IllustrationAIRBAG'S SENSOR WARNING LIGHT CAME ON WHILE DRIVING. ALSO A BUZZING NOISE AND A SMELL OF ELECTRICAL SMOKE CAME FROM THE VEHICLE. DEALER HAS REPAIRED VEHICLE.
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
What owners actually said
279 reportsWHEN TRAVELING STEERING WHEEL SEPARATED FROM THE STEERING COLUMN MORE THAN A INCH. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER, DEALER HAS REPLACED THE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN UNIT. ALSO NOTE THERE IS A RECALL LISTED FOR THE SAME TYPE OF PROBLEM, BUT THIS VEHICLE IS NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
WHILE DRIVING CAR LOST ALL POWER AND STALLED, WOULD NOT RESTART. CAR WAS TOWED TO GARAGE. WAS INFORMED BY THEM THE CAMSHAFT BROKE IN TWO PROBABLY DUE TO "BAD PART" THIS TOOK OUT THE HEAD WHEN IT BROKE AND BOTH HAD TO BE REPLACED. I STILL HAVE THE BROKEN CAMSHAFT . HEAD WAS A EXCHANGE FOR THE REBUILT ONE. *AK
CONSUMER MOTORIZED SEAT BELT STICKS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TRACK, CAUSING BELT TO REST AGAINST CONSUMERS NECK, RESULTING IN POSSIBLE INJURY IF AN ACCIDENT ACCURED. *YC
CONSUMER WAS IN A FRONT END COLLISION THAT CAUSED DRIVER'S AIR BAG TO DEPLOY. DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIR BAG CAUSED BURNS TO THE CONSUMER'S ARM. ALSO, FILLED THE VEHICLE WITH SMOKE.. MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE WITHIN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE, CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
MICHELIN P17565R14 BRAND NEW TIRES ARE CAUSING THE VEHICLE WHEELS TO LOCK UP AND SPIN AROUND IN WET SNOWY CONDITIONS. HAD 2 ACCIDENTS DUE TO THIS PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
RIGHT FRONT TIRE WAS MAKING NOISE WHEN CONSUMER STOPPED. CALLED A MECHANIC WHO HAD TOLD HER THAT COIL SPRING WAS BROKEN, AND IF SHE WAS DRIVING FASTER THE TIRE COULD HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT.
I KNOW THIS DRIVERSIDE SEAT BELT IS A PROBLEM NOT ONLY WITH MYSELF BUT WITH OTHERS ALSO. IN FACT, I HAVE TWO FRIENDS THAT HAVE 94--95 ESCORTS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. THE SELTBELT IS OFF TRACK, AND I CAN'T USE IT PROPERLY. I WENT TO A FORD DEALERSHIP AND TOLD THEM ABOUT IT AND THEY BRUSHED ME OFF. EVEN AFTER TELLING THEM OF THE OT…
Read full complaint
I KNOW THIS DRIVERSIDE SEAT BELT IS A PROBLEM NOT ONLY WITH MYSELF BUT WITH OTHERS ALSO. IN FACT, I HAVE TWO FRIENDS THAT HAVE 94--95 ESCORTS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. THE SELTBELT IS OFF TRACK, AND I CAN'T USE IT PROPERLY. I WENT TO A FORD DEALERSHIP AND TOLD THEM ABOUT IT AND THEY BRUSHED ME OFF. EVEN AFTER TELLING THEM OF THE OTHER 2 ESCORTS. PLEASE DO SOME RESEARCH ON THIS MATTER. THANKS, LAUREN HEBERT. *AK
CONSUMER CANNOT FIND ANYONE TO PERFORM AIRBAG ON/OFF SWITCH ASSEMBLY.
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.