Owner-reported complaints naming the fuel system system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2012 Ford Escape submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 160 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
The 25 most recent of 160, in the owner's own words
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Escape. The contact stated that after refueling the vehicle, there was a strong fuel-like odor entering the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 153,000.
Clearly the vehicle is leaking and is a fire hazard. I received a notice that it has been recalled but it’s not showing up under my vin.
It just started leaking fuel about a month ago and never stops
Gas tank leaking fuel around the joint where the fuel filler hose connects to the tank. It is NOT leaking at the hose connection but is leaking where the fitting connects/enters the tank.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V777000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) and the vehicle was repaired under the recall. The contact stated that after the vehicle was repaired, the vehicle would only start after several attempts. The vehicle was returned to the dealer, who acknowledged that the clamp for the Fuel Delivery Module (FDM) flange was not properly placed, and the issue was corrected. The contact stated that the failure persisted while attempting to start the vehicle the following morning. The contact stated that there was an abnormal burning fuel odor entering the cabin of the vehicle. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 96,000.
While coming to a stop sign, as I took my foot off the gas pedal, it surged forward at a fast speed the gas pedal went to the floor. it took me through the intersection and beyond before I was able to stop the car. It was very scary just thinking if there were anyone crossing the street it could have been very bad. Now im afraid to even drive my car not knowing if it will happen again.I call the service and cannot get appt. for 2 weeks. and it will be at my expense.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the odor of fuel was present inside and outside of the vehicle. Upon inspection, leaking fuel was discovered coming from the fuel tank on the rear driver’s side of the vehicle. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was previously serviced under NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V777000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The contact indicated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 150,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Escape. The contact stated that after refueling and parking the vehicle in his driveway, he noticed gasoline leaking from the rear driver's side of the vehicle. An unknown dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V777000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) as the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was unknown.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Escape. The contact stated that there was an abnormal fuel odor detected around the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact called the local dealer but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but no additional assistance was provided. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V777000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The contact was concerned the vehicle might catch on fire. The approximate failure mileage was 24,400.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the fuel delivery module had expanded and leaked fuel while refueling. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the fuel delivery system was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The local dealer and manufacturer were not yet notified of the failure. After checking the VIN, the contact was informed that the vehicle was not included in the NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V777000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The contact indicated that the vehicle had experienced the same failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 16,000.
There is something not connecting right when you accelerate from a stopped position. From when you first start the car and begin to drive to slowing down to a complete stop as soon as you begin to accelerate there is almost no going right away when you push down on the pedal. It takes almost 10 seconds or more to even begin to stay with on coming traffic. You have to be at a 3 rpm to even shift to go a little more faster then the speed starts to increase if able. It is available when needed to look over at any point and I dont feel safe driving as theres something not right with the connection to the fuel I believe and it feels like. I have taken it to a local shop and they looked it over and didnt seem to find or see much but they cleaned the air flow meter but that didnt do the trick? Also while driving the car tends to veer to the left with or with no wind. It doesnt like to stay straight while driving and thats also unsafe as the driver your doing everything to stay straight. Have not been inspected by anyone other than the local shop I trust and is family friend. Have never noticed or seen any defective lights come on since I purchased the vehicle. I noticed this not even a month into purchasing and I took it to where I purchased the vehicle and asked about it and they said its normal in this older ford escape? I was kinda stunned and annoyed so I just left. Also when the ac is on it seems to take even more power to try and get going I have noticed. I also have tried to upload a photo of an invoice and my computer isnt allowing me?
12/3/2020 Recall 16S41-Fuel Delivery Module Flange Replacement was performed on vehicle at Ford Dealership. Upon starting the vehicle, I noticed a long crank & engine light was on. Technician advised the issue would resolve itself in a few days. It did not. 12/16/2020 Returned to Ford Dealership for for diagnostic of long crank & engine light. Techs determined there was a defect in the hose. According to them, they replaced the faulty part and issue was fixed. It was not. I was advised again, after some time the issue would be resolved. It was not. 05/5/21 Returned to Ford Dealership for diagnostic & repair of same. Techs advised they replaced a clamp, and that the fuel delivery module installed was defective(again) causing a leak down. They refused liability and advised I needed the fuel pump replaced at my own expense($628). I declined.
