Electrical System. Review the 9 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Fuel System, Gasoline. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

1 crash reports9 fire reports1 injury reports

Seats complaints

1 reports

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Mileage unknown · Feb 11, 1997

Seats

SEAT FRAME AND SLIDE RAIL SUPPORTS CRACKED. (SECOND VEHICLE FROM 514712)

NHTSA ODI #602876

Official recalls

89V170000 · Seats

Oct 13, 1989

THE FORWARD OUTBOARD PEDESTAL OF THE SEAT TRACK OF DRIVER'S SEAT MAY BE SUSCEPTIBLE TO FATIGUE FRACTURE.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: THIS COULD RESULT IN A LIMITED DEGREE OF ROCKING MOTIONOF THE DRIVERS SEAT ASSEMBLY UPON ACCELERATION OR DECELERATION, WHICH COULDCAUSE AN ACCIDENT.

Remedy: INSTALL A REINFORCEMENT ON ALL MODELS AND A NEW SEAT TRACK AS NECESSARY

89V095000 · Engine And Engine Cooling:engine

Jun 12, 1989

EXTERNAL CRACKS ABOVE THE NUMBER 3 CYLINDER (1984 MODELS) OR ROCKER ARM COVER GASKETS SPLITTING (1985 MODELS) COULD ALLOW OIL TO LEAK ONTO THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: ENGINE OIL LEAKING ONTO A HOT EXHAUST MANIFOLD COULDRESULT IN AN ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE.

Remedy: REPLACE CRACKED CYLINDER HEADS (1984 MODELS); REPLACE ROCKER ARM COVER GASKETS (1985 MODELS).

85V054000 · Vehicle Speed Control

May 1, 1985

THE THROTTLE LEVER MAY NOT RETURN TO IDLE POSITION DUE TO MISALIGNMENT OF THE AIR CONDITIONER SHUT OFF SWITCH TO THE THROTTLE LEVER PIN. CONSEQUENCE OF DEFECT: A JAMMED THROTTLE COULD RESULT IN A LOSS OF ACCELERATOR CONTROL, WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING, AND AN ACCIDENT.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Not supplied

Remedy: ADJUST SHUTOFF SWITCH AND ASSURE PROPER ALIGNMENT TO THROTTLE LEVER PIN.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

EA88038 · Rear Safety Belt Fit

Opened Aug 29, 1988 · Closed May 11, 1990

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Seat Belts:rear/other

===

DP88007 · Rear Seat Belt Compliance

Opened Jan 11, 1988 · Closed Aug 24, 1988

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Seat Belts:rear/other

REAR SEAT BELT COMPLIANCE

EA87023 · Seat Tracks

Opened Sep 24, 1987 · Closed Nov 16, 1989

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Seats

SUMMARY: A FRACTURED FRONT SEAT TRACK RECEIVED FROM AN ESCORT OWNER SHOWSTHAT METAL FATIGUE OCCURRED WHICH COULD CAUSE PARTIAL MOVEMENT OF THE SEAT.ANOTHER OWNER SENT PICTURES SHOWING FRACTURE AT THE SAME LOCATION. TENOF THE EIGHTEEN ODI COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED IN THE PAST FOUR MONTHS.MANUFACTURER INFORMATION: FORD MADE TWO SIGNIFICANT MODIFICATIONS TO THESEAT TRACK; ONE INCORPORATED A DOUBLE LATCH SYSTEM, LOCKING BOTH THE IN-BOARD AND OUTBOARD TRACK ASSEMBLIES, AND THE OTHER ADDED WEB DEPTH IN THEFRONT AND REAR OF THE SEAT TRACK.FORD PROVIDED A TOTAL OF 1,741 WARRANTY CLAIMS CONCERNING SEAT TRACKFAILURE ON THE SUBJECT VEHICLES.THEY BELIEVE THAT FRACTURE OF THE SEAT TRACK CAUSES A LIMITED ROCKINGMOTION AND IS NOT A SAFETY PROBLEM.PROPOSED ACTION: IR TO FORD SENT 10/9/87.TEST REQUEST SENT TO ETF10/21/87.

DP87032 · Window Shattering

Opened Sep 3, 1987 · Closed Apr 27, 1988

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Visibility

WINDOW SHATTERING

PE87028 · Stalling

Opened May 1, 1987 · Closed Jan 21, 1988

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Electrical System

NO SAFETY DEFECT TREND HAS BEEN DETECTED.===

PE87026 · Seat Track Failure

Opened Apr 28, 1987 · Closed Sep 24, 1987

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Seats

SUMMARY: A FRACTURED FRONT SEAT TRACK RECEIVED FROM AN ESCORT OWNER SHOWSTHAT METAL FATIGUE OCCURRED WHICH COULD CAUSE PARTIAL MOVEMENT OF THE SEAT.ANOTHER OWNER SENT PICTURES SHOWING FRACTURE AT THE SAME LOCATION. TENOF THE EIGHTEEN ODI COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED IN THE PAST FOUR MONTHS.MANUFACTURER INFORMATION: FORD MADE TWO SIGNIFICANT MODIFICATIONS TO THESEAT TRACK; ONE INCORPORATED A DOUBLE LATCH SYSTEM, LOCKING BOTH THE IN-BOARD AND OUTBOARD TRACK ASSEMBLIES, AND THE OTHER ADDED WEB DEPTH IN THEFRONT AND REAR OF THE SEAT TRACK.FORD PROVIDED A TOTAL OF 1,741 WARRANTY CLAIMS CONCERNING SEAT TRACKFAILURE ON THE SUBJECT VEHICLES.THEY BELIEVE THAT FRACTURE OF THE SEAT TRACK CAUSES A LIMITED ROCKINGMOTION AND IS NOT A SAFETY PROBLEM.PROPOSED ACTION: CLOSE THIS PE, OPEN AN EA, AND SEND ANOTHER IR TO FORD.===

