IllustrationWIPERS SUDDENLY FAILED TO WORK WHILE DRIVING IN A RAIN STORM AND PASSING A SEMI-TRUCK.
1997 Ford Escort
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Escort years
Owner complaints for the 1997 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: 100 of 543 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.
- Air Bags. Review the 152 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 114 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Suspension. 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.
66 crash reports83 fire reports52 injury reports
What owners actually said
543 reportsSTEEL WHEEL RIM WELDING IS DEFECTIVE, CAUSING AIR TO ESCAPE FROM THE WHEEL RIM WHICH COULD ALSO CAUSE THE RIM TO SEPARATE FROM THE WELDING. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
VEHICLE MAKES A KNOCKING NOISE WHEN BRAKING AND TURNING A CORNER. DEALER CONTACTED AND RAN OASIS, FOUND NO REPAIR FOR THE VEHICLE AND CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK
THE CAR THAT I HAD PURCHASED HAS NOT LIVED UP TO IT'S EXPECTATIONS SINCE I PURCHASED IT. SINCE I HAVE HAD THE CAR, I PURCHASED IT IN SEPT. OF 1998, THE BRAKES HAVE COMPLETELY GONE OUT, THE EMERGENCY LIGHT COMES ON CONSTANTLY EVEN THOUGHT THE EMERGENCY BRAKE IS NOT ON. WHEN PURCHASING THE CAR, I HAD EXPLAINED TO THE CAR DEALER T…
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THE CAR THAT I HAD PURCHASED HAS NOT LIVED UP TO IT'S EXPECTATIONS SINCE I PURCHASED IT. SINCE I HAVE HAD THE CAR, I PURCHASED IT IN SEPT. OF 1998, THE BRAKES HAVE COMPLETELY GONE OUT, THE EMERGENCY LIGHT COMES ON CONSTANTLY EVEN THOUGHT THE EMERGENCY BRAKE IS NOT ON. WHEN PURCHASING THE CAR, I HAD EXPLAINED TO THE CAR DEALER THE I, BEING OF ONLY 19 YRS OF AGE AND THIS BEING MY FIRST BIG PURCHASE I COULD NOT AFFORD TO BUY A CAR THEN END UP HAVING TO PUT TONS OF MONEY INTO IT. I AM VERY UPSET AT THE FACT THAT I HAVE HAD THE CAR FOR ONLY A SHORT WHILE, THE WARRANTY HAS PASSED (HOW CONVEINIENT) AND I REFUSE TO BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR A FAULTY SENSOR.
AT ANY SPEEDS BRAKES WILL CONTINUOUSLY FAIL, CAUSING A LONGER STOPPING DISTANCE WHICH COULD RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT.
DRIVER'S SEAT THAT IS MOUNTED TO THE SEAT TRACK BROKE, CAUSING THE SEAT TO "ROCK" WHICH MAY CAUSE LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. THE METAL AROUND THE MOUNTING NUT FATIGUED AND BROKE OUT. *AK
MY WIFE HIT A DEER ON INTERSTATE 90 NEAR ALBERT LEA, MN. RELATIVELY MINOR DAMAGE TO THE CAR BUT SUFFICIENT TO DEPLOY BOTH AIR BAGS. THE DEPLOYMENT RESULTED IN A FRACTURE TO THE DASH AND WINDSHIELD THAT REQUIRED REPLACEMENT OF THOSE PLUS ALL AIR BAG COMPONENTS. THE MAJORITY OF DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE WAS BECAUSE OF AIR BAG DEPLO…
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MY WIFE HIT A DEER ON INTERSTATE 90 NEAR ALBERT LEA, MN. RELATIVELY MINOR DAMAGE TO THE CAR BUT SUFFICIENT TO DEPLOY BOTH AIR BAGS. THE DEPLOYMENT RESULTED IN A FRACTURE TO THE DASH AND WINDSHIELD THAT REQUIRED REPLACEMENT OF THOSE PLUS ALL AIR BAG COMPONENTS. THE MAJORITY OF DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE WAS BECAUSE OF AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT. ACCORDING TO INFORMATION SUPPLIED BY THE DEALER, ONE AIR BAG SENSOR IS UNIQUE IN THIS PARTICULAR VEHICLE AND NOT READILY AVAILABLE. WE HAVE WAITED A NUMBER OF WEEKS TO GET THE SENSOR, OTHERWISE THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN REPAIRED. THE DEALER WILL NOT RELEASE THE VEHICLE AS LONG AS A SAFETY COMPONENT IS INOPERATIVE. FORD SAYS THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM FOR THE DEALER TO RESOLVE. THE DEALER SAYS THAT THEY HAVE HAD THIS PART ON PRIORITY SHIPMENT FOR OVER THREE WEEKS AND IT STILL IS NOT AVAILABLE. I BELIEVE THAT THE DAMAGE MAY HAVE BEEN SUFFICIENT TO DEPLOY THE AIR BAGS THOUGH IT WAS UNNECESSARY IN THIS PARTICULAR CRASH. HOWEVER IT IS UNEXCUSEABLE THAT THIS PART CAUSES THE MAJORITY OF DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE, PLUS WE ARE UNABLE TO USE THE VEHICLE, WE LOSE NOT ONLY USE, WE LOSE WARRANTY, AND WE DO NOT HAVE A VERY SECURE FEELING ABOUT A PART THAT IS SO IMPORTANT, YET SO RARE THAT IT ONLY EXISTS IN A FEW PRODUCTION MODELS. WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR SAFETY DEVICES, WE ARE GRATEFUL NO ONE WAS INJURED, WE WOULD BE MORE GRATEFUL TO GET OUR CAR BACK. WHY WOULD FORD PUT A SAFETY COMPONENT ON SUCH LIMITED SUPPLY? PLEASE IDENTIFY IF THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN FOR MORE VEHICLE OWNERS. THANK YOU, CURT KEPHART SHOULD NOT THE ENTIRE SYSTEM BE REPLACED WITH SOMETHING MORE STANDARD?
