1998 FORD Escort

We have owned many Fords over the years a 1968, 1974, 1980, (our son has a 1982) 1987, 1998 and a 2002. In all those years and cars we NEVER had rear springs fail. My wife drives 10 blocks to work and back. The only hauling she does is her briefcase. She is small lady. YET, both our rear springs failed and our front end tie rods this inspection 11/24/2003. We personally know three others individuals whose rear spring have failed in their more recent produced Escorts and two whose tie rods have failed. Ford would not give us any help with the bill, except that we purchased an extended service contact it would have been much more. Ford has a serious spring failure problem along with their tie rods. I spoke with a Ford Service person in Detroit. They could have a serious control failure problem with either the tie rod premature failure or the rear springs failing. Apparently many of the castings are coming from their suppliers in China and they DON’T want to admit it. I know if you ask more Ford Escort owners, ours’ is a 1998 there are more with these same problems. We had a 1987 Escort that lasted 120,000 miles and it NEVER broke a spring.

The transmission is not catching. The car has a brand new engine in it, however, the car is having difficulty accelerating from a stopped position or when I slow down. Also, when I press the accelerator, the engine revs up, but the car doesn’t accelerate in a normal way. What options do I have as a disatisfied consumer

The Transmission had a complete failure. It was replaced and has just broke again 4-13-03 at 47000 miles.

the tape not working is not really my concern.My concern is the stalling engine.Three times since we got the car the engine just stalled. The first two times the Ford dealer said they found the problem and charged us for something or other. This last time they admitted they had no idea because the car, that had been towed to them did not stall with them. They checked almost everything that could go wrong at their cost which is nice but it will not help me next time I stall.This time I had my husband’s cell phone with me and I am a member of Ford roadside assistance so it was merrely a major inconvenience, wast of my time and time off work but what if I did not have the cell phone or the roadside assistance. They should tell you that when you buy a Ford, cell phone and roadside assisstance are not a luxury but a must have.

The fuel control module went bad according to the dealership that fixed it. I had to pay $85 for the car to be put on the computer machine to see what the problem was.The rear spring on my car had a crack in it and I was told by a local car shop that they had repaired many Escorts with the same problem. I did not have them fix it because I was bringing it to Ford to have the car inspected. They found nothing wrong and passed the car for state inspection. This year they inspected the car and found the cracked spring. I told them what the other car shop had said and they said I could contact Ford headquarters and ask them if it was a recall. I did and they said it wasn’t.

tHE BIG PROBLEM IS BOTH REAR COIL SPRINGS FRACTURED FROM TEMPERING DEFECT. FORD REFUSES TO RIEMBURES ME FOR THE COST. THIS WAS NOT NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR OR ABUSE THE COIL SPRINGS FRACTURED AS THEY ARE DOING ON SO MANY OTHER FORD PRODUCTS

Our 1998 Escort has only 37,000 yet both rear springs failed this inspection and the front tie rods for the steering. We have NEVER had a single coil spring fail in the 35 yrs. we are married. Several of our cars went to the junk yard with their original springs. In the week following our repairs I have met two other Escort owners whose rear coil springs have failed already. We are lead to believe they are being made in Mexico and China and are not safe.

My car randomly dies out. It will be fine then suddenly die out to 10 miles an hour, and stall. It spits and sputters like I am running out of gas. Although I am not. I have had a new fuel filter and pump put into the car, as well as a new Mass Airflow Sensor. None of which have fixed the problem or improved it any. It seems to die out more going up hills, and when it is low on gas. The longer I leave my car off, the further I can usually go with it running fine. When it does start to die out, if I shift it to neutral and turn off my car and restart it- It will start running better for a few minutes, and I can gain speed. I have brought my car to the Ford garage 3 times and another local shop once. Both had hooked my car up to the diagnostic machine and nothing came up as wrong. Although when I first bought my car, and it started doing this- the check engine light was on. But after placing in the Ford garage the first time, the light never came back on but the problem remained the same. Also after placing my car into the Ford gargage for the first time, my casette player no longer worked. They said they didnt touch that. Who knows. All I know is it was working when I brought it in. So long story short, everyone is telling me the problem is probably something stupid, which I agree. But no one can figure it out, and I am sick of buying expensive parts that “could” fix the problem when they do not. I was recently told it could be the ignition module. But that is out of my price range right now. And I refuse to buy another part that has no guarentee of fixing my car. I can drive roughly 15 minutes without my car acting up, on a good day. Some times less than 5 minutes. So my daughter and I are pretty much stranded a majority of the time, if not, then we can quickly run to the store and back home and thats it. Unless we want to be walking because the car all of a sudden died again. So I am writing this to please tell me anything you think could be wrong and if not, maybe a proffesional idea on what parts could fix it. I read on this site of other 1998 ford escorts having similiar problems. That is what lead me to writing this. My car is second hand. The first owner had the same problem with it, and traded it in to the ford dealership because he could not afford buying new parts for nothing. No one could figure out the problem for him, I hope you can for me. Thanks.

My brakes went (factory issue) and transmission (internal problem) on the same day. I did not know the transmission needed replacing until Ford sent me for a diagnostic at a dealer of their choice. My dealer told me to \\\’live with it\\\’. Ford Company told me not to drive the vehicle until I replace the transmission. They told me they would not pay for it and requested that I have a Ford dealer replace the transmission.

My air conditioner stopped blowing cold are I had it check it is full of freon I was told that my compressor is not ingaging. My car will jerk and cut out when it gets warm or the temperature is hot it is not overheating, it stalls, jerks into gear, gets stuck in gear at about 35mph. sitting at a stop light it will idle really high like someone is pressing the accelerator. I cant afford to get the car repaired the prices are estimates given to me by companies. I have had the car put on a machine and I was told that I need a TPS Sensor. that cost me 200.00 but it did not fix my problem and I was told I could not get a refund. The check engine also stays on.

lARGE HOLE IN TRANSMISSION, MUST BE REMOVED AND THEN LOOKED AT AND REPLACED. WE HAVEN’T EVEN HAD 100,000 KM YET!

I went to the dealer (01/13/2003) to have a wheels alignment and balancing and the discovered that both rear suspension springs are broken. They called me in to see it and the lower coil of each spring was broken. Also the rear shock absorbers are leaking. I drive the car almost all the time for commuting and the trunk is empty. I never overloaded the car. I don\’t think the springs should fail in such short time. They should last for decades. I didn\’t fix the suspension yet, so the cost is aproximate and based on my experience with similar problems. I have an extended waranty coverage that the dealer sold me in 1998 when I bought the car, but it doesn\’t cover rear springs. I think they\’re great of selling waranty that covers only parts that are not failing in time. I don\’t know for how long I\’ve been driving it like this, so the defect might have occured at lower mileage. Last time when I had an alignment was about 1.5 years and 20000km ago and I wasn\’t told of any problems.

I have had this problem since I purchased the vehicle, as you are driving the back of the seat will drop down. I had taken it in to the service center and made comment of this to which I was told I have never heard anything like it before. What I have found out over the years and miles, is that the seatbelt strap at the lap can catch on the release lever of the seat and any shifting in position will pull on the lever and release the seat back. This is just a warning to others as it can cause a fatal accident as it catches the unsuspecting driver off guard when the back of your seat falls. I have had this happen over a dozen times since owning the vehicle.

I have a 1998 (Ford Escort ZX2) that I bought new in 1997. I complained about the transmission to dealership after 1st month. The transmission went out in 1999 and it was replaced by Fidelty Warranty Services. That transmission went out on June 20, 2000, and again the warranty company replaced it, Both times I had a $100.00 deductible. It is now January 26th, 2003 and again the transmission has failed again, so this will make the fourth transmission that has been in this car after I pay $2000.00 out of my pocket to replace it. Something has to be wrong with these transmissions that they all go out. I am a 34 year old partially disabled woman and I do not mistreat my automobile. Has anybody else made complaints regarding this? I have hasd nothing but problems with this cars transmissions. This almost got me killed this time because in the middle of crossong a very busy intersection my cars transmission failed and I nearly got hit by 3 different motorists.

Hello,My complaint concerns the rear coil springs of ’98 ish escorts. In my case, the first spring failed at about 80,000 kms and the second was confirmed just today while having a tire replaced due to a puncture. Three garages have made unsolicited comments concerning the awful coils delivered with the car wondering “if they (the rear coils) had failed yet”. Initially I was skeptical of the mechanics motives; now I just fume when I hear these comments.If this is such a problem, why isn’t ford making arrangements to redress this problem? Now I’m wondering whether that busted coil was responsible for yesterday’s punctured tire – the garage thought this was certainly not out of the question.

Engine quit suddenly. Could not start engine after many tries. A tow truck arrived 2 hours later and the driver could not start the car. Had to be towed to repair shop. Left car with repair shop for about 2 weeks; the car did not fail to start several times that it was attempted. No abnormality was found. The constant control module and fuel pump had been replaced about a year ago (at mileage of 24,300). Took car back and have had no problem starting it several times. I’m afraid that it will suddenly quit at a critical time.

automobile intermittently stalls at all speeds has done it since new have had it back to dealer many times no satisfaction their statement was they could only repair if it stalled at time of attemped repair auto does start back up instantly and will go for undetermined time before repeating stall.

No deployment of airbags in two accidents. qcaw

Tl* the contact owns a 1998 ford escort. while driving 20 mph, the vehicle caught fire under the hood without warning. the fire department arrived and extinguished the fire. the vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. there were no injuries. the local dealer was not contacted. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was contacted and did not assist. the failure mileage was 144,998. *as

I am concerned regarding rear bumper cover. this very important paft on tbis vehicle is made totally of fiberglass or a similar product which becomes more cracked with time and the main issue is that it has no hard metal bar for protection in the event of a rear impact . this bumper which i had removed to rplaced what was left of it has something that appears to be a bar attached or part of it yet it is not any type of metal that would in any way help endure the rear of the vehicle in the event of a rear impact. in fact i am concerned that it can easily seriously cause serious injury to rear passengers if not death because there is no protection with this bumper. besides this and making it more dangerous , the gas tank is right next to this said bumper and this makes it much more dangerous . i don't know if there was a recall for this item , i just want to let nhtsa know the safety hazard this is and the danger it poses to the rear passengers and really all people in this vehicle in the event of a rear impact.

