IllustrationABNORMAL RATE OF REAR SPRINGS ON LATE 90'S FORD ESCORT STATION WAGONS. I AM A MECHANIC WITH BROWNIES AUTO REPAIR IN WALKERSVILLE,MD. I PERSONALLY HAVE REPLACED THE REAR SPRINGS ON AT LEAST 8 ESCORT WAGONS. I HAVE CHECKED OTHER ESCORT WAGONS AND FIND MOST BROKEN IN THE SAME SPOT. COULD PUNCTURE TIRE.
1996 Ford Escort
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Escort years
Owner complaints for the 1996 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: 21 of 205 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 77 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 30 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 19 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
23 crash reports7 fire reports18 injury reports
Suspension complaints
13 reportsI NEVER HAULED ANYTHING HEAVY IN THE BACK OF MY STATION WAGON. THE REAR COIL SPRINGS WERE HOLLOW NOT SOLID AND FAILED BECAUSE THEY RUSTED THROUGH AS A RESULT OF WATER COLLECTING IN THE BOTTOM OF THE SUPPORT WHICH HOLDS THE BASE OF THE SPRING IN THE CORRECT POSITION. MY MECHANIC SAID THAT MANY TIMES WHEN YOU HIT A BUMP THE BROK…
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I NEVER HAULED ANYTHING HEAVY IN THE BACK OF MY STATION WAGON. THE REAR COIL SPRINGS WERE HOLLOW NOT SOLID AND FAILED BECAUSE THEY RUSTED THROUGH AS A RESULT OF WATER COLLECTING IN THE BOTTOM OF THE SUPPORT WHICH HOLDS THE BASE OF THE SPRING IN THE CORRECT POSITION. MY MECHANIC SAID THAT MANY TIMES WHEN YOU HIT A BUMP THE BROKEN SPRING WILL TWIST AND PUNCTURE THE SIDEWALL OF THE TIRE THAT IT IS ADJACENT TO THE SPRING. HE ALSO SAID THAT THE SAME SPRING FAILURE OCCURS WITH ALL THE FORD ESCORT STATION WAGONS. FORD SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO ISSUE A RECALL ON ALL THESE STATION WAGONS AND REPAIR THE PROBLEM. NLM
BOTH SPRINGS ALSO BROKE ON A 1995 FORD ESCORT WAGON (SEPARATE REPORT SUBMITTED) OWNED BY OUR AGENCY, ALSO MY DAUGHTERS 1994 FORD ESCORT JUST HAD TWO BROKEN REAR SPRINGS (REPORT NOT SUBMITTED) THAT WERE REPLACED.
WHILE TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY VEHICLE HIT A BUMP AND SHOOK IN FRONT AND REAR. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK
CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO REPAIR SHOP, AND MECHANIC TOLD HER THAT COIL SPRINGS WERE BROKEN, AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK *SLC
REAR COIL SPRINGS HAVE CRACKED. DEALER HAS INSPECTED VEHICLE. PARTS ARE ON BACK ORDER.*AK *JB
BROUGHT VEHICLE TO AUTO CENTER TO GET NEW TIRES AND ALIGNMENT. SERVICE TECH NOTICED THAT THE RIGHT REAR COIL HAD SNAPPED IN TWO PIECES. HAVING BEEN DRIVING FOR 17 YEARS, I WAS MORE THAN SURPRISED BECAUSE I HAD NEVER EVEN HEARD OF A COIL SNAPPING, MUCH LESS EVER HAD IT HAPPEN TO A VEHICLE I OWNED. THE SERVICE TECH MENTIONED TH…
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BROUGHT VEHICLE TO AUTO CENTER TO GET NEW TIRES AND ALIGNMENT. SERVICE TECH NOTICED THAT THE RIGHT REAR COIL HAD SNAPPED IN TWO PIECES. HAVING BEEN DRIVING FOR 17 YEARS, I WAS MORE THAN SURPRISED BECAUSE I HAD NEVER EVEN HEARD OF A COIL SNAPPING, MUCH LESS EVER HAD IT HAPPEN TO A VEHICLE I OWNED. THE SERVICE TECH MENTIONED THAT HE HAD SEEN IT MORE THAN A FEW TIMES ON THE FORD ESCORT, WHICH LED ME TO BELIEVE IT COULD BE A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT. HE RECOMMENDED HAVING IT REPLACED THAT DAY, AS HE SAID IT WAS A HIGH SAFETY HAZARD. IF THE COIL CAME LOOSE THE JAGGED EDGE COULD RIP INTO THE TIRE, THUS CAUSING A MASSIVE BLOWOUT. THIS COULD BE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS, OR EVEN FATAL, AT HIGH SPEEDS. THE STRANGE THING WAS THAT I DIDN'T KNOW IT HAD HAPPENED. THE ONLY THING I NOTICED WAS A SQUEAK IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE, AND I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST MY STRUTS WEARING OUT. IN OTHER WORDS, I WOULD HAVE CONTINUED DRIVING WITH THIS BROKEN SPRING IF I HADN'T NEEDED NEW TIRES BECAUSE THERE WAS NOTHING OBVIOUS THAT WOULD INDICATE THE BROKEN COIL OTHER THAN A SLIGHT SQUEAKING NOISE.*AK
BOTH REAR COIL SPRINGS SNAPPED JUST ABOVE THE "CUP" SECURING THEM TO THE FRAME. *AK
AT 20,000 MILES SCHEDULE MAINTANICE SERVICE, REAR LEAF SPRING HAD TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE OF BREAKAGE. AT THE 30,000 MILES SCHEDULE MAINTAINCE, RIGHT REAR SPRING WAS REPLACED BECAUSE OF BREAKAGE. DEALERSHIP STATED THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH ESCORTS, AND IS SEEN ALL THE TIME. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
COIL SPRING BROKE, CAUSING THE BACK IN OF THE CAR TO SAG. THIS COULD CAUSE THE TIRES TO GO FLAT. DEALER HAD TO REPLACE COIL SPRING. *AK *ML
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
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.