DRIVER WAS REARENDED BY ANOTHER VEHICLE TRAVELING AT ABOUT 50 MPH, AND WAS PUSHED INTO THE BUMPER OF THE VEHICLE IN FRONT. DURING THE COLLISION THE SEAT BACK MECHANISMS BROKE AND ALLOWED THE RECLINE TO A 45 DEGREE ANGLE, THE SHOULDER STRAP OF THE SEAT BELT SLID DOWN TO HER ARM, AND SHE WAS THROWN INTO THE STEERING WHEEL SINCE T…
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DRIVER WAS REARENDED BY ANOTHER VEHICLE TRAVELING AT ABOUT 50 MPH, AND WAS PUSHED INTO THE BUMPER OF THE VEHICLE IN FRONT. DURING THE COLLISION THE SEAT BACK MECHANISMS BROKE AND ALLOWED THE RECLINE TO A 45 DEGREE ANGLE, THE SHOULDER STRAP OF THE SEAT BELT SLID DOWN TO HER ARM, AND SHE WAS THROWN INTO THE STEERING WHEEL SINCE THE AIR BAGS WERE NOT DEPLOYED. VEHICLE WAS TOTALLED, AND DRIVER SUSTAINED INJURY. *AK *ML
WHILE DRIVING THE HEAD GASKETS BLEW OUT, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO STALL, ALMOST RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT. CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
MANUAL TRANSMISSION FAILURE.
Official recalls
102V323000 · Air Bags:frontal:sensor/control MODULE-INACTIVE
Dec 9, 2002
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE INTEGRATED AIR BAG MONITOR (IABM) CAN BE CONTAMINATED WITH WATER OR OTHER LIQUIDS AND COULD EXPERIENCE INTERNAL ELECTRICAL SHORTING.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS MAY, IN TURN, CAUSE THE AIR BAG READINESS LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE AND IN VERY RARE OCCURRENCES, AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT, MELTED WIRING, OR FIRE MAY OCCUR.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL THE SHIELD OVER THE IABM AND APPLY NYOGEL GREASE TO THE CONNECTOR. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN FEBRUARY 11, 2003. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT FORD AT 1-866-436-7332.
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
2EA02008 · Water Intrusion Into Airbag Monitor
Opened Jun 10, 2002 · Closed Dec 11, 2002
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Air Bags
BY LETTER OF DECEMBER 6, 2002, FORD NOTIFIED THE AGENCY THAT IT WOULD CONDUCT A SAFETY RECALL ON ALL 1997 FORD ESCORT AND MERCURY TRACER VEHICLES.FORD FOUND THAT ELECTRICAL SHORTING OF THE INTEGRATED AIR BAG MONITOR (IABM)DUE TO LIQUID INTRUSION OF WATER OR ENGINE COOLANT CAN OCCUR IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES.FORD AND LINCOLN MERCURY DEALERS WILL INSTALL A PROTECTIVE SHIELD OVER THE IABM AND APPLY NYOGEL GREASE TO IT'S ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR.SEE FORD'S DECEMBER 6, 2002 DEFECT AND NONCOMPLIANCE INFORMATION REPORT FOR DETAILS.
PE02010 · Integrated Air Bag Monitor Water
Opened Jan 30, 2002 · Closed Jun 10, 2002
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Air Bags
No summary supplied.