Tl* the contact owns a 1998 ford escort. the vehicle was equipped with kelly springfield tire size 185/65/14. the contact was driving approximately 5 mph and he heard a loud, abnormal noise coming from the rear tires. the contact detected that both rear tires had a defect within the inner liner and the cords were visible. the vehicle was taking to the dealer and the tires were replaced. the manufacturer was aware of the problem. the approximate failure mileage was 40,000. updated 10/31/13*cn

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 ford escort. the tire brand was bridge stone insignia sl, tire size was p175/65r14. the dot was unknown. while driving approximately 67 mph, the contact stated that the front right passenger tire blew out without warning. the tires were on the vehicle when it was purchased. the dealer nor the manufacturer were notified. there were no recalls or warranties on the tires. the current and failure mileages were approximately 150,000. updated 02/08/11*lj update 02/14/11

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 ford escort. the contact stated that the rear coil springs broke in 2003 and were repaired. the vehicle was at a repair shop getting an oil change when the contact was informed that the rear coil springs had broken again. the vehicle had not been inspected or repaired. the current and failure mileages were approximately 26,000. updated 01/04/11*lj updated 01/10/11*jb

Tl* the contact owns a 1998 ford escort. the contact stated while sitting idle at a traffic stop with the brakes depressed, the vehicle abnormally accelerated to 80 mph. the contact was able to avoid a crash by weaving in and out of traffic and attempted to shift into park but to no avail. the contact then engaged the emergency brake with the assistance of the passenger. the contact stated that there was very little brake fluid in the vehicle but enough that the brakes should have stopped the vehicle. the vehicle was inspected at a local repair facility where the contact was informed that the throttle body and exhaust/ gas recirculation flaw were defective and possibly the cause of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. neither the manufacturer nor the dealer was contacted to report the failure. the contact stated she did not feel safe driving the vehicle. the failure and current mileage was 150,000. updated 10/15/10 *bf the consumer stated the problem has been fixed. updated 10/21/10*jb

Failure of the rear springs on 1998 ford escort first in 2003 at 12,195miles and the replacements both failed again in 2009 at 36, 000 miles. failure appears due to salt corrosion enhancement due to covered spring surface. ford was contacted and even though there is a tsb on this issue they would offer no assistance. failure rates are very short. vehicle was never overloaded and is gently driven. *tr

During a state required inspection found both rear coil springs broken. ford will not take responsibility. this is the second time this has occurred. *tr

My son was driving my 1998 ford escort lx on a 35 mph road when the driver in front of him slammed on his brakes. my son immediately tried to stop the car, but he rear-ended the other car before he could come to a complete stop. during the impact, the driver's seat belt did not lock in place and the dual airbags did not deploy - allowing my son's upper body to continue forward until his face hit the steering wheel. the lap belt functioned properly, holding my son's lower body in place. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 ford escort. while driving between 35-40 mph, rear ended another vehicle. at the time of the crash, the air bags failed to deploy. both occupants were wearing seat belts, but that did not prevent them from being thrown to the front of the vehicle and injured. the driver sustained injuries to the head and face. a police report was filed. the vehicle was partially destroyed and the front bumper, bumper support, radiator and support, air conditioner condenser, and power steering reservoir were damaged. the failure and current mileages were 81,756.

I was sold a 1998 ford escort zx2 for 800 dollars, from but behind a local dealership. the dealership did the notary, and they were the ones who signed off on the car and gave me a hand written receipt with someone else's name on it. they also did the inspection later on after we replaced one of the ball joints. we had the car looked at by another official inspection station and they said the car was a death trap. we contacted a state trooper. he did an inspection, failed the car, and took the sticker. there was a long list of problems. i tried to get a refund before i got the cops involved and he refused. this was also before the 10 days were up for the inspection. i paid for the car on the 13th of feb. 2008. *tr

The headlamp covers are awful and dangerous. they are so cloudy they make visibility almost nil in many circumstances (esp foggy nights). i feel the material they are made of is sub par, causing the problem and there should be a recall on them. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 ford escort. the contact stated that the steering locked up while driving. she pulled to the side of the road and attempted to restart the vehicle, however, it failed to restart immediately. she stated that the power steering fluid was dark colored and leaking. the dealer stated that the power steering needed to be drained and more tests were needed to determine the cause of failure. the current and failure mileages were 176,432. updated 12/12/2007 *bf updated 12/12/07. *jb

Coil spring on 1998 ford escort broke and almost blew out the tire. brought it to the repair shop to get it fixed and replaced the tire.*ak

Tl* - the contact stated horn has not worked properly since she purchased the vehicle. the vehicle currently has 31,000 miles. the contact took the vehicle to dealer for repairs, and was told that the airbag was defective , and that itwas causing the horn not to work. the horn has been replaced, but it still did not work. the contact stated the horn would just come on and would not stop. the contact removed the circuit breaker a few weeks ago, but now the service engine light will not turn off. the dealer checked the computer system and found nothing wrong with the vehicle. the driver's side front had a leak in the firewall. the contact had the leak repaired four times. *ak

Broken rear springs. *jb

Both rear springs broke. this is the second time in less then 6 months for the 2002. this seems to be a major design flaw in ford escort. i have a 1998 & 2002 and both have broken rear springs. also every technician i have talked to knows the problem. *jb

While having possible brake noises checked, the mechanic, while the car was on the lift, saw that both rear coil springs were broken. he stated that the marks he saw indicated that they had been broken for a while. *jb

I have had near accidents relating to car fuel pump or transmission shops couldn't find any problems but the drivablity of my 98 escort zx2 cost me more money in problem solving, 1,500 plus in recent repairs including emergency and repeat repairs and faulty repairs. my fuel economy is 160 miles per tank to almost 200 miles. no one can seem to find the problem(s). large thunking in rear trunk (scary)when im taking off and reaching a steady speed. take the car to major ford dealerships, to no avail. car doesn't always "go" from a complete stop in traffic,this has caused quite a scare as well. thank you for helping and making note of my account. debbie

Dt*: the contact stated the check engine light illuminated however the vehicle exhibited no problems. the manufacturer was alerted.

Was having my 1998 escort serviced. mechanic found both rear coil springs had fractured in same spot. had them repaired there instantly at a cost of $710.10 . i called ford they said no recall, i then brought springs to my ford dealer to show them and to ask for reimbursement for defective parts, i am still waiting for an answer. however ford did offer to get rid of the springs for me but i still have them in my trunk. *jb

Dt: the contact states the vehicle has a loud roar when idling. the vehicle also accelerates rapidly on its own. he took the vehicle to an independent garage. the technician suggested a new speed control and an idle control module. this was replaced twice but did not correct the problem. a diagnostic check did not detect any codes. the dealer was unable to determine the cause of this problem. there have been no further repairs at this time. *jb updated 12/27/2005 - this problem seemed worse in cold weather. in order for the vehicle to idle down the consumer had to turn the vehicle off then turn it back on. the problem would sometimes resurface a few minutes later, a few weeks later or a few months later. *nm

Dt: the consumer's vehicle was involved in an accident, and the driver's side air bag deployed. when the airbag deployed it caused the consumer to be severally burned. the passenger side airbag did not deploy completely. this occurred on august 3, 2004. the consumer's vehicle hit a post. the vehicle was totaled. she no longer has the vehicle. a police report was taken. the manufacturer will not help the consumer. *ak *nm

Dt: consumer took 1998 ford escort for a oil change on september 30, 2005. the mechanic found both rear coils springs broke. the rear struts were damaged, and the left front tie rod was broken. the mileage on my vehicle at time of service was 71, 127 miles. the consumer used the car for shopping and pleasure with no hard driving at her age. she was surprised to hear this was common for the 1997 and 1998 ford escorts. i had other ford escorts prior to this one and i had no problem. this problem cost the consumer $732. had not contacted dealership or manufacturer. had no accidents. the consumer was not aware that this vehicle had all these problems. this vehicle drives much better and is quieter since had the problems fixed. *ak

The failure involves the interlock that keeps you from shifting out of park without applying the brake. my left rear turn signal bulb had burned out. i stopped the car, put it in park, and set the emergency brake, to get out and check the other turn signals. first i turned on the left side and verified that the left rear bulb wasn't working. then i asked the passenger in the car to switch on the right signals. she leaned on the shift lever to try to reach the turn signal lever, and when she did, the car went into reverse. it moved back slowly since the emergency brake was on, so i jumped out of the way and got in and stopped it. upon further investigation, i found this: that if the left rear turn signal bulb is bad, the shift interlock is released when you turn on the left turn signal, allowing the shift lever to be moved out of park without stepping on the brake first. when i put in the new bulb, the behavior did not happen anymore. i put the bad bulb back in, and it started doing it again. if i had not set the parking brake, i could have been run over. my concern is that this defect may exist in several model years on this vehicle and possibly other ford vehicles. this problem was on a 1998 ford escort sedan with automatic transmission. *nm

After exiting highway from a 20 mile trip, the idle on the vehicle became rough when stopped. the best description was that the idle started to surge and pulse with the brake engaged and the vehicle fully stopped. just prior to pulling into driveway (less than a mile from highway) the radio and ventilation system began to cut in and out. upon parking the vehicle, the battery was dead and the vehicle would not start. one hour later, vehicle was started, dashboard battery light was on, idle became rough and pulsed close to a stall. *jb

Dt: the consumer states that the 1998 ford escort crashed into a light pole. the driver hit the pole and the air bag deployed and broke. the inside of the air bag sprayed the chemicals on the driver, the chemicals burnt her hands and arm. she said that she could not find a lawyer in her town to take case. the lawyers and the insurance company were working together against her. she said that she had a boil on her hand and a bruise on her chest. the consumer has pictures of the air bag. she wanted someone to reimburse her for the car because she lived in low income housing. she said vehicle was totaled and the junk dealer came and got it. and she did not get paid for it. a police report was taken. *ak

Dt: 1998 ford escort. the consumer took the vehicle to dealer to be serviced, and the service department noticed the rear coil springs were broken , approximately 1½ turns from the top. the consumer contacted ford, and they told him the part was not under warranty. the coil springs were replaced. there had been no noticeable problems before this.*ak the caplipers were replaced due them being frozen. the crank pulley and serpentine belt were replace. *jb

Dt: the contact owns a 1998 ford escort wagon. while having routine maintenance on vehicle the mechanic found that the rear coil spring broke with something holding it into place. the rear coil spring needed to be replaced. the contact she has not contacted the manufacturer.*ak

Dt: 1998 ford escort. both of the rear seat belts do not work. the seat belt straps will not pull out from the seat, which makes it impossible to use them. about a year ago the driver's side rear seat belt stopped retracting. this was in june of 2004. and on 7-25-05 the passenger side rear seat belt stopped retracting. the consumer had taken it to two different dealerships and they told her that the seat belts were not covered under warranty. when she contacted the manufacturer, they told her the same thing. there were no other known problems with the vehicle at this time. consumer's vehicle was involved in an accident in 2002. but, it was just a fender bender type issue. no one was in the rear of the vehicle at that time. *ak

Dt: consumer stated the vehicle was parked in the garage when a fire started in the left front underneath the hood. the vehicle had been driven the previous night, and had been sitting for approximately 15 hours. the fire investigator determined the cause of fire was from the power control module.*ak

I own a 1998 ford escort with 32,000 miles and recently had the air conditioner control module replaced.when the repair shop attempted to locate a new part, they were told that this part was on national backorder. this leads me to believe that there has been many problems throughout the country and maybe should have been recalled by the manufacturer.

