IllustrationWHEN 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
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
Compare all Escort years →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
110–25K
1625–50K
2650–75K
1875–100K
18100–150K
3150K+
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 reportsGOODYEAR TIRES(GOODYEAR EAGLE RS-A 185/60HR15, STANDARD ALL-SEASON TIRES) DID NOT PERFORM WELL IN SNOW CAUSING THE DRIVER TO LOOSE CONTROL AND RUN INTO A CURB.
THE CAR WILL INCONSISTENTLY NOT START. I HAVE BEEN HAVING THIS PROBLEM SINCE JULY OF 1998 (IT BEGAN MILDLY AND CONTINUED TO GET WORSE), AND THE DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. THEY HAVE REPLACED ONE PART, BUT AFTER SEVERAL WEEKS AFTER THE PROBLEM BEGAN AGAIN. NOW I AM WAITING FOR FORD TO COME OUT WITH SOME COMPUTER CONFIGURATION. …
Read full complaint
THE CAR WILL INCONSISTENTLY NOT START. I HAVE BEEN HAVING THIS PROBLEM SINCE JULY OF 1998 (IT BEGAN MILDLY AND CONTINUED TO GET WORSE), AND THE DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. THEY HAVE REPLACED ONE PART, BUT AFTER SEVERAL WEEKS AFTER THE PROBLEM BEGAN AGAIN. NOW I AM WAITING FOR FORD TO COME OUT WITH SOME COMPUTER CONFIGURATION. WHEN YOU TURN THE KEY SOMETIMES IT WILL BE TOTALLY DEAD, SOMETIMES IT WILL BEGIN TO IDLE, AS LONG AS YOU KEEP PUMPING THE ACCELERATOR (RECOMMENDED BY MY DEALER), HOWEVER, THE SECOND YOU REMOVE YOUR FOOT FROM THE ACCELERATOR THE CAR "SHUTS OFF."ONCE THE CAR DOES START (USUALLY AFTER TRYING 10 TIMES) IT RUNS VERY ROUGH. WHEN I HAVE BROUGHT THE CAR INTO THE DEALER THEY HAVE ATTEMPTED TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM, BUT ARE UNABLE TO DO SO. ABOUT 10 DAYS BEFORE CHRISTAMS, I BROUGHT THE CAR INTO MY DEALER AND THEY AGAIN, FOR THE THIRD TIME OR SO ATTEMPTED TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THEY RETURNED MY CAR TO ME THE FOLLOWING DAY WHEN I LEARNED OF A POSSIBLE COMPUTER CONFIGURATION THAT FORD WAS COMING OUT WITH. IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOT THAT THE PROBLEM WAS DUPLICATED WHEN THEY FIRST CHANGED THE INITIAL PART. THEY HAVE RUN VARIOUS TESTS AND FEEL THAT THE PART REPLACED (FUEL INJECTION CENSORING)IS NOT CAUSING THE PROBLEM AFTER ALL. THIS IS WHERE I CURRENTLY STAND WITH MY CAR. SOME MORNINGS IT STARTS AND SOME IT DOES NOT. I HAVE HAD OCCURRENCES WHERE THE CAR WILL START IN THE MORNING, I WILL DRIVE 20 MIN. TO WORK. PARK THE CAR AND ATTMEPT TO START IT 4 HOURS LATER AND IT WILL NOT START. THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES THAT IT WILL NOT EVEN START AFTER 20 MINUTES OF RESTING TIMES. *AK
WHENEVER THE HORN HAS TO BE USED IT FAILS TO OPERATE PROPERLY AFTER BEING HIT. THERE IS NO NOISE. JUST SILENCE. WILL BE TAKEN VEHICLE TO DEALER TO HAVE IT CHECKED OUT, DESIGN OF THE HORN IS HAMPERED BY THE INSTALLATION OF THE AIR BAG. *AK
CONSUMER HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH HORN. WHEN CONSUMER THEY APPLIES HORN, IT'S HARD TO MAKE IT MAKE A SOUND. BECAUSE OF THIS, THE CONSUMER WAS ALMOST INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT. COULD NOT LET OTHER DRIVERS BE AWARE OF VEHICLE'S PRESENCE. THE MANUFACTURER HAS YET TO BE CONTACTED. *AK
Official recalls
199V276000 · 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
1DP01001 · Air Bag NON-DEPLOYMENT
Opened Apr 19, 2001 · Closed Nov 1, 2001
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Air Bags
No summary supplied.