Showing the 2012 Escape Limited. We haven't verified this trim's engine; the numbers below cover every version of this model year. Every version
Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
About every 2012 Escape
The 2012 Ford Escape has 618 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, most often about steering (141). It is rated 20 to 32 mpg combined, with a 5-year fuel cost of $10,150 to $16,240 at U.S. average prices. NHTSA gives it 3 overall stars. This car may be affected by 1 recall campaign covering the fuel system.
Written by AI from public EPA and NHTSA data. Not a review.
Fuel economy
20–32 mpgcombined; city 18–34, highway 23–30; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$10,150–$16,240U.S. average; Ohio $9,070–$14,510 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
NHTSA's VIN data lists these trims for the 2012 Escape. A trim's engine and numbers are shown as its own only where EPA names versions after the trim and no other version could be it; "seen with" means a source shows that engine on the trim, not that it was the only one. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year: whether a recall applies to a car depends on its VIN, on NHTSA's recall lookup.
Owners have filed 618 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 Escape. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.
Complaints by part of the car
Part
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Steering
141
3
0
2
Fuel/propulsion system
139
2
1
1
Engine
75
4
0
0
Vehicle speed control
71
9
0
4
Structure
70
5
1
1
Power train
67
3
0
2
Unknown or other
45
1
0
0
Electrical system
43
2
1
0
Air bags
26
21
1
20
Fuel system, gasoline
26
0
0
0
Service brakes
20
2
0
0
Seat belts
19
4
0
3
15 more parts
Visibility/wiper
13
0
0
0
Suspension
12
1
0
1
Latches/locks/linkages
9
0
0
0
Visibility
9
0
0
0
Electronic stability control (ESC)
6
1
0
0
Engine and engine cooling
6
0
0
0
Seats
6
3
0
2
Service brakes, hydraulic
4
1
0
0
Equipment adaptive/mobility
2
2
0
0
Exterior lighting
2
0
0
0
Traction control system
2
0
0
0
Wheels
2
0
0
0
Equipment
1
0
0
0
Parking brake
1
0
0
0
Tires
1
0
0
0
Complaints by model year
Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.
NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for the 2012 Escape over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.
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.
Risk: 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.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 44 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2012 Escape, the latest on Feb 24, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: equipment (11), electrical system (8), power train (8), engine (6), engine and engine cooling (4).
NHTSA defect investigations
Opening an investigation isn't a finding of a defect. Outcomes are as NHTSA's summary states them. A recall is shown as an investigation's outcome only where NHTSA's summary names it; other recalls NHTSA's file lists with it are marked as listed, not caused.
Investigation
Part
Opened
Status
Defect petition DP22005 Pedestrian alert sounds · covers 43 makes
The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2012 Escape.
These are searches on those sites; we don't copy or check their listings. Your ZIP is used for these links and never kept.
Specs
EPA class: sport utility vehicle. Each version EPA tested:
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Version
Engine
Transmission
Fuel
City / hwy / comb
Escape Front-Wheel Drive
2.5 L, 4 cyl
Manual 5-spd
Regular Gasoline
23 / 28 / 25
Escape Front-Wheel Drive
2.5 L, 4 cyl
Automatic 6-spd
Regular Gasoline
21 / 27 / 23
Escape All-Wheel Drive
2.5 L, 4 cyl
Automatic 6-spd
Regular Gasoline
20 / 26 / 23
Escape Front-Wheel Drive
3.0 L, 6 cyl
Automatic 6-spd
Regular Gasoline or E85
19 / 25 / 21
Escape All-Wheel Drive
3.0 L, 6 cyl
Automatic 6-spd
Regular Gasoline or E85
18 / 23 / 20
Escape Hybrid Front-Wheel Drive
2.5 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (variable gear ratios)
Regular Gasoline
34 / 30 / 32
Escape Hybrid All-Wheel Drive
2.5 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (variable gear ratios)
Regular Gasoline
30 / 27 / 29
Sources and dates
U.S. EPA fuel economy data, file of Sep 29, 2026
NHTSA owner complaints, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA recalls, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026
Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data