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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 →
375Owner complaints

Model-year median: 101

0Recall campaigns

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1Investigations

View investigation details →

How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

Other model years Selected year
576
1995205
1996543
1997375
1998325
199998
200068
2001
Compare all Escort years →

Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

Air Bags
75Suspension
50Engine And Engine Cooling
49Electrical System
43Power Train
43
All reported categories
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
32Fuel System, Gasoline
19Seat Belts
17Steering
17Visibility
16Structure
14Vehicle Speed Control
14Equipment
13Unknown Or Other
10Seats
9Tires
6Fuel System, Other
4Exterior Lighting
3Latches/locks/linkages
3Parking Brake
3Child Seat
2Engine
1

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 reports
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Mileage unknown · Oct 23, 1998
Air BagsService Brakes, HydraulicCrashInjury

WHILE DRIVING SOUTH ABOUT 35-40MPH, ANOTHER VEHICLE TURNED THE CORNER, HEADING NORTH & SPEEDING, DRIFTED INTO ESCORT'S LANE. ESCORT DRIVER APPLIED BRAKES TO AVOID VEHICLE, & VEHICLE PULLED LEFT. IT SKIDDED ACROSS THE ROAD & HIT A POLE. ABS DID NOT WORK. RIGHT BRAKES HAD DISINTERGRATED. AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, BUT SEAT BELT …

Read full complaint

WHILE DRIVING SOUTH ABOUT 35-40MPH, ANOTHER VEHICLE TURNED THE CORNER, HEADING NORTH & SPEEDING, DRIFTED INTO ESCORT'S LANE. ESCORT DRIVER APPLIED BRAKES TO AVOID VEHICLE, & VEHICLE PULLED LEFT. IT SKIDDED ACROSS THE ROAD & HIT A POLE. ABS DID NOT WORK. RIGHT BRAKES HAD DISINTERGRATED. AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, BUT SEAT BELT HELD. DRIVER HAS BRUISED KNEE. VEHICLE TOTALED BY INSURANCE CO.

NHTSA ODI #829376

Mileage unknown · Oct 9, 1998
Air BagsCrashInjury

NO DEPLOYMENT OF AIRBAGS CAUSED INJURY (NECK & BACK) TO DRIVER DURING VEHICLE COLLISION.

NHTSA ODI #541936

Mileage unknown · Oct 2, 1998
Air BagsCrashInjury

WHEN WIFE WAS DRIVING VEHICLE AND WAS AT STOP SIGN, ANOTHER VEHICLE IN FRONT COLLIDED WITH CONSUMER'S VEHICLE. AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. CONSUMER ADDED THAT THE OTHER VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN ABOUT 35 MPH AND AIR BAGS DID DEPLOY. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE CONTACTED. *AK

NHTSA ODI #828522

Mileage unknown · Sep 3, 1998
Air BagsCrash

VEHICLE WAS IN A FRONTAL IMPACT WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE, THE SPEED WAS 5-10 MPH WHEN LEAVING A PARKING LOT AND CROSSING THE HIGHWAY. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE CONTACTED. *AK

NHTSA ODI #827557

Mileage unknown · Aug 20, 1998
Air BagsCrashInjury

NO DEPLOYMENT OF AIRBAGS IN TWO ACCIDENTS. QCAW

NHTSA ODI #539145

Mileage unknown · Jul 29, 1998
Air BagsCrashInjury

WHILE IN AN ACCIDENT THE AIR BAG'S DID NOT DEPLOY, RESULTING INJURY TO THE CONSUMER. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

NHTSA ODI #825977

Mileage unknown · Jul 15, 1998
Air BagsSeat BeltsCrashInjury

NO DEPLOYMENT OF DRIVER'S AIR BAG DURING A COLLISION. ALSO DRIVER'S SEAT BELT FAILED TO LOCK. DRIVER SUSTAINED INJURIES. ENTIRE FRONT PART OF VEHICLE WA SCRUSHED WHEN VEHICLE HIT A POLE.

NHTSA ODI #538329

Mileage unknown · Jul 1, 1998
Air BagsPower TrainCrash

BACKING OUT OF DRIVEWAY AND LOOKING IN THE MIRROR TO SEE IF ANY ONE WAS COMING, ALL OF A SUDDEN VEHICLE FLEW FORWARD AND HIT FENCE. THEN WHEELS TURNED TO THE RIGHT, MISSING THE TELEPOLE. VEHICLE ENDED UP HITTING TREES AND STOPPED. AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. HAD SEAT BELT ON. *AK

NHTSA ODI #824383

Mileage unknown · Jun 17, 1998
Air BagsCrash

VEHICLE REARENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE AT A SPEED OF 40MPH WHEN THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED, THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG HAD MELTED TO THE INSIDE OF THE STEERING WHEEL, CAUSING THE AIRBAG TO NOT COMPLETELY INFLATE. DEALER HAS VEHICLE CURRENTLY. *AK

NHTSA ODI #824417

Mileage unknown · Jun 17, 1998
Air BagsCrashInjury

IN A 35MPH, DIRECT FRONTAL IMPACT, THE DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY WHICH DID NOT PROTECT THE OCCUPANT IN THE ACCIDENT. NO PRIOR PROBLEMS. DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE PROBLEM. *AK

NHTSA ODI #824390

Official recalls

0

No 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

1

DP01001 · Air Bag NON-DEPLOYMENT

Opened Apr 19, 2001 · Closed Nov 1, 2001

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Air Bags

No summary supplied.