2012 Ford Escape problems, recalls, safety rating, MPG & value

Q: Does the 2012 Ford Escape have any safety recalls?

Yes — NHTSA lists 2 safety recalls for the 2012 Ford Escape. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Whether a specific car still has one open depends on its VIN.

Q: What gas mileage does the 2012 Ford Escape get?

The U.S. EPA rates the 2012 Ford Escape at about 25 mpg combined (24 city / 27 highway).

Q: How much is a 2012 Ford Escape worth?

Comparable 2012 Ford Escape listings run roughly $9,700–$18,400, typically around $14,488 (from 2,714 vehicles).

2012 Ford Escape at a glance

Safety recalls2

Owner complaints598

Overall safety3 / 5 ★

Combined25 mpg

Typical price$14,488

Free: specs, open recalls for that exact car, build sheet and fair price.

2012 Ford Escape recalls 2

Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:fuel Pump NHTSA Campaign #16V777000 · 26/10/2016

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.

Fix: 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 avail…

Suspension:front:wheel Bearing NHTSA Campaign #15E045000 · 03/06/2015

The Timken Company (Timken) is recalling certain aftermarket front wheel bearings, part number 510072, sold from January 22, 2015, to May 21, 2015, to be used as service parts on 2001-2012 Ford Escape, 2001-2011 Mazda Tribute, and 2005-2011 Mercury Mariner vehicles. The affected wheel bearings have incorrect dimensions of a 42mm bore, 76mm outer dimension, and 39mm width, instead of a 42mm bore, 78mm outer dimensio…

Fix: Timken has begun notifying distributors who will offer purchasers replacement wheel bearings, free of charge. The recall began on May 21, 2015. Owners may contact Timken customer service at 1-866-984-6536.

Source: U.S. NHTSA. A recall applies to a model year, but only a VIN check shows whether a specific car has had the repair done.

2012 Ford Escape common problems

The most-reported problem areas from 598 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — and what to check before you buy.

Steering

Steering should be tight and centered — no play, clunks or wandering. Test at low and highway speed; listen for power-steering whine.

Fuel/propulsion System

Check for fuel or battery warnings, hard starts and stalling. On a hybrid/EV, confirm charging and range behave normally.

Suspension

Listen for clunks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for uneven tire wear and worn shocks or struts.

Electrical System

Test every electrical feature: windows, locks, infotainment, charging and all lights. Watch for flickering, dead accessories or warning lights.

Fuel System

Sniff for fuel odor, check for leaks, hard starts or stalling, and confirm the fuel gauge reads correctly.

Gasoline

Have a trusted mechanic inspect this system as part of a pre-purchase inspection.

2012 Ford Escape safety ratings

Overall★★★★★

Frontal crash★★★★★

Side crash★★★★★

Rollover★★★★★

Source: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP), tested as the 2012 Ford Escape SUV 4x4. Ratings can differ by body style and drivetrain.

2012 Ford Escape MPG & running costs

Combined25 mpg

City24 mpg

Highway27 mpg

Est. annual fuel cost$2,543

Source: U.S. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov, averaged across trims.

What's a 2012 Ford Escape worth?

Low

$9,700

Typical price

$14,488

High

$18,400

From 2,714 comparable 2012 Ford Escape listings.

Estimated 5-year cost to own

A rough guide to what running a 2012 Ford Escape costs over five years and 75,000 miles.

Fuel (5 yrs)$12,715

Depreciation (5 yrs)$9,800

Total$22,515

Per mile$0.30

How this is estimated: fuel is the U.S. EPA annual cost at 15,000 miles a year. Depreciation compares today's typical asking price for this model year ($14,488) with the same model 5 model-years older ($4,698), from CarLogs listing data. Not included: insurance, maintenance, repairs, taxes, registration and finance costs. Treat it as a comparison guide, not a quote.

2012 Ford Escape trims & engines on record

Trims

XLT · Limited · XLS · Hybrid · HEV

Engines

2.5L 4-cyl · 3.0L 6-cyl 240 hp · 2.5L 4-cyl 155 hp · 3.0L 6-cyl 200 hp

2012 Ford Escape vehicles on record

2012 Ford Escape XLT1FMCU9D76CKA93351

2012 Ford Escape XLT1FMCU0D7XCKA88620

2012 Ford Escape Limited1FMCU9EG7CKB88497

2012 Ford Escape Limited1FMCU0EG0CKB55384

2012 Ford Escape Limited1FMCU9EG8CKB92798

2012 Ford Escape XLS1FMCU0C7XCKB67643

2012 Ford Escape Limited1FMCU0EG8CKA50169

2012 Ford Escape Limited1FMCU0E7XCKC08558

2012 Ford Escape XLT1FMCU0DG9CKC18905

2012 Ford Escape Limited1FMCU0EG0CKC81633

2012 Ford Escape XLS1FMCU0C71CKA22717 2012 Ford Escape XLT1FMCU0D75CKA90856

2012 Ford Escape XLS1FMCU0C79CKA91865

2012 Ford Escape XLT1FMCU9DG3CKB92323

2012 Ford Escape XLT1FMCU9D79CKB18856

2012 Ford Escape XLT1FMCU9DG8CKC70319

2012 Ford Escape Limited1FMCU9E7XCKC25364 2012 Ford Escape XLS1FMCU0C72CKB55213

2012 Ford Escape Limited1FMCU9E75CKA69542 2012 Ford Escape Limited1FMCU9E73CKB29754 2012 Ford Escape Limited1FMCU0E70CKB66918 2012 Ford Escape XLT1FMCU0D7XCKB26038 2012 Ford Escape Limited1FMCU0E79CKA81544

2012 Ford Escape Limited1FMCU0EG7CKC16990

Other Ford Escape model years

2012 Ford Escape — frequently asked questions

Does the 2012 Ford Escape have any safety recalls?

Yes — NHTSA lists 2 safety recalls for the 2012 Ford Escape. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Whether a specific car still has one open depends on its VIN.

What are the most common problems with the 2012 Ford Escape?

Based on 598 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the most-reported problem areas are steering, fuel/propulsion system, suspension.

What is the 2012 Ford Escape safety rating?

NHTSA gives the 2012 Ford Escape an overall crash-test rating of 3 out of 5 stars (frontal 3★, side 3★, rollover 3★).

What gas mileage does the 2012 Ford Escape get?

The U.S. EPA rates the 2012 Ford Escape at about 25 mpg combined (24 city / 27 highway).

How much is a 2012 Ford Escape worth?

Comparable 2012 Ford Escape listings run roughly $9,700–$18,400, typically around $14,488 (from 2,714 vehicles).

Sources: NHTSA (recalls, complaints, crash tests), U.S. EPA (fuel economy). Vehicle data only — CarLogs never shows owner information.