The 2012 Ford Escape is a SUV that came with a choice of 2.5L 4-cyl and 3.0L 6-cyl engines. At 14 years old, many are reaching the point where repairs cost more than the car is worth. Running or not, we'll make you an offer and tow it away for free.
| Body style | Sport Utility Vehicle - 2WD, Sport Utility Vehicle - 4WD |
|---|---|
| Engines | 2.5L 4-cyl, 3.0L 6-cyl |
| Transmissions | Automatic (variable gear ratios), Automatic 6-spd, Manual 5-spd |
| Drive | Front-Wheel Drive, All-Wheel Drive |
| Fuel | Regular Gasoline |
| Fuel economy | 18–34 city / 23–30 highway / 20–32 combined MPG |
| EPA annual fuel cost | $2,100–$3,350 a year (EPA estimate at current fuel prices, 15,000 miles) |
| Tailpipe CO₂ | 278–444 grams per mile |
| Curb weight (NHTSA test vehicle) | 3,491 lb |
| Gross vehicle weight rating | 4,320–4,680 lb |
| Versions tested by EPA | 7 configurations: Escape Hybrid FWD, Escape FWD FFV, Escape FWD, Escape Hybrid AWD, Escape AWD FFV, Escape AWD |
| Age | 14 years |
Specs, fuel cost and emissions from the EPA's fueleconomy.gov data; weights from NHTSA crash-test records. Your car's exact equipment may differ.
NHTSA lists 1 safety recall covering the 2012 Ford Escape. Open recalls don't stop you from selling or junking the car, but check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which apply to yours.
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.
Risk: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.
Owners have filed 618 complaints about the 2012 Ford Escape with NHTSA. 41 reports involved a crash and 3 reports involved a fire. Owners reported 29 injuries.
Complaints are reports from owners and aren't verified by NHTSA. One complaint can list several components. Mileage is the median odometer reading owners reported for that component.
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2012 Ford Escape, by version tested.
| Version | Overall | Frontal crash | Side crash | Rollover | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suv, 4x2 | ★★★☆☆ | ★★★☆☆ | ★★★☆☆ | ★★★☆☆ | 23.7% |
| Suv, 4x4 | ★★★☆☆ | ★★★☆☆ | ★★★☆☆ | ★★★☆☆ | 20.4% |
Source: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP). Ratings from different model years or rating systems aren't directly comparable.
Manufacturers have filed 43 technical service bulletins and communications with NHTSA covering the 2012 Ford Escape. These are repair instructions for known issues, not recalls.
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 cont
While performing a transmission repair on some 2012-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, a transmission seal kit may be on backorder due to supply chain interruptions. While p
All accessory stick-on keyless entry keypads come with a wallet card containing the master code. If the accessory keypad was factory installed, this card will be placed i
For 2000-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, swapping a module from a vehicle for diagnosis purposes is likely to cause errors and is not recommended. It is also not recommen
Some 2005-2012 Escape Hybrid and 2006-2011 Mariner Hybrid vehicles may set DTCs P0A81 (battery pack cooling fan 1 control circuit) and/or P0A96 (battery pack cooling fan
Some 2012-2016 vehicles equipped with a touchscreen navigation system and the language set to Arabic may exhibit a blank screen. This may be the result of the ribbon cabl
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications (technical service bulletins).
NHTSA opened 3 defect investigations covering the 2012 Ford Escape.
Pedestrian alert sounds
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pe
Electronic Throttle Body Malfunction
On February 21, 2013, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation PE13-003 to investigate allegations of electronic throttle body (ETB) failures resulting in sudden reduction of engine power in model year (MY) 2009-2013 Ford Escape, Fusion, Mariner and Milan vehicles. During this investigat
Electronic Throttle Body Malfunction
In a letter dated August 30, 2012, The North Carolina Consumers Council (NCCC) petitioned the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to initiate a defect investigation of alleged electronic throttle body failures resulting in engine stall or surge while driving in model year (MY) 2005 through 2012 Ford
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It depends on its condition, whether major parts like the engine, transmission and catalytic converter are still there, and current scrap and parts prices where you live. As a heavier vehicle, its scrap weight adds to the offer. Enter your ZIP code above for a free offer on your specific car.
Yes. We buy 2012 Escapes that don't start, were in an accident, failed inspection or have a blown engine or transmission. Towing is always free.
Yes. Open recalls don't prevent a junk sale. NHTSA lists 1 recall for the 2012 Ford Escape; you can check whether any are still open on yours with the VIN lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Usually the title and a photo ID. Rules differ by state, including what to do with your plates and whether to file a notice of sale. Check our state-by-state car title guides for the official forms.
Data retrieved October 2026.
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