2012 Ford Escape — Known Issues & Recalls

While driving at 30 mph, your steering wheel suddenly locked up, forcing you to use extra force to steer to safety. A mechanic found that the power steering control module and sensor had failed and replaced the sensor to fix the problem.

While driving at normal speed, your power steering suddenly stopped working, making the steering wheel extremely stiff and difficult to turn. You had to struggle to steer the vehicle to a safe parking spot away from traffic. Loss of power steering can make your car very hard to control, especially at higher speeds or when turning.

Your steering wheel became very loose and partially detached from the steering column while you were driving into your garage, though it remained connected by electrical wires. A mechanic found that the upper steering column shaft had come apart. This happened at around 85,000 miles with no warning light to alert you beforehand.

Your power steering randomly stops working while driving, even though the power steering sensor has been replaced twice. This is dangerous at highway speeds—when it happens, the steering wheel jerks out of your hands and you nearly lose control of the car. The fix will likely involve diagnosing why the replacement sensor isn't resolving the issue, which might require checking the wiring, connector, or replacing it again with a different part.

Your power steering is failing completely and without warning while you're driving, making your car very difficult to control — especially at low speeds. Ford issued a recall for the same power steering problem in similar 2011-2013 models, but your 2012 Escape wasn't included even though you're experiencing identical symptoms. The issue is frequent and dangerous rather than intermittent, and you haven't been able to drive the car safely. A Ford technician should inspect your steering gear's electrical connections and likely replace the faulty power steering control module or wiring.

While driving your 2012 Ford Escape, your steering wheel suddenly became stiff and difficult to turn left or right. Restarting the vehicle temporarily fixed the problem, but your dealer diagnosed that the entire steering column assembly needs to be replaced. The repair may be related to a Ford recall, though this wasn't confirmed. The fix will involve replacing the steering column assembly at your dealership.

While driving at about 35 mph, your steering wheel suddenly became very hard to turn, requiring all your strength to move it. After turning the car off and restarting it, the steering returned to normal. This has happened twice, though your mechanic couldn't identify a cause when they inspected it.

Your steering became difficult to control while driving at normal speeds (around 25 mph), even though no warning lights came on. This happened multiple times. A dealer diagnosed that your steering column needs to be replaced, and there's a known Ford recall (Campaign 14V284000) for this issue on some Escapes, though your vehicle's identification number wasn't included in that recall.

While driving around a roundabout, your Escape unexpectedly veered to the right and the steering wheel became stiff and hard to turn. No warning light appeared on your dashboard. A mechanic diagnosed the problem as a faulty electronic steering column that needs replacement, though the part wasn't immediately available from the dealer. The issue occurred at around 145,000 miles.

While driving at about 35 mph, your steering suddenly became very hard to turn. You safely pulled over, turned the car off and restarted it, and the steering returned to normal. This happened only once and hasn't occurred again. Your dealer confirmed this issue wasn't part of any previous recall for electric steering systems.

Your vehicle is leaking fuel, which poses a serious fire hazard. You received a recall notice for this issue, but when you check using your vehicle identification number (VIN), the recall isn't showing up in the system. You should contact Ford or NHTSA to verify your vehicle's recall status and get this addressed immediately.

Your fuel tank is leaking gasoline where the filler hose fitting connects to the tank itself. The leak is happening at the tank connection point, not at the hose. This requires replacing or resealing the fuel filler neck fitting where it enters the tank.

Your car has started leaking fuel continuously. This began about a month ago and the leak hasn't stopped. Since fuel is leaking from your vehicle, this needs to be inspected and repaired soon to prevent safety and environmental issues.

Your car's subframe has rusted severely, which caused the control arm to separate from it. This led to steering problems and uneven tire wear, making the vehicle unsafe to drive. The dealership estimates the subframe replacement will cost $3,000.

Your front passenger subframe has rotted, which is causing your control arms to wear out prematurely and fail repeatedly. This has led to your wheel falling off while driving twice — a serious safety hazard. While some 2012 Ford Escapes have a recall for this issue, your vehicle isn't included despite having the same problem, and other owners report similar failures and accidents. The repair will likely require replacing the rotted subframe and inspecting all suspension components that may have been damaged by the rust.

You notice a strong fuel smell inside your car after refueling, but no warning lights appear on your dashboard. The smell seems to be entering the cabin from outside. This could indicate a fuel leak or vent system issue that should be inspected before it worsens.

After your 2012 Ford Escape was repaired under a fuel system recall, your vehicle started having trouble starting—requiring multiple attempts to turn on. The dealer found the fuel delivery module clamp wasn't installed correctly and fixed it, but the starting problem came back the next morning, and you noticed a strong burning fuel smell inside the cabin. Fixing this will likely require the dealer to properly inspect and reinstall the fuel delivery module and its clamp, and check for any fuel leaks causing the odor.

Your 2012 Ford Escape's air conditioning and defrost system has a recurring problem where the desiccant bag (which removes moisture from the A/C system) breaks down and releases particles that clog the thermal expansion valve and prevent the system from cooling and dehumidifying properly. This causes your windshield to fog up and become difficult or impossible to clear, creating a serious visibility and safety hazard—especially in Florida's humid climate. Even after replacing the expansion valve and dryer multiple times, the problem returns because the desiccant bag itself appears to be defective. Fixing this likely requires replacement of the air conditioning dryer and thermal expansion valve, possibly along with flushing the entire A/C system to remove particles.

While driving at low speed, your steering wheel became unresponsive and difficult to turn, and shortly after, your vehicle failed to start and the gear shifter stopped working. No warning lights appeared on the dashboard. The vehicle has not been diagnosed or repaired.

Your steering wheel makes an abnormal whining sound when you turn left or right at various speeds. Additionally, your vehicle hesitates when you accelerate from a stop. No warning lights appear on your dashboard. The dealer wasn't able to diagnose the issue, and your vehicle wasn't repaired. Addressing this may involve inspecting the power steering system and transmission components for wear or fluid issues.