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

What owners actually said

325 reports

43,000 miles · Dec 30, 2003

Engine And Engine Cooling

NHTSA#10003194/612956/606433/6092008/615400/615476/615381 ENGINE VIBRATION FELT THRU STEERING WHEEL WHILE IN GEAR

NHTSA ODI #10051322

41,000 miles · Dec 29, 2003

Engine And Engine Cooling

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED CONSUMER FELT VIBRATION THROUGHOUT THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC, WHO INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT MOTOR AND TRANSMISSION MOUNTS NEEDED REPLACEMENT. DEALER WAS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, BUT THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT.*AK

NHTSA ODI #10052053

47,027 miles · Dec 2, 2003

Steering

DURING A STATE INSPECTION, THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED BY THE STATE OFFICER THAT THE FRONT END DRIVER/PASSENGER SIDE TIE RODS WERE DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK THE UPPER LEFT FRONT TIE RODS WERE DEFECTIVE IN 2002 AND 2003. THE CONSUMERS CONCERN IS THAT THE LOWER RIGHT AND LEFT TIE ROD MAY GO SOON. *SCC *JB

NHTSA ODI #10046212

Mileage unknown · Nov 28, 2003

Engine And Engine Cooling

AFTER FILLING THE VEHICLE WITH FUEL AND A FUEL INJECTION CLEANER, CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AT 70 MPH, AND VEHICLE STALLED. CONSUMER TRIED SEVERAL TIMES TO RESTART THE VEHICLE, BUT TO NO AVAIL. *AK

NHTSA ODI #10048762

60,000 miles · Nov 21, 2003

Equipment

AIR CONDITIONER BEGAN BLOWING HOT AIR JUNE 2002 TOOK IN FOR REPAIR AND RICART FORD CLAIMED IT WAS THE MODULE. THE PART WAS NOT COVERED ON THE EXTENDED WARRANTY PLAN AND IT WAS OVER $500 TO REPAIR. DECLINED REPAIRS. THE FOLLOWING SPRING AIR CONDITIONER BEGAN WORKING ON ITS OWN APRIL 2003. JULY 2003 THE AIR CONDITIONER BEGAN BLOWI…

Read full complaint

NHTSA ODI #10047327

Mileage unknown · Nov 18, 2003

Suspension

BOTH REAR COIL SPRINGS BROKE AT SAME TIME. CAR HAD ONLY 37,000 MILES AND WAS 4 YEARS OLD. INDEPENDENT TECHNICIAN FIXED AT LEAST 8 OTHER FORD ESCORTS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. *AK

NHTSA ODI #10048135

60,000 miles · Nov 15, 2003

Suspension

CAR METICULOUSLY MAINTAINED YET BOTH REAR SPRINGS HAD TO BE REPLACED AT 60,000 MILES (CLOSE TO $300 REPAIR) DUE TO THEIR BOTH BEING FRACTURED ON THE BOTTOM-MOST LOOP. *LA

NHTSA ODI #10046988

Mileage unknown · Nov 4, 2003

Engine And Engine Cooling

Read full complaint

WE ARE HAVING A VIBRATION PROBLEM WITH OUR FORD ESCORT. I TOOK THE CAR IN FOR SERVICE WITH THE DESCRIPTION "IT'S IDLING ROUGH". THE SERVICE CENTER CAME BACK TO ME WITH A "TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN" FROM FORD OUTLINING A PROCEDURE TO LIMIT VIBRATION. APPARENTLY, THE VIBRATION STEMS FROM INADEQUATE/IMPROPER ENGINE MOUNTS IN THIS MODEL ESCORT. THE SERVICE OUTLINED REQUIRES CHANGING THE TYPE OF PARTS USED IN MOUNTING THE ENGINE, AND THE TSB CONTAINS INSTRUCTIONS FOR MODIFICATIONS TO BE DONE BY THE REPAIR CENTER PRIOR TO INSTALLATION. FORD IS OBVIOUSLY AWARE OF THIS SITUATION, AS THE TSB ALSO STATES THIS AFFECTS ESCORTS FROM 1997-2002, ESCORT ZX2 FROM 1998-2003, AND THE TRACER FROM 1997-1999. WE WERE TOLD THE REPAIR BILL TO FIX THIS WOULD BE $380.00! I DON'T FEEL I SHOULD HAVE TO PAY TO HAVE THIS DEFECT FIXED. I CONTACTED FORD, AND WAS BASICALLY TOLD "SORRY , WE'RE NOT GOING TO FIX THIS, IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY." THE PROBLEM CAME TO MY ATTENTION BECAUSE EVERYTHIUNG IN THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT NOT SCREWED DOWN RATTLES LIKE A ONE-MAN-BAND. THIS HAS GOTTEN PROGRESSIVELY WORSE OVER THE LAST YEAR, AND HAS BEEN ATTRIBUTED TO PROBLEMS IN THE ENGINE TUNING. THANKS TO A WELL-INFORMED SERVICE TECHNICIAN, I NOW KNOW THE REAL CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. I FEEL THAT LEFT UNCHECKED, THE VIBRATIONS COULD CAUSE MORE SERIOUS PROBLEMS IN THE FUTURE ON THE CAR, AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOME ACTION TAKEN TO SEE THAT FORD CORRECTS THIS DEFECTIVE PART ON MY CAR.*AK

NHTSA ODI #10045430

77,000 miles · Oct 26, 2003

Suspension

1999 FORD ESCORT WAGON 77,000 MILE PURCHASED NEW REAR SUSPENSION SPRINGS DESCRIBED AS CRACKED BY LOCAL SERVICE STATION AT TIME OF SAFETY INSPECTION - VEHICLE WAS FAILED AS UNSAFE REQUIRING REPAIR AND REPLACEMENT FOUND TSB 14993 ON THIS SITE NOTING SUSPENSION SPRING FAILURE POTENTIAL IF THIS CAN FAIL A VEHICLE AS UNSAFE ITS TIME …

Read full complaint

NHTSA ODI #10043592

Mileage unknown · Oct 1, 2003

Suspension

VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER DUE TO DRIVER HEARING A NOISE COMING FROM REAR OF VEHICLE. DEALER FOUND THAT REAR COIL SPRINGS BROKE. *AK

NHTSA ODI #10042039

Official recalls

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

DP01001 · Air Bag NON-DEPLOYMENT

Opened Apr 19, 2001 · Closed Nov 1, 2001

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Air Bags

No summary supplied.