Dt: there was no warning, no lights, no noise before the alternator failed. the vehicle lost all power and was concerned about what would happen while driving along a crowded highway. the consumer contacted ford and was waiting for a response. this happened friday july 15th, 2005. *ak *nm

My daughter was on her way to work , when she called me & said "dad my car has loss power & is running very rough". i told her to pull over & i would be there shortly, since she was only about 8 miles down the road. as i was prepairing to leave, my daughter called me back & said there was a fire under the hood. i told her to call 911 and get away from the car. it took me less than 10 minutes to get there & by that time the firemen had put the fire out. the car was totaled. the car had been running great, with no problems at all.

Dt: vehicle broke rear springs 2 years ago. *ak

Both rear coil springs are broken. the vehicle has seen mostly highway miles and is well kept. there was little to no symptoms of the problem ,and was found during an inspection of the rear brakes. it was explained that this could have caused the wheel to separate had it not been found. *ak

While driving approximately 20 mph consumer's vehicle rear ended another vehicle. upon impact, seat belts did not lock, and air bags did not deploy. *ak

While driving in inclement weather driver applied the brakes and the pedal went to the floor. vehicle hydro planed , and the driver was unable to maintain control of the vehicle, smashing into a concrete barrier. upon impact, both airbags did not deploy. the driver refused medical attention on the scene, but went to the hospital later that day. vehicle was towed and totaled by the insurance company. *ak

The vehicle's belt tenioner assembly broke 3 time. the consumer had to replace the housing for water pump, timing belt tenioner and mico v belt. *bf *nm

While driving the gears on the vehicle change from drive to neutral on their own. manufacturer will be contacted by owner.*ak

Vehicle is experiencing problems with the air bags. owner was driving about 45 mph on the highway and hit a parked vehicle. upon impact, the air bags failed to deploy. *ak

While driving at 45 mph consumer heard a grinding noise coming from the rear coil springs. dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *ak

Constantly wet condition on driver side floor - during wet weather. water coming through the floor or firewall (near the floor) and filling the floor with water. *jb 1998 ford escort lx

Each time when vehicle splashes in a puddle of water the serpentine belt comes off. *ak

While the state inspection station was inspecting the vehicle inspector informed consumer that both rear springs broke. dealer was notified, and they informed consumer that this vehicle was not covered under a recall.*ak

After striking a vehicle in front air bags did not deploy. manufacturer was contacted. however, no response was received. *ak

While driving vehicle shook and made noise. then, suddenly vehicle shut down. the engine was defective.*ak car shook and made noises. the vehicle refused to start or move after it shut off. the mechanic stated that the vehicle had engine problems. *tc updated 11/29/2005 - *nm updated 12/07/05. *jb

The paint on the drivers side front panel was striped off in a car wash. and to my knowledge the cars has not been repainted. well... not while i've owned it. i am having the car repainted. *nm

While having my oil changed, the technician noted that the right rear suspension spring was broken near the bottom. the broken spring did not perceivably alter the function of the car nor did it make noise. it was clarified to me that the spring needed to be replaced and based on the number of complaints on this site i feel it is necessary to have both spring replaced. the estimate for this repair is estimated at about $400. *jb

There were problems with the springs and struts on vehicle. *mr the consumer was informed that she had been driving with cracked springs during a maintenance check. *sc *jb

I took my 1998 ford escort to gagne ford in princeton, wisconsin, to have the oil changed. the technician informed me that they recommend replacing the tie rods. "outer tie rod ends. right outer is loose. left outer is siezed." since there is only 23,200 miles on the car, i checked for recalls. are people just having this repair done and not reporting it? do i really need this work done?

While driving, the vehicle stalled. the consumer tried to restart, the vehicle, but was unsuccessful. the consumer had the vehicle towed to the dealer for inspection. the mechanic informed the driver that the engine needed replacement. please fill in additional information. *jb

Brought my car to shop to have struts replaced. was informed that the rear coil springs had broken and had destroyed the struts as well. vehicle has 80,00 highway miles on it. i was also informed that this is a common occurrence with this vehicle, and the mechanic has one every week into his shop. *jb

While driving at 25 mph a computer chip fell from under the dashboard. and then the fuel gas gauge system indicator stopped working. *ak *sc *jb

Horn sounds at all hours. unplugged. *ak

Smoke from dashboard and cannot get car out of park.are there any recalls for this problems?*ak

While driving at 45 mph vehicle stalled, and soon after consumer heard something hit the ground. vehicle was guided to the shoulder, and consumer found that the air conditioner brackets broke. this in turn, caused the ac compressor to fall and rip a hole into the oil pan.*ak *nm

Rear outboard seat belts are unable to retract. as a result, the child seats are not being restraint. *ak

At 123,00mi i noticed water leaking form behind water pump took it to ford dealer and they had to replace the water pump housing part #f8rz-8501-en it had eroded from the inside out resulting in a pinhole leak i also had the water pump, timing belt replased just in caseat a cost of 625 dollars. 13 months and 33,000mi later same problem with water pump housing eroding for inside out of corse it was out of warranty and the timing belt was failing do to a seized idler cost to repair 700 dollars. the idler you can chalk up to bad luck the housing on the other hand is ridiculous it has no moving parts other than antifreeze running through it and the mechanics have no idea what is causing this. i don't care to spend this kind of money every year for some bad casting on fords part 1 year or 12,00 mi should not apply to apart that should last a whole lot longer. *ak

While traveling 40 mph on a gravel road consumer made an made a right turn and vehicle ran off the road into a guard rail. this caused extensive damage to the front of vehicle. upon impact, air bags failed to deploy. *ak

Hello, my complaint concerns the rear coil springs of '98 ish escorts. in my case, the first spring failed at about 80,000 kms and the second was confirmed just today while having a tire replaced due to a puncture. three garages have made unsolicited comments concerning the awful coils delivered with the car wondering if they (the rear coils) had failed yet. initially i was skeptical of the mechanics motives; now i just fume when i hear these comments. if this is such a problem, why isn't ford making arrangements to redress this problem? now i'm wondering whether that busted coil was responsible for yesterday's punctured tire - the garage thought this was certainly not out of the question.

When engaging into drive vehicle accelerated. as a result, consumer's vehicle crashed with another vehicle. *ak

I have had this problem since i purchased the vehicle, as you are driving the back of the seat will drop down. i had taken it in to the service center and made comment of this to which i was told i have never heard anything like it before. what i have found out over the years and miles, is that the seatbelt strap at the lap can catch on the release lever of the seat and any shifting in position will pull on the lever and release the seat back. this is just a warning to others as it can cause a fatal accident as it catches the unsuspecting driver off guard when the back of your seat falls. i have had this happen over a dozen times since owning the vehicle.

1998 escort not getting enough gas into the engine. changed fuel filter, had fuel injectors looked at, got premium gas, no luck. the car idles extremely roughly and shakes uncontrollably. it feels like it wants to stall and bucks when idling and even while driving. the idle is becoming worse and worse to the point where i feel uncomfortable driving the vehicle. this used to happen periodically, now shakes and bucks everytime i drive the car. i am a poor college student and can not afford to continue taking it to a mechanic. *jb

Rear coil strings broke at 70,000 miles on 1998 ford escort wagon.*ak

While driving 45 mph rear end took off. as a result, driver lost control of vehicle and landed in a ditch. no report of air bag deployment. *ak

On december, 17th, in the evening, my husband was on route 20, in marlborough, ma. he had made a wrong turn and was going 2 mph, doing a k-turn, when both the airbags in his 1998 ford escort inflated. he has a standard shift car. at the time of the faulty inflation, as he was struck by the airbag in the head, his feet came off the pedals and the car stalled, rolling to the side of the road and hitting a curb. we are very lucky that he was not on the highway when these airbags deployed. had he not made the wrong turn, he would have been on the highway. at a speed of 65 mph on route 495, i don't believe his outcome would have been so good, after the airbag deployment. he suffers still from neck and back pain from the incident. the important point to note here is that he did not hit anything. the airbags just deployed on their own, while he was driving. we called ford the next day to report this. they said that someone would contact us within 7-10 days. two and a half weeks went by, and no one called. my husband called ford again. they said there was nothing they could do. my husband then called our local ford dealer. a regional rep. was going to be at that location the following day. he called us, stating that within a few days ford would be in contact with us. a few days went by, and he told us that there was nothing he could do, we had to file certain paperwork first before ford would talk to us. the paperwork arrived the next day. it requests such things as "complete history of oil changes and any work performed on the car". it is a generic form, not applicable to faulty airbag deployment. i am writing to you because i have a problem with their lack of caring about consumer protection. what ford should have done, was to immediately take possession of the car for as long as they needed to find out why the airbags deployed. ford apparently has no interest in assessing the reason for the faulty airbag deployment. *cb

While swerving to avoid hitting an animal rear end failed. as a result, vehicle collided into a tree, then flipped, and landed on all four tires. upon impact, dual airbags did not deploy. *ak

Car will loose power about 1 to 2 miles after slowing down from high speeds (55-75 mph) to pass through an automated epass system (35mph). there is no bucking or surging, simply a loss of power. you can put the accelator to the floor to no avail. once down below 10 mph the car will stall out. after waiting 1/2 hour the car can be restarted. the first time this occured the car was towed to sun state ford. the fuel pump was replaced to no avail. the second time the car was allowed to sit and then driven to car max (place of purchase) where the ignition coil and wires where replaced. the 3rd occurence was today. the car will be taken back to car max. all of these occurences have taken place over the last 2 weeks.

While driving 25-30 mph vehicle made a clunking sound. drove vehicle to a repairs shop. the technician informed consumer that right rear strut spring broke. *ak

Fax fwd fm fmcsa fm eloise j. quinn (ct) seeking assistance in getting ford to reimburse her for the repair of the ignition module on her 1998 ford escort.*mr the vehicle stopped in the middle of traffic, the consumer was forced to replace the ignition module. ford refuse to reimburse consumer. *ts *jb

Vehicle engine light stays on. parts has been repaired three times but problem still exist. please provide additional information. *ph

Vehicle's rear seat belts are locking in the retract position and wouldn't release. consumer is unable to properly retrain children in css. the dealership indicated the seat belt system needs replacement in order the correct problem.

Engine is failing prematurely. dealer notified.*ak

Failure of vehicle's rear suspension coils. nar 08/01/2003*mr *cb

On august 5, 2003, i was rearended while driving a 1998 ford escort. the auto kill swich never killed the engine. luckily the gas tank stayed intact. the damage to the car was so severe that the fire personell at the scene could not believe that the kill switch was not tripped. both back doors were jammed with my 6 year old traooed in the back.

