1995 FORD Escort

I AM WRITING ABOUT MY 1995 FORD ESCORT WITH A 1.9L ENGINE. THERE IS AN ABSOLUTE SAFETY HAZARD ON MY VEHICLE. I SEE THAT THERE WAS A RECALL IN 1997 FOR A LEAKING FUEL TANK. AND THE TANK ON MY CAR IS NOW LEAKING. WHEN I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP THEY SAID THAT MY CAR WAS NOT INVOLVED IN THE RECALL BUT I FIND IT PECULIAR THAT I AM HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. WHEN I WENT TO THE DEALERSHIP THE FIRST THING THEY TOLD ME BEFORE LOOKING ANYTHING UP WAS “THAT RECALL IS EXPIRED ANYWAY BUT SEE A SERVICE MANAGER” EXPIRED HOW CAN A SAFETY HAZARD BE EXPIRED? DO YOU NOT STAND BEHIND YOUR PRODUCTS!!! I THINK IT IS RIDICULOUS THAT I AM HANDLED THAT WAY WHAT BECAUSE I DRIVE AN OLDER CAR. AM I NOT IMPORTANT? I WOULD LIKE A RESPONSE ASAP ABOUT THIS SAFETY HAZARD!!!

The fuel tank began leaking gas due to faulty design of the plastic tank. There is a recall issued for this problem but from some unknown reason this car’s VIN number is not included even though it was built in Hermosillo, Mexico and is currently registered in California which are both criteria of the recall. I contacted Fords customer relations dept. and they refuse to repair the vehicle or explain why it is not included with the recall.

The engine compartment caught fire on the escort May 2004. My husband was driving it when the engine died. He pulled over to the side of the road and looked at the engine and didn’t see any visable signs of trouble. He then tried to start the car and thats when the fire started. He later recalled smelling gas and at first thought it was because he had just filled the gas tank, but now we are wondering if there was some kind of mechanical failure with the engine. We had not had any problems like this before the day of the fire. I would like to find out if there has been simular problems with this vehicle??

The driver side seatbelt will not work, Ford said part alone will cost $600. Another safety issue the headlight lenses are cloudy so driving at night is difficult. Power door locks will not unlock, which if you had to get out in a hurry this may cost your life. Chunks of paint are falling off car. Intermedia wiper does not work, dash lights burned out. Airbag light stays on, indoor lights do not come on unless you tap them. Steering wheel does not lock, so beeper continues when door is open. I am elderly and can not afford these repairs the seat belt for the door will cost me $600. Ford told me to just pull the fuse out so the clicking noise would stop. So all I have is the lap belt. The doorlocks and headlight lenses are important safety issues to me. Thank you

Summary: Fuel tank cracked at joint with heat shield spilling fuel all over ther road and onto other parts of the car including the hot exhaust system.Letter to Dealer:Last Thursday, as I drove home from Lackland Air Force Base with my two year old son strapped in the back of my 1995 Ford Escort, I smelled a strong odor of fuel. I stopped and checked my car. I discovered the fuel was leaking profusely from my fuel tank directly under the rear passenger seat where my son was strapped in a car seat. If this fuel ignited as we drove home, I doubt I would have been able to get him out of the car. If the fuel had exploded, (I had just filled the tank), then I believe my son and I would be dead and many others injured on Texas route 1604. Why am I telling you this? I immediately had my car inspected at an auto shop near my house. They discovered the plastic fuel tank to be cracked at the heat shield mounting. This caused me great concern as there was no evidence of any impact or damage to the heat shield or the tank. This opinion has since been validated by your service department when the inspected my vehicle on Saturday the 7th of August. Why then did this plastic tank develop a crack and fail with potentially catastrophic effects?I conducted some research on the year and model vehicle and the fuel tank and tank assemblies. According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were enough of 1995 Escorts experiencing fuel tank failures that they initiated a safety recall recommendation. The Ford Motor Company investigated this fuel tank failure and corroborated the NHTSA recall and initiated a Ford safety recall. They initiated two recalls one to modify the tank assembly and the other to replace the tanks. I have read Ford Motor Company

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My name is Terri Wilkerson and I am writing this letter to both voice my dissatisfaction with my automobile, past resolution of an ongoing problem, and unless this falls onto deaf ears, an investigation into the matter and my out of service vehicle.On April 11, 1995 I purchased a new 1995 Ford LX, 1.9L SEFI , VIN# 1FASP15J3SW273791. This vehicle was purchased from Prestige Ford, 3401 S. Garland Ave, Garland, Texas 75041.After driving the car for a few days and settling into it, I began to notice a clicking sound coming from what to me sounded like the engine area on the driver

Local garage mechanic found rear springs broken during vehicle inspection. Said this is \"common\" with Escort rear springs.

Fuel tank failure.

FUEL LEAKAGE AND GAS SMELL- TOOK CAR FOR REPAIR AND EVIDENTLY MECHANIC COULDNT FIX IT. oR DID NOT KNOW EXACTLY WHAT WAS WRONG. CALLED FORD AND THEY SAID RECALL WAS FIXED IN 1999. I JUST BOUGHT CAR 2 MONTHS AGO. IF IT WAS FIXED WHY IS GAS STILL POURING OUT? THIS CAR SHOULD HAVE BEEN TAKEN OFF ROAD LONG AGO NOW I AM OUT MONEY AND RELKIABLE CAR.

Engine developed a cracked cylinder head. The only reason it cost 600.00 was that I repaired it myself. Seatbelts and transmission have not been repaired.

drivers side automatic seatbelt will not engage. interior light will not work.

Drivers side automatic seatbelt quit working (jammed).

Current issue that I am very concerned about is the Fuel tank assembly. It is severely leaking. Contacted Ford but they don’t seem to recognize my car even though it was made at the Wayne Assembly plant at the time their production was not in vin order. No response and no way to repair the tank itself. Ford no longer has a tank for the car.

COLD WEATHER WAS CAUSING THE HORN TO START BLOWING. THE PROBLEM HAD TO DO WITH THE AIRBAG.

Both back seat belts have had to be replaced because they did not retract. Now the front driver side automatic belt restaint has also broke (rolls about half way up and down the track).

Both automatic seatbelt motors have died twice, rendering them useless because they are stuck half way.

1995 ford escort with a defective fuel tank. consumer states that the ford told him this vehicle was not under recall. he states that the fuel tank has a crack in it and can only be filled less than halfway without it leaking. *kb the consumer stated the tank was defective during installation, as the heat shield was still bolted to the tank and according to the recall, a crack could develop in the fuel tank under extreme heat if not removed. *jb

While driving 55 mph, the driver smelled gas coming from the rear. the driver was able to maintain control of the vehicle and pulled over. the driver noticed the fuel tank was leaking gas. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection. the mechanic informed the driver that the fuel tank needed to be replaced. *jb there was a crack in the plastic tank at the support for the heat shield. the gas leaked down the tank and was very close to the exhaust pipe. recall#97v144000. *sc *jb

Air bag sensor failed, causing no deployment of air bags during accident. *tt

The airbag was actually hit and moved slightly, yet the airbags were not deployed.

Failed in 50 previous reports from 1995-fix this [xxx] thing. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Upon parking on an incline, the key would not turn the ignition. *ak

False deployment of air bags, causing accident/injury. *sd

Excessiveand uneven tire wear. *ak

Transmission cooler line disconnected, causing fire. *dh

Vehicle continually experiencing engine surging and unwanted acceleration, replacement of several sensors, idle speed conrol unit/valve, throttle body and pcm have not rectified surging problems.

Extensive fuel system repairs (fuel pump,filter and regulator assembly) failed. (mjs)

Premature wear of the brake pad/shoe assembly.

Seat belt failure and no deployment of air bag during collision resulting in injuries to chest and back.

Right/rear door latch/striker failure. *ak

Sudden acceleration, causing loss of control/accident. *sd

Headlights dimming when a/c is turned on, replaced several times however continue to experience problems.

While driving in ongoing traffic vehicle accelerated to 80 mph/dealer could not reproduce the problem/couldn't fix it. *ak

Dome light inoperative due to broken wire. *sd

Shoulder harness motor/track replaced. *sd

Left shoulder belt inadequately lubed. *sd

Front pads/rotors replaced. *sd

Rear hatch adjusted. *sd

Speedometer cable replaced due to fluctuation.

Intermittent stalling.

Front end noise.

Driver's airbag deployment was violent, causing severe injuries to neck/throat/chest area.

With vehicle parked on an inclide, key would not turn in the ignition. *ak

Transmission slips into neutral intermittently.

Speed sensor cable fused to the sensor.

Accelerator pedal sticks, causing sudden acceleration. *aw

Squeaking noise when depressng brake pedal.

False deployment of both airbags. *dsh

Cruise control engages if switch left in on position, also disengages without being turned off or hitting the brakes.

Head lights dim off/on continually, causing poor visibility. *dsh

Dashboard lights dim off/on continually, causing poor visibility.

Heater fan comes on/off everytime driver hits brakes.

Vehicle leaks into passenger compartment.

Wrong spark plugs installed at factory and faulty spark plug wires caused hesitation and loss of acceleration. *dsh

Engine has strange idle. *sd

Tachometer fluctuates. *sd

Loss of power steering due to ball joint failure. *sd

Bubble on sidewall of goodyear tire,

Ford sent me a notice for a safety recall for the gas tank

We please send me two signature cards for both vehicles just bought this car for are daughter on 7/01/01 what was funny is the ignition switch was bad when we got it then 9 day's later the raidiator satrted to leak the same place my 92 taurus was leaking from the drive side seal of the raidiator so i called ford and i wanted to know why there making parts that are failing in not one car made but two different car's and i also was told but various mechanics that ford knows of these problems with both the taurus and escort but won't fix the problem why would two different cars from the same manufacture have the same problems ford knows the parts are defective and alot of other people around the us have had the same problems with the 3 main things transmission raidaitor and egnition switchs so why are you not looking in to this consumer fraud i'll be glad to file a civil suit against ford if need be as they are screwing the public. *ak

Upon annual state inspection, it was discovered that both rear coil springs had broken, fortunately both in a way that had not caused tire damage. speedometer fluctuates greatly and creates buzzing-like noise at speeds greater than 55 mph. mr

While driving the oxygen sensor insulation which is taped tore off unto the exhaust manifold and caused a fire. please provide further details. *ak

The car got alcohol smell since the first day i bought it. then it made me dizzy & cough badly all the time , sometime i was thinking that if somebody light up a cigarette which may put my car into fire since there are alcohol smell all over. i began open all the windows whenever i drive this car ( no matter how cold it is, or even when it is raining.). and besides drive it to work, i never drive it during the weekend. because i think my body need some rest from this car. i did not know how bad it could be untill i read a book talk about how dangerous the emitted gasses from the car could hurt people's health, after i read that book i stopped to drive the car & begin to find out how to take care the problem. before i am sure the car is safe to drive, i would not drive it or sale to other people. i wish no body will get hurt by this car. please take care this car's problem. otherwise i really don't know how to do with this car. i am taking bus eveyday to go to work since jan. and the dealer can't find the problem. ford told me to call your dept. is there a kind equipment which can test the inside car air quality to see is it safe to human health. ? , it would not be good if any body get dizzy (co,o3,hc,...) from the bad air quality inside the car on the high way. i think there shoud be a equipment for the public to check their inside car air quility, so everybody know they are safe to breath in the car and safe to drive the car without hurt their health & not hurt other people on the high way. we need such a equipment. & every car sold from the dealer should. pass the "inside air quility " test. please help me !!!!! thanks for your time.*ak

Replaced goodyear tire. *ak

Right turn signal failure. *ak

The passive seat restraint does not retract fully. this occurs when you turn the vehicle off. it has to be manually disconnected. when turning the vehicle on it hesitates before retracting to drivers body. the car is stationary when this occurs.

Tl* the contact owns a 1995 ford escort. the contact stated that there was a strong fuel odor in the vehicle. the contact also stated that the fuel was observed leaking from the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the fuel tank cracked and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 97v144000 (fuel system, gasoline). the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the contact also mentioned that the replacement part for the repair would not be available. the failure mileage was approximately 85,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 1995 ford escort. the contact stated that when refueling the vehicle, there was a fuel odor emitting inside the vehicle. in addition, the contact discovered fuel leaking from the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the heat shield and fuel tank were cracked a needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure and stated that the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 97v144000 (fuel system, gasoline). the failure mileage was 135,341. ...updated 11/02/15 *bf the consumer stated the fuel tank was fractured because the hold down hardware for the heat shield was nver removed per the required repair for the recall. the consumer was informed his vehicle was not included in the recall. updated 11/05/15.*jb

Strong order of gas from gas tank, took it to mechanic, said i have a hole in gas tank... drivers side seat belt , clicking noise, wires came out , hanging, now belt is stuck...had to remove fuse, to stop loud annoying clicking noise... *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 1995 ford escort. the contact stated that there was a strong fuel odor emitted from the vehicle. the contact mentioned that the failure occurred on multiple occasions. the vehicle was not diagnosed. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 78,000.

Passenger side automatic seatbelt quit working in the middle of the track, the cable was hanging down, got grease allover, including on me. disconnected everything ,and through in garbage. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 1995 ford escort. the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the fuel tank leaked. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnosis where it was stated that the fuel tank was cracked and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired and the manufacturer was notified. the approximate failure mileage was 99,500.

Tl* the contact owns a 1995 ford escort. the contact stated while driving approximately 40 mph he depressed the brake pedal but the brakes would not respond. the contact inspected the vehicle and noticed the brake line was leaking brake fluid. the contact replaced the front brakes. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 120,000. *tr

I have replaced 3 speed sensors & 2 speedometer cables & lithium grease sense i have owned the car and still have transmission oil coming up thru the speed cable into the dash.is this just a bad part or is there a cure? *tr

Hello, i have a 1995 ford escort with the automatic seat belt. have replaced the track and hardware. the problem still happens ..... the / or one of the guide cables comes out of the track casing and the lock refuses to shuttle. the motor does a click-click ..... click-click and the lock tries to shuttle but does not. is there a fix for this? what is going on in the shuttle track? [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 1995 ford escort. the contact stated that the fuel tank was leaking gasoline, caused by a fracture in the fuel tank wall. the vehicle was taken to a mechanic who inspected the failure and advised the contact of the fracture in the fuel tank wall. the mechanic also referred the contact to an authorized dealer. the dealer was notified who advised the contact that the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign id number: 97v145000 (fuel system, gasoline: storage: tank assembly). the manufacturer was notified who also advised that there were no open recalls for the vehicle. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 67,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 1995 ford escort. the contact stated that the vehicle exhibited an overpowering odor of gasoline fuel. the contact was able to locate fuel leaking from the fuel tank. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. the manufacturer was contacted and stated there were no recalls fro the fuel leak failure. the failure and the current mileage was 148,000.