AFTER THE FUEL LINE RECALL WAS REPAIRED IN 2020 THE ENGINE STUTTERS BEFORE IT CRANKS COMPLETELY. I REACHED OUT TO FORD AND THE ONLY THING THEY DID WAS OFFER 20 DOLLARS OFF THE DIAGNOSTIC FEE AT THE DEALERSHIP.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS LEAKING FUEL FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WAS UNAWARE OF THE EXACT LOCATION OF THE FUEL LEAK. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF DRIVING THE VEHICLE WITH THE FUEL LEAK. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO BE DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V777000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE). NEITHER THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER WERE MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 185,000.
AS I WAS PULLING INTO MY DRIVEWAY MY CAR HAD A SUDDEN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. THE ENGINE WAS RACING SO I PUT MY FOOT ON THE BREAK WHICH HAD NO EFFECT SO I PUT THE CAR INTO PARK. THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO RUN AT FULL SPEED SO I TURNED THE CAR OFF. I THEN CALLED A TOW TRUCK TO TAKE THE CAR TO BE REPAIRED. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THIS HAPPENED AND FORD WILL NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT THIS ONGOING ISSUE. IN JULY 2018 I HAD THE THROTTLE BODY REPLACED WITH A FORD FACTORY PART. HERE IT IS TWO YEARS AND 11 THOUSAND MILES LATER AND IT JUST HAPPENED AGAIN. FORD, SHAME ON YOU. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD ESCAPE. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN RATE OF SPEED, THE CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE CHECK FUEL INTAKE LID INDICATOR ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY AFTER FILLING THE VEHICLE WITH FUEL. THE CONTACT ASSOCIATED THE FAILURE WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V777000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE). THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.
CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON WHEN DRIVING AND WHEN PARKED AND ENGINE RUNNING AND SMELL OF RAW GAS FUMES NEAR LEFT REAR WHEEL AREA. SHOP TESTED FOUND CODE P0456 TRACED TO CRACKED AND LEAKING ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP. REPLACED PUMP NOW OK . IN CHECKING I FOUND THERE WAS A RECALL #16S41 FOR 2012 ESCAPE WITH V6 ENGINE , MY CAR IS A 4 CYL . NOT INCL. IN RECALL BUT PRODUCED IN SAME PRODUCTION SEQUENCE PRODUCTION DATE 8-11 SALES DATE 11-19-2011 THE ABOVE RECALL WAS FOR LEAKING FUEL PUMP .I BELIEVE MY CAR SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED ALSO . I CONTACTED DEALER THEY REFERRED ME TO FORD CO. FILED CASE #CAS-21767319 ON 5-29-19 FORD SAID NO RECALL ,SORRY NO HELP WITH REPAIR BILL .I BELIEVE THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED AS A SAFETY HAZARD ALSO COVERED UNDER EMISSION WARRANTY 8 YEAS OR 80,000 MILES I WROTE TO DEALER 9-12-2019 NO RESPONSE CAR HAD 79.795 AT TIME OF REPAIR. I STILL HAVE THE CAR AND THE DEFECTIVE FUEL PUMP IF INSPECTION IS REQUIRED. THIS CONDITION WAS ON PUBLIC STREET AND PRIVATE PROPERTY MOVING AND STATIONARY. MY CAR COULD HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN A FIRE IF THE CAUSE OF THE FUEL LEAK WASN'T DETECTED.
