IllustrationDRIVER'S SIDE AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT FAILED TO RETRACT AND WOULD NOT MOVE. *AK
1994 Ford Escort
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Escort years
Owner complaints for the 1994 Ford Escort are substantially higher than 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: 14 of 279 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.
- Seat Belts. Review the 79 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 54 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 30 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
51 crash reports16 fire reports34 injury reports
Seat Belts complaints
79 reportsTHE SEAT BELT HARNESSES FAILED.
THE DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S RESTRAINTS DON'T PROPERLY FASTEN. THE DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK
DURING REAR END COLLISION, THE SEAT BELT BRACKET WHICH SLIDES ALONG MOTORIZED TRACK, ABOVE DRIVER'S LEFT WINDOW, CAME TOWARDS DRIVER, CUT EYE OF DRIVER UPON IMPACT DUE TO LOCATION AND POSITIONING OF BRACKET/CLIP. *AK
THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE AUTOMATIC SHOULDER BELTS GET STUCK IN THE ON POSITION. DEALER CANT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH BELTS. *AK
REAR SEAT BELTS INOPERATIVE.
WHEN OPENING AND CLOSING THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR THE ACTIVE SEAT BELT GETS STUCK IN A STATIONERY POSITION. PLEASE EXPLAIN DETAILS. *AK
THE AUTOMATIC SHOULDER BELT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOES NOT RETRACT TO THE OPEN POSITION WHEN THE DOOR IS OPEN. VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN SEEN BY MECHANIC. *AK
VEHICLE WAS AT A COMPLETE STOP AND IMPACTED 6:00 POSITION, DRIVER'S SIDE AUTOMATIC SHOULDER BELT DID NOT RETRACT, AZLSO NO DEPLOYMENT OF DRIVER'S AIR BAG, RESULTING IN AN INJURY. *AK
SEAT BELT BUCKLE FAILS TO STAY LATCHED.
Official recalls
194V218000 · Air Bags:frontal
Nov 10, 1994
THE DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG MODULE CAN HAVE AN INADEQUATELY WELDED INFLATOR CANISTER.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IN THE EVENT OF A COLLISION, THE WELD SEAM CAN SEPARATE, CAUSING THE AIR BAG TO FAIL TO DEPLOY PROPERLY AND HOT GASES TO BE EXPELLED FROM THE BACK OF THE STEERING WHEEL. THIS CAN RESULT IN AN INCREASED RISK OF PERSONAL INJURY FROM THE HOT GASES AND THE AIR BAG FAILURE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A NEW AIR BAG MODULE.
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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.