The seat belt on the driver side is stuck in the open position, which gets in the way of the wheel and provides no safety support were i to get in a crash. also the passenger sides seat belt often goes wild and continuously opens and closes on the passengers neck when trying to exit the vehicle. i can not afford to cover the costs of this repair and feel that ford should do so considering it puts the driver in great danger. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 1995 ford escort. the contact stated that while driving approximately 35 mph, he began to smell a strong odor of fuel. upon arriving at home, the contact inspected the vehicle and detected a crack in the fuel tank, along with a significant amount of fuel seepage around the rubber affixed to the fuel tank. there was a recall associated with the failure under nhtsa campaign id number 97v144000 (fuel system, gasoline: storage: tank assembly). the vin was not included in the recall. the vehicle had not been repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 144,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 1995 ford escort. the contact stated that when the vehicle was parked or while driving he noticed that there was a leak in the fuel tank. the vehicle was not inspected by a dealer nor was it repaired. the manufacturer was notified and advised him to take it to a dealer and stated he was not included in nhtsa campaign id number: 97v144000 (fuel system, gasoline:storage:tank assembly). the failure mileage was approximately 109,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 1995 ford escort. the contact stated that the vehicle was leaking fuel from the fuel tank. the contact took the vehicle into the dealer and was told that the heat shield used for the tank was causing the leak. the failure mileage was unknown, but the current mileage was 102,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 1995 ford escort. the contact stated that the fuel tank was leaking. the vehicle was taken to a local mechanic who agreed that the fuel tank was cracked which caused the leak. the contact was made aware that there was a recall for that specific failure ( nhtsa campaign id number: 97v144000, fuel system, gasoline:storage:tank assembly). the manufacturer stated that the vehicle was not included and did not provide any assistance. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 98,000 and current mileage was 120,000.

Gasoline begins to drip out of fuel tank when fuel tank in half filled. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 1995 ford escort. the contact stated there was an overpowering odor of gasoline coming from the vehicle. the vehicle was refueled the day prior to noticing the failure. the fuel level gauge was reading only one half full when the tank should have been reading full. the contact then discovered a large puddle of gasoline under the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to a local repair facility where the contact was advised that the fuel tank had separated from the vehicle. the contact was advised by the manufacturer that the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign id number: 97v145000 (fuel system, gasoline: storage: tank assembly) and that they would not assist with repairs. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 120,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 1995 ford escort. while the vehicle was parked, the contact noticed fuel leaking from the fuel tank area onto the ground. the vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer where they informed that the fuel tank cracked due to the heat shield. there was a recall under nhtsa campaign id number 97v144000 (fuel system, gasoline: storage: tank assembly). the vin was not included in the recall defect. the contact experienced the same failure as mentioned in the recall. the vehicle was repaired for the malfunction at the owner's expense. the failure mileage was unknown. the vin was not available.

1995 ford escort with 136,000 miles on car caught a fire in the engine compartment that resulted in total loss. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 1995 ford escort. after smelling gasoline, the contact took the vehicle to a local mechanic and was informed that there was a fuel leak. she was advised not to drive the vehicle; therefore, it was towed to a local ford dealer. the dealer also discovered a fuel leak and stated that the cost for the repair would be approximately $1,000. the vehicle was towed back to the local mechanic and they replaced the gas tank at the cost of $780. the dealer stated that the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign id number 97v144000 (fuel system, gasoline:storage:tank assembly). the failure mileage was unknown. updated 10/07/08. *lj the consumer was informed her vehicle was not included in the recall because her vehicle was manufactured in another state. updated 10/08/08. *jb

Fuel tank leaking. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 1995 ford escort. while the contact was examining the vehicle, he smelled gasoline coming from the rear of the vehicle. he also noticed that whenever the tank is filled more than halfway, gasoline begins to leak from the tank. the contact did not notice any differences in the vehicle prior to the failures. the vehicle has not been diagnosed by the dealer. the current and failure mileages were 99,650.

I am writing about my 1995 ford escort with a 1.9l engine. there is an absolute safety hazard on my vehicle. i see that there was a recall in 1997 for a leaking fuel tank. and the tank on my car is now leaking. when i took it to the dealership they said that my car was not involved in the recall but i find it peculiar that i am having the same problem. when i went to the dealership the first thing they told me before looking anything up was "that recall is expired anyway but see a service manager" expired how can a safety hazard be expired? do you not stand behind your products!!! i think it is ridiculous that i am handled that way what because i drive an older car. am i not important? i would like a response asap about this safety hazard!!! *tr

1995 ford escort with a defective fuel tank. consumer states that the ford told him this vehicle was not under recall. he states that the fuel tank has a crack in it and can only be filled less than halfway without it leaking. *kb the consumer stated the tank was defective during installation, as the heat shield was still bolted to the tank and according to the recall, a crack could develop in the fuel tank under extreme heat if not removed. *jb

> from: gally > comments: > greetings, > > please be advised that we recently purchased the above subject vehicle, and now we are experiencing a fuel leak from the plastic gas tank. the leak comes from the same location that the nhtsa recalls (referenced above) occur. > > i have spoken on the phone both with ford corporate and the local dealer ( heller ford, escondido, ca. ) and have been advised that the vehicle was not part of the recall, nor would there be any assistance in having the repair made at the manufacturer or dealer expense. > > in my research of the vehicle and recalls specific to the 1995 escort model, i came across various documents online which lead me to believe that any vehicle of similar make/model and year which had similar defects as the vehicles specified in the recall mentioned above, should be presented to the manufacturer or their representative (the dealer) and repairs would be made. the cost of the repair would then be recovered by the dealer from the manufacturer. please refer to ford recall service bulletin 97s79 page two. > > an added note. currently the vehicle in question is the sole source of transportation for my girlfriends daughter and her 1 year old granddaughter. their safety is our primary concern, as well as the safety of others. > > please ensure a timely response to this issue. we wish to have this issue addressed immediately and hope to discover that ford stands behind their products, their reputation, and existing and future customers. > > please feel free to email me at this address or call me directly.> ?*tr

Tl*the contact owns a 1995 ford escort. the vehicle has cooper mastercraft a/s iv tires, size p20565r15 (na). while driving 25 mph, when the tires are cold, they become bumpy and cause the vehicle to ride roughly. the vehicle has not been inspected. the vin, purchase date, engine size, dot number, and number of cylinders were unknown. the current and failure mileages were 4,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 1995 ford escort. the contact smelled gasoline and noticed fuel leaking underneath the vehicle. the vehicle failed inspection due to a crack in the fuel tank. the powertrain was unknown. the failure mileage was 153,248 and current mileage was 158,248. updated 3/11/08 *cn updated 03/11/08 *tr

Upon state inspection we were told the front and rear coil springs were broken and would cost over 650.00 dollars to repair. unbelievable as it seems it was confirmed by another inspection station.... *tr

Nhtsa id# 97v144000, recalls 1995 ford escorts for cracks in the fuel tanks. i bought a used ford escort and a crack has developed exactly as stated in the recall. i e-mailed ford but they say my vin # has no recalls on it. and will not help even after telling them of the recall information. *jb

Tl*the contact owns a 1995 ford escort. while the vehicle was parked, the contact smelled gas and discovered a fuel leak towards the front of the vehicle. the manufacturer stated that the vin was not included in nhtsa recall number 97v144000 (fuel system, gasoline:storage:tank assembly) and will not honor the replacement. a new fuel tank would cost $470. the vehicle is currently parked at the contact's residence. the current mileage was 64,445 and failure mileage was 64,345. updated 01/11/08. *lj the consumer stated the heat shield was not removed from the tank and the heat caused the tank to crack updated *jb

Tl*the contact owns a 1995 ford escort. he noticed a fuel leak near the heat shield. the current and failure mileages were 61,708. the consumer provided photos of the defect. updated 09/18/07 *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 1995 ford escort. on july 31,2007, the fuel tank began leaking. the vehicle used up a tank of gas in a 12-hour period. recall number 97v144000 (fuel system, gasoline:storage:tank assembly) was referenced. the purchase date and failure speed were unknown. the current and failure mileages were 80,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 1995 ford escort. the contact stated that the fuel tank is cracked and leaking. he stated that his vin was not included in recall #'s 97v144000 and 97v145000 (fuel system, gasoline:storage:tank assembly). however, the contact stated that his vehicle is experiencing the exact same failures as noted in the recalls. the dealer and the manufacturer stated that there was nothing that could be done. the current and failure mileages were 100,000.

The motorized retracting shoulder belt for the driver's safety belt ceased working and is stuck in the non-locked position as if the driver is getting in or out of the car. an emergency crank is provided to manually move the belt along the track but it will not move. the motor for the belt drive seems to be ok but the cable in the track seems to be stuck. an estimate for the repair is $600.00 and the motor and cable track is over $400.00. *tr

I own a 1995 ford escort wagon that was in colorado for 11 years, and this year -- 2007 -- i moved to phoenix arizona. last week i noticed a leak under the car and suspected it was gasoline. i was albe to confirm it yesterday and noticed it had become much worse. i took it to a local dealer, and suspected a defect after they diagnosed the problem as a cracked fuel tank. i suspected that this was abnormal and did a quick internet search which lead me to this website and a host of information of an existing recall for this vehicle's fuel tank when it it resides in areas with a hot climate and fluctuating extremes in temperature. i did further research on the vin and could determine that this car had one of the defective tanks installed. however, the dealer refuses to pay for the repair, and insists that i am the one who must pursue remuneration. i am here giving notice of the existence of another car with this problem, and also notice of the failure of bell ford to comply with compensation to me of this service and parts for no fee.

Shoulder belt retractor stopped working and jammed in its guide track. *tr

Making left hand turn and was hit on passenger side. my seat belt broke. car was totaled. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated that the interior of the vehicle smelled of gasoline. upon exiting the vehicle, a puddle of gasoline was observed in the driveway. after further inspection, cracks were observed in the gas tank. there was a nhtsa recall # 97v144000 pertaining to the fuel tank assembly. the vehicle was not included in the recall due to the vin.

Dt*: the contact stated the passive restraints stop at the corner of the door post and do not properly restrain the driver or passenger. there is a gap of six inches between the safety belts and door post. a replacement track for the safety belt will be obtained through a salvage yard to repair the vehicle. the contact, who is a mechanic, has seen many of the 1991 through 1996 escorts with the same problem. because the passive restraint is no longer being manufactured, the contact feels the manufacturer should replace these passive restraints with regular safety belts.

When on highway 55 mph or more transmissions acts like it goes into neutral have no overdrive or drive then also slips in and out. also have like power surges when using the heater in the car the engine revs up and down like you are stepping on the gas pedal even when in park have not been able to find the cause of these issues yet. also have had the rear wiper motor and stuff replaced and still do not get washer solvent to rear wiper the brake light in the middle of back window does not work either causes still unknown it is a 1995 ford escort lx wagon with only 73000 miles 1.9 l. *nm

My passenger side shoulder belt is stuck in a position so that it cannot be useful at all in an accident. it is stuck all the way forward so that it doesn't touch the passenger at all. also, the drivers side shoulder belt doesn't seem to have any "stop" to it - i worry in an accident it wouldn't hold me in. i can't afford to take this in to get it fixed and would like ford to fix it for free. this has been happening continuously in the 6 months i've had the car. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated the automatic seatbelts have come off the track. this occurred on both the front driver and passenger side. both seatbelt assemblies will have to be replaced to correct the problem.

I own a 1995 ford escort lx [xxx] which has a leaking fuel tank. i checked your (nhtsa) web site and found "two recalls" for this problem. i when to my local ford dealer for repairs,(a.c. collins ford, pasadena texas) and was told there was no recall issued for my car based on the vin number. but the vin number clearly states the engine size 1.9 l, assembly plant: wayne ind. and it was sold and still is registered and used in pasadena /houston texas. which is the same information as shown in the nhtsa's recall notice. note: the mileage and purchase dates are estimates due to the car being at the dealer at this moment. *jb updated 07/18/2012 *js information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)

The plastic headlight lenses on the headlights of my 1995 ford escort lx have become cloudy, yellowed and opaque. this cuts down noticeably on the ability of the headlights to illuminate the road at night, truly a safety hazard. *nm

Fuel tank has hair line cracks on left side where heat shield mounts to spacer. 2 recalls my vin# isn't included not sure why. talked to dealer and ford hotline they wont fix. safety hazard/ manufacturer defect. would like problem resolved. thank you. *jb

Dt: contact stated there was a leak in gas tank. he noticed this about two weeks ago. he saw a recall on the internet regarding leaking gas tanks . he called the manufacturer, and they told him this vehicle was not included in the recall due to vin. the car was manufactured in mexico.*ak

Started smelling profuse gas fumes in my 1995 escort lx. took in to meineike to be repaired. they found that the gas tank was cracked due to heat shield. this is the month of august in mississippi and the heat factor has been over 100 for the last couple of weeks. looked online and found that certain escorts had no gap between heat shield and gas tank and was under recall from 1997. this model came up not under recall but problem was indicative of recall models. ford refuses to investigate my claim. the remedy for fixing recalled models was to make a gap between heatsheild and gas tank. there is no gap between heat shield and gas tank on my car. this model should have been under the recall.

Fuel tank of a 1995 ford escort, vin [xxx] is leaking gas from heat shield mounts on fuel tank. this is a known problem of escorts in this year, and ford has issued a recall on 64,000 escorts citing a possibility of leaking fuel resulting in fire. although my escort was manufactured in 1995, has the 1.9l engine, was manufactured in the affected hermosillo, mexico plant, and was sold in the covered state of florida, both my local dealership and and ford's national customer service line state my vin is ineligible for recall service. they state it is most likely narrowed even further to specific dates, but neither dealership nor ford themselves are willing to look into the matter, and neither can state with surely the car is not covered. the nhtsa recall in question is recall number 97v144000. *nm updated 07/19/2012 *js information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)

Dt: the vehicle had a leak in the fuel tank which was discovered after a long trip. consumer discovered small droplets of gasoline on the ground. there was a strong smell of gasoline. consumer had vehicle towed to a dealer. the dealer noted there was a recall 97v144000, but consumer's vehicle was not included in the recall due to vin . no repairs have been made, but consumer has been instructed not to drive vehicle due to the leak and the hot summer conditions experienced in the state of arizona where vehicle is currently at. the dealer thinks it is significant about the temperature change because consumer traveled form east coast to that state. *ak *nm

Fuel tank leak ford stated that this was not covered recall #97v144000 & 97v145000 gas tank is leaking under rear passenger

Dt: the vehicle is a 1995 ford escort, with the engine size of 1.9 litters esi. on 6-29-05 the consumer took the vehicle into the dealer because the gas tank was leaking fuel. she had to get a wrecker to take it to the reynolds ford dealer 7320 northwest expressway oklahoma city, ok 71312 ph. no. 405-728-2411. afterwards she had found there was a recall notice on the year make and model of her vehicle; nhtsa campaign i. d. no. 97v145000 and 97v144000. when her husband contacted the dealer by phone they told him they knew nothing of the recalls. the consumer contacted the ford manufacturer and they told her that there was not a recall on the vin no. of her vehicle and that it was ten years old. there are no other known problems with the vehicle at this time. the dealership that the vehicle was purchased from is no longer in business. *jb

Dt: contact states gas is leaking from the front of the gas tank in the place where a particular recall on this make and models. it will leak a heat shield screw has punctured the tank. it seems to fit all criteria for this car, including where the car was manufactured. *ak

Dt: the consumer owns a 1995 ford escort. recall 97v145000 was issued by ford concerning gas tank leakage. however, this vehicle was not included in the recall due to vin. *ak the consumer stated he smelled gas and when he looked under the vehicle he discovered gas was leaking from the tank onto the heat shield and the exhaust. *jb

Dt: the contact owns a 1995 ford escort. she stated that vehicle caught on fire. she put the key into the ignition, and when she done this it exploded and caught on fire. everything got jammed up after this, even the steering wheel. the tow truck driver stated that he had a hard time towing the vehicle because of this problem. the contact called two ford dealership and told them that this was not a problem.*ak

Dt: the contact owns a 1995 ford escort lx. she has had a lot of problems with some of the problems involved the electrical system. when she touched the car it would shock her, especially while touching the medal side of the car, and could hear the sound of it shock her. also, could smell some type of chemical in the vehicle, and the service department told her that they could not find anything. because of the electrical system problem it could be the spark plugs, balancing of the car. since she has had the vehicle she could not use the alarm system because it wore out the battery. there was vibration in the car sometimes it would not start. these problems occurred even the first week after she purchased the vehicle. *ak

Seat belts failed (came off track) heater wiring failed

While standing idle for more than three hours vehicle caught on fire, with the dashboard and engine compartment fully engulfed. although exact cause of malfunction has yet to be determined, this vehicle should never have just caught on fire. *ak

The ignition switch has had to be replaced 5 times on my car. i'm a single mom and on limited income and have had to go without car months at a time. i have to have the switch replaced for around $150 each time plus towing. i have not kept the old parts because i did not know i needed to. on this same car the timing belt has gone out twice since i have owned it, for three years now. is this due to the car or is there something wrong when repaired?