Rear (both) springs on 1998 ford escort broke prior to 55,000 miles. car was not used for any heavy duty driving.*ak

Graco 8442 cyp child safety seat. *mr ph

I have a 1998 ford escort i only have 19.099 miles. i purchase this card on november of1998, therefore the driving time will be 4 years on this november. my engine went dead. the dealer is telling me that my car no longer has any warranty.*ak i have explained that i have expended $14.000 for the use of this new car for 4 years. an as far i cold see. the engine was already defective from the manufacturer. because if i have driven this car 20.000 miles on the first two years the defective engine would had gone long before that. and you would have recognized that this engines a lemon and i would have a replacement then. i have this car service by them. they have all service records of my vehicle engine checks. so my question is what went wrong when there were servicing my car all this time? i do not have a car now when i most need it.you see the reason i bought a new car was because my wife became disable and i need it a dependable car. my wife has ms.

During a safety inspection for my 1998 ford escort, i was advised that both rear springs were broke, which caused both rear struts to weaken. i was also told that this has been a common occurrence on this type vehicle. *tt

While traveling on the highway transmission had a loud noise coming from the gear. *ak

When hazard flashers are on consumer can shift gears without applying the brakes. dealer notified. please provide additional information.*ak

Engine check light is on all the time. dealer notified. please provide further information.*ak

Rear springs broke at 25,000 miles. the dealer indicated that ford designed the springs too thin. ford would not reimburse the cost to me. *tt

While driving 30 mph the vehicle was involved in a frontal collision yet none of the air bags deploy. *nlm

When the consumer placed her daughter inside of the child intergrated car seat, the consumer noticed the strap had separated. *jb

Both rear coil springs on my 1998 ford escort se wagon were found to be broken (each cracked and broke in two pieces beneath the plastic sleeve). vehicle had 52,715 miles at the time, but from corrosion evidence of broken springs, it appears they may have been broken for awhile prior to discovery. four other incidents noted on same year/make/model vehicle within this database. *jb

When the keys were in the ignition , the consumer was unable to the move gear shift lever from the park position. *jb

The vehicles gear shift locked and couldn't be moved from park to drive. manufacturer notified. *nlm

Intermittent stalling while driving. dealer has been unable to duplicate problem or determine cause. ph...*ak

I read that that nhtsa conducted a study on tie rod end failure in ford cars at some point. i have just had two sets of tie rod ends replaced on my ford escort (98 model year) within a span of a year and a half. if you are still collecting data for this issue, i respectfully submit my case. *jb

The power steering hose failed.*jb

There have been many problems with my 1998 ford escort since i purchased it new in august, 1998. the most severe and recent problem was repaired in december, 2002. the head gasket blew, causing major overheating problems in my vehicle. the vehicle had less than 40,000 miles. i am not certain if the head gasket became faulty while vehicle was being built, or if fullerton ford damaged the gasket while doing work on my vehicle, and then attempted to sodder the part together. according to corbo's auto service in somerville, the gasket had a "soddered" hole in it which caused the gasket to blow. fullerton form was the only repair facility i had taken my vehicle to be repaired before it was taken to corbo's. i have called ford on several occasions to complain about the service work at fullerton. i have expressed to them that i believe fullerton ford was hurting my vehicle more than it was helping it. the ford company has not been very supportive in my efforts to investigate fullerton fords service practices.

Consumer stated the engine light illuminated and the vehicle stalled, due to electrical problems with the vehicle.*jb

While driving the rear leaf spring broke. consumer states dealer has been contacted. cause is unknown. please provide any further information. ts

Service engine soon light appeared on dash. the consumer stated the trouble dated back to the recall, prior to the recall there were no problems. the dealer stated the problem was due to an over sensitive sensor or air being in the gas tank. the problem was determined to be a bogus code. *jb nar 1/21/2003

While driving at 25 mph in a frontal collison the driver side air bag didn't deploy on impact, causing injuries to the driver upon vehicle impact. please provide more details. ts

Consumer states while driving on highway at approximately 50-60mph the engine's timing belt broke causing engine to stall. ts

Vehicle hit a tree at 45 mph and neither airbag deployed. driver hit head on windshield and broke arm. damage to vehicle unknown.*ak

While driving hit the horn and it stuck. had to unplug fuse to cut horn off. dealer contacted. targo switch inside steering wheel pad broke.*ak

Consumer stated that while driving at any speed and no warning the front ball joints worn out the front right tire causing it to be hard for the consumer to control the vehicle. dealer notified. mr right lower ball joint and rear coil spring had to be replaced. left brake grabbed. rattle noise at right front at initial start. high idle and clicking noise in dash. *tt

The driver heard some scrapping noise but wasn't sure what the problem was. the owner had to go through inspection which his vehicle was rejected due to the rear coil springs breaking. he is also aware of someone else with similar failure. mrjlg

Consumer states while she was sitting at a stop light, another auto hit her from behind, causing the back end of the auto to come in the front seat. she states her air bags did not deploy. she was told that by an investigator that an impact of that magnitude the air bags should have deployed. she and her passenger were injuried. ts

Harmonic balancer for the king pin broke.*ak consumer states while exiting parkway, there was a loud vibration coming from the front end, the harmonic balancer was hitting into the wall of the vehicle, consumers husband checked under the vehicle to see what the problem was, his hand slipped and got caught between the belt and the balancer, resulting in his finger having to be amputated. *slc

Rear spring coils broke while driving.*ak

Consumer states involved in a frontal collision at 50 mph. the other vehicle was traveling 70 mph. the driver's air bag deployed, but passenger air bag did not deploy. mr

Consumer's daughter rear ended another vehicle and the air bags failed to deploy. *jb

While driving the vehicle at 35 mph the power steering mechanism failure causing to lost the control. dealer has been notified. please provide further information. mr

Consumer states that while parked and with no warning the horn will operate intermittently. the horn has been deactivated by the fire department because the horn would not go off. consumer also, states that this is a reoccuring problem. also the directionals are inoperable. when the consumer activates the directionals they will not automatically go off. dealer notified. bln

While exiting a parking lot heard grinding noise and smelled something burning. consumer's vehicle suddenly came to a stop when crankshaft slid off, and went into steel frame of vehicle, causing vehicle to shut off. please provide any further information.*ak

Consumer states while driving she there was a thumping noise . after inspection of the vehicle it was determined that one of the steering rods were missing. the dealer has repaired the vehicle. please provide additional information. mr

Horn went off on its own,. dealer replaced horn assembly. in june 2002, horn sounded again on its own, had to be replaced a second time.*ak

While a mechanic checked tires noticed that rear spring had collapsed on itself. mechanic stated vehicle could lose control if spring break off. please provide any further information.*ak

While driving 30-40 mph driveshaft was forced into engine and caused engine to stop operating. feel freee to provide any further information.*ak

Consumer states the air conditioner is letting in fumes from the outside while driving.*jb dealer replaced the relay module. *tt

Frame broke from under passenger's side seat. can't move seat up or backwards. frame rusted out from under seat. dealer contacted. *ak

While vehicle was getting inspected discovered that rear coil springs were defective and needed to be replaced. mechanic stated there was low mileage in vehicle to have coil springs replaced.*ak

Consumer states front tie rod end on both side wore excessesively. nlm

Transmission slips in every gear and shifts hard, especially on cold mornings. vehicle taken to dealer 2 times, cannot remedy the problem. *ak

Vehicle was involved in a collision, hitting a pole at 45 mph, upon impact driver and passenger air bags did not deploy. *ak there was one injury. *yd

Accelerator can easily be mashed down due to brake pedal being small. also, because brake pedal does not sit high over accelerator pedal it is causing some driving difficulties. please add more information. *ak

While turning off ignition, consumer noticed a fire under the steering wheel area, claim 14-1385-223. *slc

While driving, flames started coming from underneath the dash, claim 13-7568-816. *slc

Consumer stated there was smoking behind the steering column, claim 24-5125-333. *slc

Driver's side automatic seatbelt is goes up and down intermittently without prior warning. belt is stuck half way because it is off the track. dealership is aware of problem.*ak

Consumer was turning off the ignition and noticed that there was fire under the steering wheel area, consumer and her daughter tried to put out the fire themselves, however could not, claim 14-1385-223. *slc

While driving, flames started coming from under the dash, claim 13-7568-816. *slc

Consumer noticed smoke coming from behind the steering column, claim 24-125-333. *slc

When vehicle gets started up it will not move out of park. vehicle will just sit there and not move anywhere.*ak

After turning vehicle off key got stuck in ignition. no matter what consumer did , key would not come out. contacted dealer. *ak

While having vehicle serviced technician noticed left front coil spring needed to be replaced. please provide further information. *ak

When applying brakes they locked on one side, causing vehicle to go into a spin, and resulting in a collision/ rollover. driver sustained minor injuries. vehicle was totalled. please provide further information. *ak

Crankshaft/ pulley came loose from mounting and shifting over, causing vehicle to lose all power. piece that broke off jammed gear, and timing belt was changed and reset. manufacturer and dealer did not know of a problem ,and didn't ofer to do anything. warranty was expired. part number and name is damper part# f7cz-6316-ba. *ak the pully was lose and shifted half inch causing the belt to shread. *yh

Numerous problems with brakes. deaelr has replaced 3-4 sets of brakes. also, replaced rotors twice, and resurfaced rotors twice.there was constant squeaking when applying brakes.*ak

When attempting to fueltank gas will spew out of tank. dealer has been notified.*ak

Transmission broke down while traveling 65mph. prior to break down, had heard a snapping sound. vehicle stopped dead. was towed to an independent mechanic, and had transmission replaced with a used one since old transmission was not repairable.*ak

Seatbelt retractors in the back of vehicle continually tighten, and will not allow for consumer to lean or move forward. consumer has to release buckle and reattach buckle in order have freedom of movement. please provide any additional information/attachments.*ak

Was traveling 35-40mph another vehicle turned in front of consumer's vehicle and was hit head-on. upon impact, neither air bag deployed. no injuries or emergency room treatment. went to dealer later.*ak

While driving would step on brakes pedal to stop, but pedal will go alway to floor ,and tires will not skid.*ak

Front brake caliper freezes, half of pads is being applied to rotors, resulting in premature wearing of rotors. please give any further details.*ak

Pe00 048; consumer was traveling about 65mph on highway and heard a loud banging noise. she saw smoke from rearview mirrior. she was able to pull over, and noticed that front right passenger tire tread separated from vehicle. goodyear tire. goodyear was notified.*ak

While driving 30 mph vehicle hit pole, driver's and passenger's seatbelts did not work, driver and passenger hit their heads on windshield. *ak

Vehicle hit pole head-on at 30 mph, and neither airbag deployed, $ amount of damage unknown. *ak

Pulley had frozen and serpentine belt had came off. it was frayed. it then shot up into the timing belt. this caused the timing belt to jump & caused vehicle to stop. this is the 2nd time this problem had happened. the mechanic had repaired it the first time at 24,000 miles.*ak the surpentine belts had to be replaced at 25000 miles and again at 54000 miles. *yh

