Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2012 Ford Escape owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Escape. The contact stated while the vehicle was idling in the restaurant drive thru line, the vehicle shut off and failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the local mechanic who determined that the battery cable had failed and needed to be replaced. The battery cables were replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The local dealer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 110,000.
This is a second car so don't drive it every day -- first incident occurred back in 2023 driving in town and car stopped!! Rolled to side and it started back up -- this happened several times and was very hesitant to drive on any highways. Several days the car would not start -- looked on line trying to figure out what was wrong and saw many people were having similar issues but nothing resolved -- battery tested fine but got a new battery from AAA but the next day battery was dead again. My husband did some more research and decided to pull the fuse for the radio and the front display module and the car has not stalled nor the battery been dead since but have been driving without a radio. I had to go on a five hour drive (both ways) last weekend and not fun driving that long without a radio. …
Vehicle: 2012 Ford Escape Issue: Loss of steering assist while driving While operating my vehicle, the power steering assist suddenly fails, making the steering wheel extremely difficult to turn. This creates a dangerous driving condition and significantly increases the risk of an accident. This issue appears to match known problems with the electric power steering system in this vehicle, which has been the subject of recalls for similar model years. However, my VIN is not currently included. The failure has occurred while driving and has now made the vehicle unsafe to operate. I am requesting investigation into this issue and expansion of the recall to include additional affected vehicles, as this is a serious safety hazard.
Power steering suddenly went out on right turn onto residential street at approx 10 mph. No warning lights. When car was restarted, power steering back on. Paid dealer to scan. Failure code B2278-2F. Replace steering shaft torque sensor (internal to steering column), steering shaft must be replaced, too, due to play. Just two parts: part cost $2272, labor $886. Part back-ordered for unknown period. Have not yet told dealer service to order parts. Asked dealer if car was safe to drive: they said "probably not."
Warning on the dash panel intermittently says Lift gate/back glass is ajar even though it is closed. This causes the interior lights to turn on and off. I believe this is due to a manufacturer defect in the gasket that allows water/condensation to seep into the lift gate and cause corrosion of the electrical wires
My grandmothers vehicle has had an intermittent loss of power steering while driving at slow speeds and is a serious safety concern, the safety recall I had found "14S05" is exactly what's goin on with her vehicle and it matches up exactly to the recall down to the assembly plant other than her vehicle was assembled a year after the recall, but yet these symptoms of this recall is exactly what she is having. She has brought it to multiple ford dealerships and they turn her away unless she pays them over $200? I would fix it as a consumer, but no lights come on or even point me in a proper direction of repairs. There's no warning lights or anything and the only way it can be repaired is by the dealer so how can my grandmother be liable for this if the car tells me nothing is wrong? …
At random points in time when car is on, doesnt matter what speed, steering wheel locks and is unable to be moved untill car is turned off and back on again. I just got into an accident yesterday in brattleboro vt while I was driving home for xmas from college when I went right off the side of the road and into a snowbank. Airbags went off and nobody was hurt and luckly I didnt hit any other cars or property. Car is being towed back home to a mechanic. I had gone to a Ford dealership a few weeks ago when I first noticed the issue, in my driveway at low speeds, and after paying a $100 diagnosis fee, the dealership told me there was nothing wrong with the car and that I was imagining things. I've done a lot of research since then and there are a lot of recalls with similar issues but not on the 2012 model.
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 Ford Escape. While driving 30 MPH, the contact noticed a burning odor coming from the air vent. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the seal did not properly protect the vehicle from water. As a result, water entered the vehicle and shorted out the electrical system. In addition, the receiver dryer, blower resister, and gasket cap needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 22,000.
While driving at about 35-40 MPH, the vehicle suddenly turned off. I couldn't hit the accelerator and had to coast to the side of the road. I turned the car off and back on again, and it restarted without a problem. It has done this to me a handful of times in the last 3 years, but every time I take it to a mechanic, they cannot replicate the problem and therefore cannot fix it. The Ford dealerships offer to "take a look at it" for a high price, and can't tell me what's wrong either. This is extremely dangerous and could easily cause an accident at any given time. There is clearly a defect in the electrical and/or fuel system, but no one can seem to solve the problem. In my opinion, Ford should order a recall of the Ford Escape to address this dangerous problem. …
Going down the road, and all the sudden my gauges dropped, except for fuel. My initial reaction was to hit the gas pedal to see if I'd lost engine power. I still had engine power, thankfully. Since then, w/o any warnings the gauges will drop, and all the sensor lights will come on while going down the road. I went to advanced auto parts, and had them to put it on their machine to see if it would code. It coded for p-1602. Battery tested fine. Looked up on you tube to see if anyone else was having the same problem, and found this video. In the video is exactly what is happening to my 2012 Escape while driving down the road. Https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0zz0dfessk looking in the comments section the owner of a 2010 Escape, said that Ford replaced 3 instrument panels, and the factory Ford technician finally found that it was cold solder joints. …
Electrical complaints in other Escape years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2012 Ford Escape?
NHTSA has 42 complaints about the electrical system of the 2012 Ford Escape, 7% of the model year's 604 complaints. The component named most often is wiring (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2012 Ford Escape electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 2012 Ford Escape, though it has 1 recall for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2012 Ford Escape electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 59,000 miles, and 15% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 1 fire and 0 injuries to electrical system problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.