IllustrationVEHICLE WAS PARKED IN OFF POSITION WHEN IT SUDDENLY IGNITED DUE TO AN ELECTRICAL SHORT, WHICH SPARKED UNDER DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT, BURNING THE INTERIOR. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK
1995 Ford Escort
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Escort years
Owner complaints for the 1995 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: 81 of 576 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 152 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Fuel System, Gasoline. Review the 129 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 67 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
75 crash reports19 fire reports53 injury reports
What owners actually said
576 reportsVEHICLE WAS HIT WHILE PARKED IN THE FRONT LEFT TIRE WHICH SHOVED VEHICLE INTO THE CURB. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO BODY SHOP. DID FRONT END ALIGNMENT, AND REPLACED TIRE. YEAR LATER WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE, FRONT LEFT TIRE STARTED SMOKING. TOOK BACK TO DEALER TO BE RECHECKED. ALSO, TIRE WAS WORN ON INSIDE. CONSUMER STATED DEALE…
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VEHICLE WAS HIT WHILE PARKED IN THE FRONT LEFT TIRE WHICH SHOVED VEHICLE INTO THE CURB. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO BODY SHOP. DID FRONT END ALIGNMENT, AND REPLACED TIRE. YEAR LATER WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE, FRONT LEFT TIRE STARTED SMOKING. TOOK BACK TO DEALER TO BE RECHECKED. ALSO, TIRE WAS WORN ON INSIDE. CONSUMER STATED DEALER CALLED TIRE COMPANY TO FIX TIRE, AND DEALER WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE.*AK
VEHICLE OVERHEATS WHEN AIR CONDITIONER IS RUNNING. TEMPERATURE GAUGE GOES TO HOT. ALSO, AIR CONDITIONER WILL BE COOL WHEN FIRST STARTING THE CAR. BUT, IF VEHICLE SLOWS DOWN AIR WILL BECOME WARM. THEN, VEHICLE STARTS TO SPUDDER, AND JERK FOWARD. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLETO A MECHANIC AND HAD RELAYS/ SENSORS, THERMOSTAT/ COOLAN…
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VEHICLE OVERHEATS WHEN AIR CONDITIONER IS RUNNING. TEMPERATURE GAUGE GOES TO HOT. ALSO, AIR CONDITIONER WILL BE COOL WHEN FIRST STARTING THE CAR. BUT, IF VEHICLE SLOWS DOWN AIR WILL BECOME WARM. THEN, VEHICLE STARTS TO SPUDDER, AND JERK FOWARD. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLETO A MECHANIC AND HAD RELAYS/ SENSORS, THERMOSTAT/ COOLANT FAN , AND RADIATOR REPLACED MORE THAN ONCE SINCE 1999. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
FUEL LEAKAGE DUE TO HEAT SHEILD ATTACHMENT, HOLE IN GAS TANK DUE TO SCREWS. *AK
BOTH REAR SPRINGS HAVE BROKEN, CAUSING UNDO WEAR OF REAR TIRES. *AK
GAS TANK HAS DEVELOPED A CRACK IN IT CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO LEAK FUEL. EALER SAYS THAT VEHICLE HAS ALREADY BEEN SERVICED FOR FUEL TANK RECALL.*AK
FUEL WOULD LEAK OUT OF FUEL TANK. GASOLINE FUMES WOULD SEEP INSIDE VEHICLE. TOOK VEHICLE TO INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, AND WAS INFORMED OF RECALLS 97V145000/97V144000 CONCERNING CRACKED FUEL TANK. NEEDED TO TAKE VEHICLE TO FORD DEALERSHIP. HOWEVER, THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN RECALLS DUE TO VIN. OWNER EXPERIENCED SAME PRO…
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FUEL WOULD LEAK OUT OF FUEL TANK. GASOLINE FUMES WOULD SEEP INSIDE VEHICLE. TOOK VEHICLE TO INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, AND WAS INFORMED OF RECALLS 97V145000/97V144000 CONCERNING CRACKED FUEL TANK. NEEDED TO TAKE VEHICLE TO FORD DEALERSHIP. HOWEVER, THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN RECALLS DUE TO VIN. OWNER EXPERIENCED SAME PROBLEM.*AK
BOTH REAR SEAT SHOULDER/SEAT HARNESS SYSTEMS FAILED 6 MONTHS APART. *AK
WE PLEASE SEND ME TWO SIGNATURE CARDS FOR BOTH VEHICLES JUST BOUGHT THIS CAR FOR ARE DAUGHTER ON 7/01/01 WHAT WAS FUNNY IS THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS BAD WHEN WE GOT IT THEN 9 DAY'S LATER THE RAIDIATOR SATRTED TO LEAK THE SAME PLACE MY 92 TAURUS WAS LEAKING FROM THE DRIVE SIDE SEAL OF THE RAIDIATOR SO I CALLED FORD AND I WA…
