2012 Ford Escape electrical system problems
42 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the electrical system on the 2012 Ford Escape — 7% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“Vehicle: 2012 Ford Escape Issue: Loss of steering assist while driving While operating my vehicle, the power steering assist suddenly fails, making the steering wheel extremely difficult to turn. This creates a dangerous driving condition and significantly increases the risk of an accident. This…”
filed Apr 30, 2026
“This is a second car so don't drive it every day -- first incident occurred back in 2023 driving in town and car stopped!! Rolled to side and it started back up -- this happened several times and was very hesitant to drive on any highways. Several days the car would not start -- looked on line…”
filed Apr 19, 2024
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Related service bulletins
Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with wired keyless entry keypad systems and accessory wireless keyless entry keypad systems may or may not come with a wallet card containing the master code. Unlike the integrated…
SSM 54601 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 24, 2026
Electrical System problems in other Escape years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 Escape | 6 | 29% |
| 2024 Escape | 27 | 36% |
| 2023 Escape | 38 | 40% |
| 2022 Escape | 19 | 8% |
| 2021 Escape | 31 | 9% |
| 2020 Escape | 152 | 10% |
| 2019 Escape | 37 | 6% |
| 2018 Escape | 53 | 3% |
| 2017 Escape | 154 | 6% |
| 2016 Escape | 88 | 8% |
| 2015 Escape | 130 | 12% |
| 2014 Escape | 211 | 10% |
Other reported problem areas on the 2012 Ford Escape
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints naming this component group. Complaints are unverified owner reports; mileage is computed only from complaints that included a usable odometer reading.