IllustrationSEATBELT RETRACTORS IN THE BACK OF VEHICLE CONTINUALLY TIGHTEN, AND WILL NOT ALLOW FOR CONSUMER TO LEAN OR MOVE FORWARD. CONSUMER HAS TO RELEASE BUCKLE AND REATTACH BUCKLE IN ORDER HAVE FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/ATTACHMENTS.*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
What owners actually said
375 reportsNUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH BRAKES. DEAELR HAS REPLACED 3-4 SETS OF BRAKES. ALSO, REPLACED ROTORS TWICE, AND RESURFACED ROTORS TWICE.THERE WAS CONSTANT SQUEAKING WHEN APPLYING BRAKES.*AK
BECAUSE CRANKSHAFT DAMPNER IS DEFECTIVE SERPENTINE BELT WAS WORN OUT AND REPLACED. WHEN IT WAS WORN OUT AGAIN IN ONLY 5000 MILES THE PROBLEM WITH THE CRANKSHAFT DAMPNER WAS FOUND.*AK
TRANSMISSION BROKE DOWN WHILE TRAVELING 65MPH. PRIOR TO BREAK DOWN, HAD HEARD A SNAPPING SOUND. VEHICLE STOPPED DEAD. WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, AND HAD TRANSMISSION REPLACED WITH A USED ONE SINCE OLD TRANSMISSION WAS NOT REPAIRABLE.*AK
WAS TRAVELING 35-40MPH ANOTHER VEHICLE TURNED IN FRONT OF CONSUMER'S VEHICLE AND WAS HIT HEAD-ON. UPON IMPACT, NEITHER AIR BAG DEPLOYED. NO INJURIES OR EMERGENCY ROOM TREATMENT. WENT TO DEALER LATER.*AK
I WAS REAR-ENDED BY A MOVING TRUCK (LIKE A RYDER TRUCK) WHO WAS TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH WHEN HE HIT ME. I WAS ALMOST AT A COMPLETE STOP. THE PROBLEM THAT I AM ASKING ABOUT, BECAUSE I WANT TO KNOW IF THERE HAVE BEEN ANY OTHER PROBLEMS LIKE THIS REPORTED, IS THAT MY SEAT, THE DRIVER'S SEAT, BROKE AND TWISTED ON IMPACT.…
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I WAS REAR-ENDED BY A MOVING TRUCK (LIKE A RYDER TRUCK) WHO WAS TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH WHEN HE HIT ME. I WAS ALMOST AT A COMPLETE STOP. THE PROBLEM THAT I AM ASKING ABOUT, BECAUSE I WANT TO KNOW IF THERE HAVE BEEN ANY OTHER PROBLEMS LIKE THIS REPORTED, IS THAT MY SEAT, THE DRIVER'S SEAT, BROKE AND TWISTED ON IMPACT. AFTER THE IMPACT THE SEAT WAS LEFT BENT BACKWARDS AND TWISTED TO THE RIGHT CONSISTENT WITH MY INJURIES. I GUESS WHAT I REALLY WANT TO KNOW IS, SHOULD THE SEAT HAVE DONE THAT AT THAT IMPACT SPEED WITH A WOMAN SITTING IN THE SEAT THAT IS 5' 5" AND WEIGHT 140 LBS? I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN ANSWER MY QUESTION OR IF THIS IS EVEN THE RIGHT PLACE TO ASK BUT I JUST THOUGHT THAT I WOULD TRY. THANKS FOR ANY HELP THAT YOU CAN GIVE ME.*AK
WHEN ATTEMPTING TO FUELTANK GAS WILL SPEW OUT OF TANK. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED.*AK
MY SON WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT IN WHICH ANOTHER VEHICLE HIT HIS VEHICLE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE WHILE HE WAS MAKING A LEFT TURN. MY SON'S CAR SPUN 90 DEGREES AND LANDED ON THE SIDE OF AN EMBANKMENT. THE CAR DID NOT FLIP AND LANDED RIGHT SIDE UP. BOTH AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. MY SON NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE …
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MY SON WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT IN WHICH ANOTHER VEHICLE HIT HIS VEHICLE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE WHILE HE WAS MAKING A LEFT TURN. MY SON'S CAR SPUN 90 DEGREES AND LANDED ON THE SIDE OF AN EMBANKMENT. THE CAR DID NOT FLIP AND LANDED RIGHT SIDE UP. BOTH AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. MY SON NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. LUCKILY, HE WAS NOT KNOCKED UNCONSIOUS AND WAS ABLE TO GET OUT OF THE CAR QUICKLY. WITHIN LESS THAN 5 MINUTES, HE NOTICED FLAMES COMING FROM THE FLOORBOARD ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. THE CAR WAS TOTALLY ENGULFED IN FLAMES WITHIN 10-15 MINUTES. IF THIS ACCIDENT HAD HAPPENED ON A REMOTE ROAD AND MY SON WOULD OF BEEN INJURED MORE SERIOUSLY, AND NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET OUT OF HIS CAR, AND WOULD HAVE BURNED TO DEATH. I DON'T KNOW WHAT CAUSED THE CAR TO START ON FIRE. EVEN THE INSURANCE ADJUSTER SAID THE CAR SHOULDN'T HAVE STARTED ON FIRE.*AK
PE00 048; CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 65MPH ON HIGHWAY AND HEARD A LOUD BANGING NOISE. SHE SAW SMOKE FROM REARVIEW MIRRIOR. SHE WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER, AND NOTICED THAT FRONT RIGHT PASSENGER TIRE TREAD SEPARATED FROM VEHICLE. GOODYEAR TIRE. GOODYEAR WAS NOTIFIED.*AK
WHILE TURNING OFF IGNITION, CONSUMER NOTICED A FIRE UNDER THE STEERING WHEEL AREA, CLAIM 14-1385-223. *SLC
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.