Consumer was traveling approximately 45mph on dry roads another vehicle cut in front trying not to hit vehicle. consumer hit two parked cars instead. airbags in front didn't deploy. manufacturer referred consuemr to a ford dealer. vehicle has a fuel injection switch that cut vehicle off. vehicle started back up. *ak

While driving, vehicle stopped running, consumer had a mechanic look at vehicle who found that the engine was not getting fuel, the problem was the fuel pump, also 2 wires, a positive and negative, had soldered together and had bare spots that were touching, consumer's vehicle could have blown up, ford will not assist consumer at all in this matter. *scl

Consumer's wife attempted to back out of driveway into road, she stepped on gas, and nothing happened. then, after jugging gear shift around vehicle accelerated forward. *ak the vehicle accelerated hitting the corner of the garage and was tottaled. *yh

Consumer was on a side street turning into a parking lane. and another vehicle hit her from behind, and passenger's side airbag went off all the way. driver's side airbad didn't deploy all the way. *ak

Consumer was rear ended by another vehicle at approximately 40 mph, and was forced into a vehicle ahead of her. airbags failed to deploy. please provide any additional information.*ak

While waiting to make a turn another car hit consumer's vehicle on right side. dashboard cracked, but none of frontal airbags deployed. also, seat belt came loose. the driver was injured during the accident.*ak

Reporting dealer / independent auto parts shop are unable to get or have replacement hardware( spring & clips) needed to repair both rear wheel cylinder brakes. manufacturer were not notified at this time. *ak the consumer was still looking for parts for springs, clips and pins. *yh

While traveling on highway a chain reaction multiple vehicle accident occurred, and airbags did not deploy. driver was only occupant, and she sustained moderate/severe injuries. *ak

Consumer got into a accident at 25mph and rear ended another vehicle. upon impact, air bags did not deploy. no prior warnings. has not conducted dealer.*ak

While driving horn kept going off which might startle occupant and cause a crash. dealer said it was due to airbag system which needed to be replaced at 59,000 miles. airbag light did not come on. common problem. *ak

Vehicle continuosly stalls out at highway speeds. consumer must pull over and wait about 5 minutes to restart vehicle. consumer has taken vehicle to dealer twice, but dealer cannot determine cause. *ak there was a recall on emission and service was done by the dealer prior to the stalling problem. *yh

While driving at about 30mph driver lost control and hit a light pole head-on, and neither driver's side nor passenger's side airbag deployed. ford has not seen vehicle. *ak

Driver/passenger headrests have staples at bottom & they are coming out. part of headrest is sewn. bottom of headrest is not coming apart even though it was losing staples. have not taken vehicle to dealer. had contacted dealership & was informed to bring vehicle in to be checked. took vehicle a few months later, and representative checked it out. took down some information & nothing else. *ak

A severe fogged front windshield caused poor visibility. consumer was unable to remove or cleaned it. manufacturer was not notified at this time. feel free to provide any further details on this matter. *ak

Vehicle involved in a frontal collision of 40-45 mph with another vehicle. upon impact, both air bags did not deploy. dealer/manufacturer were not notified at this time. please feel free to provide any further details on this matter. *ak

Vehicle doesn't go into overdrive about 60%of the time. vehicle in a high speed and it will drop out of overdrive and drive. she has to pull over to the sgoulders to manually pull the vehicle into drive. *ak

Sensor light comes on and off intermittently. consumer took vehicle to dealership, and mechanic fixed vehicle. dealership mechanic replaced wiring in front of vehicle, and problem came back three months ago.dealer told her to ride with sensor light on. *ak service engine soon light on steady due to powertrain control module (pcm) failure. *yh

Engine would stall out while driving. would be no warning. was making weird noises. took to mechanic & was informed that engine was too big for vehicle. part of the engine was sticking out or overlapping. it would need to be replaced.*ak

While driving at 35 mph hit another vehicle tha tpulled out in front of consumer. consumer hit the back of the other vehicle. upon impact, none of the airbags deployed.*ak

Vehicle moves while foot is on the brake. consumer tries to brake, and foot goes almost to the floor.*ak

Consumers vehicle was struck from behind & knocked into vehicle in front. hood & headlights had to be replaced. 29-aug-2000, another vehicle struck consumer's vehicle from the side, and airbags didn't deploy. consumer spoke with different dealers & got the run around. consumers was very concerned if it was defective.*ak

Horn will go off without any one touching it. also, consumer was having a problem with stereo. *ak

Cranshaft pulley broke, and then crankshaft pulley slid. consumer lost power steering, and there was a loud noise. *ak

While traveling at 50 to 55 mph vehicle hit a tree head-on, and neither air bag deployed. ford has not been contacted. *ak

While driving 40-45mph had frontal impact, and driver's/ passenger's airbags did not deploy, which did not protect the occupants in this crash. no prior problem with the airbag system. *ak *ml

Due to a defective balancer that came apart through the serpertine belt, engine head gasket to blew out, causing vehicle to, stall unexpectly which may have resulted in a crash. *ak

Consumer was driving about 55 mph and another vehicle backed out of driveway, causing consumer to hit the other vehicle in the rear. upon impact, air bags did not deploy. consumer was injured. *ak

While driving down the road could feel tire bumpiing. then, consumer smelled rubber burning. took to firestone, and they said that set of the camper was wrong and has to be removed. consumer said right rear tire on the inside looks like someone. took a knive and tried to cut a hole in tire off the wheel.*ak

Fuel guage fails to register the correct amount of fuel. also, transmission would jump/jerk forward if placed into gear. whenever the brakes are applied, the transmission would jerk. rear passenger door cannot be open from the inside. took to dealer & had transmission replaced. mechanic indicated nothing was wrong.*ak

Vehicle was involved in a frontal collision. upon impact, airbags did not deploy, resulting in minor injuries. manufacturer has been notified.*ak

At 40000 miles bolt that held the crankshaft became loose without a warning. a technician indicated there was a recall on this problem. *ak

While driving at approximately 45 mph in wet conditions driver lost control of vehicle and ran into a tree head on ,did not have enough time to apply brakes , dual airbags did not deploy, causing head injuries. *ak

Consumer has car to dealer 6 times for a loose airbag, consumer says it jiggles a lot when driving down the street because the panel that airbag is in is very loose. consumer feels this is very unsafe for passengers.*ak

Intermittently the vehicle vibrates excessively, resulting in several minor problems. consumer has notified the manufacturer. *ak

Consumer took vehicle to dealer to have it checked. dealer discovered that steering/ brakes squeaked. *ak

When vehicle rear ended a suv while traveling at 45 mph, there was no deployment of driver's side or passenger's side air bags. please provide any further information. *ak

Trunk did not stay open. it has fallen on consumer, causing head injuries. dealer has not seen vehicle. *ak

While traveling at 69mph hood attempted to pop & was caught by a secondary latch. consumer was unable to close latch, and it would not release by pulling cable. but could pull it up by hand. dealer will repair hood at consumer's cost & deductible. *ak

While driving throttle remained open and was stuck. ended up hitting another vehicle. also hit a tree & a pole. tried to shift into neutral & vehicle failed to slow down or stop. finally shut vehicle off. sometime later, restarted vehicle & it was still running at full throttle. have not taken to dealership. *ak

This vehicle was in a rear end accident were the driver's seat became totally disconnected from vehicle. driver of the vehicle died. vehicle was traveling at 70 mph and was struck from the rear. manufacturer has not been contacted. *ak *ml

When trying to use the horn it won't work, but sometimes it would work by itself. *ak

While driving about 65 mph vehicle started wandering from side to side on the road and vibrate from rear to front. *ak

While driving tansmission disengages.the dealer is aware of the this problem. please provide any futher information. *ak

While driving at 45 mph hit another vehicle head-on,and driver's side and passenger's side air bags didn't deploy. driver sustained injuries. *ak

While driving driver's side air bag deployed, but not high enough. driver sustained severe head injuries by going through the windshield. however,air bag on passenger side deployed fully, and passenger sustained less severe injuries. *ak

Consumer was driving on the freeway., she attempted to change lanes and applied brakes, pedal went down to the floor, and the vechicle swerved into traffic and hit another vehicle. no injuries reported. *ak

While vehicle was parked in an uphill position with emergency brake on, vehicle rolled down the hill and hit a tree. *ak

Vechicle was parked on a hill in an incline position and emergency brake was in a upright position, vechicle rolled down the hill and hit a tree. *ak

On highway under snowy and icy conditions consumer tried to turn on the windshield wipers, and they would not turn on. consumer felt this was very unsafe. *ak

When the airbags deployed the sensor flew out, hitting and injuring the driver. the manufacturer will be notified. *ak

Leased vehicle: while vehicle was inspected by an independent repairs shop. mechanic informed consumer thate driveshaft bushing was deteriorating and needed to be replaced.also, dealer replaced power steering rack bushing *ak

Steering column coupling malfunctioned, causing loss of control. *ak

Ongoing p[roblem with exhaust smell coming into vehicle when heater/defogger are turned on. dealer / manufaxcturer notified. *ak

Consumer was driving high speed between 60 to 65mph and another vechicle jumped in front of him. consumer made a sudden stop to avoid hitting vehicle. he swerved and flipped over three times. upon impact, airbag didn't deploy. consumer sustained injuries, suffered a broken leg/ arm and pelvic bone. was taken to hospital.

While driving at 35 mph rear ended another vehicle, and another vehicle rear ended the consumer's vehicle. upon impact, driver's side and passenger's side air bags didn't deploy. *ak

The transmission fails to shift into gear. would be making loud noises. vehicle was not drivable. the engine had blown. was running on 2 cylinders (25 aug 99). had vehicle towed to dealer. the mechanic & was informed transmission needed to be replaced. would need to order a engine. so far no engine.