Both front seat belt motors are inoperative on the 1995 ford escort. *bf *sc *jb

Nhtsa recall campaign 97v144000; ford issued a fuel tank recall. this vehicle not included in the recall due to vin although it experienced a leakage from the gas tank. *ak...*ak

Consumer was driving about 40 mph and a deer jumped in front of the vehicle causing an accident. upon impact, airbags failed to deploy completely. consumer stated that the bags came out, but did not inflate completely, causing driver to sustain a concussion. *ak

-door lock on drivers side is not working. -it is not locking, and it just stopped working -haven't fixed it yet. *jb

The driver seat belt in my ford escort 95 has been broken. the person i bought it from said it was that way for a long time, because of the tract failure. *jb

Rear coil springs broken, told by mechanic that its a common problem. *jb

Failure of power assisted shoulder harness, which could result in serious upper body injury. i replace the defective assemble with one from an auto salvage yard because of the expense of a new one ($265.00).*ak

The front driver's side coil spring broke . no unusual impact reported. *ak...road construction all summer, many impacts of varied amplitude and duration.*ak

The heat shield connected to the fuel tank has cracked the gas tank. . the consumer had the tank repaired at his expense. the manufacture states the vehicle is into included in the recall.. 97v145000

While driving, the engine light illuminated on the dashboard. the vehicle was taken to an independent shop where they replaced a plastic sensor, which had melted on the intake manifold. please provide further information. *jb

Both front seat retractor motors/tracks have failed, resulting in front seat belts inoperable. belts stuck in partial retracted mode resulting in shoulder belts not correctly positioned to properly restrain driver or front passenger. one belt is positioned if used would come across the seated person's neck. if this where a manual seatbelt system there would not be a problem, but there is no way to manually lock the shoulder belt in the proper position due to the electric system employed in this vehicle and it's failure. when the vehicle was purchased used it had 90158 actual miles. the used car dealer informed me that the problem could be resolved with the installation of "salvage" parts since the expense of repairing the seat belts by "ford" would exceed the value of the vehicle. i have been able to confirm this by talking with the repair departments at several ford dealers in the area. talking with a number independant auto repair shops in the area this is a "common problem" with these vehicles, however ford will not honor repair of this "safety" issue. research on the internet i have found this is also a common problem. i have observed that your site has an number of the same or similar complaints. i would like to know if nhtsa considers this a "passenger safety issue" requiring a recall, or does death or serious injury have to occur before an action is taken? several comments have been made on line that because his is a "passenger safety issue" involving a "required safety component" that ford is obligated to repair the seat belt whther or not under warrenty without charge to the vehicle owner as long as the item was not damaged in an accident or subjected to improper use or repair. this vehicle according to carfax has never been involved in an accident and at the time of purchase was under 100000 miles, the limit of ford's general warranty.*ak

Fuel started leaking. car taken to garage. garage deterimined the plastic fuel tank cracked near a retainer fitting at the front of the tank directly under the center of the rear passenger seat. contacted dealership to determine safety recall status. this problem is noted by ford as a sfety recall but does not include my vehicle by virtue of its vin. i live in south texas with all of the associated high temperatures identified in ford's research and safety investigations into these tank failures. dealer refuses to replace tank as a safety recall. plase advise what i do next. car is unsafe to operate.*ak

Gas tank leaks. i notified ford. they said sorry, but they were not going to fix it. in fact i notified them twice. i put an incident date in below because it was required but i really don't remember when this leak started.*ak

Recall 97v144000 was related to a fuel tank crack. the consumer noticed a crack in the fuel tank which was causing fluid to leak. the consumer's vehicle was not included in the recall due to vin.*ak the consumer believes this failure should be repaired under hte recall. *nm

While driving consumer's vehicle was rear ended. driver's seat beltsnapped in half, and consumer was injured. *ak

Smell of gasoline initially noted. appearance of gasoline under vehicle following filling of tank prompted investigation of source of gasoline smell and leak. *nm no consequences resulted from leakage of gasoline. source of gasoline smell/leak was traced to deteriorated hose between filler pipe and gasoline tank. hose had become brittle and cracked near connection to gasoline tank. hose was replaced with standard fuel hose purchased from retail parts store. hose that was removed is available.

The rear coil springs were found broken (both), the front passenger's side coil spring broke when turning in the driveway and as a result, the front tire was punctured. there was a sag in the front end. the date of the first incident was 04/01/2002. *ak *sc *jb

Had to replace gas tank due to leak on 8-02, now it is leaking again on 5-04 with same problem. ford motor co. will do nothing about it except install another at my expense. appears to be a problem that should be taken care of by the company. a dangerous situation because of the exhaust so close to the tank. i have had no fires, because the minute i smelled gas i parked the care until it could be fixed.*ak

While driving 55 mph, the driver smelled gas coming from the rear. the driver was able to maintain control of the vehicle and pulled over. the driver noticed the fuel tank was leaking gas. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection. the mechanic informed the driver that the fuel tank needed to be replaced. *jb there was a crack in the plastic tank at the support for the heat shield. the gas leaked down the tank and was very close to the exhaust pipe. recall#97v144000. *sc *jb

Consumer smelled fuel odor while driving. she examined fuel tank and noticed that wall was cracked and leaked gas. dealer indicated there was a recall in this issue. but this vehicle was not included in the recall due to vin. *ak

The fuel tank began leaking gas due to faulty design of the plastic tank. there is a recall issued for this problem but from some unknown reason this car's vin number is not included even though it was built in hermosillo, mexico and is currently registered in california which are both criteria of the recall. i contacted fords customer relations dept. and they refuse to repair the vehicle or explain why it is not included with the recall.

Drivers side automatic seatbelt will not engage. interior light will not work.

On april 11, 1995 i purchased a new 1995 ford lx, 1.9l sefi , vin# [xxx]. after driving the car for a few days and settling into it, i began to notice a clicking sound coming from what to me sounded like the engine area on the driver's side and the steering column. i took the car back to the dealership immediately. the vehicle was not test driven and i was simply told that it was probably just new engine noise and it would stop. as time went on the clicking continued. i called back to the dealership several times then i just gave up because the vehicle was running okay and had caused no concern. on september 8, 1997 (clicking noise still there) i took the vehicle in for other problems. as invoice states, noise may be coming from engine area. on may 22, 2002 while driving the vehicle it just stopped!!!!! referencing north central ford invoice no. [xxx] (which is attached) you can see the work that was performed. in reference the above-mentioned invoice, you will notice that the timing belt was replaced, one of the phone calls i received was to explain that the timing belt had snapped. please notice that you will find nowhere mentioned that valves or anything else was checked. by the time all of this took place, the clicking noise had become more apparent and they were made aware that it was still there. now for the grand finale, on april 29, 2003 i drove the car to a nearby store and when i came back out the clicking noise turned into a noise as if the engine were going to explode. i immediately stopped the vehicle and called a tow truck and it was taken to north central ford. i was informed that the mechanic thought push rod had gone. i have spoken to more than one mechanic (ase certified) who clearly believes that the valves should have been at least checked when that belt broke. this damn vehicle was my pride and joy it was pampered. the mileage on it was a mere 74,639. [xxx] [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Failure in the drivers side shoulder harness mechanism allowing only the lap belt to be used. dealership states it's an expensive repair. contacted ford customer service and was advised that the failure would have to be corrected at my expense. i feel this is wrong as the harness is a required safety feature.

Engine developed a cracked cylinder head. the only reason it cost 600.00 was that i repaired it myself. seatbelts and transmission have not been repaired.

The driver's side retractable shoulder harness has failed and no longer functions. it locked in the mid-track position causing a significant driving and safety hazard. the belt was replaced under warranty at 49,000 miles by grass valley ford, ca, under warranty and has again failed in the same manner at 98,000 miles. ford will not replace the restraint after 50,000 miles unless the customer pays for it. i guess they don't mind the liability involved with lawsuits and injuries caused by defective belts. ford should be required to replace every broken seatbelt to protect the public from a known faulty design that has not been corrected. this should be a mandatory recall by nhtsa!!!*ak

We are retired and have a 95 ford escort station wagon, garage kept. in august of 2003 we noticed a very strong odor of gasoline in our garage, which is part of the basement. it was so strong at times i did not use the electric door opener. i checked many times and could not find the cause. about this time i also noticed i was not getting as good as gas mileage as i used to. on thankgiving day, i went to my local gas station, and filled the tank as i always do. i then went inside to get a news paper. when i came out i noticed a large wet spot under the middle of the car, maybe about 3 ft in dia. i thought someone spilled something there. i went home and i started to think about it. i went back down to the garage, started to check the tank, and found the fuel filler pipe rusted out near the top. 1.5 inch by about 8 inch. so when i filled the tank, the fuel nozzle was also putting fuel out the rotted out area, which then ran down a plastic shield and ran on the ground, where you would not see it if you just fueled the car. i took it to a ford dealer and told him i would like to have a ford district rep. look at it. the service rep hardly looked up and said the car is out of warranty. i told him there is something wrong when the car has the orginal exhaust system, but the filler pipe rusted out. i had them replace it. they charged me for two hours of labor, when they only had the car for one hour, and only spent 45 minutes working on the job. when i got home i checked the job and found they only put two of the three fastners to hold the shield on. we transport twin grandchildren to school and other places in this car, and one of them is handycapped. the car could have caught on fire, or our home blow up. i have the removed pipe, and i told them it was defective in the welding prosses. no one cared. i checked the new pipe on 3-6-04, three months after it was installed, and the new pipe is starting to rust on each side of the weld seam. *ak

Automatic shoulder seat belt did not retract back into locking position, making it impossible for consumer to wear properly a seat belt. dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *ak

Consumer received recall regarding fuel tank. consumer noticed a strong smell of fuel while driving or when vehicle was parked. inspection was made, and noticed fuel leakages coming from the crack on the tab off the heat shield, which was molded into the plastic fuel tank. dealer was notified, and informed consumer that this vehicle was not included in the recall due to vin. *ak

While shifting gears vehicle would not move. consumer had vehicle towed to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic determined that transmission needed to be replaced due to worn out parts .*ak

Consumer complained about motorized seat belt problem. the seat belt froze on the track in an upright position. consumer contacted ford. however, ford stated that they could do nothing, and would charge consumer an astronomical fee to repair the motorized seat belt. *ak

Consumer started the vehicle and smelled gas fumes coming from the rear of the vehicle. consumer got out of the vehicle, and noticed gas leaking from the gas tank. the consumer shut the engine off, and had the vehicle towed to the dealership.*ak

Twice in the road life of this vehicle, the rear springs have had to be replaced. this vehicle is not used for offroad driving nor is it used to haul heavy loads.*ak

After installation of "magnetizer" (magnetizer.net) , bosch platinum +4 spark plugs, bosch oxygen sensor, k&n high flow air filter car makes 36 mpg i town & 39 mpg on highway. that shows that aftermarket parts can improve any cars gas mileage by up to 25% why car producers don't use these technologies as standard equipment. *nlm

The consumer smelled a strong fuel odor when in the garage. the consumer then noticed the fuel mileage dropped off. when the consumer went to get gas and returned, he noticed a wet spot under the vehicle. when the consumer arrived home he examined the fuel tank and noticed that the fuel filler pipe cap was corroded and rusted.*ak *jb

1995 ford escort station wagon - rear springs cracked and rusted through cracked areas. replaced and no compensation by ford for defects. ford motor refused to offer any compensation for the defective rear springs. *la

Driver side automatic shoulder belt inoperative, vehicle owner cited by local authorities for belt violation. *la

Upon receiving safety inspection, was informed that rear coil springs had broken. *la

Rear coil springs broken. *jb

Consumer stated while driving 20-25 mph heard a puff, looked down, and saw a flam coming out from under vehicle. he got out, and started to pull as much as he could out of the vehicle when his friend came along, who was driving a water truck, and they together put the flames out. consumer had not received a recall notice on this vehicle because he was not the original owner.*ak

Consumer stated that his wife had a front end collision and both air bags deployed. wife sustained wrist injuries by the deployment of the air bag. consumer wanted to know if this was normal. *ak

My family purchased two brand new 95 and 96 ford escorts in 96. starting a few weeks ago, the 95 ford escort started smelling of gas. it was noted that on the gas filler assembly, between the metal filler tube and the metal gas tank, the rubber tubing was cracked and gas was spread on the tank and also when the car was moved, there was gas on the driveway. we contacted ford and they said it wasn't under warranty because it was more than 3 years and 36,000 miles and said there were no recalls for this. we also looked under our 96 ford escort and though there was no leak, it has cracking as well. if you could look into this, we'd appreciate it. *ph

The consumer's vehicle experienced the symptoms of recalls #97v144000 and recall#97v145000 related to a crack in the plastic fuel tank. the dealer would not repair the vehicle under recall because it was a recall that did not include new mexico. *ak *nlm

Consumer smelled gas and noticed a leakage from under the vehicle. dealer diagnosed the fuel tank had split. related recall 97v144000, consumer's vehicle was not included due to the vin. *ak the service dealer found a split/crack in the gas tank and the vin number was not included in recall#97v144000. *scc **consumer request call back from odi investigator**

Consumer stated while traveling at a low speed she heard a loud popping noise, and vehicle lost power. the vehicle was towed to dealer. dealer said a spring broke. please provide any further information. *ph

1995 ford escort wagon,rear coil spring failure(broken) even the replacement springs are prone to premature failure. under normal driving, why don't these last the life of the car? what renumeration can i expect from ford?*ak

Consumer states that high ambient temperatures caused the vehicle to leak and overheat. consumer feels a fire may start as a result. *ak

There was a gas leak where the gas tank was mounted to the vehicle on the front. the driver was unable to fill the gas tank. the cause of the leak was unknown. *ak the gas tank leaked through a crack in the hard plastic which was used to secure the mount of the heat shield and cover to the plastic tank which was hot welded to the softer plastic tank and over time the stress on the mount caused the crack. the consumer smelled gas for three years. ford stated the vehicle identification number # wasn't included in the recall (#97v144000). *scc *jb

I have smelled gas for about 1.5 to 2 years after filling up, thought it was due to overflow. filled up and noticed large pool of gas under car. towed vehicle to house because of large leak coming from front mount of plastic gas tank. *nlm

The drivers side harness strap would not hold. *nlm. *ak

Problem with fuel tank leakage. *mr the consumer observed a fuel leak on the ground. the fuel tank was on back order. the fuel tank was defective and replaced with a new design. *scc *jb