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WE PLEASE SEND ME TWO SIGNATURE CARDS FOR BOTH VEHICLES JUST BOUGHT THIS CAR FOR ARE DAUGHTER ON 7/01/01 WHAT WAS FUNNY IS THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS BAD WHEN WE GOT IT THEN 9 DAY'S LATER THE RAIDIATOR SATRTED TO LEAK THE SAME PLACE MY 92 TAURUS WAS LEAKING FROM THE DRIVE SIDE SEAL OF THE RAIDIATOR SO I CALLED FORD AND I WANTED TO KNOW WHY THERE MAKING PARTS THAT ARE FAILING IN NOT ONE CAR MADE BUT TWO DIFFERENT CAR'S AND I ALSO WAS TOLD BUT VARIOUS MECHANICS THAT FORD KNOWS OF THESE PROBLEMS WITH BOTH THE TAURUS AND ESCORT BUT WON'T FIX THE PROBLEM WHY WOULD TWO DIFFERENT CARS FROM THE SAME MANUFACTURE HAVE THE SAME PROBLEMS FORD KNOWS THE PARTS ARE DEFECTIVE AND ALOT OF OTHER PEOPLE AROUND THE US HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEMS WITH THE 3 MAIN THINGS TRANSMISSION RAIDAITOR AND EGNITION SWITCHS SO WHY ARE YOU NOT LOOKING IN TO THIS CONSUMER FRAUD I'LL BE GLAD TO FILE A CIVIL SUIT AGAINST FORD IF NEED BE AS THEY ARE SCREWING THE PUBLIC. *AK
HAD NOTICED A PUDDLE BENEATH VEHICLE WHEN IT WAS PARKED. WHILE DRIVING, FUEL WOULD LEAK OUT FROM FUEL TANK. WILL BE TAKING VEHICLE TO MECHANIC TO REPAIRS. *AK
Official recalls
497V144000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:storage:tank Assembly
Sep 3, 1997
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 1.9L ENGINES, BUILT AT THE HERMOSILLO OR WAYNE ASSEMBLY PLANTS AND ORIGINALLY SOLD OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN NEVADA, FLORIDA, HAWAII, TEXAS, CALIFORNIA, LOUISIANA, GEORGIA, SOUTH CAROLINA, MISSISSIPPI, OKLAHOMA, ALABAMA AND ARKANSAS. CRACKS CAN DEVELOP IN THE FUEL TANK NEAR THE HEAT SHIELD ATTACHMENT RESULTING IN FUEL LEAKAGE IF THE CRACKS GO THROUGH THE FUEL TANK WALL.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: FUEL LEAKAGE IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE CAN RESULT IN A VEHICLE FIRE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REMOVE THE HEAT SHIELD ATTACHMENTS. THIS WILL NOT AFFECT HEAT SHIELD LOCATION OR FUNCTION, AS THE ATTACHMENTS ARE INTENDED TO KEEP THE SHIELD IN PLACE UNTIL THE FUEL TANK IS INSTALLED IN THE VEHICLE. AFTER INSTALLATION, THE FUEL TANK STRAPS RETAIN THE HEAT SHIELD.
97V145000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:storage:tank Assembly
Sep 3, 1997
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 1.9L ENGINES, BUILT AT THE HERMOSILLO ASSEMBLY PLANT AND ORIGINALLY SOLD OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN ARIZONA. CRACKS CAN DEVELOP IN THE FUEL TANK NEAR THE HEAT SHIELD ATTACHMENT RESULTING IN FUEL LEAKAGE IF THE CRACKS GO THROUGH THE FUEL TANK WALL.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: FUEL LEAKAGE IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE CAN RESULT IN A VEHICLE FIRE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REMOVE THE HEAT SHIELD ATTACHMENTS. THIS WILL NOT AFFECT HEAT SHIELD LOCATION OR FUNCTION, AS THE ATTACHMENTS ARE INTENDED TO KEEP THE SHIELD IN PLACE UNTIL THE FUEL TANK IS INSTALLED IN THE VEHICLE. AFTER INSTALLATION, THE FUEL TANK STRAPS RETAIN THE HEAT SHIELD.
94V218000 · 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.
94V197000 · Air Bags:frontal
Oct 11, 1994
TWO BOLTS THAT ATTACH THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT SYSTEM MODULE TO THE INSTRUMENT PANEL ARE MISSING. IN THE EVENT OF A FRONTAL IMPACT, THE MODULE CAN COME OUT OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS WOULD NOT RESTRAIN THE PASSENGER AND WOULD RESULT IN AN INCREASED RISK OF INJURY.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND, IF NECESSARY, INSTALL AND TORQUE TO SPECIFICATION THE MOUNTING BOLTS FOR THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG.
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
1RQ97010 · Fuel Tank Assembly
Opened Sep 11, 1997 · Closed May 22, 2000
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Fuel System, Gasoline:storage:tank Assembly
There is no summary currently available