While driving & then applying brakes, would hear a knocking noise. been to dealership & mechanic replaced calipers. currently when applying brakes they would stick & make grinding noises when traveling between 30-55mph. then after a while noise would stop. taking vehicle back again to dealership to have mechanic check. *ak

While going east a car going west decided to make a left hand turn, consumer hit next driver on passenger's side head-on. upon impact, airbags did not deploy. *ak

While traveling 35 mph consumer hit a hall, air bag did not deploy, it became hot, causing unjuries. please provide further information. *ak

When applying the brakes in wet conditions vehicle slides into the lane beside it, left or right. dealer has not seen vehicle. *ak

Vehicle would accelerate. would start revving at stop light/sign. manua clutch makes noise. speed not a factor. the brakes would jerk & jiggle when applied. had rattle in right front after repairs. was informed that was normal. *ak

The motor seized up while at a stop . the dealer is repairing the vehicle. *ak

When applying brakes right front wheel grinds. this happens under any kind of braking situation. brake pads and shoes have been replaced and rotors turned. this helped to correct the problem for about 500 miles, and then problem started over again. this is the fourth time the vehicle will be serviced for the same problem. *ak

Intermittently transmission slips out of gear, causing the vehicle to stall. the dealer repaired the vehicle prior to this incident. *ak

When driving driver's side air bag light comes on and won't go off. consumer states that this is a safety defect. *ak

Consumer hears a loud noise everytime she starts the vehicle. dealer cannot find the cause. *ak

Nuts that hold clamps which hold power steering unit have come off, causing power steering to become loose, and would not return back to the center. *ak

While driving vehicle hesitated/revved, and finally accelerated, almost causing a rear end collision. dealer could determine problem. please provide further information. *ak

Automatic transmission will not downshift to change gears once it has warmed up a bit. has taken vehicle to dealer & it was test driven for over a week. mechanic could not find cause of non downshifting. *ak

Brakes do not operate properly, resulting in extended stopping distance. dealer contacted, and cannot remedy problem. problem still exists. provide further information. *ak

While driving about 30mph vehicle was involved in a head-on collision, and airbags did not deploy. the dealer and manufacturer will be notified. *ak

Blower may be sucking things up into the vehicle. dealer contacted, and cannot remedy the problem. consumer thinks fire may be started if things are trapped into the compressor. problem still exists. *ak

The vehicles that are equipped with the refueling vapor recovery system malfunctioned, causing fuel spillage while fueling which may cause a fire. manufacturer is aware of the problem, but states it is the gas station filler which is "too heavy". *ak.et.

Consumer was in an accident and the air bag did not deploy.

While driving at a steady speed of 65 mph the windows vibrate. dealer is aware of the problem and has tried to correct this problem 4 times. consumer is still experiencing the problem. please provide any further details. *ak

Consumer was in an accident and the air bag did not deploy. *ak

In two frontal impact the driver and passenger airbag did not deploy which did not protect the occupant in the crashes. dlr cannot determine the problem. please provide further information and vin#.

Passenger's side upper control arm broke while driving, and caused a loss o control and a crash. dealer cannot determine the problem. please provide further information and vin#. *ak

While at a stop vehicle stalls which may cause an accident. also, has a no start condition. please provide further information and vin#. *ak

While driving 35 mph braking system malfunctioned, causing no braking ability which resulted in a frontal collision with a cadillac. upon impact, driver's and passenger's air bags did not deploy properly. there was "no air in the bags" which caused injuries to driver. please provide further information and vin# *ak

Vehicle was involved in an accident. vehicle spinned out of control, hitting another vehicle by the passenger's side right rear wheel. before the impact, consumer noticed speed of 50 mph. driver's side seat belt failed to lock in place, and air bags failed to deploy. manufacturer. notified. *ak

The engine on the vehicle started smoking because of a loss of oil in the vehicle. dealer is in the prcess of replacing engine. *ak

Consumer has a 5 speed transmission and while the vehicle is parked, it slips out of gear, causeing the vehicle to crash into another parked vehicle. dealer has been contacted. *ak

Consumer experiencing on going problem with vehicle vibration. whenever vehicle is running it would vibrate. been in/out dealer shop and condition still unresolved. *ak

Abs brake failure. dealer notified , and informed consumer that vehicle was not covered under bumper to bumper warranty. consumer believes that it is not normal for brakes to wear out at 25000 miles of wear. consumer needs help in this matter. *ak

Consumer experiencing ongoing problem with vehicle inttermittently popping noise which appears to be coming from the steering column. when making a turn it appears to be coming from the frame. vehicle been in/out of dealer shop on five occasions, and was informed cause cannot be found/duplicated/or if problem get worth, bring the vehicle back in. *ak

Consumer complained of ongoing problem with vehicle not starting. vehicle been in/out dealer shop on six occasions. vehicle was inspected & parts replacement made, but problem is still occurring. *ak

While driving vehicle at various speeds or turning, the steering wheel would lock up without any warning. would have no control of vehicle. when steering wheel locks up, vehicle would go into a slide. can turn vehicle off & restart it & steering wheel would work just fine. has taken to dealer & was informed that the rack & pinion needed to be replaced. called the manufacturer & nothing was done. claims imagination. this has happened at least 4 different times so far. a very dangerous situation. *ak

Driving at approximately 50 mph consumer hit a vehicle head-on, dual airbags did not deploy, causing head and neck injuries. *ak

While in an accident the air bag's did not deploy, resulting injury to the consumer. please provide further details. *ak

While driving south about 35-40mph, another vehicle turned the corner, heading north & speeding, drifted into escort's lane. escort driver applied brakes to avoid vehicle, & vehicle pulled left. it skidded across the road & hit a pole. abs did not work. right brakes had disintergrated. air bags did not deploy, but seat belt held. driver has bruised knee. vehicle totaled by insurance co.

Vehicle rearended another vehicle at a speed of 40mph when the airbags deployed, the driver's side airbag had melted to the inside of the steering wheel, causing the airbag to not completely inflate. dealer has vehicle currently. *ak

The defective fuel control valve malfunctioned, causing fuel leakage and fuel smell which may cause a fire. dealer repl.aced valve twice. problem is still occurring. dealer cannot determine problem. *ak

In a 35mph, direct frontal impact, the driver's and passenger's airbags did not deploy which did not protect the occupant in the accident. no prior problems. dealer cannot determine problem. *ak

Backing out of driveway and looking in the mirror to see if any one was coming, all of a sudden vehicle flew forward and hit fence. then wheels turned to the right, missing the telepole. vehicle ended up hitting trees and stopped. air bag did not deploy. had seat belt on. *ak

The vehicle is equipped with the rear defroster, but the rear defroster is inoperable which causes visual problems in the rear, may result in an accident. dealer cannot determine problem. *ak consumer stated there is a knock when starting the vehicle, and driving at 60 mph, also engine is consuming 4 quarts of oil, also vehicle overheated.*jb

Consumer experiencing brake failure. intermittently brakes would squeak or grind. when applying brake pedal the vehicle would either keep going or have a delay before stopping. vehicle been in/out dealer shop and problem cannot be resolved. *ak

While driving the car just lost power, the engine went to idle and would not respond to throttle. when driver turned off the key it worked fine. about one month later, when starting the vehicle the engine would not accelerate when pushing on the accelerator pedal. the vehicle just idled. consumer experienced a similar problem last week. the vehcle was taken to dealership, and the computer module was reprogrammed. *ak

Vehicle was in a frontal impact with another vehicle, the speed was 5-10 mph when leaving a parking lot and crossing the highway. dealer and manufacturer were contacted. *ak

Owner tall; headrest does not come up to meet head, reaches neck area only. *ak

When wife was driving vehicle and was at stop sign, another vehicle in front collided with consumer's vehicle. air bags did not deploy. consumer added that the other vehicle was driven about 35 mph and air bags did deploy. dealer and manufacturer were contacted. *ak

While turning at 15 to 20 mph vehicle was struck at a 45 degree angle on passenger's side, there was no deployment of driver's or passegers side airbags. also driver's side seat belt failed to restrain occupant. *ak

Driving about 25mph on the highway and a truck in front of the vehicle made a sudden stop and the vehicle hit the back of the truck. the airbag didn't deploy. heavy damage was done to the front of the vehicle. *ak

During rear impact at 20 mph, the driver's side seat frame broke, causing seat to go off seat track. please provide further details. *ak

When pulling out from a stop, vehicle may lose power. *ak consumer states transmission slips without warning when pulling from a stop, almost caused an accident on 4 occasions, dealer can not find a remedy for the problem. *slc

Transmission slips in & out of gear whenever vehicle is at a dead stop or when vehicle's ready to take off. took to dealer twice because of problem, but mechanic was unable to repair it. *ak

Consumer states that while driving about 40 mph vehicle was involved in a frontal collision and the passenger's side airbag did not deploy. the dealer and manufacturer have been notified. *ak

While driving on a straight road, vehicle veered to right, lost contro, overcorrected and hit guardrail on the left side of the road. vehicle became airborn and flew 60 feet over a creek. 2 passengers sustained injures, and vehicle was totalled.

While driving consumer heard a snapping noise, and lost complete control of brakes and landed in a ditch, and suffered only minor injuries, consumer was informed by dealer that a bolt never snaps from the booster in that way, futhermore the delaer states that the part is not available in the u.s. and a new one would have to be made.*jb

Consumer states vehicle will not shift properly, it often revs at high rpm and does not return to a normal rpm unless vehicle comes to a complete stop, possible transmission problems.*jb

Consumer states vehicle often hesitates at low speed, and on occassions will stall, possible engine problems.*jb

Vehicle has been in for service 5 times for transmission, still lurches in first, has heavy sideways vibration until vehicle hits highway speeds. have been charged for repair while under warranty from first repair, ford motor company did not provide assistance. dt

Vehicle involved in two serious collision and driver did not suffer any serious injuries.

The fuel pump was replaced 20,000 miles ago; dealer will not honor warranty. dt

No summary. dt

My escort's rotors get hot and out of round, consequently i need my third brake job in 26000 miles. *ak

The fuel pump initially failed within 30 days of the expiration of the warranty on the car. the fuel pump was replaced by kip killmon's tysons ford in tysons corner, va in july 2001. in january 2002 the fuel pump again failed, and the same dealership replaced the fuel pump for a second time. fortunately, the failure did not occur while i was driving the car, but resulted in the car failing to start. had the pump failed while the vehicle was in operation, i might not have been so lucky. the fact that the same problem occurred within 6 months on the same well-maintained car with low mileage, indicates to me that this may be a manufacturing problem with the part and/or the car. ford had no interest in addressing my concerns when this problem was brought to their attention.*ak

Vehicle had transmission repaired in august of 2001. soon thereafter, it started to have difficulties with shifts. now, the vehicle grinds going into 5th gear / refuse to go into 5th and will actually force itself out of 5th gear while at highway speeds, which is obviously unsafe trying to merge onto / drive on dc highways. took it to a dealer on may 30th, who said they could not recreate the problem. took vehicle to same dealer on july 5th, rode with shop manager who recreated the problem but was told it would be at least 2 weeks for repair. took vehicle to another dealer, who had it all week, repaired some component, but problem resurfaced on trip home from dealership. contacted dealer, who suggested that i could drive a vehicle in this condition on the highway for the next two weeks, then bring it in. i am teaching in another state for the next two weeks, so i am in an urgent need of a functional vehicle.*ak

Choosing child safety seat on the menu brought me to this form...anyway, child safety seats that do not have a means to adjust the straps without removing the safety seat from the vehicle are unsafe. many parents will just put their child in thinking the seat is safely installed and they don't realize that proper strap adjustment is a major part of the child's safety. i recommend a recall on all seats that don't have an adjustment lever at the front of the seat. this time of year is especially dangerous, when the weather one day will require a winter coat and the weather the next is summer like. an example of an unsafe seat is the cosco ventura. an example of a safe seat is the century brevvera.*ak

