COULD HEAR THE ENGINE REV UP AS IT SURGED FORWARD. APPLICATION OF THE BRAKE PEDAL DID NOTHING TO SLOW IT DOWN. AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS JARRED BY STRIKING THE CURB THE ENGINE RETURNED TO NORMAL IDOL. SO MUCH POWER WAS APPLIED IN THE SURGE THAT THE VEHICLE JUMPED A CURB, TRAVELED OVER A A GRASS PLOT AND STRUCK ANOTHER CAR ON THE OTHER SIDE. OUR FORD ESCAPE SUFFERED FRONT END DAMAGE (TOWARD DRIVERS SIDE) AND THE OTHER VEHICLE (A FORD ECO -BOOST) SUFFERED FRONT AND DRIVERS SIDE DAMAGE. NOTE THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING FORWARD AT ABOUT ONE MPH (ALMOST TO A FULL STOP) WHEN THE SURGE OCCURRED. AS IT SURGED THE SPEED INCREASED RAPIDLY TO ABOUT SEVEN TO TEN MPH. THE VEHICLES WERE NOT TOWED AT THE TIME BUT WHEN DRIVING A SHORT DISTANCE HOME A SEVERE DEFECT IN THE STEERING (PULL TO THE LEFT) WAS NOTICED MAKING IT VIRTUALLY INOPERABLE. THE VEHICLE WILL BE TOWED FROM OUR DRIVEWAY TO THE BODY SHOP.

NHTSA ODI 11194555

Dec 8, 2016Fuel systemFire

I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED OF THE RECALL OF MY FORD ESCAPE. THE VEHICLE ENGINE CAUGHT FIRE AND WENT THRU THE DASHBOARD AND THE CAR WAS DESTROYED. I HAD BEEN PAYING A YEAR FOR THIS AUTO AND NOW HAVE TO BUY ANOTHER. I CALLED FORD AFTER THE FIRE TO COMPLAIN AND THAT'S WHEN I LEARNED OF THE RECALL. I LOST MY CAR AND MY PERSONAL BELONGINGS. I WANT TO BE COMPENSATED FOR THIS LOSS. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AT THE TIME.

NHTSA ODI 10933837

Aug 19, 2014SuspensionBody & structureSpeed controlFuel systemCrash1 injury

PLEASE FORWARD TO APPROPRIATE PERSONNEL, ON THURSDAY, AUGUST 14TH AT ~5:45PM A CLEAR DAY: OUR MOM/MOTHER IN-LAW HAD JUST DROPPED OF MY DAUGHTER AFTER SHOPPING AND WAS MAKING HER WAY HOME THRU THE WINDY BACK ROADS LESS THAN TWO MILES FROM OUR HOME. AS SHE CLIMBED A HILL A FEW BLOCKS AROUND THE CORNER FROM HER HOME AND STOPPED AT A STOP SIGN ON THE CREST OF THE HILL. THE 2012 FORD ESCAPED LURCHED/SURGED FORWARD UNCONTROLLABLY. AS FROM HER DESCRIPTION, SHE HEARD LOUD RUMBLINGS COMING FROM THE ENGINE; THE ESCAPE SHOOK AND LAUNCHED HER FORWARD WHILE SHE HAD HER FOOT ON THE BRAKE. THE ESCAPE PROPELLED HER UNCONTROLLABLY FORWARD CRASHING INTO A LARGE BOULDER, SHE THEN RICOCHETED ACROSS TWO LANES UP HILL, OVER AN EMBANKMENT /WALL, JUST MISSING A TREE, COLLIDED WITH ANOTHER PARKED VEHICLE PUSHING IT APPROXIMATELY THREE FEET, PASSED THAT INTO ANOTHER SMALL WALL JUST MISSING THE HOUSE. WE ARE THANKFUL ON MANY LEVELS; THAT OUR DAUGHTER WAS NOT WITH HER, THAT OUR MOM WAS NOT SEVERELY INJURED AND NO ONE ELSE WAS INJURED. I WAS RESEARCHING ONLINE AND THERE WAS AN INVESTIGATION OPEN FOR THIS VEHICLE AT ONE TIME. A RECALL IS NEEDED FOR THIS VEHICLE MODEL BEFORE THERE IS A FATALITY INVOLVED. WE ARE VERY CONCERNED KNOWING THAT MANY OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS AND FRIENDS DRIVE ESCAPE MODELS. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT US WITH ANY QUESTIONS. WE HAVE MANY PICTURES FROM THE SCENE FOR YOU TO REVIEW. KIND REGARDS, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ODI 10626454

Working with the data? Download all 598 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 10, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2012 Ford Escape Phev verdict →