The vehicle experienced the same defect with the fuel tank as stated in recall # 97 v 144 000, but the vehicle was not included in the recall. *ak *jb *nlm

The front automatic seat belt continuously failed, which resulted in the belt being inoperative. the entire system needed to be replaced. *jb

The front shoulder harness seatbelt on the driver side is stuck mid-track, which causes the seatbelt to rest across your neck. during any automobile accident, this would cause the driver to be improperly restrained or not restrained at all, resulting in serious injury, even death. a call (and trip) to the dealer got me nowhere, they say i will have to pay over $500.00 to have the seatbelt and its components repaired and/or replaced. *nlm

The speedometer did not read the correct speed. *jb

The driver's seat belt retractor did not lock, which caused the driver not to be restrained. *jb

The seat belt buckle broke and the speedometer failed intermittently. *nlm

All four of the tires were replaced, due to the tread separating. *jb all four of the tires on vehicle were replaced, due to the tread separating. *mr

The driver side automatic shoulder belt is stuck four inches above the lock position. it can not be moved using the mechanical over ride. a ford service representative has inspected it and claims the track itself is damaged and as a result, the motor is burned out. estimated cost to repair is more than $500. there are a number if similar complaints in the nhtsa database, including an acknowledgement by ford service personal that the problem is wide spread. it is an unsafe situation, as the driver is not securely strapped in, even when fastening the belt manually, because it is too far from the shoulder to protect the driver in a collision. *jb ****dimsii ivoq entry posted after 12/12/02 cut-over to artemis****769306

Plastic fuel tank started leaking causing a fire hazard. i contacted two local ford dealers and both told me that the plastic fuel tanks in ford escorts had numerous problems and were subject to emergency major recalls. after research on recalls 97v144 and 97v145, both dealerships tell me that for some reason my vin number is excluded but both dealerships feel it is a manufacturer's design defect and poses a "severe" safety hazard to life. i contacted ford consumer service nd they basically shined me on. i feel ford should replace the fuel tank as it is obviously a design flaw and a serious safety issue. why if they recalled 64,600 other 1995 ford escorts with leaking plastic fuel tanks would they exclude my vehicle. this demonstrates gross negligence on the part of ford motor company. and , for a consumer that has bought 6 "new" ford cars since january 2001, it tells me that i don't want to buy anymore new fords. i would appreciate your assistance in this matter to convince ford to stand behind the obvious design flaw. thanks, jason holland, esq. **dimsii ivoq entry posted after 12/12/02 cut over to artemis**770830

Consumer vehicle is having same defect with it's fuel tank leaking as stated in recall number 97 v 145 000, but vin is not included. ph

Driver side seat belt, cruise control, and paint on hood. ts

The consumer was attempting to park the vehicle when it suddenly accelerated out of control. the consumer continued to press the brake but the vehicle would not stop. dealer notified. ts *nlm

When i had the car in to repair a leaking radiator i was told that the rear springs of the car were broken - these were replaced along with the two rear tires which had been damaged due to the broken springs. six months later backing out of the driveway the left front spring broke puncturing that tire - per the garage both front springs are broken and must be replaced. since i've had the care in two different garages i've heard that this is a common problem with the ford escorts.

I cannot shut off the engine in my 1995 ford escort station wagon. the engine continues to run even though the ignition is turned to off and the key has been removed. there have been 4 ignition switches installed in this car, but the locksmith does not believe that the ignition switch is the problem. he believes that something is not working in the computer that tells the engine to shut off. the only way to stop this car was to remove the battery cable and then remove the spark plug, which is very dangerous to do when the car is running.

Consumer states he noticed a crack in the fuel tank which caused a leak . nlm consumer noticed gas leaking under vehicle. took to repair shop and they found a crack in the gas tank next to the heat shield attachment. repair shop stated that other 1995 escorts were experiencing the same exact problem as shown in the safety recall. *mr

Consumer states that while driving the rear coil springs failed resulting in vehicle stalling. mr

The front passenger seat belt retractor is inoperative. the consumer is unable to wear the seat belt because it's too tight. *mr *nlm

Consumer states that fuel is leaking from tank. vehicle was checked by dealer who determined that the straps from fuel tank near heat shield mounting have caused stress allowing the gas tank to leak gas.*jb

Gas tank heat shield that is attached to fuel tank is warped and leaking gasoline from gas tank. dealership is aware of problem.*ak the defective gas tank heat shield was on recall but the manufacturer was unwilling to cover the consumers vehicle because the vin number was not part of the recall. *yh

There was a gas smell, the next day went in for a routine check. dealer stated there was a gas leak. dealer removed heat shield and held down the end tabs, and replaced the gas tank. *ak the consumer stated that the gas tank was cracked from the tabs. the vehicle was returned to the dealer because there was still a strong gas smell. they said that they could not smell it. (dealer checked completely and cleaned pads under tank and said that should take care of the smell) as of 7-31-02, the smell still exists. the service representative said that the pads should continue to dry and the smell should go away, they found no leaks. *scc

Plastic molded fuel tank is leaking fuel around mounting bracket. owner noticed a puddle underneath vehicle and saw that gas gauge showed a 1/4 less than what it was before. *ak consumer noticed recalls 97v145 and 97v144, however his vin was not included. *slc

Vehicle was parked when consumer started up vehicle. there was a noise coming from engine area, and vehicle had to be towed. dealership was aware of problem.*ak

Consumer had seen dripping gas from the fuel tank. vehicle checked by local mechanic, who advised consumer there were cracks in fuel tank. current recall 97v144 did not include consumer's vehicle due to vin. *ak consumer had vehicle checked and was told by mechanic that the connection between the fuel tank and the supporting tabs for a heat shield was cracked, consumer is requesting that ford replace the gas tank. *scc

Fuel tank has a crack on the inside. there is gasoline leaking from underneath of vehicle. dealership is aware of problem.*ak

While traveling on highway there is a smell of gasoline coming throughout vehicle. dealership is aware of problem. *ak right outer tie rod was fixed. valve cover gasket was replaced. *yh

While filling gas tank fuel was spilling out from bottom due to a crack . cause unknown. dealer notified.*ak

While backing out of driveway, left front tire blewout. a piece of coil spring had punctured tire. consumer saw smoke coming from tire.*ak *yd

While driving 5 mph steering wheel malfunctioned, causing loss of vehicle control which resulted in a minor collision. please give any further details.*ak

While parked vehicle caught on fire. had to contact dealer. please add vin. *ak

Consumer states that while driving at 30-40 mph, the transmission went out and vehicle just shut down and the vehicle started slowing down. contacted dealer and the dealer is not willing to do anything. *ak the gas tank was leaking after replaced. *yh

Consumer heard a clunking sound, upon inspection he saw that coil springs had broken. *ak. consumer states the rear coil spring broke on dec-7-2000, and the front coil spring on march 25, 2002 which caused damage to a brand new tire.*jb

Automatic seatbelt on the driver's side is stuck in the upright position. she cannot use seatbelt because of the defect. dealership is aware of the problem. *ak consumer states that dealer broke the seat belt and replaced drivers seat belt motor and track for free, now it's broke again. *yd

While parking consumer was able to rotate steering wheel 360 degrees. nlm *yh

Consumer states while driving 40 mph vehicle has lost power. consumer has had to replace alternator, battery and ignition switch continuously. consumer feels vehicle is a safety hazard.

Consumer had a defective engine, the engine blew up with no prior warning. contacted dealer, and dealer stated warranty had expired.*ak *slc

When putting key inside of ignition switch key goes all the way around the cylinder. vehicle had to be towed to dealer. *ak

Driver felt bump underneath the seat vehicle began to vibrate. due to chasis/frame not being bolted correctly. *ak

The car cut itself on, causing the car to catch on fire in the garage. (ingition) please give more description. *ak

Replacement of front brakes due to wear and 0mission of retaining clips. *ak

Automobile started, pulling to right-auto speeded up when applied brakes. *ak

The left front safety belt broke without warning. *jb the left front sliding tract of the seat belt were replaced. scc

When vehicle got 37000 miles speedometer started fluctuating back and forth. consumer had speedometer replaced. also, at 38000 miles replaced speedometer, started doing the same thing. consumer couldnot tell speed vehicle was going. contact dealer and dealer wanted to checkout vehicle with a charge.*ak

When driving with the air conditioner or heateron, the power is less . please describe. *ak

Driver's side automatic seat belt will not retract into proper position, problem was present since vehicle was purchased. *ak

During impact, the driver's side automatic seat belt did not lock. *ak consumer also states air bags came loose from steering wheel but, failed to deploy.*jb

When the drivers side airbag deployed the bag broke at the seams and let out hot gases that burned the drivers coat and her face. please describe. *ak

Brakes heat up and lock up repeatedly w/numerous brake components replaced. vehicle towed to various dealers. tt

The car burst into flames. 120395. please describe. tt

Engine dies when driving at freeway speed. please describe details. tt

Upon frontal collision estimated speed 35 mph, passengers air bag failed to activate. please describe details. tt

Upon frontal collision estimated speed 35 mph, drivers air bag failed to activate. please describe details. tt

When the drivers side airbag deployed, the bag broke at the seams and let out hot gases that burned the drivers coat and her face. please describe. *ak

The frame of the car is rusting all of a sudden. please describe. tt

Passengers air bag did not deploy when driver was in accident. please describe details. tt

Drivers air bag did not deploy when driver was in accident. please describe details. tt

Windshield wipers, heater, air-conditioner only works after jiggling ignition switch. tt

In a front end accident the passenger side air bag did not deploy properly.please describe. tt

Ext 2107: man-trans: extremely hard to shift gears; sometimes seizes/sticks jams; gears totally disappear. tt

Rubber caliper bushings wearing away, allowing caliper to bounce up and down, causing brake line to break off. tt

When at a stop sign an exhaust smell is present in the passenger compartment and driver has begun to pass out from it. tt

Upon frontal impact, drivers air bag deployed injuring child blinding her for two weeks. tt driver was also injured in accident. *slc

Upon frontal impact, passengers air bag deployed injuring child blinding her. please describe details. tt

Consumer was driving up a hill and car stalls after it rolls down the hill damaged the driver side door no injury . tt

While driving vehicle stalled out at 40mph, no prior warning. tt

The automatic seat belt tightens on driver while driving. tt

Auto-transmission; slow speed in drive, gears shift into another mode resulting in acceleration. please describe details. tt

The vehicle hit a 200lb deer at 55mph the passengers airbag did not deploy. please describe. tt

The vehicle hit a 200lb deer at 55mph the drivers airbag did not deploy. please describe. tt

Alternator failed resulting in wires burning and battery. please describe details. tt

Alternator & wires burned up along w/battery overcharging detroying cells. please describe details. tt

Cruise control; when set, system will surge/increase speed not remaining stable. please describe details. *ak

Purchase car new car was parked in garage for two days and caught on fire fire dept say it was from the computer under the hood . tt

Passenger side airbag did not deploy upon frontal collision, at 35 mph. tt

Driver's side airbag did not deploy upon frontal collision, at 35 mph. tt

Going 55 mph and vehicle just stopped on the road, this has happened several times. *ak

During frontal crash at approx. 40mph, 12:00 on front bumper, experienced delayed deployment of drivers airbag. result sustained injury from steering column. *slc

During frontal crash at approx. 40mph, 12:00 on front bumper, experienced delayed deployment of passengers airbag. result sustained injury from steering column.

Auto caught fire and burned completely- auto had not been driven for 2 days. tt

Brakes failed, causng accident. tt

The car was destroyed from an under the hood fire. please describe. tt

Consumer rented a car from budget rent car the steering lock up consumer try to turn right car when left. tt

Brakes locked up and car slid off a ditch on ndriver's side and hit a concrete culvert upon impact. *ak tt

Cargo compartment defective. tt

Parking brake failure. tt

Hood latch failure. tt

Driver had to stop short, automatic seat belt locked up and tightened across neck rather trhan chest. *ak

Difficulty locating accessories controls (windshield wiper/washer switch). tt

Side view mirror control does not light up at night. *ak

Head, tail, dash, and brake lights do not work, they go out while driving. tt

Back up shift switch shorted out and took out the electrical system. tt

Consumer rented a car, while parking it accelerated out of control hitting a brick wall. tt

Airbag deployed with great force during accident and injured the passenger. *ak

Air bag deployed after driver hit head on windshield and front driver and passenger seat belt did not retract. other passenger recieved back injuries. tt

Air bag indicator lights turned on by itself without air bag deployment. tt

Motorized seat belts failed. at time of failure, seat belt was retracting, and remained in middle of the track. had contacted dealer, and was informed that warranty expired, and did not repair seat belts when vehicle was over 50,000 miles. manufacturer backed dealership.*ak

Door to garage was opened and there was a gasoline smell.saw a puddle of fuel on the ground that had leaked from vehicle. dealership examined vehicle, and determined fuel tank had developed a hole in it that caused the leak. please provide any additional information / documentation.*ak

At times vehicle will just shut off when traveling at 45-50 mph, everything will shut down.*ak

While adjusting driver's seat steering column was pulling towards consumer . dealer has been notified. please provide further information.*ak

Srs light stays illuminated while driving. dealer has been notified. please provide additioal information.*ak

Recall 97 v 145 000/fuel tank: vehicle is leaking from fuel tank. notified dealer, and informed consumer that vehicle was not covered under that recall due to vin. feel free to provide any further information on this matter.*ak

Fuel would leak out of fuel tank. gasoline fumes would seep inside vehicle. took vehicle to independent mechanic, and was informed of recalls 97v145000/97v144000 concerning cracked fuel tank. needed to take vehicle to ford dealership. however, this vehicle was not included in recalls due to vin. owner experienced same problem.*ak

Vehicle was parked in off position when it suddenly ignited due to an electrical short, which sparked under driver's side seat, burning the interior. please provide any further details.*ak

Fuel leak from fuel tank at attachment to heat shield. there is a recall, but this vehicle not affected. *ak

Vehicle was hit while parked in the front left tire which shoved vehicle into the curb. consumer took vehicle to body shop. did front end alignment, and replaced tire. year later while driving vehicle, front left tire started smoking. took back to dealer to be rechecked. also, tire was worn on inside. consumer stated dealer called tire company to fix tire, and dealer would be responsible.*ak

Gas tank has developed a crack in it causing the vehicle to leak fuel. ealer says that vehicle has already been serviced for fuel tank recall.*ak

Vehicle overheats when air conditioner is running. temperature gauge goes to hot. also, air conditioner will be cool when first starting the car. but, if vehicle slows down air will become warm. then, vehicle starts to spudder, and jerk foward. consumer took vehicleto a mechanic and had relays/ sensors, thermostat/ coolant fan , and radiator replaced more than once since 1999. please provide any further information. *ak

While traveling at 25 mph and as a result of a collision automatic seat belt released, causing consumer to hit air bag hard. consumer stated when getting out of vehicle, consumer noticed automatic seat belt made noise, seat belt was stuck in track. *ak consumer states that the seatbelt shoulder harness was jammed in the belt track, consumer was injured in the accident. *jb

Had noticed a puddle beneath vehicle when it was parked. while driving, fuel would leak out from fuel tank. will be taking vehicle to mechanic to repairs. *ak

Emission hose elbow has melted, causing vehicle to stall out and die while idling. *ak

While driving and upon making a sudden stop shoulder belt failed to restrain driver's side occupant which forced driver into the steering wheel, causing injuries to occupant. consumer has contacted dealer. *ak dealer replaced seatbelt. *slc

Motor belt staying in open position with motor running. consumer had to disconnect motor to keep it from burning up. dealer / manufacturer notified, and informed consumer that nothing could be done because it was out of its warranty, and not covered under a recall. please feel free to provide any further details on this matter. *ak

When using seat belt it will not operate in a safety way due to cable motor not working properly. *ak

Problem with overheating has been common with this vehicle. *ak

Engine had overheated/ melted and had to be replaced. consumer please provide more information. *ak

While driving about 45 mph when engine overheated, and at time of driving engine stalled. *ak

Serpentine belt locking up while engine still running. manufacturer notified. *ak the consumer also heard the motorized sound while engine was cut off and doors are ajar.

