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1999 Ford Escort

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

More warning signs than most Escort years

Owner complaints for the 1999 Ford Escort are substantially higher than the model-year median of 101.

About this comparison →

How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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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

92 reports with mileage · 233 unknown

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 66 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 62 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Suspension. Review the 42 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

79 crash reports11 fire reports42 injury reports

Air Bags complaints

66 reports
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Mileage unknown · Aug 2, 1999
Air BagsCrash

WHILE DRIVING AT 25-35 MPH CONSUMER'S VEHICLE REAR ENDED VEHICLE IN FRONT THAT ALL OF A SUDDEN'S SIDES.CONSUMER CONTACTED DEALER. *AK

NHTSA ODI #844093

Mileage unknown · Jul 29, 1999
Air BagsCrash

CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN 60 MPH FRONTAL COLLISION IN WHICH THE DRIVER'S/PASSENGER'S AIR BAGS NOT DEPLOY. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

NHTSA ODI #843741

Mileage unknown · Jul 6, 1999
Air BagsSuspensionCrashInjury

VEHICLE EXPERIENCING ALIGNMENT PROBLEMS DUE TO SUSPENSION FAILURE, WHICH COULD HAVE CAUSE CONSUMER TO HAVE AN ACCIDENT. HOWEVER, THE AIRBAG WAS LOOSE AT THE REAR PART OF THE STEERING WHEEL, WHICH COULD HAVE CAUSED AIRBAG TO EXPERIENCE NO DEPLOYMENT DURING THE ACCIDENT, RESULTING IN MULTIPLE INJURIES. *YC

NHTSA ODI #546537

Mileage unknown · May 5, 1999
Air BagsCrashInjury

WHEN VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A CRASH TOTALLING VEHICLE, DRIVER'S SIDE/ PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. VEHICLE WAS MAKING A LEFT TURN AND WAS HIT BY A FORD F350, TRAVELING ABOUT 35 MPH ON THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE. DRIVER HIT HIS HEAD-ON THE STEERING WHEEL. HURT HIS KNEE AND RECEIVED NECK AND BACK INJURIES. *AK

NHTSA ODI #837489

Mileage unknown · Mar 27, 1999
Air BagsElectrical SystemEngine And Engine Cooling

SINCE THE CAR WAS FIRST BOUGHT THE ENGINE HAS BEEN EXTREMELY LOUD AS WELL AS SHAKING OCCASIONALLY WHEN STOPPING AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT. I SPOKE WITH MY SALESPERSON, WHO WAS FRIENDLY AND TOOK IT ON A TEST DRIVE AGAIN, AND HE FOUND NOTHING WRONG. HE SAID IT WAS PROBABLY DUE TO THE COLD WEATHER, BUT TOLD ME TO TAKE IT TO MY LOCAL DEA…

Read full complaint

SINCE THE CAR WAS FIRST BOUGHT THE ENGINE HAS BEEN EXTREMELY LOUD AS WELL AS SHAKING OCCASIONALLY WHEN STOPPING AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT. I SPOKE WITH MY SALESPERSON, WHO WAS FRIENDLY AND TOOK IT ON A TEST DRIVE AGAIN, AND HE FOUND NOTHING WRONG. HE SAID IT WAS PROBABLY DUE TO THE COLD WEATHER, BUT TOLD ME TO TAKE IT TO MY LOCAL DEALER TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT AS A PRECAUTION. I WENT TO THE LOCAL DEALER AND THEY WOULD NOT SEE ME THEN SO I ASKED TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT FOR A BETTER TIME. I WAS TOLD THAT NO APPOINTMENTS COULD BE MADE AND THEY ACCEPTED CARS ON A FIRST COME FIRST SERVED BASIS. SINCE NEITHER DEALER IS LOCATED CLOSE TO ME, I DECIDED TO WAIT A WHILE TO SEE IF IT WAS JUST THE WEATHER. IN FEBRUARY, THE AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON AND WOULD NOT GO OFF FOR 2 DAYS AND SINCE THEN IT WILL COME ON AND STAY ON FOR A WHILE, AND SOMETIMES IT WILL TURN OFF AFTER A FEW DAYS. THIS IS A MAJOR CONCERN BECAUSE I DON'T WANT IT TO COME OUT UNEXPECTEDLY OR TO FAIL WHEN NEEDED. I WENT TO THE SAME LOCAL DEALER 2 DAYS AGO AND THEY WOULD NOT SEE ME. AT FIRST, THE MAN TRIED TO MAKE ME THINK IT WAS ALL IN MY HEAD, BUT AFTER INSISTING ON HAVING IT CHECKED OUT ANYWAY, HE TOLD ME THEY COULD NOT SEE ME AND THAT I WOULD HAVE TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT. I EXPLAINED THAT I HAD TRIED TO BEFORE, BUT WAS TOLD I COULDN'T AND HE BASICALLY TOLD ME TO CALL LATER TO SET UP AN APPOINTMENT. SINCE A FAILURE COULD CAUSE A TRAGIC ACCIDENT I DON'T KNOW WHERE ELSE TO TURN TO HAVE FORD CHECK THE CAR. IT IS ONLY 3 MONTHS OLD AND THIS IS THE 4TH TIME I HAVE HAD TO SEE ABOUT IT WHICH MAKES ME LEARY OF EITHER THE QUALITY OF FORDS OR THAT MY CAR IS NOT UP TO THE SAME SAFETY STANDARDS AS IT SHOULD BE. PLEASE HELP. I ALSO SAW ON THE NEWS LAST NIGHT THAT SEVERAL FORD CARS ARE BEING RECALLED NOW DUE TO SAFETY CONCERNS SO I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE SURE MY CAR IS SAFE BEFORE ME OR SOMEONE ELSE GETS HURT. I WOULD APPRECIATE ANY ASSISTANCE YOU CAN GIVE ME, AND PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT STEPS TO TAKE. *AK

NHTSA ODI #704999

Mileage unknown · Jan 28, 1999
Air BagsCrash

WHEN VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A CRASH, THERE WAS DEPLOYMENT OF BOTH AIR BAGS, BUT THE AIR BAG ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE STARTED SMOLDERING. NO ONE WAS SEATED ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE. REPORTED BY DEPUTY CHIEF DONALD MCCARTHY. *AK

NHTSA ODI #834146

Official recalls

1

99V276000 · Power Train:manual Transmission:shift Pattern Indicator

Oct 12, 1999

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE S/R OPTION. THE S/R OPTION INCLUDES, AMONG OTHER FEATURES, A 5-SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION. ON THESE VEHICLES, THE TRANSMISSION SHIFT PATTERN IS NOT DISPLAYED IN THE OCCUPANT COMPARTMENT IN VIEW OF THE DRIVER. THIS DOES NOT COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS NO. 102, "TRANSMISSION SHIFT LEVER SEQUENCE, STARTER INTERLOCK, AND TRANSMISSION BRAKING EFFECT."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: THE DRIVER MAY NOT BE AWARE OF THE TRANSMISSION POSITION OF THE VEHICLE.

Remedy: OWNERS WILL BE PROVIDED WITH AN ADHESIVE BACKED PLAQUE CONTAINING THE SHIFT PATTERN, ALONG WITH MATERIALS AND INSTRUCTIONS FOR LOCATING AND AFFIXING THE PLAQUE TO THE VEHICLE CENTER CONSOLE, JUST FORWARD OF THE SHIFT LEVER. OWNERS WILL ALSO BE ADVISED THAT THEIR DEALER CAN AFFIX THE PLAQUE IF THEY PREFER.

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.