The 2012 Ford Escape is a sport-utility SUV with street style and enhanced comfort. To keep your Escape in the best shape possible, you’ll need to know its oil capacity.

SUV ownership comes with a seemingly never-ending list of car-related expenses, from pricier gas bills to expensive oil changes. But, if you own a 2012 Ford Escape, you can cut down on some of these costs by changing your Escape’s oil at home. You just need to know your car’s oil capacity, oil type, and oil change frequency before getting started.

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2012 Ford Escape engine oil capacity

Before getting into detail about changing your Escape’s oil, we need to cover a few of your vehicle’s specs first. The first is your car’s oil capacity, or how much oil your car’s engine needs to run properly.

The oil capacity for your 2012 Ford Escape is 5.3 quarts or about 5 liters. Be sure not to mix up this measurement with your car’s engine displacement—the volume your engine’s cylinders take up. These numbers aren’t the same and therefore aren’t interchangeable, so do your best to keep them separate.

What kind of oil does a 2012 Ford Escape need?

Every car needs a unique type of oil with a specific viscosity for its engine to run optimally, including your Ford Escape. The special type of oil it requires is 5W-20 synthetic or synthetic-blend oil, which is recommended by Ford.

This string of numbers and letters looks strange at first, but it’s easy to comprehend when you know what each letter and number represents. Let’s go through each one.

The “W” close to the front lets us know that this type of oil works well in winter conditions. Next, the number 5 in front of the “W” indicates this oil’s thin consistency at your engine’s cold temperature, when it’s just started running. Finally, the 20 communicates that it keeps its thin consistency when your engine reaches its normal running temperature.

That’s a lot of information to juggle, but the important takeaway is that this oil’s thin consistency flows easier through your engine in most weather conditions, which in turn creates less wear and tear on your engine over time.

Your Escape also uses synthetic oil, which lasts longer than most conventional oils. Synthetic oil usually performs better at high engine temperatures as well. All of this means that you might be able to go for longer periods of time between oil changes than you usually would when driving a car that uses conventional oil.

Here are our top 5W-20 synthetic oil choices:

For the genuine article: choose

Motorcraft 5W-20 Synthetic Blend Motor Oil

For best-in-class engine protection: Opt for

Mobil 1 5W-20 Advanced Full Synthetic Engine Oil

To extend engine life in high mileage vehicles: pick up

Mobil 1 5W-20 High Mileage Engine Oil

MORE:

Ultimate FRAM oil filter guide

How often to change oil on a 2012 Ford Escape

We need to cover one last piece of important information about your car before changing its oil: how often should you change your 2012 Ford Escape’s oil? Even though your car uses synthetic oil, it’s recommended that you change its oil every time you add 3,000 to 5,000 miles to your odometer, or about once every 6 months—whichever comes first.

While this is a fairly reliable benchmark, it’s a good idea to keep a close eye on your oil, just in case, it needs an oil change sooner than the recommended time frame. Look for these signs that your Escape is in need of an oil change:

Your engine oil appears dark black or brown

Your oil looks granular like there’s sediment in it

Strange sounds from the engine

Oil, smoke, or burning when your car is on

Drops in efficiency and performance

MORE:

Basic car maintenance schedule

How to change your oil and oil filter

Once the correct mileage or amount of time has passed since your last oil change, your car is ready for some fresh oil. Stock your garage with the following tools and materials before following our step-by-step guide:

Funnel

Rags

Oil filter

Oil collection pan

4.3 quarts of 5W-20 oil

First, turn on your engine and let it run for about 5 minutes before shutting it off, popping the hood, and getting started on the following steps:

Place the collection pan underneath your car, close to the mouth of the drain plug. Unscrew the drain plug to let your old oil flow out into the pan.

Take your used oil filter out and put a new one in.

Screw the drain plug back on tightly to prevent any leaks while filling your car with new oil.

Remove the engine oil reservoir cap. You’ll find this under your Escape’s hood.

Using your funnel, carefully pour 5.3 quarts of 5W-20 oil into the oil reservoir.

Use your oil dipstick to assess your oil levels. Add more if you need to, but don’t overfill the reservoir.

After you’ve finished all of the steps, turn on your car to let the fresh oil circulate throughout your engine.

MORE:

What to do if you have black and gritty engine oil

Don’t forget regular insurance policy maintenance

Completing routine vehicle maintenance tasks, like changing your car’s oil regularly, is an excellent way to keep it running smoothly for years.

Experts recommend that you revisit your insurance policy every six months to guarantee you’re getting the best

Ford Escape car insurance

rates. If that sounds like a hassle, have no fear—

Jerry

is here to help!

Jerry contacts your insurance company to get the details of your current coverage so you don’t have to scale a mountain of questions. You get all the best prices and coverage with none of the legwork. And if that isn’t enough for you, Jerry can even help cancel your old policy.

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