Consumer was traveling about 45ph on highway and vehicle stopped without prior notice . vehicle had to be towed to repair shop, and mechanic told consumer that engine blew a rod/there was electrical problems, and ignition switch had to be replaced. *ak

Driver's shoulder belt not working. please provide any additional information/attachments.*ak

Van in front made a "u" turn. causing escort to slam on brakes and be rearended after driving 45mph. upon impact, front seats collapsed backwards. passenger's seatback hit child's seat, child not in seat, also, caused vehicle to rearend another vehicle due to notbeing able to see. upon impact, air bags failed to deploy. driver suffered back & leg injuries. emergency room treatment.*ak

Consumers vehicle was stationary when another vehicle rear ended it at approximately 25-35 mph. consumers shoulder belt that attaches to track that slides along top of the window did not lock, allowing t consumer to fly forward into steering wheel and dash. please provide any additional information/attachments.*ak

Automatic seat belt on driver's seat will not completely extend from retracting mechanism. please give any further details.*ak

Motor belt would sticks/lock up less then midway of track, and leaving consumer without any restraint. dealer / manufacturer notified, and informed consumer that warranty expired, and nothing could be done unless consumer picked up expenses. *ak consumer states the restraint is totally stuck, leaving her with no seatbelt. *slc

Driver's side shoulder belt has failed, will not retract, causing loss of protection.*ak

Driver's seat belt motor is not buckling any more, and has to buckle just with lap belt manually. currently, same problem was happening on passenger's side. *ak

Rack and pinion steering has failed while driving at 20mph and without warning, casuing loss of steering. consumer was able to get vehicle over to side of road. *ak

Right rear coil spring broke. *ak the rear spring breaking is common on these make of vehicle. *yh

Airbags sliding contact is defective. a recall has been issued on vehicle make and model; however, this vehicle not included due to vin.*ak

While vehicle was being repaired for brakes and technician found a broken rear spring leaf which had to be replaced. *ak

Cruise control would not disengage while traveling at highway speed, causing vehicle to accelerate up to 90 mph. vehicle towed to independent repair shop for repairs. dealer notified, and informed consumer that vehicle was not covered under manufacturer's recalls. please feel free to provide any further details. *ak

Rear passenger's shoulder seat belt mechanism does not work properly.*ak

Intermittently vehicle stalls without warning. dealer has been notified.*ak dealer replaced plugs and gasket, however stalling still exists. *slc

While driving or stopping vehicle stalled. took to dealer, and dealer replaced spark plug and gasket. but vehicle vehicle still not working.*ak

Gas is leaking due to cracks that developed in gas tank . please provide further information. *ak

Recall 97v145 000/fuel tank: vehicle experienced a fuel leakage. taken to an independent repair shop for repairs. dealer/manufacturer were not notified at this time. please feel free to provide any further details on this matter.*ak

Went to start vehicle and it turned over once. but, key was put in off position and vehicle started, but starter continued to rotate. battery was disconnected to turn vehicle off. consumer did see smoke. *ak

Consumer has replaced ignition switch 3 times within 5 years. vehicle has caught on fire once from ignition, the day after the starter had been replaced. starter, starter solenoid, ignition switch(which had melted to the switch), and o2 sensor have been replaced, consumer states that the problem started when trying to start vehicle with the engine being cold, it would crank several times, but never start until turning key off and back on. vehicle experienced problems with engine light becoming illuminated, dealer diagnosed the problem as a faulty fuel pump, however the engine light still comes on occasionally. pcv valve was also replaced. *slc

Motorized shoulder belt on driver's side stopped moving back and forth on retractor, leaving driver unprotected. problem was corrected by dealership at owner's expense. *ak

Automatic shoulder belt on the driver's side does not move back or fourth, but the motor continues to run. belt is stuck 3/4 of the way on the rail, closest to the steering wheel. when contacting the dealership, owner was told that ford was no longer manufacturing those type of belts. problem has not been corrected. *ak

Consumer has replaced rear seat belts in 2 years. where it retracts seat belt keeps on breaking. consumer was responsible for repair expenses because of no warranty. dealer had no remedy of how to keep it from breaking. *ak

While driving vehicle seat belts in rear, restraining children, would make retching noises before jamming. top of seat belt would not retract after child has leaned forward quickly because the belt is loose. been repaired twice on both sides. parts were back an order, and dealer was not able to repair it. *ak consumer is very concerned about the safety of the restraint system because it failed 3 times in 5 years. *yh

Gas was leaking from seams of the fuel tank. gas leaked when it filled up past seamline of the tank. manfacturer has advised consumer thatvehicle was not a part of a recall. *ak

Driver's side guiderail cable malfunctioned, rendering the restraint inoperable*ak.

Fuel is leaking from upper part of fuel tank, by the heat shield attachment. exactly same problem as stated in recall # 97v144000 fuel tank. owner was told that this vehicle was not included in recall and would not be serviced free. the problem has not been corrected. *ak

While driving about 40 mph steering wheel got stuck. at times stepped on the brakes, and lost control. vehicle crashed into another vehicle that was parked. consumer's vehicle was totaled. also, upon impact, neither of the air bags deployed.*ak

97 v 144 000/fuel tank: fuel leakages around the fuel tank; dealer notified and informed that vehicle vin# was not cover under mfr's recalls. please provide any further details:

Fuel tank cracked, causing fuel to leak from tank. owner did not receive notice about recall 97v144000, but experienced the exact problem. a mechanic stated that the fuel tank assembly has been on back order since june/2000. please provide any further information. *ak

Fuel tank assembly is leaking fuel. vehicle will be inspected by the dealer.*ak

After smelling fuel on the 18th vehicle was towed to dealership. dealership found a crack in the fuel tank. fuel tank will be replaced under warranty. vehicle not included in recall 97v144000 ford/fuel tank. please provide any further information. *ak

Vehicle was in a front end collision at 30 mph, and air bags did not deploy. dealer has not been contacted. *ak

Fuel tank developed a crack, resulting in fuel leakage. dealer has replaced the fuel tank.*ak

While driving down the road heard a loud noise, especially when pulling out from a stop position. when trying to accelerate vehicle would slowdown. contacted dealer. dealer replaced transmission twice. was told that transmission was slipping from second to third gear. *ak

Fuel tank developed a crack which resulted in fuel spillage. a recall has been issued on the vehicle's make/model. however, this vehicle was not included due to the vin. *ak

While driving had a direct frontal impact, and driver's/passenger's airbags malfunctioned, causing airbags to deploy after the intial frontal impact. driver sustained head injuries. airbags deployed while hitting the windshield. please provide further information. *ak

Recall 97v144000/fuel tank assembly: vehicle experiencing cracks which cause fuel leakage through fuel tank wall. dealer notified, and informed consumer that vehicle was not covered under manufacturer's recall. *ak *ml

Automatic seat belt retractor is stuck in place, causing the driver to be unrestrained. *ak

Due to a stress crack in the fuel tank fuel is leaking which may result in a fire. the straps that hold the tank are wearing into the fiberglass tank. there is a recall for this problem but this vehicle is not included due to vin although it has the same problem. ford refuses to fix tank. *ak *ml

Motor on the automatic seat belt quit working after pulling the belt. also, motor will quit working while retracting belt on the driver side. *ak

Consumer hit a deer driving at 55 mph. the airbag on the passenger side experienced deployment immediately, but the driver's side airbag experienced a delay which resulted in injury to driver. vehicle was totalled. please provide any further information. *ak *yc

While driving the seat belt mechanism on the driver seat malfunctioned causing the seat belt to become very tight and not release cause unknown. please give any further details.

Seat belts on the driver's side failed to work properly. would act independently, releasing on its own while driving. tried to exit vehicle after stopping, & seat belt would not release. been to dealership & informed by mechanic not under warranty & would not repair. *ak

Driver's side automatic seat belt broke. also, sliding door mechanism would stop part of the way, making it difficult to get in or out of vehicle. motor would still be clicking when this happens. was repaired at least 3 different times. *ak

While driving in the neighborhood all of sudden vehicle stopped. had vehicle towed home, and mechanic told consumer that by the sound of the engine a rod was blown. contacted the dealer/manufacturer, and was told out of warranty. *ak

After tune up and timing belt was fixed a week and half later, around the 16th of octtober, car kept cutting off in traffic, and then it just would not start. had to be towed. there were no warning lights, car just died. luckily, consumer was able to get off main street. *ak

Consumer was driving on the highway and she bent down for a second to pick up something from the floorboard. when she straightened up, vehicle had veered over into the side of the road, and turned away from hitting a mailbox. then, hit an enbankment and flipped over, twice, landing on the top side. consumer had to force the door open. upon impact, dual airbags didn't deploy, and the seat belt broke. consumer sustained head injuries. *ak

While driving the vehicle, the driver's and passenger's airbags malfunction, causing the airbags to deploy unexpectedly and resulting in a crash. no previous problem with the airbag system. please provide further information. *ak

While driving at approximately 40mph, engine stalled out. was no warning concerning engine. had vehicle towed to garage. was informed by mechanic the engine had blown & need to be replaced. had contacted dealer & manufacturer & was informed by both engine had 3 year warranty. *ak

Driver's shoulder belt does not retract or becomes jammed within the retracting mechanism, cause unknown. please give any further details. *ak

Fuel tank cracked, causing fuel spillage . a recall has been issued on the vehicle make, however this vehicle was not included. also, the engine light illuminates while the vehicle is in motion. manufacturer has been notified. *ak

The fuel tank cracked which may cause a fuel leak and result in a fire. there is a recall, but this vehicle is not included. recall 97v145000. please provide further information. *ak

Consumer states that seat belt is off track and unable t0 be used. mjs

The shoulder belt retractor has stopped half way on the track, allowing the occupant to be unprtected in case of a crash. motor is still running on retractor but shoulder belt does not move at all. dealer has not seen vehicle. *ak

Intermittently speedometer fluctuates over 65mph. the dealer has not been able to duplicate the problem. *ak

While driving vehicle stalled out and died. prior to this incident, the same problem happened, dealer replaced the fuel injection system and put a lock on the tank. the manufacturer has been notified. *ak

In cold climate driver's seatbelt malfunctioned, causing the seatbelt not to retract, which won't protect the occupant in event of a crash. dealer had added anlubricant on driver's seat belt, but problem still exists. please provide further information. *ak

The vehicle has an plastic gas tank which cracked at the halfway mark. when the takn is fulled up more than a half of a tank, the gas will begin to leak. dealer has been contacted. *ak

The seatbelt retractor motor stops half way along the track. also it has locked the driver in the driver's seat. dealelr disconnected the retractor. mjs

Vehicle fuel tank is leaking around the tank seal. could nhtsa help in this matter, possible manufacturer's defect. *ak

Getting out of & into vehicle motorized belt stopped at the curve of the door frame. would climb under belt to get out. can hear motor going. would not return to original position. took vehicle to dealer to check & have it repaired. *ak *ml

Vehicle was involved in a frontal collosion. upon 60 mph impact, airbags did not deploy. the dealer has not been notified. *ak

While vehicle was at dealer ship noticed fuel leaking from the fuel tank assembly.please provide further information. *ak

When the car is put in drive it will not function ,and when car is put in reverse it will not move. dealer was contacted, and stated that the car could be fixed at owner's expense. *ak

The rear seat belt lap snapped and will not retract. dealer not aware of problem. problem still exists. provide further information. *yc

Vehicle was involved in an accident at approx 50-55 mph impact on the driver side. vehicle flipped over on its roof. upon impact, both air bags failed to deploy. manufacturer notified, and informed consumer that vehicle should have been hit from the rear or front in order for air bags to deploy. *ak

Vehicle was hit from the rear while parked, and was pushed into traffic and then was hit from the front by a jeep. upon impact, neither airbag deployed. vehicle was totaled. *ak

There is a crack within the gas tank, and the consumer can smell gas within the vehicle due to a gas leakage. *ak

There was a crack in the fuel tank at the mounting bracket which was causing a fuel leak. tank was replaced. the dealer has been contacted. *ml

Gears will go into every position except in drive. this occurred while the vehicle was in motion. dealer said it was the planetary gear that malfunctioned. *ak

While driving vehicle stalled unexpectedly which may have caused a crash due to oil not pumping into the engine, which resulted in an engine lock up. previously had the transmission replaced. dealer said needed to replace the engine. *ak

When turning into a parking lot the vehicle just died / shut completely off without any warning. when the vehicle was towed to a service station, engine: pulley: crankshaft was found broken. the part to correct the problem is on back order. *ak *yc

The driver's side seat belt keeps fraying & breaking. have taken to dealer's at least 6 different times from the problem. the manufacturer sent an inspector to check & found nothing wrong. the fraying & breaking is continuing. vehicle out of warranty & dealer wants owner to pay. *ak

Drivers and passengers motorized seat belts do not retract or only partially retract. cause unknown. *adj

Crackes have developed in the fuel tank, resulting in an odor . owner has contacted dealer about the fuel odor. a recall has been issued on vehicle, however this vehicle was not included due to vin. manufacatrur has been notified. *ak

Consumer was pulling out of the driveway and the pulley: crankshaft fell off, and there were sparks coming from the vehicle. *ak

Windshield wipers intermittently become inoperable in rainy weather conditions. *ak cause unknown. please give any further details.

While driving 20mph in 2nd gear vehicle lurched forward real fast. ran into the curb to stop the vehicle. *ak

Fuel leaking from vehicle due to a hole in the gas tank. automotive shop replaced the gas tank. *ak

While driving about 55 mph lost control of vehicle, went off the road into a tree. upon impact, air bags did not deploy. *ak

Automatic shoulder belt on the driver's side does not move back and fourth on the rail. part of the rail has fallen off. the problem has been reported to ford. the problem has not been corrected. vehicle cannot pass state inspection without functioning belt. *ak

Vehicle was leaking gas. brought vehicle to dealer. dealer stated that seams split in gas tank, causing a leak. manufacturer contacted, and could not remedy problem, not a recall, and no warranty. repairwork done at owner's expense. *ak

The fuel tank has cracks ,causing fuel to leak. the dealer and manufacturer have been notified. *ak

Transmission intermittently started to slip out of gear at 31,000 miles. dealer notified, and informed consume r that vehicle was not part of a recall, and repairs would be at consumer's cost. *ak

Ie98074; driver's shoulder belt is jammed and does not operate at all. dealer contacted, and cannot remedy the problem. problem still exists. provide further information. *ak

Consumer was traveling at 55 mph and experienced sudden air bag deployment of both driver's and passenger's air bags that cracked the windshield of the vehicle, and caused the consumer to skid. dealer has been contacted. *ak

Rear seatbelts will not retract back into position ,and will stay pulled out, causing a loss of protection. *ak

Consumer was driving approximately 60mph on an interstate when a 3/4 car incident happened. vehicle was hit on bothe sides and then rear ended the vehicle in front. upon impact, both air bags deployed. the driver's seat belt was released from the rail, consumer was laid into the back seat, the seat back was broken/ bent/distorted, consumer was injured. there is an open ivestigation atthis time-(ie-98-074). *ak

Due to defective comuter command center, while driving the vehicle will stall unexpectedly which may cause an accident. had to restart the vehicle in order to go, and then it would stall again. please provide further information. *ak

Motorized seatbelt is stuck and won't buckle which won't protect the occupant in event of a crash. manufacturer replaced seatbelt motor once, but problem is still occurring. please provide further information. *ak

The park on this vehicle does not lock in park when placed in park. the vehicle can also be removed from park with out applying the brakes. dealer has been contacted. it is because of the ash tray placement, ash falls on the console and works its way into the mechanism. *ak.et.

