IllustrationWHILE DRIVING AT ABOUT 30MPH DRIVER LOST CONTROL AND HIT A LIGHT POLE HEAD-ON, AND NEITHER DRIVER'S SIDE NOR PASSENGER'S SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED. FORD HAS NOT SEEN VEHICLE. *AK
1998 Ford Escort
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Escort years
Owner complaints for the 1998 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: 57 of 375 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 75 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Suspension. Review the 50 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 49 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
84 crash reports11 fire reports63 injury reports
Air Bags complaints
75 reportsWHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE THA TPULLED OUT IN FRONT OF CONSUMER. CONSUMER HIT THE BACK OF THE OTHER VEHICLE. UPON IMPACT, NONE OF THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED.*AK
CONSUMERS VEHICLE WAS STRUCK FROM BEHIND & KNOCKED INTO VEHICLE IN FRONT. HOOD & HEADLIGHTS HAD TO BE REPLACED. 29-AUG-2000, ANOTHER VEHICLE STRUCK CONSUMER'S VEHICLE FROM THE SIDE, AND AIRBAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY. CONSUMER SPOKE WITH DIFFERENT DEALERS & GOT THE RUN AROUND. CONSUMERS WAS VERY CONCERNED IF IT WAS DEFECTIVE.*AK
THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AT THE POINT OF IMPACT. FRONT END COLLISION
WHILE TRAVELING AT 50 TO 55 MPH VEHICLE HIT A TREE HEAD-ON, AND NEITHER AIR BAG DEPLOYED. FORD HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH IN WET CONDITIONS DRIVER LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE AND RAN INTO A TREE HEAD ON ,DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO APPLY BRAKES , DUAL AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, CAUSING HEAD INJURIES. *AK
VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION. UPON IMPACT, AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, RESULTING IN MINOR INJURIES. MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED.*AK
CONSUMER HAS CAR TO DEALER 6 TIMES FOR A LOOSE AIRBAG, CONSUMER SAYS IT JIGGLES A LOT WHEN DRIVING DOWN THE STREET BECAUSE THE PANEL THAT AIRBAG IS IN IS VERY LOOSE. CONSUMER FEELS THIS IS VERY UNSAFE FOR PASSENGERS.*AK
CONSUMER WAS DRIVING ABOUT 55 MPH AND ANOTHER VEHICLE BACKED OUT OF DRIVEWAY, CAUSING CONSUMER TO HIT THE OTHER VEHICLE IN THE REAR. UPON IMPACT, AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. CONSUMER WAS INJURED. *AK
WHILE DRIVING 40-45MPH HAD FRONTAL IMPACT, AND DRIVER'S/ PASSENGER'S AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, WHICH DID NOT PROTECT THE OCCUPANTS IN THIS CRASH. NO PRIOR PROBLEM WITH THE AIRBAG SYSTEM. *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
1DP01001 · Air Bag NON-DEPLOYMENT
Opened Apr 19, 2001 · Closed Nov 1, 2001
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Air Bags
No summary supplied.