This vehicle was involved in a 35 mph collision with another vehicle of similar size and sustained massive front end damage however neither airbag in this vehicle deployed.*ak

Horn blows continuously with vehicle parked. must remove fuse to turn off horn.*ak

When you try to use the washer fluid it leaks on the hood of the car causing the hood to become discolored from the windsheild washer fluid. also whenever you are at a stop the car starts to shake, they ford say that it is from the engine mounts and that it is not hazardous so they will not do anything about. last their is problems with the transmision, whenever you are moving slow or in a stop position and start to move the car jerks really bad. it makes you feel like someone ran into you or that you ran something over. i have reported this to the company, but they can't do nothing about. i have heard other people with the ecaxt same car have the exact same problems

Dealer was unable to diagnose vehicle problem of high pitch whining sound that developed after the engine warmed up to normal operating temperature. in my observations i noted that the engine was not circulating the engine oil properly. when pulling out the oil dipstick it was apparent that a vacuum problem existed in the engine. also when taking off the oil filler cap a vacuum sound was detected. finally i removed the part at the top rear of the engine which is connected with hoses to the air filter housing. i immediately noted that the engine started to run smoother and after driving the vehicle for 2 hrs no noise was detected from the engine. it is obvious that the vacuum caused by the defective filter did not allow the engine to be properly circulated in the engine. the vehicle ran hot and the coolant had to be topped off. i feel the defective filter has caused engine damage. i took the part #f8cz-6a768-ab to the local ford dealership parts dept and have ordered a replacement. my complaint is that ford and their dealerships could not diagnose a problem that could lead to complete engine failure due to overheating.*ak

When ever you use a turn signal or bright lights which are all built into the same arm will cause the lights to go out. i was lucky that i was on a lonely road at 3:00 am with my teen daughter when they went out for the 1st time. as i have 4 children and 2 parents to care for with a full time job and was away from home at the time to help my daughter. i was unable to get this taken care of until oct, 2001. i called in september and was unable to reach anyone until 10-3-2001. i feel that this is a defective thing as i have talked to other people that have had problems in the office with the ford electrical. i am very concerned as all the dash lights go out as well as the head lights. as you do not have any warning that there is a problem until you are in the dark. in a moving vechical. i have not been able to drive this car in bad weather or at night do to this. if i hit a bump in the road it would knock the out too. as i was going back roads to get to my parents home to get my dad to the hospital i had no choice but to go on and i did not know what was happening. nor was there anyone that i could call if i need to as there was not anything around.

When filling gas tank, fuel pump stops constantly and then spills fuel on the ground. *ak

Car stalls while accelarating from low speed -0-5mph, car has stalled while on 605 freeway while traveling at low speed, starts after waiting about 20 min. have reported to servic dept. cannot find anything wrong.*ak

Harmonic balancer separated/broke causing serpentine and timing belts to malfunction.no previous problems with vehicle and luckily it occurred while vehicle parked with engine running.original warranty "expired" less than 2 months prior.understand now that this is a common problem from mechanics and the nhtsa website.

The car is constantly shaking, once you put the gearshift in drive. car was checked and reviewed by mechanic through the computer.the tps was replaced. the motor support rubbers are ok. went to ford dealer and they do not find how to fix the problem.this continuous shaking movement is really annoying.

Dampner pulley came apart from crankshaft. inside wall of vehicle was the only thing keeping it from falling out onto the ground. i notified ford company that a 3 year old vehicle should not have parts falling off. they informed me that there was nothing they could do since the warranty had ran out. i am very unhappy with the attitude they have towards their customers. *ak

Wires that power fuel pump short across each other. this pump and wiring is in the fuel tank. car is being repair outside of a ford dealership so ford does not seem to be concerned. dealer was shown the defective part and was concerned but regional service rep did not care to even see part. called customer assistance but they were not intrested. *ak

Tire t301887-gcw-74m8ms - tire blowout at 65 mph. *ak (dot number: mkmf bewr tiresize: p185/60r15)

Because crankshaft dampner is defective serpentine belt was worn out and replaced. when it was worn out again in only 5000 miles the problem with the crankshaft dampner was found.*ak

I was rear-ended by a moving truck (like a ryder truck) who was traveling at approximately 50 mph when he hit me. i was almost at a complete stop. the problem that i am asking about, because i want to know if there have been any other problems like this reported, is that my seat, the driver's seat, broke and twisted on impact. after the impact the seat was left bent backwards and twisted to the right consistent with my injuries. i guess what i really want to know is, should the seat have done that at that impact speed with a woman sitting in the seat that is 5' 5" and weight 140 lbs? i don't know if you can answer my question or if this is even the right place to ask but i just thought that i would try. thanks for any help that you can give me.*ak

My son was involved in an accident in which another vehicle hit his vehicle on the passenger side while he was making a left turn. my son's car spun 90 degrees and landed on the side of an embankment. the car did not flip and landed right side up. both airbags deployed. my son noticed smoke coming from the right side of the vehicle. luckily, he was not knocked unconsious and was able to get out of the car quickly. within less than 5 minutes, he noticed flames coming from the floorboard on the passenger side. the car was totally engulfed in flames within 10-15 minutes. if this accident had happened on a remote road and my son would of been injured more seriously, and not been able to get out of his car, and would have burned to death. i don't know what caused the car to start on fire. even the insurance adjuster said the car shouldn't have started on fire.*ak

Fuel pump fails even after replacement but they say no problem know of other failures on at least 3 auto in our area alone. *ak

Air vaccume control

Entered expressway and throttle linkage stuck open. got vehicle slowed from upwards to 75 mph by smashing brakes and slowed enough to exit. was not able to slow down to a stop so turned right on exited street and once straightened out, while still moving at approx. 30mph, shifted in neutral, letting the motor race uncontrollably while vehicle was brought to a stop. at that time lever was put into park and motor turned off. driver shaken up and vehicle motor may be compromised due to stuck accelerator over-revving. looked for a recall for model type for stuck throttle linkage-none for escort but there is one for ford like model, the contour, recall # 99v194000. escort was built in 3/1998 which falls under time of recall for other ford product.*ak

I live in burlington ontario canada, yet felt that this issue needed to be addressed beyond contacting the ministry of transportation in canada, (of which i am in the process of doing). i belong to a large group of escort zx2 owners who are on the second and even 3rd transmission! this model was first introduced in 1998(the year of my car) and should not have had so many problems with our transmissions. it is extremely weak and has frequent mis-syncing shifts. i feel this is not only a safety issue, yet one that deserves immediate attention. please have ford do a study on this transmission and come up with some sort of "fix" as the present is unacceptable. i have gone through every other channel of which i could in canada and am now coming to you. please help.*ak

Engine vibrates, and has a high idle. engine runs rough and shakes. engine surges and hesitates. car stalls. i have had the vehicle in for this same repair several times since the purchase of it. the mechanics have replaced spark plugs, fuel guage, fuel filter, valve idle air control, vapor management, motor mounts. the dearlership in hillsborough replaced a cable something (the service manger quit and a ticket was not found for this repair.) the vehicle continues to have same problem without being totally fixed. the last time i brought the car in for stalling, the repair was done, but the next morning the car continued to stall. as of this date, i am taking the car in for the same problem again. please note: in reviewing the information after submittting i noticed that in # of failures passenger air bag deployed 8 times with the date of 7/24/98. this is incorrect, car was not in an accident and air bags were not used.*ak

Car "totaled" in rear-end wreck. passenger seatback collapsed when hit from rear, hard contact with 3-point seat belts when thrown forward when car crashed into vehicle stopped in front. got ride to hospital in ambulance! driver side seat back did not collapse, driver okay.

The air bags did not deploy at the point of impact. front end collision

The engine mounts were apparently weakened and allowed the engine to vibrate excessively, beginning at the time of vehicle purchase and continuing, growing worse, through april 2000, when i had the parts replaced under warranty; i was told that there is a tsb involving them but no recall and no public notice... this could potentially be dangerous if the weakened mounts break! my problem has been solved but i would like to have had some warning from ford or nhtsa that this might occur.

No summary

No summary

While driving home from work a grinding ticking noise was heard from the engine compartment. the noise became louder and more constant the closer i got to home. when i got home i opened the hood to investigate and discovered that the outside portion of the crankshaft vibration dampner pulley had slid out and was rubbing on the inner fender well. the serpentine belt was destroyed from not being centered on the tensioner pulley and rubbing on the fender well. i am going to call the dealer tomorrow to report this and see if they will fix it. i just thought you might want to know about this. thank you.

Brakes made 'clicking' noise when changing directions, fixed in december, and again in june. i don't think this is right! 2nd prob - when turning right, there is a 'click'. was informed by servicer that they were advised not to fix it per ford motor co. *ak

Air conditioner leaked into passenger compartment and made loud noise. learned that vehicle ingests leaves and other matter into the air conditioning system. fix made and carpet liner replaced, but problem recurred. dealer cheerfully and completely repaired each time, but i was counselled to not allow leaves to fall onto vehicle as they are ingested. apparent design defect. *ak

Front end pops. dealer says they can't hear and if they do hear it nothing wrong. my whole family can hear it all the time. now what do i do?*ak

Ac drainer area somehow clogged and would not drain properly. was draining inside cabin causing musty odor and wet carpet. dealership said not a common problem, not covered by extended warranty since no actual failure, had to remove ac motor, drain and reinstall, align and seal. this seems like a design defect. ac should not suck up debris like it does causing clogs. *ak

The battery failed without any warning on the dash. the car was jump started and ran for another 40minutes before the car died again in traffic. i was able to push the car off the three lane highway onto to the shoulder. i received another jump start to the battery with a battery pack connected to the car battery terminals which enabled me to exit the highway. immediately upon removal of the battery pack ,the car died again. i was towed to a safe location. the following day i installed a new battery and the car started immediately and continued to run after removing the postive cable connedted to the car's battery. a co-worker informed me today he regularly had to replace the battery on his escort about every two years. he also had no prior warning of imminent battery failure. this is a dangerous condition. *ak

All the transmission fluid leaked out after driving car for 2 days. dealership insisted only lose clamp, trans ok. on 4/30/00 began having trouble with 1st gear. had to have complete overhaul of transmission. *ak