While driving hatchback light comes on, but there is no problem with the hatchback. however, light is still on. please provide further information and vin#. *ak

The automatic seat belt on the drivers side is stuck in the middle of the rail. the dealer will be notified about the problem. *ak *ml

/passenger's shoulder belt and rear side seat belt don't work. when using the middle seat belt, the seat belt will get tight while seat belt is on, and then gets loose. also, the slide to used to tighten/adjust the middle seat belt won't stay tight. *ak *ml

Driver's sea tbelt does not retract on the track. the dealer and manufacturer will be notified. *ak

Automatic shoulder belt on the passenger's side is stuck on the rail in the closed position. the dealer has not been contacted. *ak

Driver's side seat belt is broken. the dealer has been notified. *ak

Consumer was traveling around our about 4 mph to 11 mph when was involved in a head-on collision, hitting a tree in which both driver's and passenger's side air bags deployed, upon deployment of the driver side air bag, the impact killed the driver. *ak

When brakes were applied the rear shoulder belts instead of restraining the passengers did not hold, and the latches did not retract. consumer states the belts are defective., dealer contacted,and stated warranty was expired ,and belts were not covered. repairs must be made at owner's expense. *ak

Vehicle was involved in a frontal collision at 20-30 mph. upon impact, the airbags did not deploy. the driver sustained minor injuries. the manufacturer will be contacted. *ak

Vehicle smelled of fuel, but never knew where it was coming from, filled up the car then the car began to drip at a rapid speed. *ak

While driving vehicle would hear clicking noises. vehicle would also vibrate with noise. took to dealer & was informed the torque convertor/the gears & pins came loose & bounced around transmission. was poorly designed. *ak.

The consumer has been experiencing problems with steering. when consumer maneuvers the steering wheel in one direction, vehicle turns in another direction. the consumer owns two of the same vehicles that are experiencing the same problems. the manufacturer has yet to be contacted. *ak

The consumer has been experiencing steering problems. when driver steers steering wheel in one direction, it turns into the other direction. the manufacturer has yet to be contacted. *ak

Two bolts that support the bracket to the emergency parking brake cable came off, causing the bracket to shear through the brake line. please give any further details. *ak

The driver's side seat belt won't work due to the fact that the cable is broken and the seat belt won't move. *ak *ml

Ie 98074, the driver's motorized seat belt gets stuck in middle of the seatbelt track which will not protect the occupant in event of an accident. replaced the driver seatbelt once. same problem is occurring. please provide further information. *ak

While driving at 50mph the transmission locked up. dealer has been contacted. *ak

While driving over 45 mph vehicle shakes and has bad vibration. it seems like the front end is about to fall off. dealer cannot determine problem. there is a tsb, and ford states there is going to be a recall, but has no solutions. *ak

Motor seat belt on driver's side failed to operate. seat belt would not slide on the track. dealer notified and refused to repair unless cost goes to consumer. *ak

When traveling at 60 mph consumer was involved in a head-on collision in which there was no deployment of the driver's side air bag, causing injuries to the driver. consumer has contacted the dealer. please provide any further details. *ak

During rear impact at 20 to 30 mph, the shoulder harness did not lock, causing driver to be thrown forward, hitting the face / head on the steering wheel. *ak *tt

Vehicle was involved in a frontal collision, upon impact the airbags did not deploy, causing minor injuries to occupants. manufacturer notified. *ak

The left rear seat belt is hanging out of the retractor, and will not retract back into the mechanism. this is the second time this has happened. in september of 96, the seat belt was replaced under warranty. the seat belt has not been replaced at this time. *ak

During frontal impact at 60 mph, the driver's and passenger's side air bags did not deploy. please provide details. *ak

Consumer was rearended by another vehicle that was going at approximatley 55 mph ,the force caused the vehcile to move foward, and hit vehicle in front with great force , driver's airbag did not deploy, and fuel shut off valve was also inoperative. engine was still running when it was suppose to shut itself in case of any rearend collision. *ak

Occasionally the lap portion of the drivers side seat belt gets stuck in the mechanism. the problem was corrected last summer by dealer. the owner is experiencing the problem with the lap portion of the seat belt again. the dealer is not aware of the problem at this time. *ak

The passenger's seat belt system malfunctioned, causing the shoulder belt to be in a "l" shaped position, resulting in the seatbelt being inoperative. the rear right side seatbelt will not buckle in, causing seatbelt to be inoperative. the left rear seatbelt is too loose and the seatbelt will not retract properly, it will not protect the occupant in event of an accident. *ak

The driver's side seat belt retractor does not retract when opening and closing the door. please provide details. *ak

While driving the vehicle ,the radio caught fire. vehicle is still working. *ak

The consumer said that the seat belt tracks need to be replaced, and dealer said they won't be able to repair vehicle until they receive parts. parts are on a national back order. nobody had contacted consumer from manufacturer. *ak

The air bag module had to be replaced about 4 or 5 times. dealer can't find permenant fix. *ak

While driving vehicle about 15 to 20 mph stopped on a red light when another vehicle rear ended the consumer's vehicle, forcing him to rear end the vehicle in front of him. air bag deployed on his girl friend's face when the seat belt did not restrain her to the seat. *ak

While in a 3 car accident going 45 mph the air bags did not deploy at any time. *ak

The drivers side lap restraint belt cables twisted, causing the motor to burn out. the dealer is aware of the problem and has ordered the parts. *ak

Recall 97v145000; blount strange ford has no knowledge of this recall. *ak

While driving vehicle was hit from the rear and then collided with another vehicle head on, and the driver's and passenger's side air bags did not deploy. *ak

The shoulder part of the seat belt on the driver's is in the open position on the retractor. vehicle taken to dealer on jan 19, 1998. the dealer is aware of the situation and stated to customer that part is on national back order and will not be able to correct until march of 98.

The heater core sprung a leak, causing anti-freeze to leak into the computer, resulting in sudden acceleration and stalling . the dealer has been notified. *ak

The defective driver's motorized seat belt stuck in the middle of the door in "a" pillar postion, which the seatbelt won't protect in event of accident. *ak

Consumer filled gas tank, drove approx. one mile, turned vehicle off when he smelled fumes. consumer got down on ground looked underneath vehicle and noticed that there was gasoline gathering near the center of vehicle with a steady flow of gas dropping to the ground. *ak

On several occasions the driver's automatic shoulder belt will move along track w/drivers door open. cause of erratical movement not identified. owner has been struck by buckle several times. please describe details. *ak

While driving vehicle there is smoke that comes through the vents, and also vehicle loses power while driving. owner has taken vehicle to dealer four times for this problem. *ak

Electrical ignition switch: driving down highway approximately 40mph, when noticed smoke coming from the dash of the vehicle. drove the vehicle to house, jumped out of the vehicle and ran for a fire hose. by then the vehicle was engaged in flames. fire dept arrived and put the fire out and said the cause of the fire was electrical, possibly the ignition switch. *ak

While parked the driver's side air bag cover opened up, cause unknown. *ak

Consumer has taken vehicle to gateway ford on hwy 192 in kassimmee fl. 4 times, 1st time nov. 96 through feb. 97 they told him that they would do anything until the intermittent horn goes out completely. he has written and called customer's serv.1-800-392-3673 n. *ak

While under normal use vehicle's seat belt retractors lock up to0 tightly, causing discomfort. *ak

Dual airbags did not deploy upon front end impact, vehicle broadsided another moving vehicle, approximately 45 to 55 mph. *ak there were three injuries due to accident. *slc

On going problem with shaking in the steering wheel after going 65 mph, dealers cannot find the problem. please describe problem. *ak

Consumer was involved in a 25-30 mph rear end collision in which the abs brakes locked up, causing extended stopping distance, which resulted in an accident. also, the driver's seat belt did not retract and the driver's/ passenger's air bags did not deploy. *ak

Vehicle involved in an accident, car was airborne and neither seat belt locked in place, driver hit the steering wheel; also, the deployment of the driver's side air bag caused burns to the driver's left arm and hurt bck. *ak

Vehicle was involved in an accident, car was airborne. neither seat belt locked in place, and driver hit steering wheel deployment of air bag caused burns to driver's arm. *ak

When applying the brakes, there is a noise in the braking system. *ak

Upon impct, during frontal crash into rear of vehicle, 15-20mph, 12:00 on front bumper, 5- year old child sustained severe facial injury due to forceful deployment of passenger's airbag while sitting in front seat.*ak

When entering and warming up the vehicle , windshield cracked without warning. *ak

While driving on freeway and trying to avoid some frying plywood , consumer lost control of auto and flipped over 6 times , air bags did not deploy and seat belts did not hold her. *ak

While driving at 5mph crashed into another vehicle, the driver's side and passenger's side airbags deployed. owner notes when airbags deployed when they were already deflated. *ak

Equipped w/automatic transmission; vehicle is subject to sudden acceleration at a high rate of speed w/cause unknown. owner was told that driver's error caused him to step on brake and acceleration pedal at the same time. please describe details. *ak

Driver was hit by plywood on highway and the seat belt didn't restrain driver; he was ejected from the car. *ak

Consumer was driving and the driver's and passenger's side air bags deployed, consumer was not involved in an accident. *ak

Motorized seat belt mechanism failed. *ak

While driving the vehicle, the vehicle has irregular steering control and rough riding, inappropiate tire wear. *ak consumer states vehicle can not be aligned properly due to the right front wheel assembly design which is causing irregular steering and tire wear. *slc

Vehicle was involved in a frontal collision impact 12:00 position, speed 65mph, dual air bags did not deploy. *ak

Exhaust is leaking and fumes are coming into passenger's compartment. *ak

Lap/shoulder seatbelt on passenger's side will not retract, when opening the door will not properly stay shut. *ak possible wiring problem with lights, while driving, headlights and domelights dim, radio and speakers do not work properly, dealer replaced a ground wire to attempt to repair the dome light, also vehicle would not start, battery was replaced and vehicle still would not start, no problem was ever found for this problem. for seatbelts, dealer replaced belt track assembly and the door latch assembly. *slc

No deployment of driver's and passenger's airbags during a front impact accident at 65 mph. *ak

When making a left turn there is a noise in the car . please describe.

Consumer was informed that the restraint safety belts would lock on an impact of 5 mph and that a hard pull on the belts should acuate locking mechanism, however this does not occur, both belts fail to lock during a hard pull.

Consumer states there is an odor of gasoline when stopping. *slc

The consumer had an accident and the air bags didn't deploy. please describe.*ak

The driver's side seat belt release buckle attached to the door came off. during an accident.

While exiting freeway applied clutch, went to floor without stopping action, gears locked up, no warning, speed 45 mph, caused by leakage in slave clyinder/clutch line, both replaced by dealer.*ak

Vehicle will stall due to an electrical short, vehicle will not start. *ak dealer replaced neutral safety switch. when turning left/right, vehicle makes a groaning noise. *slc

Brakes make a loud noise when brakes are applied, vibration in front and front wheels, wobbles at speed 50mph. *ak

After parking for several hours, found vehicle interior engulfed in flames, fire dept determined fire originated underneath floor gear shift console fire, possible electrical short. *ak

Vehicle manufactured at the hermosillo assembly plant in sept 1995. developed crack in fuel tank near heat shield, causing fuel leak. applied patch to repair leak but it cracked again. refer to recalls from nhtsa 97v144000 and 97v145000 regarding same problem. ford has been contacted about this problem. *ak

Head gasket blown only 64k miles and a nice $700 repair bill. for a car that depreciated 75% anyways! dt

Radiator leaking where cheap plastic side is crimped to the core only fix is new radiator. thanks for building suck a cheesey and unrepairable radiator! dt

The drivers shoulder harness will not function properly in its tracking system. i contacted a dealer about the problem and he told me that it was at my expense to fix. but is this not a major safty problem, and why with so many complaints is ford not excepting responsibilty. this is a very large concern for me as well as my spouse.*ak

Our family car's fuel tank leaks gasoline and ford motor company refuses to repair it just because the state where we purchased it(we are the original owner) and registered it in doesn't happen to be included in ford's selective geographic recall, despite the fact that the manufacturing location(hermosillo, mexico) and date of assembly is the same as the 64,600 1995 ford escorts under their geographic recall. gasoline leaking from the tank onto a hot exhaust pipe is a huge safety disaster just waiting to happen, but apparently a life in iowa is not worth as much as a life in arkansas, a state covered by the geographic recall. one alleged justification for geographic recalls is it is supposed to address regions where problems are most likely to occur and in the case of the leaking fuel tanks, it's supposed to be the hottest areas. problem is, this kind of thinking ignores the reality of today's mobile society. our vehicle was purchased from willey ford in ames, ia, but we have driven it to florida, alabama, mississippi, arkansas, louisiana, oklahoma and michigan, which are all covered by ford's selective geographic recall. yet consistency is lacking because one of the hottest parts of the country apparently are not covered by the geographic recall, death valley, ca, while much more temperate regions, such as michigan, are. and meteorologists may confirm that the iowa summer heat indices can often surpass many southern states. it is without question totally unfair that two geographic recalls exist (nhtsa campaign id numbers 97v14400 & 97v145000) that clearly place iowans' lives at risk just to save a huge automaker some money. further, the national traffic & motor vehicle safety act requires recalls for safety defects and treats all vehicles equally regardless of where they are sold or registered. thank you very much for your attention to this very important safety alert.*ak

Both rear shoulder harness seatbelts have stopped functioning. *ak

Tired to work with the general manager of honda to no avail. they won't help me and the sold the vehicle and it should have been in working condition. *no afety defect listed. *ak

The key was put into the ignition but the vehicle would not start, the ignition remained locked. nlm

Both rear coil springs on this vehicle are broken. the car does not carry heavy loads, and the roads traveled upon are not rough. the car has relatively low milage, 88,000. when inspected, the mechanic involved indicated that this was a known problem with the ford escort. this comment was further substantiated by another mechanic and the auto parts dealer where the replacement parts were purchased. when contacting a ford dealership, the service manager i spoke with seemed familiar with the problem, stating that if the car had less than 100,000 miles, i would be covered. however, she later came back and said there was no recall in effect. if this is a known problem, i would expect there would be some sort of recall notice. furthermore, i was told, that if the spring shifted while driving, it could come into contact with the tire, causing a severe blowout and accident.*ak

No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak

Both left and right side rear seat belts have not worked properly since shortly after purchaceing the car. the rear seat belts will not retract and pull up the tension of the belts. these belts will not protect the rear passengers from injury. ford states that no recall has been issued for the belts and it will cost almost $500.00 to fix them for us. the ford dealer in el paso, tx (on montana street) let my wife drive away with rear seatblets that will not hold our children in thier seats in event of an accident. furthermore, they said that if we had come to them before 48,000 miles they would have fixed them at no charge. i expected them to repair the seat belts at no charge (and still do).

