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2012 Ford Escape Recalls & Complaints

2

open safety recalls on record

Critical

792 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 0.32 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Critical16V777000

Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Fuel Pump

fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source raises the risk of a fire.

Remedy & full details

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.

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.

Serious15E045000

Suspension:Front:Wheel Bearing

Use of an incorrectly sized wheel bearing can adversely affect the braking and steering of the vehicle, raises the risk of a crash.

Remedy & full details

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.

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 dimension and a 45mm width.

Complaint volume

792 this model-year 8 median, same year

Volume alone is not a fault rate — popular vehicles attract more reports. Read it next to the severity mix below.

What owners reported happened

57Crashes
4Fires
32Injuries
0Deaths

Across 792 complaints. Severity Index 0.32.

Severity Index weights each complaint's reported outcome (death ×10, injury ×4, fire ×3, crash ×2) and divides by total complaints. It measures how severe reports are, not how often faults occur.

What owners report most

Fuel/Propulsion System137 · 17%Steering136 · 17%Engine72 · 9%Vehicle Speed Control69 · 9%Power Train63 · 8%Structure · Body55 · 7%Unknown Or Other44 · 6%Electrical System39 · 5%
  1. Fuel/Propulsion System — 137 reports
  2. Steering — 136 reports
  3. Engine — 72 reports
  4. Vehicle Speed Control — 69 reports
  5. Power Train — 63 reports
  6. Structure:Body — 55 reports
  7. Unknown Or Other — 44 reports
  8. Electrical System — 39 reports
  9. Air Bags — 24 reports
  10. Fuel System, Gasoline — 22 reports

What to do

  1. Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
  2. Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
  3. Book the repair with any franchised dealer. Safety recall work is free, with no time limit and regardless of who owns the car now.

Other model years

2000 · 2001 (15) · 2002 (10) · 2003 (9) · 2004 (8) · 2005 (5) · 2006 (5) · 2007 (4) · 2008 (5) · 2009 (3) · 2010 (5) · 2011 (3) · 2012 · 2013 (18) · 2014 (16) · 2015 (9) · 2016 (4) · 2017 (4) · 2018 (4) · 2019 (3) · 2020 (23) · 2021 (19) · 2022 (19) · 2023 (11) · 2024 (8) · 2025 (9) · 2026 (2)

Numbers in brackets are open recall campaigns for that year.

Questions

Does an open recall mean the car is unsafe to drive?

Not usually. NHTSA issues a "do not drive" or "park outside" advisory when a defect is dangerous enough to keep you out of the car — those are flagged Critical above. Everything else should be repaired promptly but is not an immediate stop-driving order.

Do I pay for recall repairs?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to fix a safety recall free of charge, including parts and labour, whether or not you are the original owner.

Why are there complaints but no recalls?

Complaints are unverified reports filed by owners. They can prompt an investigation, but many never become recalls — either the fault isn't safety-related or it isn't widespread.

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