Radio and cd failure. unclear radio signal and no cd playing capability. *ak

Since the date of purchase of my ford escort sedan, i have taken it to the dealer to check and inspect the vibration sound of the vehicle in which is very annoying especially when driving, i feel the vibration in the gas pedal at any given speed. secondly the steering wheel squeaks when turning it to the right or the left, especially after turning on the vehicle and while driving and making a left and right turn. i checked the power steering fluid and is at the normal level. thirdly, i change my oil every 3000 miles and have notice twice that the motor burns up almost a quart of oil every 3000 miles, i've taken it to the dealer and they say that the vehicle take 5 quarts of oil. the vehicle only has 4 cylinder, so it should take 4 quarts. however, they tell me to check again. i have a ford escort wagon 1982, and i never had the problems that this ford escort 1998 is having. please advice me what to do and send me any information on recall for this type of vehicle ford escort sedan, 4 doors white, vin number [xxx] . semper fi. [xxx] usmc retired. *ak information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Vehicle started, engine rattled upon acceleration at all speeds at 2300 miles. after numerous failed repair attempts by dealer,i sent complaint to fords dsb board.working throgh arbitration vehicle looked at by engineer.they replaced pcm.problem got worse,along with new problems,lack of power,hard start,transmission hesitaing.then they replaced fuel pump,didnt help, then ignition switch, didnt help,then mass air flow sensor and air filter, didnt help.finally vehicle started stalling while driving, during acc. towed back to shop, ford had it six weeks this time replaced pcm two more times.i have vehicle back,still problem with transmission hesitating.vehicle in shop eight times for same or related problems and totalling almost three months in shop. still in arbitration, consdering closing case and taking to dsb. personally. *ak

Poor pickup, poor interstate onramp speed, rough idle. *ak

Brief summary of defective safety gear: 09/26/98 this vehicle was traveling 35-40mph and rear-ended a truck, neither air-bag deployed. now, 9/17/99, atruck traveling 35-40mph rear-ended this vehicle causing about a 20mph smash to the vehicle in front and again, no air bag deployment and the fuel pump cut-off switch failed to function. this time however, the driver of this vehicle received double the whip-lash effect that could have been kept to the single inflictrd in a rear-end collision involving only two vehicles. a needless neck injury has been suffered this time and i feel that if the air-bags were deployed, the elimination of the forward whip would not have been a factor of the neck injury.

Air conditioner leaks on the foot of the driver. it has leaked to the point that it has gave the carpet a musty smell and it (the carpet) has water damage. i have reported it to the dealer twice and they have not properly fixed the problem. now it has to be taken in again for the exact same problem.

When putting on brakes and when going forward a loud poping noise can be heard. *ak

Engine timing gear chain drops off when in third gear at 3300 rpm's. dozen visits, no reason found as to why. *ak

In a crash, i was hit by a car going approx. 40 mph, the airbags did not deploy. however, for 4 days following the accident there was an overwhelming odor of propellant in the car. this odor brought on a severe asthma attack for me. also, the car hesitates and loses power when the air conditioning compressor kicks in. the car loses power enough so that it slows itself down when traveling on the highway. also it is very alarming when it kicks on when accelerating from a stop sign or stoplight. the hesitency and power loss causes great concern for the welfare of the car. *ak

No summary listed for this vehicle. *ak

I have been in the service center 3 times for this vibration and 1 special service bulletin.i was also told by the service manager after having my iat sensor replaced in my transmisson and he told me sometimes their service technicians replace parts that. *ak

Smell comes from a/c-heater vents when either one is turned on. makes passenger nauseous. .was told by my 2 yr. old to turn off, making him feel sick. reported to dealer. twice. no problem found. 97/98 cougar same problems as reported by friend. *ak

When you try to stop the car take long time to stop,water leak from windsheld,trunk,front end left side make loud noise,car make nocking noise,when hit speed bumb stario change on it's owne to tape,front driver door leak& more.

The driver and passneger side windows vibrate, as well as the glove compartment. to stop rattling you must gently push on one of these 3 things. other undistinguishable vibrations are heard from within the car. *ak

Brakes grinding and glazing constantly , taking longer to get stopped, other times it grips to hard, when i take it in they delaze them, and tell me it is normal, i've taken it in twice in dec for problem so far, taking back again friday. i'm afraid it's going to cause an accident if i have to make a quick stop. was fine for the first 5 months, but they insit it is normal.

When i took car in was first told it was the calipers and that it was normal, took it back and i was told they were to busy to look at it but it was safe to drive, the starter had to go out before they would check it out, turned out to be a loose axel bolt and they had to replace the whole front axel.

Car did not stop when brakes were applied. brake pedal traveled very close to floor before feeling slowing was first felt.

I was driving the car on july 15th and stopped at the red light before crossing the tracks and when the light turned green i attempted to go forward and the car would not go forward. i flagged the people behind me to back up and i couldn't go backwards. i panicked because it was early morning rush hour and my 5 year old daughter was with me but after a couple of minutes the car slowly went forward. i called service and made the appointment to take the car in on july 22 which was the earliest they could get me in. on the morning i went to take the car in i was driving down the street at 30 miles per hour and the car started to slow down and i looked at the dashboard and realized that the indicator lights were all on. fortunately i was able to pull over and had my fiance' with me. i took the car in and needless to say it took two weeks to get a replacement transmission which they said would be brand new and on the receipt it says reman transmission and that there was also a leak at the emv valve which the

Horn failed. *tt

Rear door on drivers side would not open from inside. yh

Fuel tank pressure sensor failed.

Radiator leaking. *yc

Window sill failed. *yc

Engine idle remains at high rpm's while changine gears. mjs

Fuel gauge failed.

Customer is not happy with the interior system : map light, both driver and passanger side mirror in visor and rear door hatch light are all missing in this model year. yh

Customer is not happy with the structure, there is no hood light on this model. yh

Door will not open from the inside of the vehicle. nlm

Engine sensor failed. yh

Driver's side door failed. nlm

Transmission mounts broke, causing transmission problems. nlm

Fuel pump failed. yh

Seatbelt will not retract from the door. *yc

Heating system failed due to failure of cable connecting dial to control panel. yh

Air conditoning system malfunction.

Brake rotors are damaged. yh

Brakes discs worn out. yh

Engine timing is missing, slight hesitation. mgm

Cover of the seat adjustment failed. mgm

Power windows failed. *yc

Wiper control too near steering wheel due to design.

While in motion, the vehicle suddenly stopped in the middle of the road. the mechanic informed consumer that the ignition module had caused a surge of electrical power that impacted the alternator and caused the vehicle to stop. consumer is requesting reimbursement of monies paid. *jg

The sealing lines on the lower outside of the windshield on the vehicle is being pulled apart by the humidity and heat. *tt *scc

The vehicle was experiencing transmission failure. it would only move in reverse and would slip in all gears. it has been determined that transmission failure is due to modification consumer made to protect the transmission when in tow. warranty repair is denied by the dealer. *jg

The ignition key and lock were extremely hot to touch when consumer went to turn the engine off, vehicle was taken to dealership and they could not explain what may have caused the problem, consumer was informed that there were no recalls.*jb

Vehicle suddenly stalled and would not restart, vehicle was towed, and consumer was then informed that the alternator and battery were inoperative and it appeared that they were hit by a surge of electrical power. jb

Consumer states vehicle has been experiencing suspension problems including the knuckle. *jb

Consumer states vehicle has been experiencing problems with cv joints. *jb

Consumer states vehicle has been experiencing brake problems. *jb

Vehicle vibrates terribly at stops signs, consumer was advised by mechanic that ford is aware that this is a known problem,which is called "poor idle quality" and that a recall would probably go out soon to remedy the problem, consumer still has not received any recall notification and the vibation is intolerable and very loud. *jb

The fuel nozzle turns off several times while pumping gas, when tank is full, gas keeps pumping and gas comes out on the car and on the ground. *slc

Tires (no make or size) will not hold air adequately, consumer adds air about once a week, tire pressure is as low as 20. *slc

The vehicle seens to be shaking, vibrating, stalling and high idle in the engine. nlm

Wheel bearing failed causing the wheel to shake and smoke poor out of it, consumer also heard shreaking sound. *slc

Vehicle experienced a motor mount problem which caused the vehicle to vibrate, the dealer was unable to remedy the problem after several attempts, so the consumer was rolled into another vehicle where a great deal of money was lost. *slc

Transmission failed prematurely. nlm

Abs locked up resulting in vehicle collision. yh

During collision no deployment of driver's side air bag resulted in injury to consumers face when hitting the windshield and mirror. mjs

Vehicle hesitates consistently during acceleration and sometimes spark-knock and surge causing the vehicle to lose forward momentum. nlm

No deployment of air bag, and shut off valve failed during accident resulting in headaches from hitting head on mirror, neckaches and upper back problems. nlm

Manual transmission intermittent malfunction due to possible compatibilty problems in association with motor. *yc

Brakes pull to the left when engaging. *yc

The fuel pump / fuel pressure regulator was replaced, due to poor mileage. *yc

Rough idle in cold weather. spark plugs replaced to eliminate failure. *yc

Wiper blades do not work, causing poor visibility in rainy weather. *yc

Transmission shifts hard. *yc

Radio does not work.

Poor design of exterior rear view mirrors causes the driver to adjust mirrors with hands.

The bolt to put license tags on the car were not proper fit. yh

Missing jack in the car. yh

Vehicle emiting odor/fumes inside car as well as outside causing passenger to feel sick and one to passout.

Air conditioning system leaks continually into vehicle.

Wiring assembly failed.

Transmission failed causing vehicle to stall.

No deployment of airbags caused injury (neck & back) to driver during vehicle collision.

Electrical system failed causing blinkers, horn and head lights not function properly.

No deployment of airbags in two accidents. qcaw

When in a parking lot vehicle hesitated when the accelerator was pressed. also, at a stop sign the vehicle hesitated when the accelerator was pressed. the vehicle is very hard to start on cold mornings dueto electronic control module failure.

No summary

No deployment of driver's air bag during a collision. also driver's seat belt failed to lock. driver sustained injuries. entire front part of vehicle wa scrushed when vehicle hit a pole.

Air cleaner/filter and intake are located at bottom of engine. when driving through approximately six inches of water engine blew.

Steering column locked causing a vehicle collision.

While traveling on a straight portion of highway, driver heard a click sound from under the vehicle. vehicle swerved to right, driver lost control and crashed.

Water leaks under the floormats from near the firewall into the interiors.

After slowing to turn and then accelerating again, the transmission slips and the engine revs. vehicle must be put in regular drive to move. feels like vehicle is still in overdrive and it never downshifted. vehicle moves slightly if engine is reved high enough.

Vehicle rounded a turn and lost control. first it swerved to the right and then to the left, resulting in a collision and injuries. in addition, vehicle was totaled. *ak

Driving on a straight road, vehicle veered to the right, lost control, overcorrected, and hit a guardrail on left side of road, became airborn and flew 60 feet over creek. two were injured, and vehicle suffered extensive damage.

Violent deployment of air bag during collision, causing burns/neck injury.

Steering wheel locked causing loss of control due to a defective air bag.

Brakes do not function properly.

Consumer complains that the gear shift indicator does not light up at night.

Ts

Opening and closing of hatchback door has caused installation on wiring harness to fray off, causing an electrical shortage potential. *ak the rubber covering the wire harness for hatchback door was frayed and three of the top wires were exposed. this has potential for electrical shortage. *yh