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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 →
325Owner complaints

Model-year median: 101

1Recall campaigns

View recall details →

1Investigations

View investigation details →

How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

Other model years Selected year
205
1996543
1997375
1998325
199998
200068
200133
2002
Compare all Escort years →

Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

Air Bags
66Engine And Engine Cooling
62Suspension
42Electrical System
39Power Train
35
All reported categories
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
24Seat Belts
16Steering
16Equipment
15Tires
14Fuel System, Gasoline
13Exterior Lighting
12Vehicle Speed Control
8Visibility
8Structure
7Seats
6Latches/locks/linkages
3Engine
2Unknown Or Other
2Child Seat
1Service Brakes
1

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

What owners actually said

325 reports
Mileage unknown · Mar 21, 2001
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

BRAKES MAKE A KNOCKING NOISE WHEN BRAKING AND TURNING. *AK

NHTSA ODI #742846

Mileage unknown · Mar 21, 2001
Engine And Engine Cooling

AFTER MY 3RD APMT FOR ENGINE CLUNKING NOISE IT IS STILL CLUNKING!*AK

NHTSA ODI #742800

Mileage unknown · Mar 20, 2001
Power Train

WHILE SHIFTING VEHICLE INTO REVERSE HEARD A LOUD NOISE, AND RUNNING ROUGH. ALSO, VEHICLE WOULD NOT GAIN SPEED. VEHICLE WAS SERVICED. TECHNICIAN STATED TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK

NHTSA ODI #883489

Mileage unknown · Mar 5, 2001
Electrical System

IGNITION WILL ONLY WORK INTERMITTENTLY. BEEN TO DEALER WHO CANNOT REMEDY PROBLEM. *AK

NHTSA ODI #882077

Mileage unknown · Feb 10, 2001
Power Train

10/09/99 NELSON FORD SUPPOSEDLY FIXED A PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION MAKING TERRIBLE NOISE. 11/27/00 TRANSMISSION LOCKED UP AT 75MPH ON I40 IN NC. ALL AMERICAN FORD REPLACED TRANSMISSION AND WAS SUPPOSED TO BE LIKE NEW. 12/26/00 TRANSMISSION SLIPPING OUT OF THIRD GEAR NEARLY RESULTING IN ACCIDENT AND CONTINUES TO HAPPEN. 0…

Read full complaint

10/09/99 NELSON FORD SUPPOSEDLY FIXED A PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION MAKING TERRIBLE NOISE. 11/27/00 TRANSMISSION LOCKED UP AT 75MPH ON I40 IN NC. ALL AMERICAN FORD REPLACED TRANSMISSION AND WAS SUPPOSED TO BE LIKE NEW. 12/26/00 TRANSMISSION SLIPPING OUT OF THIRD GEAR NEARLY RESULTING IN ACCIDENT AND CONTINUES TO HAPPEN. 01/09/01 WADE FORD SUPPOSEDLY FIXED THE PROBLEM. PROBLEM STILL EXISTS AND I AM SCARED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. I HAVE NEARLY BEEN INVOLVED IN SEVERAL ACCIDENTS BECAUSE OF THIS UNRESOLVED SITUATION AND I AM CONVICED THAT I WILL DIE IN THIS VEHICLE DUE TO THE EXPLAINED SITUATION. *AK

NHTSA ODI #740706

Mileage unknown · Feb 9, 2001
Engine And Engine Cooling

WHILE TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY CONSUMER WOULD HAVE TO DEPRESS GAS PEDAL TO FLOORBOARD TO GAIN HIGHWAY SPEED. WAS INFORMED BY MECHANIC THAT AIR WAS GETTING IN ENGINE WHICH CAUSED IT TO LOSE POWER. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

NHTSA ODI #880232

Mileage unknown · Feb 7, 2001
Fuel System, Gasoline

SOMETIMES VEHICLE WILL NOT START AND SOMETIMES IT WILL, FUEL PUMP REPLACED TWICE, NOV/00 & JAN/01. CJ

NHTSA ODI #559520

Mileage unknown · Feb 2, 2001
Suspension

REAR COIL SPRING BROKE, THE DEALER STATED THAT THE SPRINGS WERE DEFECTIVE. NLM

NHTSA ODI #559395

Mileage unknown · Feb 1, 2001
Air BagsCrash

CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT30 MPH ON A SIDE STREET AND ANOTHER VEHICLE HIT CONSUMER'S VEHICLE ON BROADSIDE, AND VEHICLE WAS TOTALED, BUT AIR BAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY. *AK

NHTSA ODI #879622

Mileage unknown · Jan 26, 2001
Air BagsCrashInjury

WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 25-30 MPH A DEER JUMPED IN FRONT, VEHICLE HIT IT, RAN OFF ROAD, AND FELL INTO A DITCH. UPON IMPACT, DUAL AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, CAUSING MINOR INJURIES. VEHICLE WAS A TOTAL LOSS.*AK

NHTSA ODI #879101

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.