AFTER PERFORMING THE RECALL THE PROBLEM CONTINUE SHOWING CHECK FUEL TANK INLET..IN THE PANEL AND THEN CHECKING ENGINE LIGTH ON ..ITS BEEN A SOLID PROBLEM FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS AND FORD SHOULD GET THE RIGTH WAY TO FIX THE PROBLEM
MY 2012 FORD ESCAPE SUDDENLY LOSES POWER WHEN DRIVING. IT HAPPENED ON THE HIGHWAY AND I WAS ALMOST REAR ENDED. I GOOGLED THE SYMPTOMS AND FOUND THAT IT IS PROBABLY THE ETB ELECTRONIC THROTTLE BODY. THIS IS DANGEROUS AND NHTSA DID NOT ISSUE A RECALL OR PROTECT THE PUBLIC BY REQUIRING FORD TO PROVIDE TOWING. INSTEAD NHTSA ONLY REQUIRED THAT FORD EXTEND THE WARRANTY AN ADDITIONAL 10 YEARS LEAVING FORD OWNERS AT RISK OF INJURY OR WORSE.
AFTER HAVING THE RECALL 16S41 FUEL DELIVERY MODULE FLANGE REPLACEMENT SERVICE, MY VEHICLE WOULD OCCASIONALLY NOT SUCCESSFULLY START BUT WOULD CONTINUE TO TRY. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP WHERE IT WAS SERVICED AND THEY TOOK A LOOK, BUT FOUND NOTHING. LESS THAN TWO MONTHS HAVE PASSED AND I NOTICE NEW ISSUES; VEHICLE CHUGS DOWN THE HIGHWAY ALMOST BOGGY-LIKE; WHEN FILLING WITH GASOLINE THE PUMP STOPS AT 3/4 TANK AND NOT FULL; SPITS GASOLINE BACK OUT; OVERALL SOUNDS SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT RUNNING.
EVAPORATION SYSTEM LEAK OCCURRED AND FUEL TANK PIPE ASSEMBLY HAD TO BE REPLACED. CAR DID NOT START AND NEEDED TO BE TOWED.
UPON LEAVING WORK ON JULY 31ST 2018 I NOTICED AN ODD SMELL AS I APPROACHED MY 2012 FORD ESCAPE LIMITED. UPON GETTING CLOSER TO THE CAR I NOTICED THE SMELL WAS GAS. I WAS ALARMED THINKING MY VEHICLE MAY NOT START OR COULD POSSIBLY EXPLODE IF I TRIED. WHEN OPENING THE DOOR THE SMELL WAS UNBEARABLE. AFTER CALLING MY SON HE SAID THAT THERE WAS A RECALL FOR MY GENERATION FORD FOR A CRACKING FUEL PUMP. HE SAID IT WILL BE SAFE TO START BUT WILL BE LEAKING GAS EVERYWHERE SO KEEP AN EYE ON THE GAUGE. AFTER STARTING THE CAR I NOTICED THAT THE GAS LEVEL WAS ALMOST 1/2 A TANK LOWER THAN WHEN I ARRIVED JUST 8 HOURS BEFORE. I ROLLED ALL FOUR WINDOWS DOWN AND DROVE THE CAR THE SHOP I'VE BEEN VISITING AND TRUST. THEY TOOK MY VEHICLE IN ON AUGUST 1ST 2018 AND SAID THAT THEY WILL LOOK INTO IT. AFTER DIAGNOSING THE PROBLEM THEY DISCOVERED IT THAT THE FUEL PUMP WAS CRACKED. WITH ONLY 31,000 MILES. AFTER ATTEMPTING TO REACH THE DEALER AND THE FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE PROGRAM THEY TOLD ME THAT THE VEHICLE IS NOT COVERED UNDER THE RECALL ISSUED BY NHTSA. THIS VEHICLE SEEMS TO FALL IN EVERY CATEGORY OTHER THAN A SEVEN MONTH DIFFERENCE ON THE BUILD NUMBER. FORD SAID THAT THEY ARE UNABLE TO ASSIST ME IN RECOVERING MY MONEY FOR A RECALL THAT IS ON THE SAME YEAR MAKE MODEL AND TRIM LEVEL.
