2012 Ford Escape Steering
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER STEERING ASSIST WHILE STATIONARY IN A DRIVE-THROUGH LINE. DIAGNOSIS FOUND DTC B2278 IN COMPUTER MEMORY. ALL INVESTIGATION LED TO A STEERING SHAFT TORQUE SENSOR AS THE FAULTY COMPONENT. THIS SAME COMPONENT WAS INVOLVED IN A RECALL FOR PRIOR YEARS ON THIS MODEL UP TO MODEL YEAR 2011. THIS REPAIR WAS NOT COVERED BY ANY RECALL AT THIS TIME. REPAIR WAS PAID FOR WITH A COMBINATION OF AFTERMARKET WARRANTY AND OWNER PAYMENT. THE PART HAS BEEN REPLACED. DOCUMENTATION IS INCLUDED WITH THIS COMPLAINT. TO DATE NO ADDITIONAL PROBLEMS HAVE SURFACED SINCE REPAIR.
DEC 31, 2015 VEHICLE STEERING WAS FINE, LAST DRIVEN 9PM. JAN 1, 2016 9:30AM POWER STEERING DID NOT WORK, STEERING WHEEL NEXT TO IMPOSSIBLE TO MOVE. FORTUNATELY VEHICLE WAS IN DRIVEWAY NOT ON THE HIGHWAY. TWO HOURS LATER POWER STEERING WAS FUNCTIONING. NO LIGHTS ON DASH TO INDICATE A PROBLEM. DROVE SHORT DISTANCE TODAY JAN 2ND WITH NO ISSUE. BEING TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP JAN 4TH. VEHICLE MILEAGE IS ONLY 31,695, OUT OF WARRANTY SINCE END OF OCTOBER 2015.
THE POWER STEERING SUDDENLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY FAILED, FORCING THE WHEEL TO TURN ALL THE WAY TO THE LEFT. FORTUNATELY, THE PROBLEM FIRST OCCURRED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED AND TRYING TO EXIT A PARKING LOT. IT TOOK A LOT OF FORCE TO RE-CENTER THE WHEEL AND DRIVE STRAIGHT. AFTER RELEASING THE WHEEL, EVEN WHEN PARKED, THE WHEEL WOULD RAPIDLY ROTATE BACK TO THE LEFT MOST POSITION. IF THIS HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING TO AN EXPECTING VICTIM, THE VEHICLE WOULD HAVE CERTAINLY TURNED INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC AND/OR FLIPPED.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD ESCAPE. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE FAILURE WAS UNDETERMINED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 62,000.
I WAS DRIVING AT A RATE OF 23 MPH AND THE POWER STEERING LOCKED UP ON ME, ALMOST CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. THIS MADE THE VEHICLE VERY HARD TO MANUEVER. I GOT THE VEHICLE TO A SAFE PLACE AND LOOKED TO SEE IF ANY BELTS HAD COME OF THE ENGINE. THERE WAS NO APPEARANT EVIDENCE OF A LOOSE OR BROKEN BELT. I RESTARTED THE CAR AND THE STEERING WAS WORKING FINE. I LOOKED INTO SEVERAL COMPLAINT BLOGS AND THIS SEEMS TO BE A SERIOUS ISSUE THAT FORD SHOUDL BE LOOKING INTO FOR A POSSIBLE RECALL. I RESEARCHED SEVERAL BLOG AND CAR COMPLAINT SITES AND THERE ARE MANY, MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE 2012 ESCAPE AS WELL. I AM ONE MONTH OUT OF MY 3YR/36000 WARRANTY. THE THREE YEAR PART CAME FIRST. I DO NOT FEEL IT IS FAIR FOR SO MANY PEOPLE TO HAVE TO PAY FOR THIS WHEN PREVIOUS YEARS HAVE HAD THIS ISSUED RECALLED ON THE ESCAPE.
POWER STEERING WENT OUT WHILE I WAS DRIVING COULD NOT STEER AT ALL! COULD NOT GET THE VEHICLE OUT OF TRAFFIC, FINALLY TURNED THE IGNITION OFF AND STARTED THE CAR AGAIN AND MY STEERING RETURNED. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THE 2008-2011 YEAR MODELS AND THEY WERE RECALLED. WHY HASN'T A RECALL BEEN DONE ON THE 2012 MODEL?
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT A PROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE POWER STEERING BECAME DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ONCE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE STEERING CONTROL MODULE WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 39,781.
TOOK MY 2012 ESCAPE TO THE DEALER FOR AUTHORIZED RECALL REPLACEMENT OF TORQUE SENSOR. WHEN PULLING OUT OF THE GARAGE AFTER THE REPAIR WAS MADE, FOUND I HAD NO POWER STEERING. BACKED IT BACK INTO THE GARAGE AND THE MECHANIC SAID HE WOULD TAKE A LOOK. SHUT THE CAR OFF AND TURNED IT ON AGAIN AND THE POWER STEERING WAS BACK. NO CODES WERE THROWN. THIS IS AN ESCAPE BUILT FEBRUARY 2012 IN KANSAS CITY. *JS
WHILE DRIVING AT 70MPH I LOST POWER STEERING. ALMOST IN ACCIDENT WITH BARRIER. AT FIRST I THOUGHT CAR SHUT OFF, BUT REALIZED COULD STILL STEER WITH GREAT DIFFICULTY. TOOK VEHICLE TO SHOP AND WAS TOLD ECU WAS BAD, $1050 FOR REPAIR. RESEARCHED ONLINE AND THE 2008-2011 WAS ON A RECALL FOR A TORQUE CONVERTER ISSUE. CALL FORD TO NO AVAIL. NO WARNING LIGHTS APPEARED, NOR DID THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COME ON. DEALER FOUND CODE STATING THE ECU WAS BAD? WAITING ON PART. *TR
WHILE DRIVING AT AVERAGELY ABOUT 40 MPH THE POWER STEERING ON THE FORD ESCAPE 2012 JUST FAILS. THIS MAKES IT INCREDIBLY IMPOSSIBLE TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE AND THE ONLY REMEDY IS TO CUT OFF THE CAR AND START IT AGAIN. THIS INCIDENT HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES IN THE PAST AND IS STILL CONTINUING TO HAPPEN SPORADICALLY EVEN AFTER BEING TO THE DEALERSHIP MULTIPLE TIMES AT WHICH THEY CLAIM EACH TIME THAT THE ISSUE HAS BEEN RESOLVED. I REALLY HOPE FORD TAKES TIME TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED AND THERE IS A HUGE CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AS I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS SAME PROBLEM OCCURS ON DIFFERENT FORD MODELS ACROSS MULTIPLE YEAR MODELS. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING STOPPED FUNCTIONING WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH AND THE STEERING WHEEL WAS DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THEY WOULD CONTACT HIM AT A LATER DATE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 468.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH THE POWER STEERING FAILED AND IT BECMAE EXTREMELY DIFFICUTL FOR THE CONTACT TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY ADVISED HIM THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY ADVISED HIM THAT THEY WOULD LOOK INTO THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 235. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.
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Quick Summary
The 2012 Ford Escape has 112 Steering complaints on file. 1 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.