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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.

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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

Seats complaints

6 reports
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8,300 miles · Jul 5, 2005
Engine And Engine CoolingPower TrainSeat BeltsCrashInjury

NOTICED THAT ENGINE WARNING LIGHT WAS COMING UP ON AND OFF, CHANGED SPARK PLUGS,WIRES, LIGHT WOULD GO OFF FOR A PERIOD AND THAN COME BACK ON. I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE FREEWAY BETWEEN 65-70 MILES/HOUR WHEN I HURED A LOUD BANG , PULLED OFF THE FREEWAY, I HAD THE CAR TAKING TO A LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP, SERVICE WRITER TOLD ME THAT THE …

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NOTICED THAT ENGINE WARNING LIGHT WAS COMING UP ON AND OFF, CHANGED SPARK PLUGS,WIRES, LIGHT WOULD GO OFF FOR A PERIOD AND THAN COME BACK ON. I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE FREEWAY BETWEEN 65-70 MILES/HOUR WHEN I HURED A LOUD BANG , PULLED OFF THE FREEWAY, I HAD THE CAR TAKING TO A LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP, SERVICE WRITER TOLD ME THAT THE VALVE SEAT IN THE HEAD HAD SEPERATED AND FELL INTO THE MOTOR. HE ALSO TOLD ME THAT THE 1.9 MOTOR HAD A FLAW IN THE HEAD AND FORD MOTOR COMPANY NEW ABOUT THIS PROBLEM FOR MANY YEARS. THAN HE SHOWED ME ANOTHER ESCORT THAT6 HAD THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM AND THAT THIS WAS NOT THE FIRST CAR HE SEENED WITH THIS PROBLEM. SECOND PROBLEM: I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE 3 TRANSMITIONS WITH IN A YEAR, WHICH WAS COVERED BY FORD MOTOR COMPANY AND POSSIBLY A 4TH. I DON'T KNOW BECAUSE THE MOTOR WENT. THIRD PROBLEM: WHILE AT A STOP SIGN A WAS REAR ENDED AN ABOUT 30-35 MILES/HOUR, MY SEAT BELLT DID NOT HOLD ME AND MY SEAT COLLEPSED ON TOP OF MY CHILD WHO WAS IN A CAR SEAT BEHIND ME. THE CAR WAS IN THE SHOPE ABOUT THE WEEK BEFORE THE MOTOR WENT AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THE PROBLEM HAD TO DO WITH THE TRANSMITION BUT I BELIEVE THAT THE COMPUTER IN THE CAR NEW THAT THE VALVE WAS PREPERING TO FAIL. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY HAD REDESIGNED THE HEAD, SO THIS PROBLEM COULD NOT HAPPEN AGAIN.

NHTSA ODI #10127536

Mileage unknown · Feb 25, 2002
Seats

WELDING UNDER DRIVER'S SEAT SNAPPED, AND SEAT ROCKS. DEALER CONTACTED. *AK *YD

NHTSA ODI #8004482

Mileage unknown · Apr 27, 2001
Seats

THE DRIVER SEAT ROLLS BACK AND FORTH. THE SEAT IS NOT SUPPORTED AND EFFECTS THE CONSUMERS DRIVING. THE DEALER COULDN'T HELP WITH THE CHARGES AND THERE WOULD BE A FEE TO DIAGINOS THE PROBLEM. THE DEALER IS SUPPOSE TO CONTACT THE CONSUMER FOR FURTHER ASSISTANCE.

NHTSA ODI #886943

Mileage unknown · Jan 9, 2000
SeatsCrashInjury

DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT LATCH ASSEMBLY SHATTERED AFTER BEING UNDER LOAD IN FRONT END COLLISION. *AK

NHTSA ODI #717127

Mileage unknown · Oct 26, 1999
Fuel System, GasolineSeatsCrashInjury

WHILE SITTING AT A STOP AND MAKING A LEFT TURN ANOTHER VEHICLE REAR ENDED CONSUMER'SVEHICLE, IN WHICH CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS AIR BOUND ABOUT 50 FEET, CAUSING DRIVER'S SEAT AND PASSENGER'S SEAT TO GO BACKWARDS. ALSO, SWITCH FOR THE GAS UNIT SYSTEM DIDN'T SHUT DOWN, AND THE MOTOR KEPT RUNNING. *AK

NHTSA ODI #851788

Mileage unknown · Sep 7, 1999
SeatsInjury

OWNER'S CHILD BUMPED HIS HEAD ON THE SEATBACK IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE, AND THE CHILD'S HEAD BEGAN TO BLEED DUE TO A BOLT THAT HOLDS THE SEATBACK ON IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE WAS STICKING THROUGH THE SEAT. THIS COULD INJURE A PASSENGER IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE IF INVOLVED IN A REAR END COLLISION. DEALER HAS NOT SEEN VEHICL…

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OWNER'S CHILD BUMPED HIS HEAD ON THE SEATBACK IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE, AND THE CHILD'S HEAD BEGAN TO BLEED DUE TO A BOLT THAT HOLDS THE SEATBACK ON IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE WAS STICKING THROUGH THE SEAT. THIS COULD INJURE A PASSENGER IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE IF INVOLVED IN A REAR END COLLISION. DEALER HAS NOT SEEN VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ODI #846945

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.