IllustrationWHEN VEHICLE REAR ENDED A SUV WHILE TRAVELING AT 45 MPH, THERE WAS NO DEPLOYMENT OF DRIVER'S SIDE OR PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAGS. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *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 TRAVELING 35 MPH CONSUMER HIT A HALL, AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY, IT BECAME HOT, CAUSING UNJURIES. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
WHEN THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED THE SENSOR FLEW OUT, HITTING AND INJURING THE DRIVER. THE MANUFACTURER WILL BE NOTIFIED. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH REAR ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE, AND ANOTHER VEHICLE REAR ENDED THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE. UPON IMPACT, DRIVER'S SIDE AND PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY. *AK
NO DEPLOYMENT OF AIR BAG, AND SHUT OFF VALVE FAILED DURING ACCIDENT RESULTING IN HEADACHES FROM HITTING HEAD ON MIRROR, NECKACHES AND UPPER BACK PROBLEMS. NLM
WHILE GOING EAST A CAR GOING WEST DECIDED TO MAKE A LEFT HAND TURN, CONSUMER HIT NEXT DRIVER ON PASSENGER'S SIDE HEAD-ON. UPON IMPACT, AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK
WHILE DRIVING DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED, BUT NOT HIGH ENOUGH. DRIVER SUSTAINED SEVERE HEAD INJURIES BY GOING THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD. HOWEVER,AIR BAG ON PASSENGER SIDE DEPLOYED FULLY, AND PASSENGER SUSTAINED LESS SEVERE INJURIES. *AK
CONSUMER WAS DRIVING HIGH SPEED BETWEEN 60 TO 65MPH AND ANOTHER VECHICLE JUMPED IN FRONT OF HIM. CONSUMER MADE A SUDDEN STOP TO AVOID HITTING VEHICLE. HE SWERVED AND FLIPPED OVER THREE TIMES. UPON IMPACT, AIRBAG DIDN'T DEPLOY. CONSUMER SUSTAINED INJURIES, SUFFERED A BROKEN LEG/ ARM AND PELVIC BONE. WAS TAKEN TO HOSPITAL.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF DEFECTIVE SAFETY GEAR: 09/26/98 THIS VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING 35-40MPH AND REAR-ENDED A TRUCK, NEITHER AIR-BAG DEPLOYED. NOW, 9/17/99, ATRUCK TRAVELING 35-40MPH REAR-ENDED THIS VEHICLE CAUSING ABOUT A 20MPH SMASH TO THE VEHICLE IN FRONT AND AGAIN, NO AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT AND THE FUEL PUMP CUT-OFF SWITCH FAILED TO F…
Read full complaint
BRIEF SUMMARY OF DEFECTIVE SAFETY GEAR: 09/26/98 THIS VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING 35-40MPH AND REAR-ENDED A TRUCK, NEITHER AIR-BAG DEPLOYED. NOW, 9/17/99, ATRUCK TRAVELING 35-40MPH REAR-ENDED THIS VEHICLE CAUSING ABOUT A 20MPH SMASH TO THE VEHICLE IN FRONT AND AGAIN, NO AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT AND THE FUEL PUMP CUT-OFF SWITCH FAILED TO FUNCTION. THIS TIME HOWEVER, THE DRIVER OF THIS VEHICLE RECEIVED DOUBLE THE WHIP-LASH EFFECT THAT COULD HAVE BEEN KEPT TO THE SINGLE INFLICTRD IN A REAR-END COLLISION INVOLVING ONLY TWO VEHICLES. A NEEDLESS NECK INJURY HAS BEEN SUFFERED THIS TIME AND I FEEL THAT IF THE AIR-BAGS WERE DEPLOYED, THE ELIMINATION OF THE FORWARD WHIP WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN A FACTOR OF THE NECK INJURY.
DURING COLLISION NO DEPLOYMENT OF DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG RESULTED IN INJURY TO CONSUMERS FACE WHEN HITTING THE WINDSHIELD AND MIRROR. MJS
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.