EA87005 · Fires

Opened Dec 1, 1986 · Closed Oct 31, 1989

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Engine And Engine Cooling

SUMMARY OF INFORMATION FROM MANUFACTURER:THE ALLEGED FIRES RESULT FROMA VARIETY OF CAUSES.FIRE RATE REMAINS ABOUT THE SAME DESPITE MAJORCHANGES WITH 85-1/2 MODELS.IT BELIEVES THAT THE FIRE RATE IS LESS THANINDUSTRY AVERAGE.MFGR REQUEST COPIES OF SPECIFIC FIRE REPORTS FOR TRENDANALYSIS.ANALYSIS:SEVERAL AREAS OF FIRE ORIGIN ARE MENTIONED.ENGINE FIRESALLEGEDLY CAUSED BY LEAKAGE OF FLAMMABLE FLUIDS (OIL, GAS, TRANS FLUID).CATALYTIC CONVERTERS FREQUENTLY CITED AS OVERHEATING.CERTAIN MODELSARE REPORTED AT A GREATER FREQUENCY.EXP TURBO REPORTED MOST OFTEN ON APER UNIT BASIS.STATUS: IR SENT 2/19/88. AWAITING RESPONSE.===

PE86048 · Fires

Opened Apr 23, 1986 · Closed Dec 1, 1986

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Engine And Engine Cooling

SUMMARY OF INFORMATION FROM MANUFACTURER:THE ALLEGED FIRES RESULT FROM A WIDE VARIETY OF CAUSES, WITH THE REPORTEDRATES OF FIRES FOR 1984-85 MODELS VERSUS THE 85 1/2 MODELS REMAININGAPPROXIMATELY THE SAME.THESE RATES ARE SIGNIFIGANTLY LESS THAN THEINDUSTRY AVERAGE FOR NON-COLLISION VEHICLE FIRES AS REPORTED IN THE SAEPAPER MOTOR VEHICLE NON-CRASH FIRES BY PETER COOLEY OF THE HSRI.THE HEAD GASKET WAS REVISED ON THE 1.9L 2V OR EFI ENGINES TO SERVICE OILLEAKS ON THE INTAKE MANIFOLD SIDE OF THE ENGINE.ANALYSIS:A REVIEW OF THE REPORTED INCIDENTS SHOWED 8 GROUPS OF PROBABLE CAUSATION:A)APPEARS TO BE CATALYTIC CONVERTER RELATED:~30%B)WIRING BENEATH REAR SEAT:~5%C)OIL LEAKS FROM CRACKED CYLINDER HEADS OR BLOCKS}:~5-10%D)OIL LEAKS FROM POORLY FITTED VALVE COVERS: ~5%E)ELECTRICAL FIRES IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT: ~5%F)ELECTRICAL FIRES IN INTERIOR OR UNDER DASH: ~5%G)FUEL RELATED FIRES: ~9%IN COMPARISON TO THE OTHER CLASSIFIED PROBABLE CAUSES, THE EXHAUST SYSTEMRELATED FIRES APPEAR TO BE OVERLY REPRESENTED.A CATALYTIC CONVERTERMALFUNCTION OR THE ENVIRONMENTAL UNSUITABILITY OF ADJACENT MATERIALS AREPOTENTIAL CAUSES.HOWEVER, BOTH THIS AND OTHER HYPOTHESES REQUIREFURTHER STUDY TO DETERMINE WHETHER A SAFETY DEFECT EXISTS. ALL APPEARTO NEED LAB OR FIELD TESTING.PROPOSED ACTION:UPGRADE THIS PRELIMINARY EVALUATION TO AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS.===

EA86010 · Seatback Failure

Opened Mar 26, 1986 · Closed Jul 28, 1989

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Seats

SUMMARY OF INFORMATION FROM MANUFACTURER:FORD BELIEVES THAT THE AL-LEGED DEFECT ONLY OCCURS IN A SMALL NUMBER OF THE SUBJECT VEHICLES ANDRECALLED ABOUT 195,732 1984 TEMPO/TOPAZ VEHICLES IN JUNE 1986.ANALYSIS: VEHICLES POTENTIALLY INVOLVED INCLUDE TEMPO/TOPAZ, ESCORT/LYNX/EXP, MUSTANG/CAPRI, LTD/MARQUIS, AND THUNDERBIRD/COUGAR.FORD SOLD ABOUT 110,000 REPLACEMENT MIO BOLTS, MAINLY FOR 1983 AND 1984MODELS. LOW CLAMPING FORCE APPEARS TO BE A LARGE PART OF THE PROBLEM.FORD INCREASED THE TORQUE REQUIREMENTS AND REQUIRED THE USE OF A MANUALTORQUE TOOL IN MARCH AND SEPTEMBER 1985 PRODUCTION CHANGES. 1987 MODELSWILL BE PRODUCED WITH A LONGER M10 BOLT AND A NUT TO INCREASE AND MAIN-TAIN CLAMPING FORCE. BOLTS WERE FORMERLY SELF TAPPING. REPORTS LISTEDABOVE SPECIFICALLY STATE THAT THE BOLT BROKE. NONE REFER SIMPLY TOSEAT BACK COLLAPSE ALONE.STATUS:FORD REPLY TO ODI IR DATED 2/2/87.FORD RECALLED 195,7321984 TEMPO/TOPAZ VEHICLES IN JUNE 1986 (86V-082). ANALYZING REPONSE,MONITORING CANADIAN PROGRESS. RESPONSE TO 4/6/87 LETTER TO FORDRECEIVED 7/15/87. WILL PROBABLY CLOSE AFTER CANADA COMPLETES THEIRACTIONS.===