ON APPROXIMATELY MAY 25, 2019, I WAS AT A LOCAL GAS STATION TO FILL UP MY VEHICLE, A 2012 FORD ESCAPE XLT, WITH GAS. WHILE FILLING THE GAS TANK TO FULL, THE AUTOMATIC SHUT OFF FAILED CAUSING GAS TO FORCEFULLY SPLASH BACK OUT OF THE GAS TANK, ONTO ME AND THE GROUND NEXT TO THE GAS PUMP. THE ATTENDANT AT THE GAS STATION FOLLOWED THEIR PROTOCOL FOR A GAS SPILL. I FILLED UP THE GAS TAKE AT OTHER LOCAL GAS STATIONS AND THE PROBLEM CONTINUED. ON JUNE 5, 2019 I SCHEDULED A REPAIR AT MY LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP. I PAID FOR A FAULTY VENT VALVE AND A SOLENOID ASY TO BE REPLACED FOR $ 463.08. THEY STATED ON MY RECEIPT THAT THEY ADDED 6 GALLONS OF GAS TO CONFIRM THE REPAIR. A WEEK LATER I REFUELED MY VEHICLE IN ANOTHER CITY, AND THE PROBLEM WITH THE GAS OVERFLOWING CONTINUED. I TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP JULY 5, 2019, AND EXPLAINED THE PROBLEM WAS NOT RESOLVED. THEY TOLD ME THEY DROPPED THE GAS TANK AND TESTED THE COMPONENTS AND TOLD ME IT WAS A FAULTY VALVE. THEY INFORMED ME "THEY TALKED TO DETROIT" AND I WOULD NEED TO REPLACE THE "GAS TANK ASSEMBLY" AND I WOULD BE GIVEN A "DISCOUNT" ON THE REPAIR SINCE I HAD PAID ALMOST $500 FOR THE FIRST REPAIR. THE ESTIMATE FOR THE SECOND REPAIR WAS $1,000. I ASKED OF THERE WAS A WARRANTY ON THE REPAIR THAT WAS DONE PREVIOUSLY, AND WAS TOLD NO. I DID NOT GET THE REPAIR DONE THIS TIME BECAUSE THE PROBLEM WAS SUPPOSED TO BE CORRECTED AND WASN'T. THERE APPARENTLY IS NOT WARRANTY ON THE REPAIR THAT WAS DONE. I AM SHOCKED THAT IT WILL COST AN ESTIMATED $1,000 MORE TO REPAIR A PROBLEM THAT THEY SAID WAS FIXED, AND POSSIBLY NO GUARANTEE ON THE REPAIRS. AFTER CONTACTING THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY IN MICHIGAN, I WAS TOLD THE INDIVIDUAL DEALERSHIPS ARE IN CHARGE OF THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THAT FORD CORPORATE COULDN'T HELP WITH MY PROBLEM. I CONTACTED THIS AGENCY AND WAS GIVEN THIS CASE NUMBER-11234836.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD ESCAPE. WHILE FUELING THE VEHICLE, FUEL SPEWED OUT OF THE TANK. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO VALLEY FORD (509-453-3125, LOCATED AT 910 S 1ST ST, YAKIMA, WA 98901) WHERE THE VENT VALVE AND SOLENOID WERE REPLACED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE SAME DEALER, BUT COULD NOT BE REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND DID NOT ASSIST. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 110,364.
OCCASIONALLY WHEN FUELING THE PUMP WILL STOP PREMATURELY. THE DASH WILL SAY IT'S FULL BUT 5 MILES LATER YOUR AT 3/4 TANK. AND TOPPING OFF IS ILLEGAL SO THERE'S NOT A WAY TO GET PAST IT. CAR WAS OFF, PARKED, AND NEXT TO A GAS STATION PUMP.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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