IllustrationCONSUMER WAS TRAVELING AROUND OUR ABOUT 4 MPH TO 11 MPH WHEN WAS INVOLVED IN A HEAD-ON COLLISION, HITTING A TREE IN WHICH BOTH DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED, UPON DEPLOYMENT OF THE DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG, THE IMPACT KILLED THE DRIVER. *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 INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION AT 20-30 MPH. UPON IMPACT, THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. THE MANUFACTURER WILL BE CONTACTED. *AK
VEHICLE SMELLED OF FUEL, BUT NEVER KNEW WHERE IT WAS COMING FROM, FILLED UP THE CAR THEN THE CAR BEGAN TO DRIP AT A RAPID SPEED. *AK
MOTOR BELT ON DRIVER'S SIDE DOES NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY.
MOTORBELTS FAIL TO RESTRAIN PROPERLY.
DURING HOT CLIMATE, THE FAN RELAY SWITCH MELTS AND THE VEHICLE OVERHEATS.
DRIVER SIDE SHOULDER BELT STUCK. DEALER REFUSED TO FIX BUT IS AWARE OF HIGH NUMBER OF SAME COMPLAINT.
THE PASSENGER'S SEAT BELT SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING THE SHOULDER BELT TO BE IN A "L" SHAPED POSITION, RESULTING IN THE SEATBELT BEING INOPERATIVE. THE REAR RIGHT SIDE SEATBELT WILL NOT BUCKLE IN, CAUSING SEATBELT TO BE INOPERATIVE. THE LEFT REAR SEATBELT IS TOO LOOSE AND THE SEATBELT WILL NOT RETRACT PROPERLY, IT WILL …
Read full complaint
THE PASSENGER'S SEAT BELT SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING THE SHOULDER BELT TO BE IN A "L" SHAPED POSITION, RESULTING IN THE SEATBELT BEING INOPERATIVE. THE REAR RIGHT SIDE SEATBELT WILL NOT BUCKLE IN, CAUSING SEATBELT TO BE INOPERATIVE. THE LEFT REAR SEATBELT IS TOO LOOSE AND THE SEATBELT WILL NOT RETRACT PROPERLY, IT WILL NOT PROTECT THE OCCUPANT IN EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT. *AK
OCCASIONALLY THE LAP PORTION OF THE DRIVERS SIDE SEAT BELT GETS STUCK IN THE MECHANISM. THE PROBLEM WAS CORRECTED LAST SUMMER BY DEALER. THE OWNER IS EXPERIENCING THE PROBLEM WITH THE LAP PORTION OF THE SEAT BELT AGAIN. THE DEALER IS NOT AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AT THIS TIME. *AK
THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR DOES NOT RETRACT WHEN OPENING AND CLOSING THE DOOR. PLEASE PROVIDE DETAILS. *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