IllustrationFUEL TANK AND FUEL PUMP ARE LEAKING FUEL DUE TO CRACKS. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK
1992 Ford Escort
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1992 Ford Escort do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 101.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Escort years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 11 of 162 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Electrical System. Review the 36 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Fuel System, Gasoline. Review the 35 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Seat Belts. Review the 28 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
7 crash reports17 fire reports4 injury reports
Fuel System, Gasoline complaints
35 reportsFUEL LEAKS FROM THE NECK OF TANK WHILE VEHICLE IS BEING DRIVEN OR WHEN IS PARKED. TECHNICIAN SAID THAT HAD HAPPENED TO ANOTHER ESCORT.*AK
DEFECTIVE FUEL TANK CRACKED AND DEVELOPED A HOLE ABOVE THE HEAT SHIELD WHICH WAS LOCATED OVER THE MUFFLER. THIS MAY HAVE CAUSED A FIRE. VERY COMMON PROBLEM. PLELASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
UNIBODY HAS RUBBED A HOLE IN THE FUEL TANK, CAR HAS NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT, I FEEL LIKE THIS IS DUE TO A FLAW IN THE DESIGN, GAS HAS BEEN LEAKING ON THE EXHAUST PIPE. I WAS TOLD BY A MECHANIC THAT THIS SHOULD BE REPORTED. I WILL ALSO CONTACT THE FORD MOTOR CO. AND THE CONSUMER PROTECTION AGENCY. I FEEL THERE WAS A GREAT P…
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UNIBODY HAS RUBBED A HOLE IN THE FUEL TANK, CAR HAS NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT, I FEEL LIKE THIS IS DUE TO A FLAW IN THE DESIGN, GAS HAS BEEN LEAKING ON THE EXHAUST PIPE. I WAS TOLD BY A MECHANIC THAT THIS SHOULD BE REPORTED. I WILL ALSO CONTACT THE FORD MOTOR CO. AND THE CONSUMER PROTECTION AGENCY. I FEEL THERE WAS A GREAT POTENTIAL FOR INJURY OR DEATH
VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY, NOTICED FLUID UNDERNEATH AND REALIZED IT WAS GASOLINE. FUEL TANK WAS LEAKING. DROVE VEHICLE TO THE MECHANIC, AND THEY REPLACED THE FUEL TANK. *AK *ML
CAR WAS EMITTING A SLIGHT GAS ODOR. MECHANICS AT GREASE MONKEY NOTED A LEAK ON THE TOP OF THE FUEL TANK. I TOOK THE CAR TO AN AUTO REPAIR MECHANIC--THE DIAGNOSIS WAS A CRACK IN THE FUEL TANK ASSEMBLY. REPLACED FUEL TANK AT A COST OF 580.04. THE REPAIRS TOOK OVER A WEEK BECAUSE THE PART WAS ON BACK-ORDER FROM THE FACTORY.
GAS GUAGE ON THE DASH CONSOLE DID NOT WORK, AND VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. THE FUSE TO THE GUAGE BLEW OUT, CAUSING THE FUEL PUMP TO GO BAD. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
+A PART OF THE GAS TANK WHERE THE BRAKES SCREW IN THERE IS A PIECE MISSING, CAUSING THE GAS TO LEAK .DEALER WAS CONTACTED ,AND VEHICLE IS BEING REPAIRED AT THE OWNER'S COST. *AK
I AM REPORTING ON A PRIOR RECALL THAT "SUPPOSEDLY" DID NOT AFFECT MY CAR. NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID # 92V117000. I HAD BEEN HAVING A FUEL LEAK AROUND THE TANK AREA FOR AWHILE AND COULD NOT FIGURE OUT WHERE IT WAS COMING FROM. IT WOULD ONLY DO IT WHEN THE TANK WAS FULL OR 3/4 FULL. I THEN CAME ACROSS RECALL # 92S54 WHICH DESCRIBED MY…
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I AM REPORTING ON A PRIOR RECALL THAT "SUPPOSEDLY" DID NOT AFFECT MY CAR. NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID # 92V117000. I HAD BEEN HAVING A FUEL LEAK AROUND THE TANK AREA FOR AWHILE AND COULD NOT FIGURE OUT WHERE IT WAS COMING FROM. IT WOULD ONLY DO IT WHEN THE TANK WAS FULL OR 3/4 FULL. I THEN CAME ACROSS RECALL # 92S54 WHICH DESCRIBED MY PROBLEM. I TOOK MY CAR INTO A FORD GARAGE AND THEY TOLD ME THAT MY VIN # WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. I THEN CALLED THE FORD HOME OFFICE AND WAS TOLD THAT SINCE MY CAR WASN'T INCLUDED, THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH MY CAR. I EXAMINED THE CODES ON THE FUEL PUMP AND VERIFIED THAT IT WAS INDEED THE DEFECTIVE ONE. I THEN REPLACED THE ASSY (WHICH CURED THE PROBLEM). I VIEWED THE OLD ONE (WHICH I STILL HAVE) CONFIRMED THAT THERE WAS A CRACK IN THE SOLDER JOINT BETWEEN THE FUEL PUMP MOUNTING PLATE AND THE FUEL RETURN TUBE. I THEN REGISTERED A COMPLAIN BY PHONE TO YOUR OFFICE AND WAS TOLD THAT I WOULD RECEIVE A COPY OF MY COMPLAINT BY MAIL IN APPROX. TWO WEEKS. IT'S BEEN ABOUT TWO MONTHS AND I HAVEN'T RECEIVED ANYTHING. I WOULD APPRICIATE A RESPONSE. THANK YOU. *AK
FORD CUSTOMER SAID THAT MY VIN SERIES WAS NOT COVERED UNDER A PREVIOUS RECALL FOR SAME PROBLEM WITH OTHER 1992 ESCORT GAS TANKS. *AK
Official recalls
292V117000 · Fuel System, Gasoline
Aug 19, 1992
FATIGUE CRACKS CAN DEVELOP IN THE SOLDER JOINT BETWEEN THE FUEL RETURN TUBE AND THE FUEL PUMP SENDING UNIT LOCATED AT THE TOP OF THE FUEL TANK.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: SHOULD A CRACK DEVELOP, FUEL VAPOR CAN ESCAPE FROM THETANK WHEN THE TANK IS FULL, AND A SMALL AMOUNT OF FUEL CAN LEAK FROM THE CRACK.FUEL LEAKS CAN RESULT IN FIRE WHEN EXPOSED TO A SOURCE OF IGNITION.
Remedy: INSTALL A NEW FUEL PUMP SENDING ASSEMBLY.
92V103000 · Exterior Lighting:brake Lights:switch
Jul 13, 1992
THE STOP LAMP SWITCHES COULD INTERMITTENTLY MALFUNCTION RESULTING IN THE STOP LAMPS NOT ILLUMINATING WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS COULD RESULT IN FOLLOWING MOTORISTS NOT BEINGSIGNALED THAT THE VEHICLE IS BRAKING, AND COULD RESULT IN A COLLISION.
Remedy: REPLACE THE FAULTY STOP LAMP SWITCHES.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1EA94002 · Fuel Pump Wiring Shortage
Opened Jan 28, 1994 · Closed Jan 31, 1995
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Vehicle Speed Control:linkages
There is no summary currently available