IllustrationTIE ROD FAILED.
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
What owners actually said
205 reports`VEHICLE STALLS WHILE DRIVING. OWNERAND HAS VEHICLE AT DEALER. OWNER IS CONCERNED FOR HER SAFETY BECAUSE VEHICLE CAN STALL FREQUENTLY AND AT ANYTIME. *AK
DRIVER'S AIR BAG DIDN'T OPEN ON TIME DURING A COLLISION, RESULTING IN INJURIES. DUP OF 516816, ADDED ON 28-FEB-98. *AK
ELECTRICAL SHORT, WHEN DRIVING VEHICLE LOST POWER/STALLED AT ANY SPEED, CAUSE HAS NOT BEEN FOUND BY DEALERSHIP. *AK
RIGHT REAR GOODYEAR EAGLE TIRE BLEW OUT. (P18560R14)
IGNITION SWITCH FAILED TWICE.
RACK AND PINION HAS BEEN CHANGED TWICE AND THE VEHICLE STILL HAS PROBLEMS WITH STEERING AND PULLING TO THE LEFT OR THE RIGHT. *AK *JB
UPON APPLYING FORCE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL THE BRAKE PEDAL GOES TO THE FLOOR, BRAKES FADE AWAY, EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. CONSUMER ALSO STATES AFTER PUMPING THE BRAKE PEDAL CONSUMER NOTICED FILLING IN THE PEDAL. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER. *AK
OXYGEN SENSOR FAILED; ALSO AUTOMATIC SEAT BELTS LOCKED DURING DEPLOYMENT, INJURING DRIVER AND WIFE AND GAS GAUGE MALFUNCTIONED, IS OFF BY AT LEAST 3 GALLONS. *AK
VIOLENT DEPLOYMENT OF AIR BAG BURNED AND CUT CONSUMER'S EYE. (ATTORNEY FOR CONSUMER)
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.