Fuel tank inlet tube fully rotted behind gas cap, causing any refueling effort to completely spill on ground (hole is size of lemon). can not refuel car any more until the inlet tube is replaced. this is a sure fire and environmental hazard. is there any recourse from ford to repair this? i have never had a trouble of this nature in 34 years of owning cars. i suspect defective manufacture or design of the tube to allow rust corrision to the point a large size gaping hole results. thank you. *ak

The automatic seatbelts in my escort do not work properly and one of them has not for over a year. i paid around $120 to get a new part to fix the driver side seat belt in 2000 and it broke again 8 months later, we returned it to ford because it had a year warranty and they unwillingly gave a replacement but informed us that it would only be under warranty until a year from the original parts purchase date (4 more months). it still doesnt work all the time. then the passenger side automatic seatbelt is stuck on in the middle of the track so it can not be used at all. there is only lap belt restraint there now. i dont think i need to keep paying to fix an obvious defect in these cars. my sister had a 1994 escort a year newer than mine and she had to replace her auto. seatbelt once in the 2 years she owned it. so i know it cant just be a fluke in my car.

The car stalls at stops alot nad now it staled and wont even restart!*ak

My car wouldn't pick up speed like it was suppose to. ford maintenaince put new timing belt on about a year ago and it hasn't been starting right since *ak

I could not put an accurate date or mileage because i took my car in for the 100,000 mile check up. at that time the dealer (varsity ford) told me the springs were broken. however, i had no indication they were broken (the car stops bouncing at less than 2.5 bounces). i have now taken it to a local shop, illi's auto in ann arbor, mi, and he confirmed that they are fractured. since i have never had an accident, it makes no sense. the repair bill is $963.00. i have spoken with several friends who had to have the rear springs (mounts and struts) replaced for the same reason. furthermore, the repair place my friend took his escort to said that replacing the rear springs has become a "standard repair". this should not be. my office-mates 1995 ford contour had front springs that broke. they did a recall on those. your help is appreciated.*ak

While driving the car slowly died first the radio shut off then the wipers stopped, lights shut off then the car stopped completely in the middle of the road this has now happened on about 8 different occasions while i had my 2 small children in the car. i have taken it to a ford dealership and had over $1,200 put into it in the last year and the problem was never fixed. the mechanic at ford told me if i wanted the car to be safe i'd be better off getting a new car. i have since found out the car had been wrecked before i purchased it but i was never told that by the dearlership where i purchased it. on several occasions my car has been sitting in the drive way without running and the keys were not in the ignition and the four ways will start flashing as well as it happens as i am driving down the road. ford told me the last time it was there to be fixed that the steering column was collapsed but when i had another mechanic go to change the steering column he found that it wasn't collapsed and that ford had left out 5 bolts that held it in and it was only in there with 2 bolts which were not tightened and could be turned by hand which was causing the column to able to be pulled out towards the driver by about 3 inches and then pushed back into place.*ak

Coil spring broken at bottom, behind plastic cover. was told this failure is common in escort wagons.*ak

Repair shop indicated that they were experiencing a host of coil spring breakage on this and similar ford models. they were recommending that all customers with spring problems write to ford in hopes of forcing a recall - ha!. *ak

Both rear springs have broken, causing undo wear of rear tires. *ak

Fuel leakage due to heat sheild attachment, hole in gas tank due to screws. *ak

Both rear seat shoulder/seat harness systems failed 6 months apart. *ak

Ref 97v144 and 97v145 -- same manufacturing plant & dates -- no coverage in co. no safety defect stated. *ak

The vehicle had been running and idling hard two weeks prior to the incident. after taking it in for service, the spark plug wires were replaced and i was told the problem had been fixed. 2 days later while driving at 45mph the car suddenly lost almost all power and would not go over 30mph. if left idling too long it would cut off completely. vehicle was towed to private garage and upon inspection it was discovered that one of the valves had dropped into a cylinder, thus destryoyng the piston. i have had several mechnics tell me that this is something they have seen before and that this model of engine is"known" for this. *ak

Had inspection, was told that the springs were broken and that they were going early on all escorts. *ak

Common failure problem of 1995 to 2000 ford exscorts -- rear spring breakage resulting in possible puncture of rear tire by spring. replacement springs do not break -- only the original equipment is a problem accourding to two different repair shops. *ak

The part above the door on the drivers side will not go back to protect the passenger, the motors makes noises but does not work

Driver side automatic shoulder belt failed to go back after closing driver side door. problem still exists.*ak

Ford has received thousands of complaints regarding faulty speedometers in escorts, windstars, tauruses, and thunderbirds for the 1994-1996 model years. this is a very hazardous condition, especially for older drivers who have poor depth perception and who rely heavily on their speedometers to judge their speed in traffic. i am a police officer and i am disturbed by ford's seemingly unsympathetic attitude toward this problem.*ak

No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak

Driver's seat back bent and eventually failed completely in reclined position for no apparent reason other than normal use. although there was no accident or abuse associated with the failure, my cost to repair the vehicle is in excess of $400, as a new seat frame was detemined to be necessary. it seems the vehicle seat back does not have durability to withstand normal everyday use over a five year period. i believe nhtsa is investigating seat back failures in general, and i just wanted to be certain this concern was added to the information you may be reviewing on the matter. thank you.

Motorized seat belt jammed mid-track. this results in improper belt position with the seat belt cutting across my neck and collar bone. i feel that if i were in an accident with the belt in this position, it would be potentially fatal.*ak

I just read about the ford winstar front coil springs breaking in the newspaper and now that i browse this site, it appears to be a problem on many other ford cars. my 1995 escort front left spring snapped causing the left front tire to be slashed. i was in a parking lot so speed was not a factor. i managed to change the tire and get the car to a ford dealer that was nearby. upon inspection, i could see that the spring had snapped (clean break) like if a seam in the coil had failed. when i questioned the dealer, they did not know of this being a common occurrence and they would not fix it without charge as there was no recall. now that i see that this appears to happen on many ford cars. ....... i have reason to believe that the coil springs on fords may have hidden defects causing them to snap without warning.. should you need further information, please email me. thanks. *ak

Motorized seatbelt track on my 1995 ford escort lx failed. it locked into a position when door was closed , where the belt would cross my neck. i had to stop adbruptly on time and badly brused my neck. ford says it will cost an excess of 500. 00$ to fix their design flaw. i feel this is dangerous and ford should do more about it.*ak

The speedometer in my 1995 ford escort lx is not functioning properly. when i get to 60-65 mph, the needle begins to jump all over the place and a high pitched noise comes out of the instrument panel. i have examined your complaint site and noticed a number of other complaints related to these speedometers. could you possibly look back at complaints from 1993-1996 owners of ford vehicles and determine if a recall is warranted? i would very much appreciate this considering the fact that my vehicle was purchased new, i don't abuse it, and it only has 51000 miles on it but ford wants to charge me $700 for the replacement of my speedometer...which i believe this a manufacturing problem not a part problem. thanks, dennis still. *ak

Throttle stuck and accelerated into two parked vehicles.*ak

At 45mph speedometer jumps from 50 to 80 continuously and a constant buzzing. *ak

Nhtsa recall no. 97v144/ ford recall no. 97s80. crack in fuel tank near heat shield attachment resulting in fuel leaking from tank. we contacted ford and were told this recall was regional due to climate. we find this unacceptable because this problem did infact occur in massachusetts also. this should have been a national recall. ford should take responsibility for this - it could have been prevented had the recall been national.

Sometimes when i have driven the car and get back in it within an hour or 2 it the car will start but will not hold an idle. in order for me to get the car going i have to have my foot on the clutch and gas at the same time and after 10-15 min it will 'catch' and stay running. the problem has been there since the car was new and i took it in to waldorf ford and they looked at it when it was under warrenty and they said their was no problem at all. i was wondering if this falls within the lawsuit that in pending in maryland. please contact as soon as possible to see if this can be resolvedthank you

Rear springs cracked and are shifting, mechanic said, most wagons crack around 30000 miles.*ak

No summary listed for abov evehicle. *ak

When i removed my four year olds safety seat to convert it to a booster seat, i discovered that the seat belt in the rear on the drivers side no longer retracted. the one on the passenger's side stopped retracting approximately six months ago. when i took the car to the dealership to have it repaired, i was told that it would cost $430.00 to replace both seat belts. what bothers me is that these were not overly used seat belts. one seat belt had a car seat strapped into it for 4 years. had i not been converting the car seat, i would have never known of the problem. because of seat belts that were failing, and not from excessive use i might add, my child could have been seriously injured or even killed. *aky

I purchased this vehicle new in !995, and for the last 6 years i have had problems with the cooling system. during the period of 6/3/97 thru 6/17/97 alone, the problem occured 5 times. berge ford has repaired this problem each and every year that i have owned it. i am not completely sure what causes this problem but the same components are involved each time. the failure causes the relays to burn out initially, or the wireing harness to suffer damage and these failures cause the cooling fan to either become inoperative or burn out as well. i have service records (so far) for 15 such repairs since 1995. they continue to this day. this year i have once again had two failures, and the one that causes me to contact you happened on 8/17/2000. this one was not a complete failure but was an intermitent cooling problem and i was very close to the dealer so i drove in. they accepted the vehicle as usual, and my advisor agreed to cover the repair at no charge and provide me a rental car as they have done countless times in the past.. only this time my service advisor mentioned that ford had a "new" bosch relay and wire system which he claimed would solve my problem. of course i was interested, all i ever wanted was for them to keep their original promise of "repairing it right this time". the difference on this occasion was that now that they had the "right" parts to repair the car once and for all, and these parts would cost me over $400.00 i truly feel that this is completely unfair as the cost of repair has been covered for the most part for over six years with parts which continue to fail over and over. and now that they have the correct parts, they are not going to cover them. i hope that you may be able to assist me and others who may have this problem. if not, can you give me any advise as to what my rights are in this matter. thank you.

My car has only 17,000 miles and the "head gaskets" are leaking. when i checked with the dealer, i was told the i was passed the "3 year/36'000 miles warranty" and the repair will not be covered. i'm being told by my regular mechanic that "head gaskets" shouldn't fail at such a low miles driven!!!

When this component failed, it overheated and melted the wiring harnes. i worked for the selling dealer and made the repairs myself. having worked at a ford dealership, i can confirm that this melting of the wiring harness was a common problem. the failure results in no blower operation and therefore no defrosters in case of ice or fog buildup. the problem is reoccuring and we can smell the wiring overheating again. the wiring will need to be replaced or repaired again before winter. as you know, ford has a long history of defective wiring harnesses in most of it's product line.

This was my mother's car-pearl lee. she subsequently died-2months later. in the accident she was rear ended yet her seat belt broke and her seat was slammed backwards into the back seat. her head slammed into the dash and she was knocked out. i believe the fault was probably in the seat belt and seat track. she was not driving fast or reckless. the car was totaled by state farm in decatur illinois. please contact me for further details.

On july 9, 2000 we realized we had a fuel leak. the night before i had filled the gas tank completely full and on july 9, 2000 when we got into the car it had only 3/8 tank of gas. the car had only been driven .5 miles since the fill up. on july 11, 2000 i took it to the dealership, they looked at it the next day and said i had a hole in the fuel tank. the mechanic said the part should be in the next day and the car ready the next afternoon which would be july 13, 2000. before noon on july 13, 2000 the mechanic called me and told me the fuel tank was on backorder and had no clue when it would be in. there have been 2 recalls on the exact make, model, and year of my car; however, i was told that my vehicle was not involved. your complaint file has over 24 complaints with the exact same thing and they were also not included in the recall. my fuel tank has been on backordered for 33 days, why are they in such demand?? it is quite obvious that this is a problem with all of the 1995 ford escorts. it is going on the 6th week since i turned my car into the dealer. it has been 33 days since the day the fuel tank was ordered and still no idea on when i will get my car back.*ak

We are just suprised that the car would need a valve job after all it is only 5 years old. we bought it with the origanal warrenty and purchased an extended warrenty to 60,000 miles which has now expired. we have been good with daily maintnence and have had the car in on many warrenty repairs. have heard that ford has been having some complaints on the cylinders malfunctioning.

The airbag comes on and will stay on for a little while and go off. it has come on several times. contacted charapp ford and informed me the first time that to bring the car in when the light stays on. the second time it came on and went off, they told me to bring my car in. brought my car in on 7/25/00 and told me that they could not do any diagnostic testing until the air bag light came on and flashed. said that there was no safety issue as far as it was coming on and off, and that it was fine to drive in that condition. come back when air bag light flashes on and off. *ak

The springs actually broke into pieces, which is very hard to believe because of the thickness of the springs - transmission only went out at 82,000 mile, which is also hard to believe. but after speaking with several people who repair them, they informed me that the ford escort transmissions usually go out at 60,000 miles. this is a common problem with this vehicle and ford is aware of this situation. the person who is replacing my transmission at this time is going to being on his 5th ford escort within in a week estimating the mileage infromation of being replaced between 54,000 and 85,000 miles. why can this not be a recall???? please advise. *ak

Driver motorized shoulder belt failed in the forward position. this effectivly eliminated the safety feature of the shoulderbelt for a three week period while the part was ordered. according to nhsta on-line statistics, failure of a pat of the motorized sholderbelt system is the most commonly reported part failure on this year and model vehicle. being my profession is safety, i am concerned that since the vehicle can be driven with this part broken, drivers may not get it repaired. i also feel the manufacturer should be paying for this failure instead of the consumer. *ak

After purchasing this vehicle in jan of 96' i had to have the back drivers side safetly seat belt replaced (under warranty). since then i have had to have the back passenger side seat belt replaced (which was put in wrong). i will be returning to have that one fixed at their expense. but now the back drivers side passenger seat belt needs to be replaced again. these seat belts continually malfunction. why is is necessary to replace a seat belt every three years? before this is all over with i will have had to put in four new seat belts in a car that i have been driving only 4 1/2 years. *ak

Filled gas tank full drove .5 miles next day about 3/8 full///took to dealer hole in fuel tank quote $425 new tank should be in next day//next day called tank on backorder//have absolutely no idea when might be in//requested loaner--maybe next day--got one next day--didn't say when return or if i would have to pay for loaner//they have had my car since 7-11-2000//today is 7-20-2000 still no word. *ak

Ford's district rep in georgia, a mr. faircloth, told me that if my attitude was that i would never buy a ford product again seeing as how they were going to gift me with only a $1,000 charge, he didn't know if he wanted to help me at all. no safety defect listed in summary. *ak

Every time i stop at a stop sign/light, the car dies. at times just trying to back out of the drive way the car dies. a friend has a 95 escort and he has had the same problem and is unable to find the cause. another friend has a 95 probe and she has the same problem and could not find the reason. is there a defect in the 95 fords?*ak

Despite repairs to the brakes, their is no resolution to the continued problems with the loud noise coming from the front brakes. according to the service bulliten 980318985a19 this has occurred before. i don't know how to resolve this issue. i have already paid to have the brakes fixed and the problem persists. this seems to make this car unsafe. *ak

Engine just quit while driving down road. mechanic said crankshaft broke & new engine needed

The driver's side automatic seatbelt stopped working completely. it was stuck towards the front of the rail. i took it to my local ford dealership to have them move the anchor back so i could at least use my seat belt. the mechanic completely removed all components; rail, anchor, and motor. i can only use the lap belt now, and not the shoulder restraint. it is state law in ohio to have shoulder restraints. i am also afraid of getting into an accident. i cannot afford to replace their mistake of $700. i had reported it to the owner of the dealership, but he said they had to do it. i never gave my permission to remove the assembly. i have the assembly in my possession. i would like something to be done about this matter. please help. *ak( dot number: tire size: 195/60/15 )

