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1989 Ford Escort

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 1989 Ford Escort do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 101.

About this comparison →
152Owner complaints

Model-year median: 101

1Recall campaigns

View recall details →

2Investigations

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

Other model years Selected year
45
198656
1987143
1988152
1989101
1990327
1991162
1992
Compare all Escort years →

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

What owners reported most

Electrical System
64Engine And Engine Cooling
22Seat Belts
19Fuel System, Gasoline
12Exterior Lighting
9
All reported categories
Vehicle Speed Control
9Power Train
8Steering
7Seats
6Service Brakes, Hydraulic
4Wheels
3Structure
2Suspension
2Unknown Or Other
2Equipment
1Latches/locks/linkages
1Parking Brake
1Visibility
1

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 5 of 152 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Electrical System. Review the 64 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 22 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Seat Belts. Review the 19 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

9 crash reports60 fire reports7 injury reports

Power Train complaints

8 reports
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Mileage unknown · Oct 20, 2000
Electrical SystemPower Train

VEHICLE STALLS ALOT, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT RAINS. OWNER HAS TO BLOW DRY DISTRIBUTOR CAP BEFORE VEHICLE WILL START AGAIN. ALSO, WHEN DEPRESSING CLUTCH PEDAL, VEHICLE STALLS. THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. CLUTCH HAS BEEN REPLACED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

NHTSA ODI #873477

Mileage unknown · Jun 27, 1997
Power TrainSteering

WHILE DRIVING HEARD LOUD NOISE, SOUNDED LIKE SOMETHING DRAGGING UNDER VEHICLE, CAUSED BY BROKEN TEETH AROUND GEAR, COULD CAUSE CRASH, AUTO REPAIR REPLACED GEARS, OUTER CV BOOT, AND TRANSMISSION FLUID. *AK

NHTSA ODI #812461

Mileage unknown · Dec 26, 1996
Power Train

VEHICLE HAD A BURNING SMELL WHEN STARTED UP, COULDN'T GET ANY SPEED, HAD CLUTCH PUT IN 18 MONTHS AGO, DEALER INDICATES SHE NEEDS A NEW CLUTCH. *AK

NHTSA ODI #806715

Mileage unknown · May 13, 1996
Power Train

ENGINE STILL RUNS WHEN KEY IS REMOVED DUE TO TRANSMISSION INTERLOCK FAILURE. *SD

NHTSA ODI #505422

Mileage unknown · Apr 30, 1996
Electrical SystemEngine And Engine CoolingParking BrakeFire

THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE DUE TO THE ALTERNATOR WHILE IN TRAFFIC. *AK CONSUMER HAD A NEW BATTERY INSTALLED, PARKING BRAKE CABLE RECONNECTED, A UNE WAS PERFORMED, WATER PUMP REPLACED, REPLACED BRAKE PADS,DISC PAD SHIMS AND ROTORS, NEW ALTERNATOR, NEW TRANSMISSION GASKET, COOLANT FAN MOTOR INSTALLED WHICH WAS REPLACED A SECOND …

Read full complaint

THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE DUE TO THE ALTERNATOR WHILE IN TRAFFIC. *AK CONSUMER HAD A NEW BATTERY INSTALLED, PARKING BRAKE CABLE RECONNECTED, A UNE WAS PERFORMED, WATER PUMP REPLACED, REPLACED BRAKE PADS,DISC PAD SHIMS AND ROTORS, NEW ALTERNATOR, NEW TRANSMISSION GASKET, COOLANT FAN MOTOR INSTALLED WHICH WAS REPLACED A SECOND TIME, INNER TIE RODS AND OUTER TIE RODS WHEEL ALIGNMENT WAS PERFORMED, EMISSION CONTROL DEVICE REPLACED, STARTER WAS REPLACED FOR THE SECOND TIME,TIMING BELT FAILED WHILE TRAVELING IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC, UNDETECTED PROBLEM WITH DIFFERENTIAL CAUSED DESTRUCTION OF TRANSMISSION.*JB

NHTSA ODI #983821

Mileage unknown · Oct 19, 1995
Power Train

TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REPLACED MANY PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE. TT

NHTSA ODI #973619

Mileage unknown · Jul 17, 1995
Engine And Engine CoolingPower Train

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILURE, WHEN TRANSMISSION WAS ON DRIVE IT WOULD NOT MOVE FORWARD. TT

NHTSA ODI #968886

Mileage unknown · May 22, 1995
Power Train

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION HESITATES IN PASSING GEAR. TT

NHTSA ODI #965643

Official recalls

1

96V071000 · Electrical System:ignition

Apr 25, 1996

THE IGNITION SWITCH COULD EXPERIENCE AN INTERNAL SHORT CIRCUIT.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: THIS CONDITION COULD CAUSE OVERHEATING, SMOKE, AND POSSIBLY FIRE IN THE STEERING COLUMN AREA OF THE VEHICLE.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE IGNITION SWITCH.

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

2

DP91003 · Engine Stalling

Opened Nov 29, 1990 · Closed Jan 31, 1991

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

ENGINE STALLING

EA90008 · Failed Passive Restraint

Opened Dec 27, 1989 · Closed Dec 31, 1991

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

WE HAVE RECEIVED NUMEROUS REPORTS WHICH ALLEGE A MALFUNCTION OR FAILURE OF THE PASSIVE RESTRAINT SYSTEM.ADDITIONAL REPORTS ALLEGE THAT THE PASSIVE RESTRAINT SYSTEM FAILED TO RESTRAIN/ADEQUATELY PROTECT THE OCCUPANT DURING AN ACCIDENT