Q: My car runs rough at first start - 2012 Ford Escape

This may likely be due to an enrichment issue upon cold start. When your car starts in the morning when cold, the engine needs more fuel than it does when warm to start. This is controlled by an engine temperature sensor that sends a signal to the computer to provide a richer air/fuel mixture in order to start and idle properly in colder weather. The rough idling may also be a result of a bad or failing O2 sensor.

As you may know, this is a sensor that monitors exhaust gas content for oxygen to determine the level of oxygen present, which indicates whether or not the catalytic converter has done its job properly. Depending on the signal relayed by the O2 sensor, the computer may provide more or less fuel to the engine. I would recommend having an expert mechanic, such as one from YourMechanic, come to your location to take a look at the car to determine why it is running rough.