IllustrationWHILE DRIVING AT 45 MPH VEHICLE STALLED, AND SOON AFTER CONSUMER HEARD SOMETHING HIT THE GROUND. VEHICLE WAS GUIDED TO THE SHOULDER, AND CONSUMER FOUND THAT THE AIR CONDITIONER BRACKETS BROKE. THIS IN TURN, CAUSED THE AC COMPRESSOR TO FALL AND RIP A HOLE INTO THE OIL PAN.*AK *NM
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
Equipment complaints
13 reportsI READ THAT THAT NHTSA CONDUCTED A STUDY ON TIE ROD END FAILURE IN FORD CARS AT SOME POINT. I HAVE JUST HAD TWO SETS OF TIE ROD ENDS REPLACED ON MY FORD ESCORT (98 MODEL YEAR) WITHIN A SPAN OF A YEAR AND A HALF. IF YOU ARE STILL COLLECTING DATA FOR THIS ISSUE, I RESPECTFULLY SUBMIT MY CASE. *JB
HORN WILL GO OFF WITHOUT ANY ONE TOUCHING IT. ALSO, CONSUMER WAS HAVING A PROBLEM WITH STEREO. *AK
AIR CONDITIONER LEAKED INTO PASSENGER COMPARTMENT AND MADE LOUD NOISE. LEARNED THAT VEHICLE INGESTS LEAVES AND OTHER MATTER INTO THE AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM. FIX MADE AND CARPET LINER REPLACED, BUT PROBLEM RECURRED. DEALER CHEERFULLY AND COMPLETELY REPAIRED EACH TIME, BUT I WAS COUNSELLED TO NOT ALLOW LEAVES TO FALL ONTO VEHICLE…
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AIR CONDITIONER LEAKED INTO PASSENGER COMPARTMENT AND MADE LOUD NOISE. LEARNED THAT VEHICLE INGESTS LEAVES AND OTHER MATTER INTO THE AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM. FIX MADE AND CARPET LINER REPLACED, BUT PROBLEM RECURRED. DEALER CHEERFULLY AND COMPLETELY REPAIRED EACH TIME, BUT I WAS COUNSELLED TO NOT ALLOW LEAVES TO FALL ONTO VEHICLE AS THEY ARE INGESTED. APPARENT DESIGN DEFECT. *AK
AC DRAINER AREA SOMEHOW CLOGGED AND WOULD NOT DRAIN PROPERLY. WAS DRAINING INSIDE CABIN CAUSING MUSTY ODOR AND WET CARPET. DEALERSHIP SAID NOT A COMMON PROBLEM, NOT COVERED BY EXTENDED WARRANTY SINCE NO ACTUAL FAILURE, HAD TO REMOVE AC MOTOR, DRAIN AND REINSTALL, ALIGN AND SEAL. THIS SEEMS LIKE A DESIGN DEFECT. AC SHOULD NOT…
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AC DRAINER AREA SOMEHOW CLOGGED AND WOULD NOT DRAIN PROPERLY. WAS DRAINING INSIDE CABIN CAUSING MUSTY ODOR AND WET CARPET. DEALERSHIP SAID NOT A COMMON PROBLEM, NOT COVERED BY EXTENDED WARRANTY SINCE NO ACTUAL FAILURE, HAD TO REMOVE AC MOTOR, DRAIN AND REINSTALL, ALIGN AND SEAL. THIS SEEMS LIKE A DESIGN DEFECT. AC SHOULD NOT SUCK UP DEBRIS LIKE IT DOES CAUSING CLOGS. *AK
RADIO AND CD FAILURE. UNCLEAR RADIO SIGNAL AND NO CD PLAYING CAPABILITY. *AK
AIR CONDITIONER LEAKS ON THE FOOT OF THE DRIVER. IT HAS LEAKED TO THE POINT THAT IT HAS GAVE THE CARPET A MUSTY SMELL AND IT (THE CARPET) HAS WATER DAMAGE. I HAVE REPORTED IT TO THE DEALER TWICE AND THEY HAVE NOT PROPERLY FIXED THE PROBLEM. NOW IT HAS TO BE TAKEN IN AGAIN FOR THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM.
IN A CRASH, I WAS HIT BY A CAR GOING APPROX. 40 MPH, THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. HOWEVER, FOR 4 DAYS FOLLOWING THE ACCIDENT THERE WAS AN OVERWHELMING ODOR OF PROPELLANT IN THE CAR. THIS ODOR BROUGHT ON A SEVERE ASTHMA ATTACK FOR ME. ALSO, THE CAR HESITATES AND LOSES POWER WHEN THE AIR CONDITIONING COMPRESSOR KICKS IN. THE CA…
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IN A CRASH, I WAS HIT BY A CAR GOING APPROX. 40 MPH, THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. HOWEVER, FOR 4 DAYS FOLLOWING THE ACCIDENT THERE WAS AN OVERWHELMING ODOR OF PROPELLANT IN THE CAR. THIS ODOR BROUGHT ON A SEVERE ASTHMA ATTACK FOR ME. ALSO, THE CAR HESITATES AND LOSES POWER WHEN THE AIR CONDITIONING COMPRESSOR KICKS IN. THE CAR LOSES POWER ENOUGH SO THAT IT SLOWS ITSELF DOWN WHEN TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY. ALSO IT IS VERY ALARMING WHEN IT KICKS ON WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP SIGN OR STOPLIGHT. THE HESITENCY AND POWER LOSS CAUSES GREAT CONCERN FOR THE WELFARE OF THE CAR. *AK
RADIO DOES NOT WORK.
BLOWER MAY BE SUCKING THINGS UP INTO THE VEHICLE. DEALER CONTACTED, AND CANNOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM. CONSUMER THINKS FIRE MAY BE STARTED IF THINGS ARE TRAPPED INTO THE COMPRESSOR. PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. *AK
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.