IllustrationHARMONIC BALANCER SEPARATED/BROKE CAUSING SERPENTINE AND TIMING BELTS TO MALFUNCTION.NO PREVIOUS PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE AND LUCKILY IT OCCURRED WHILE VEHICLE PARKED WITH ENGINE RUNNING.ORIGINAL WARRANTY "EXPIRED" LESS THAN 2 MONTHS PRIOR.UNDERSTAND NOW THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM FROM MECHANICS AND THE NHTSA WEBSITE.
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
What owners actually said
375 reportsCONSUMER STATES VEHICLE WILL NOT SHIFT PROPERLY, IT OFTEN REVS AT HIGH RPM AND DOES NOT RETURN TO A NORMAL RPM UNLESS VEHICLE COMES TO A COMPLETE STOP, POSSIBLE TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS.*JB
THE CAR IS CONSTANTLY SHAKING, ONCE YOU PUT THE GEARSHIFT IN DRIVE. CAR WAS CHECKED AND REVIEWED BY MECHANIC THROUGH THE COMPUTER.THE TPS WAS REPLACED. THE MOTOR SUPPORT RUBBERS ARE OK. WENT TO FORD DEALER AND THEY DO NOT FIND HOW TO FIX THE PROBLEM.THIS CONTINUOUS SHAKING MOVEMENT IS REALLY ANNOYING.
WHILE DRIVING CONSUMER HEARD A SNAPPING NOISE, AND LOST COMPLETE CONTROL OF BRAKES AND LANDED IN A DITCH, AND SUFFERED ONLY MINOR INJURIES, CONSUMER WAS INFORMED BY DEALER THAT A BOLT NEVER SNAPS FROM THE BOOSTER IN THAT WAY, FUTHERMORE THE DELAER STATES THAT THE PART IS NOT AVAILABLE IN THE U.S. AND A NEW ONE WOULD HAVE TO BE M…
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WHILE DRIVING CONSUMER HEARD A SNAPPING NOISE, AND LOST COMPLETE CONTROL OF BRAKES AND LANDED IN A DITCH, AND SUFFERED ONLY MINOR INJURIES, CONSUMER WAS INFORMED BY DEALER THAT A BOLT NEVER SNAPS FROM THE BOOSTER IN THAT WAY, FUTHERMORE THE DELAER STATES THAT THE PART IS NOT AVAILABLE IN THE U.S. AND A NEW ONE WOULD HAVE TO BE MADE.*JB
DAMPNER PULLEY CAME APART FROM CRANKSHAFT. INSIDE WALL OF VEHICLE WAS THE ONLY THING KEEPING IT FROM FALLING OUT ONTO THE GROUND. I NOTIFIED FORD COMPANY THAT A 3 YEAR OLD VEHICLE SHOULD NOT HAVE PARTS FALLING OFF. THEY INFORMED ME THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO SINCE THE WARRANTY HAD RAN OUT. I AM VERY UNHAPPY WITH …
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DAMPNER PULLEY CAME APART FROM CRANKSHAFT. INSIDE WALL OF VEHICLE WAS THE ONLY THING KEEPING IT FROM FALLING OUT ONTO THE GROUND. I NOTIFIED FORD COMPANY THAT A 3 YEAR OLD VEHICLE SHOULD NOT HAVE PARTS FALLING OFF. THEY INFORMED ME THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO SINCE THE WARRANTY HAD RAN OUT. I AM VERY UNHAPPY WITH THE ATTITUDE THEY HAVE TOWARDS THEIR CUSTOMERS. *AK
THE IGNITION KEY AND LOCK WERE EXTREMELY HOT TO TOUCH WHEN CONSUMER WENT TO TURN THE ENGINE OFF, VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP AND THEY COULD NOT EXPLAIN WHAT MAY HAVE CAUSED THE PROBLEM, CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS.*JB
TIRE T301887-GCW-74M8MS - TIRE BLOWOUT AT 65 MPH. *AK (DOT NUMBER: MKMF BEWR TIRESIZE: P185/60R15)
WIRES THAT POWER FUEL PUMP SHORT ACROSS EACH OTHER. THIS PUMP AND WIRING IS IN THE FUEL TANK. CAR IS BEING REPAIR OUTSIDE OF A FORD DEALERSHIP SO FORD DOES NOT SEEM TO BE CONCERNED. DEALER WAS SHOWN THE DEFECTIVE PART AND WAS CONCERNED BUT REGIONAL SERVICE REP DID NOT CARE TO EVEN SEE PART. CALLED CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE BUT THEY WE…
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WIRES THAT POWER FUEL PUMP SHORT ACROSS EACH OTHER. THIS PUMP AND WIRING IS IN THE FUEL TANK. CAR IS BEING REPAIR OUTSIDE OF A FORD DEALERSHIP SO FORD DOES NOT SEEM TO BE CONCERNED. DEALER WAS SHOWN THE DEFECTIVE PART AND WAS CONCERNED BUT REGIONAL SERVICE REP DID NOT CARE TO EVEN SEE PART. CALLED CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE BUT THEY WERE NOT INTRESTED. *AK
WHILE DRIVING WOULD STEP ON BRAKES PEDAL TO STOP, BUT PEDAL WILL GO ALWAY TO FLOOR ,AND TIRES WILL NOT SKID.*AK
CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING BRAKE PROBLEMS. *JB
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.