No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak

Transmission rebuilt 2 times, and not covered under extended warranty. *ak

Brakes failed when cruise control was activated, brakes worked after accident without cruise control on. *ak

I am a female and the auto place treats me like i know nothing but, i had received alot of injuries and i want to know the reason behind this and to get some help to find out why it did. *ak

When driving the vehicle for a short time it has a smell discribed as sweet and ice cold. shortly after being in the vehicle your head pounds, your eyes water . your nose runs, i become so ill it makes me throw up.*ak

Seat belts comes off track. motor still works but selt belt does not roll back. both driver side and passager side broke. *ak

My name is: steven encarnacion. address: 1204 st. joseph way, petaluma, ca 94954-5360, e:mail [email protected]. telephone #(707)763-7437. this is the second (1st odi#: 719304) of four complaints (of which the third one is about a saftey defect that caused an injury) against g&c autobody, re:renting vehicles with the gross knowledge of saftey defects. on 01/15/2000 i rented my second vehicle from g&c autobody, a ford escort (customer rental agreement #25745, repair order#000676, cost: $5.00 per day) as a loaner vehicle while my vehicle was to be repaired. the ford escort wouldn't always start, there were times when i was stalled for fifteen minutes before it would decide to start, but usually i would just sit there and listen to the engine turn over and over before it would start. i was stuck in the parking lot one day at college for fifteen minutes with a stalled engine, when it finally started i drove it to g&c autobody to tell them that this car has problems. they called a mechanic to check it out and he said he couldn't find anything wrong with it. the mechanic also told me that if i have a problem with it to bring it back. i drove to their second bodyshop down the street to pickup some things i had in my car that was being repaired and when i got in the car to leave, it wouldn't start and the engine would just turn and turn. a crowd of bodyshop repairmen started to gather around because thay could hear me trying to start the car. so i drove right back to g&c autobody and told them that i want a different car, that this ford escort needs to have some work done on it. so they rented me a third vehicle. i was told to contact your agency by contact 4 (channel four news in the s.f. bay area). no safety defect listed in the summary. *ak

No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak

Also experience rattling in dashboard and door sides since mileage reached 30k. *ak

Heard groaning noise when turned wheels a complete stop. also when it weather is cold, can hear groaning noise when turning in a curve. car also slips momentarily like it is sliding. reported trouble to dealer in jan 1997 and they said steering was ok. i assumed that the tires just needed to be warmed up. on dec 24, 1999 i had national tire and battery and 2 other auto mechanics check car and was told that bushing in rack and pinion steering was worn out. one mechanic pointed out that one of the clamps holding the rack and pinion to the body was about to fall off and he tightened clamp, which made problem a some better. i am taking car to have it repaired tommorrow ( 12-27-99)

Seatbelt on the drivers side, shoulder(automatic) stuck and would not work, had t worked on, suuck and replaced it with a used one. this one stuck and we replaced it with a new one from the dealer. now the new one has stuck and will not function, we have put several hundred dollars into the belt and it still does not work. we are very upset.

Brakes failed as i was getting on freeway. cars had stopped ahead, i was pressing brake pedal, car slowed a little but would not stop. i tried getting onto shoulder but cars were going around me onto the shoulder because of rush hour morning traffic. continued pressing brake pedal with no results. brakes finally engaged but locked and car slid into 1999 lincoln, resulting in front-end damage. brakes worked after crash. i cannot understand why the brakes would have sudden failure and then continue to work. *ak

No summary listed for abov evehicle. *ak

There were intermittant speedometer noises which sounded like a rattling sound. the dealer had been none responsive about all prior problems so another dealer was called concerning the speedometer failure at such low mileage. no explanation was given except that it happens.

Snowed the night before. tried to use wipers in intermit function. they failed to work. delay switch also failed to work. washer function also failed. wipers will not return to down position unless timed right. wipers still work in low and high operation though.

The repair bill on the motorized shoulder belt system will be between $300 and $400. the ford dealer i contacted stated that this is not an uncommon problem with these cars. how many people are not able to afford this repair, and are driving with no restraint system? i contacted ford to see if perhaps a normal shoulder belt could be fitted into this car. they couldn't help me.

This is the 3rd time in 4 years this part has needed to be replaced. seat belt pulls out all the way and fails to retract. it costs $114. *ak

Since we bought this used program vehicle, we have had to replace the tires at least 4-5 times, the back top brake light numerous times (fuse) the brakes at least twice and when my son was hit during the winter the airbags did not deploy and he had back injuries his passenger had chest pains from the seat belts, we did replace the timing belt this year and than in july the engine stopped working and the mechanic (pride auto) stated that the engine was damaged this occured while driving appx. 25 hrs per mile. the dealership refused to help us stating that we got 99,000 miles out of it. we are voluntarily returning the vehicle, they are giving us a hard time about it.

Heater core leak--antifreeze odor inside car--windows fogged

The headlight lenses are yellowed and discollered. the amount of light from the headlights has been reduced by more than 50%. the vehicle is less than four years old, this should not happen on any vehicle. i contacted the dealer, ford motor and the ford motor customer service center. they said it was my problem to fix.

I was smelling a lot of gas so i took the vehicle crystal ford. they said the tank was cracked and needed replacing. the quote for doing the work was high so i took it to an independ shop where they told me they had replaced several of these gas tanks. the mechanic at the independent shop said he felt that it as either a design flaw or a flawed part. the tank is plastic. also, i have been waiting to replace the tank for over a month as the part is on back order from ford.

Motor on restraint system locked up - seat belt failure - cant find dealer to repair

No summary

After partially filling tank, fuel splashes out of top, filling passenger compartment with gas fumes, and coating underside of vehicle with gas. potential fire and exphiciation. ford refused to see this as a warrenty problem or a recall problem, not enough dead yet??

No summary listed for this vehicle. *ak

No summary listed for this vehicle. *ak

Electrical harness at rear lift gate failed, wires cracked and arcing together. rear brake light would stay illuminated when parked or moving without brake pedal interaction. possible safety hazard as rear brake lights would go out when brakes actually applied. *ak

Intake manifold came loose,destrying piston,cylinder & engine block, causing car to stop in the middle of busy intersection. major accident narrowly avoided. *ak

Intake value came loose,destrying piston,cylinder & engine block causing car to stop in the middle of busy intersection. major accident narrowly avoided. *ak

Left front motorized seat belt assembly sporadically fails. there are over 50 complaints on this model year alon on your website and no indication of an investigation. this problem has been ongoing for 2 years and is expensive to repair. *ak

My automatic seatbelt does not work. i took it in to have it fixed and they said the whole thing needs to be replaced at a cost of over $700.00. they could not even fix the seatbelt because ford has the part on backorder and couldn't even tell them when the part would come in. i took this to mean many ford escort wagons have this problem. also, the part you attach the seatbelt to is positioned at the front so i can't even manually put my seatbelt on. i pray each day i drive the car that i don't get into an accident.

Continued and iignored safety issue by ford...please fix and now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Failed in 50 previous reports from 1995-fix this damn thing

On 05/19/99, the lights on the dashboard as well as the seatbelts were not functioning at all.there were no indicator lights to warn of a problem other than a possible fuse burn out. less than 24 hours later, the vehicle burned.the vehicle was parked in a 2 car garage.the entire vehicle burned along with the garage in which it was housed.the vehicle parked next to it had severe smoke damage.all occupants of the home were asleep at the time of the fire. *ak

Both automatic seatbelts are inoperable. the driver's side belt is stuck in middle position, and the passenger's side belt moves without warning or door opening. *ak

Fuel tank cracked and leaking.not due to driver error!! radiator clogged up and when engine ran hot, warning lights and gauges failed. this caused a cracked cylinder head. *ak

Since our shoulder harness broke, we've seen others in our area, same model, same year with broken automatic motorized shoulder harness'.

Both rear seat belts fail to retract. therefore, they remain in the fully extended positions at all times. this failure did not appear to be a gradual one. at one moment the seat belts worked and then they did not. i beleive there is a design and or manufacturing defect with the seat belt assembly and that there is a potential for severe injury.

My 1995 ford escort lx fuel tank is splitting in half. this is a very dangerous situation. fuel leaks out no matter how little is in the tank, or if the car is or isn't running. fumes do build up inside vehicle. this problem was not a result of any damage or scrape. the tank is splitting along the molding line. *ak

Not a tire problem, all are up to speck. bad shake in stearing wheel. *ak( dot number: tire size: p185/70/14 )

Shoulder track stopped in the middle of door and failed at that point

My shell has mechanic informed me that there is a national back order on this part. i am concerned that since there is a shortage there maybe a situation endemic to this make and model. this is the second transmission failure with this car. the vehicle was under warranty on the first occasion. the current cost of repair is estimated at $500.00. happy holidays, jokl johnson

Symptom: noise like a muffler bracket failure when going over bumpy roads. steering not changed. dealer reported tie rod catastrophic failure was imminent. part replaced out of warranty 1/2 cost covered by ford. dealer reports no actual road failures of escort tie rod ends but several (including this one) have been at the point of failure (principally held together by the rubber mounting in the tie rod end). tie rod failure is very serious since the driver loses all steering control.

Some time in mid september 1998 the tracking on the driver side automatic seatbelt broke. about 4 weeks later the motor for the seatbelt went. then about 3 weeks ago the passenger side seatbelt started jamming in it's tracks. i have contacted my service rep, and he said he would talk to the district manager. when i contacted him again, i was told they wouldn't help me. i have also contacted ford motor corp on to seperate occations. i'm told the cost to replace my seatbelts (both driver and passenger sides) will be $760.00, and that it is my responsbility. i stated that this was a basic saftey feature and that i shouldn't have to pay to get it fixed. i was told by all those that i contacted, that since my warranty was up they wouldn't pay for the replacement.

Automatic driver-side seatbelt malfunctioned and is not covered byt warranty according to ford dealership. i feel this is a valid safety issue and should be repaired a no charge to myself. estimate for repair is approximately $350. for a new motor. i am worried about driving the car without the shoulder harness.

Grounded sensor wire at ignition switch.

Goodyear tires blew out. (2nd vehicle on 514699)

Gear box defective.

Clutch defective.

Engine makes noise. *tt

Engine thermostat failure. *ak

Noisy dashboard. *ak

Alternator failed twice. *aw

Air bag sensor failed, causing no deployment of air bags during accident. *tt

Front brake rotors failed 4 times. *skd

Front brake pads failed 4 times.

Vehicle pulls to the right. *skd

Console by gas pedal does not allow quick transfer of foot from gas to brake. *dsh

Check engine light sensor assembly.

Temperature guage failed.

Sending unit failed. *dsh

Thermostat failed.

Design of horn necessitates excessive force to activate horn. *dsh

Fuel tank leaked fuel onto hot exhaust pipe. manufacturer refused to cover vehicle in safety defect recall. *tt

Consumer states that air bag light comes on interittently. *tt

While drivng, consumer smelled gas in the vehicle, consumer was informed by mechanic that he could not work on the vehicle because there was a recall on the vehicle and to take it to a dealer and they would fix it free of charge, when consumer took vehicle to dealership she was informed that the recall for the fuel tank, did not apply to her vehicle identification number.*jb

Consumer states for a few weeks she was smelling gas in the vehicle, consumer was informed that the gas tank contained a crack.*yh

The driver's side motorized shoulder belt stopped working without warning. nlm

Windshield wipers were going too far over, dealer adjusted wiper arm. *slc

Automatic driver seatbelt is stuck and no longer operable. *jb

While approaching a traffic light, the brake pedal went to the floor, dealer replaced the master cylinder and brake booster but the problem persisted, this was tsb number 98-5a-15. nlm

While driving the right front bridgestone (turanza p175-65r14 81t) the belt had broken in the tire causing a flat tire which caused the steering wheel to become hard to handle. nlm

A new tank was installed due to a leak in the seam of the original tank, the consumer requested reimbursement because she believes the leak was a manufacturing problem. nlm

Vehicle does not idle correctly and has stalled a couple times, vehicle has been taken to the dealer on 3 occasions but the problem still persist. nlm

Consumer had repairs on the fuel tank, recall notice 97v144 was received after repairs were made. *slc

Engine light comes on repeatedly due to timing belt being broken. yh

The plastic gas tank cracked. nlm

Possible oil leak in transmission caused the 5th gear to go out. yh

The clutch pedal is missing/fell off. yh

Seat belt is not working. yh

Seat belt guide broke off from the side of the drivers seat. nlm

The automatic shoulder harness on the drivers side intermittently goes forward to the open position while driving and will not go back again untiled forced by driver.

No deployment of airbags during collision, causing injury to the drivers neck. nm

Seat belt rectactor failed and can not be repaired due to lack of parts.

Transmission failed two times, second failure resulting in leakage.

Automatic seat belts experience problems.

Interior dome light problems.

Radio problems.

Battery failed.

Recalled fuel tank has fatigue cracks near the heat shield resulting in fuel leak causing fumes to enter cabin and caused nausea and headache to passengers. recall work performed but the smell persist.

Battery failed.

Motor belt on driver's side does not function properly.

Bothe rear restraints broke and do not retract.

During hot climate, the fan relay switch melts and the vehicle overheats.

Gas tank split at seam resulting in gas leak.

Driver side shoulder belt stuck. dealer refused to fix but is aware of high number of same complaint.

Motorbelts fail to restrain properly.

Vehicle surges, sensor in throttle position replaced however still surged.

Brake rotors, pads and calipers failed several times.

Design of rear center seat belt does not allow child safety seat to be secured tightly. the belt loosens after a few minutes of driving.

Motor safety belt on drivers side locked up in the middle of the railing and would not move.

Fuel pump not maintaining pressure, causing hard start.

Electrical system failure (steering and braking) causing the car to have an accident.

Air bags failed to deploy when vehicle was stuck in the rear and forced into the back of another vehicle.

Rear brake lights failed.

Seat belt failed.

Seat belt will not retract automatically.

During vehicle accident no deployment of air bag.

Transmission jumps out of gear.

No deployment of driver's air bag during a collision.

The airbag was actually hit and moved slightly, yet the airbags were not deployed.

Ignition switch problems.

Brakes failed, fluid leak from the master cylinder after repair work.

Brake fluid leak from master cylinder area not front brakes replaced

Fuel tank assembly cracked leaking gas prior to recall notice.

Noticed air bag light indicator flashing, module shorted out because of beverage spillage, design should be were beverage can not get under the cover, design flaw.

Air bag module shorted out due to beverage spillage and leak into module.

Fuel tank leaked due to design of the assembly. the tank is plastic and heat from shields caused damage to the plastic tank.

Automatic transmission locks in third gear and must be manually shifted. problem is unannounced and seems to only occur during summer months during high temperatures. transmission will work properly after turning vehicle off for 20-30 minutes.

Motor had a continual burning smell to it and one day the consumer turned the car on and heard noises in the motor. after taking it into the dealership, the owner found out motor had failed.

When rear door on driver's side opens the window shatters.

Premature inner tie rod failure can cause loss of control with little warning.

Air bags did not inflate during accident.

Brakes failed, causing right rear brake to lock.

Factory installed fuel line not installed properly, causing line to loosen from vibration, resulting in engine compartment fire. *aw

Noisy vehicle, causing headache/loss of hearing. *ak

Replaced air conditioner.

Replaced heater. *ak