1997 Ford Escort

THERE'S A LEAK FROM THE HEATER CORE TO THE AIR-BAG MONITOR (AND OTHER PLACES) WHICH HAS CAUSED THE AIR-BAG WARNING LIGHT TO LIGHT UP, AND COOLANT TO BE EMITTED THROUGH THE REAR-PASSENGER AIR VENT ONTO THE FLOOR OF THE CAR. THERE ARE MANY PREVIOUS COMPLAINTS FROM OTHERS ABOUT THE SAME THING, YET NO RECALL, SO HOPEFULLY ADDING MY COMPLAINT WILL HELP. I WILL HAVE TO REPLACE THE AIR BAG MONITOR AND THE HEATER CORE, BUT SOMEBODY COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY HURT BECAUSE THIS LEAK COULD CAUSE (AND HAS CAUSED WITH OTHERS) FIRE AND/OR UNEXPECTED AIR-BAG DEPLOYMENT RESULTING IN CRASH AND/OR OTHER PROBLEMS. FORD SHOULD RECALL THIS ITEM AND HAVE IT FIXED!!!*AK

MY LATE SON'S (ROBERT D. LAWRENCE III) 1997 FORD ESCORT CAUGHT FIRE WHILE SITTING PARKED, WITH THE ENGINE TURNED OFF, ON VOTERS ROAD IN SLIDELL, LA. MECHANIC ADVISED FIRE STARTED AROUND THE AIR CONDITIONER. CONTACTED FORD DEALER AND THE FORD COMPANY, BUT RECEIVED NO INFORMATION OR ADVICE. BOTH IGNORED HIS COMPLAINTAND STONEWALLED HIM.. ROBERT III'S INSURANCE COMPANY (SAFEWAY)PAID OFF A TOTAL LOSS TO FORD AND LEFT MY LATE SON WITH OVER $4,000 STILL DUE. FORD MOTOR CREDIT SUED HIM FOR THE BALANCE JUST BEFORE HE DIED ON JULY 16, 2002. THE VEHICLE IS SITTING IN MY YARD IF INVESTIGATORS FROM THE NHTSA WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT IN CONNECTION WITH THE CURRENT INVESTIGATION INTO SUDDEN FIRES IN 1997 FORD ESCORTS. FORD SHOULD, AT LEAST, DROP THEIR LAWSUIT. THEY SHOULD HAVE GIVEN THE BOY ANOTHER CAR WHEN THAT ONE CAUGHT FIRE.*AK

IN AUGUST 2001THE AIR CONDITIONER STARTED MAKING A NOISE AND THEN THE AIR BAG LIGHT AND CHIME STARTED. WE TOOK THE CAR TO THE BRANDON FORD DEALERSHIP. THEY FIXED THE AIR CONDITIONER. BUT THEY SAID IT WOULD BE AT LEAST $1000 TO JUST LOOK AT THE AIR BAG. WE DO NOT HAVE THAT KIND OF MONEY TO WASTE ON AIR BAGS. I WAS EIGHT MONTHS PREGNANT AT THE TIME AND WE ASKED THE DEALERSHIP IF THE AIR BAGS WOULD DEPLOY. THEY SAID THE AIR BAGS WOULD NOT DEPLOY. NOW I READ AN ARTICLE STATING THAT THE AIR BAGS IN THE SAME TYPE OF VEHICLE HAVE DEPLOYED FOR NO REASON. SO, MY HUSBAND, MY UNBORN CHILD AND MYSELF WERE AT RISK AND WE WERE UNDER THE IMPRESSION EVERYTHING WAS FINE. A YEAR LATER THE AIR CONDITIONER STOPS WORKING AND MY HUSBAND LOOKED UNDER THE DASH TO SEE IF HE COULD FIGURE OUT WHY IT STOPPED WORKING. HE FOUND THE WIRES CONNECTING TO THE AIR CONDITIONER WERE ALL MELTED. THIS COULD HAVE STARTED A FIRE AND AGAIN MY HUSBAND, MY SON AND MYSELF WERE AT RISK BECAUSE THE REAL PROBLEM WAS NEVER REALLY FIXED. I READ IN THE ARTICLE THAT FIRES ALSO HAD OCCURRED FOR NO REASON. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW WE WILL BE PROTECTED FROM THESE FAILURES THAT HAVE OCCURRED. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.*AK

97 ESCORT WAS ACTUALLY PURCHASED FOR MY DAUGHTER IN 1998, WITH ABOUT 38000 MILES ON IT. MY SON BOUGHT IT FROM HER IN DEC. 01 AFTER HE WRECKED HIS RANGER. HE TOLD ME THAT HIS AIR BAG INDICATOR LIGHT ON THE DASH HAD COME ON AND WOULDN'T GO OFF. I AM IN SALES AT A FORD DEALERSHIP AND ASKED A COUPLE OF SERVICE ADVISORS AND MECHANICS ABOUT THE LIGHT AND THEY SAID THAT 99% OF THE TIME IT WAS USUALLY JUST A CLOCK SPRING. FIGURING NO BIG DEAL, I TOLD MY SON TO KEEP DRIVING THE CAR (THIS WAS ABOUT MAY,02). LATER HE TOLD ME THAT HE KEPT SMELLING SOMETHING BURNING PERIODICALLY; I COULD SMELL IT BUT THOUGHT THE ODOR WAS ALMOST NEGLIGIBLE. NEXT THING I KNOW, HE TOLD ME THE UNDER SIDE OF THE DASH, BEHIND THE RADIO AND ON PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE (INSIDE THE CAR) HAD CAUGHT FIRE AND HE USED THE KITCHEN FIRE EXTENGUISHER TO PUT IT OUT. I TOLD HIM TO ALSO DISCONNECT THE BATTERY. I HAVE BEEN SELLING FORDS FOR 11 YEARS AND DID SOME DIGGING. THERE WAS A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN ARTICLE NO. 98-15-20 (SUPERCEDES ARTICLE NO. 98-14-3) WHICH ADDRESSES THIS PROBLEM AND TELLS THE SERVICE DEPT. TO REPLACE THE MODULE AND INSTALL A WATERSHIELD TO KEEP THIS FROM RECURRING. THIS IS ELIGIBLE UNDER BUMPER TO BUMPER WARRANTY COVERAGE AND SAFETY RESTRAINT WARRANTY COVERAGE. SINCE MY CAR HAS ABOUT 98000 MILES ON AND WAS STILL RUNNING FINE BEFORE THIS HAPPENED, AM I OUT OF LUCK AT GETTING THIS CAR RUNNING AGAIN. PRELIMINARY ESTIMATE FROM A MECHANIC WAS ABOUT $1100 IN PARTS AND WHO KNOWS HOW MUCH IN LABOR. WOULD APPRECIATE HEARING YOUR CURRENT CASE STATUS WITH FORD MOTOR CO. ON THIS. THANKS. *AK