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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

View recall details →

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

What owners actually said

375 reports
Mileage unknown · Oct 6, 1998
Engine And Engine CoolingVisibility

THE VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH THE REAR DEFROSTER, BUT THE REAR DEFROSTER IS INOPERABLE WHICH CAUSES VISUAL PROBLEMS IN THE REAR, MAY RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT. DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE PROBLEM. *AK CONSUMER STATED THERE IS A KNOCK WHEN STARTING THE VEHICLE, AND DRIVING AT 60 MPH, ALSO ENGINE IS CONSUMING 4 QUARTS OF OIL, ALSO VEHI…

Read full complaint

THE VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH THE REAR DEFROSTER, BUT THE REAR DEFROSTER IS INOPERABLE WHICH CAUSES VISUAL PROBLEMS IN THE REAR, MAY RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT. DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE PROBLEM. *AK CONSUMER STATED THERE IS A KNOCK WHEN STARTING THE VEHICLE, AND DRIVING AT 60 MPH, ALSO ENGINE IS CONSUMING 4 QUARTS OF OIL, ALSO VEHICLE OVERHEATED.*JB

NHTSA ODI #828637

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 29, 1998
Visibility

VEHICLE EMITING ODOR/FUMES INSIDE CAR AS WELL AS OUTSIDE CAUSING PASSENGER TO FEEL SICK AND ONE TO PASSOUT.

NHTSA ODI #541384

Mileage unknown · Sep 28, 1998
Equipment

AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM LEAKS CONTINUALLY INTO VEHICLE.

NHTSA ODI #541105

Mileage unknown · Sep 23, 1998
Electrical System

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILED CAUSING BLINKERS, HORN AND HEAD LIGHTS NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY.

NHTSA ODI #541075

Mileage unknown · Sep 18, 1998
Unknown Or OtherInjury

VEHICLE INVOLVED IN TWO SERIOUS COLLISION AND DRIVER DID NOT SUFFER ANY SERIOUS INJURIES.

NHTSA ODI #780426

Mileage unknown · Sep 11, 1998
Electrical System

WHEN IN A PARKING LOT VEHICLE HESITATED WHEN THE ACCELERATOR WAS PRESSED. ALSO, AT A STOP SIGN THE VEHICLE HESITATED WHEN THE ACCELERATOR WAS PRESSED. THE VEHICLE IS VERY HARD TO START ON COLD MORNINGS DUETO ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE FAILURE.

NHTSA ODI #540760

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 27, 1998
Unknown Or Other

NO SUMMARY

NHTSA ODI #540516

Mileage unknown · Aug 26, 1998
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

CONSUMER EXPERIENCING BRAKE FAILURE. INTERMITTENTLY BRAKES WOULD SQUEAK OR GRIND. WHEN APPLYING BRAKE PEDAL THE VEHICLE WOULD EITHER KEEP GOING OR HAVE A DELAY BEFORE STOPPING. VEHICLE BEEN IN/OUT DEALER SHOP AND PROBLEM CANNOT BE RESOLVED. *AK

NHTSA ODI #827243

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.