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1991 Ford Escort

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

More warning signs than most Escort years

Owner complaints for the 1991 Ford Escort are substantially higher than the model-year median of 101.

About this comparison →

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 14 of 327 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 104 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Seat Belts. Review the 71 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Fuel System, Gasoline. Review the 59 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

19 crash reports61 fire reports14 injury reports

What owners actually said

327 reports
Mileage unknown · Sep 22, 1999
Seat Belts

PASSENGER'A AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT STOPPED WORKING. WIRES WERE HANGING OUT OF THE CABLE AT THE DOOR. THE WIRES WERE COATED WITH GREASE. HAD CONTACTED MANUFACTURER & DEALER & WAS INFORMED NOTHING COULD BE DONE. THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. *AK

NHTSA ODI #842821

Mileage unknown · Sep 20, 1999
Electrical System

ATTEMPTING TO START THE VEHICLE, DIDN'T START. BUT, THE STARTER KEPT RUNNING EVEN AFTER THE KEY WAS REMOVED, RESULTING IN A FIRE. *AK

NHTSA ODI #848002

Mileage unknown · Sep 3, 1999
Air Bags

DESIGN OF MOTOR RESTAINT WILL ALWAYS FAIL. UPON RETRACTION, RUBBERIZED CORD WILL EVENTUALLY PULL OUT!

NHTSA ODI #710895

Mileage unknown · Aug 26, 1999
Seat Belts

AUTOMATIC SHOULDER BELT IS STUCK FORWARD AND WON'T RETRACT OUT OF FORWARD POSITION. *AK

NHTSA ODI #845956

Mileage unknown · Aug 23, 1999
WheelsCrash

CAR WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER TO BE FIXED AFTER AN ACCIDENT AND NOTICED THAT LUGS: NUTS AND BOLTS WERE MISSING FROM THE CAR. *AK

NHTSA ODI #845596

Mileage unknown · Aug 3, 1999
Electrical SystemFuel System, GasolineFire

FUEL PUMP FAILED, AND ELECTRICAL WIRING TO FUEL PUMP AND WIRING UNDER DASH MELTED. ALSO, TWO SETS OF WIRING TO HEADLIGHTS MELTED TO BARE WIRE. HIGH CURRENT OVERHEATED THE WIRING. CONTACED FORD. AND VEHICLE IS ALMOST TOTALLED. PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION...

NHTSA ODI #844185

Mileage unknown · Jul 29, 1999
Steering

THE DRAPER PULLEY BROKE AND SNAPPED, CAUSING POWER STEERING BELT TO BRAKE, RESULTING IN NO POWER STEERING. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

NHTSA ODI #843787

Mileage unknown · Jul 28, 1999
Service Brakes, HydraulicCrash

UPON APPLYING THE BRAKES PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR, AND THE VEHICLE REARENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE. DEALER COULD NOT FIND THE CAUSE. *AK

NHTSA ODI #843657

Mileage unknown · Jul 22, 1999
Vehicle Speed Control

INTERFERENCE OCCURS BETWEEN THE BOLT THAT SECURES A FUEL LINE SHIELD TO THE LOWER PORTION OF THE DASH PANEL AND THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. VEHICLE NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL 90VO76000 DUE TO VIN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

NHTSA ODI #843021

Mileage unknown · Jul 20, 1999
Seat Belts

AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT HAS COME OUT OF THE HOLDER AND HAS FALLEN DOWN. NM

NHTSA ODI #547416

Official recalls

3

93V057000 · Electrical SYSTEM:IGNITION:ANTI-THEFT:CONTROL Module

Apr 15, 1993

THE ROLL PINS SECURING THE IGNITION LOCK IN THE STEERING COLUMN HOUSING CAN SEPARATE OR MOVE OUT OF POSITION.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: THE IGNITION LOCK CYLINDER MAY DISENGAGE FROM THESTEERING COLUMN HOUSING WHICH COULD CAUSE THE STEERING COLUMN TO LOCK UP,RESULTING IN LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL AND A POSSIBLE ACCIDENT.

Remedy: IF ONE OR BOTH OF THE ROLL PINS ARE MISSING OR NOT FULLY INSERTED, THE IGNITION LOCK HOUSING WILL BE REPLACED, ALONG WITH THE DOOR-LOCKS AND THE LIFTGATE OR DECK-LID LOCKS SO THAT KEY COMPATIBILITY IS MAINTAINED. IF BOTH PINS ARE PRESENT AND FULLY INSERTED, A PLASTIC SNAP-ON SLEEVE WILL BE INSTALLED AS A PRECAUTION TO PREVENT THE ROLL PINS FROM COMING OUT.

92V117000 · Fuel System, Gasoline

Aug 19, 1992

FATIGUE CRACKS CAN DEVELOP IN THE SOLDER JOINT BETWEEN THE FUEL RETURN TUBE AND THE FUEL PUMP SENDING UNIT LOCATED AT THE TOP OF THE FUEL TANK.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: SHOULD A CRACK DEVELOP, FUEL VAPOR CAN ESCAPE FROM THETANK WHEN THE TANK IS FULL, AND A SMALL AMOUNT OF FUEL CAN LEAK FROM THE CRACK.FUEL LEAKS CAN RESULT IN FIRE WHEN EXPOSED TO A SOURCE OF IGNITION.

Remedy: INSTALL A NEW FUEL PUMP SENDING ASSEMBLY.

90V076000 · Vehicle Speed Control:accelerator Pedal

Apr 17, 1990

INTERFERENCE OCCUR BETWEEN BOLT THAT SECURES A FUEL LINE SHIELD TO THE LOWER PORTION OF THE DASH PANEL AND THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: THIS COULD CAUSE THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL TO STICK AT THE WIDE OPEN THROTTLE POSITION AND RESULT IN LOSS OF CONTROL WITH THE RISK OF A VEHICLE ACCIDENT.

Remedy: CUT OFF EXTRA LENGTH OF BOLT THAT PROTRUDES ABOVE SURFACE OF WELD NUT TO PREVENT INTERFERENCE.

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

6

EA94002 · Fuel Pump Wiring Shortage

Opened Jan 28, 1994 · Closed Jan 31, 1995

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Vehicle Speed Control:linkages

There is no summary currently available

PE93076 · Fuel Pump Wiring Shortage

Opened Sep 3, 1993 · Closed Jan 28, 1994

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Vehicle Speed Control:linkages

There is no summary currently available

EA93007 · Inadvert. Steering Lockup

Opened Feb 26, 1993 · Closed Apr 26, 1993

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Steering

There is no summary currently available

PE92082 · Inadver. Steering Lockup

Opened Oct 6, 1992 · Closed Feb 26, 1993

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Steering

There is no summary currently available

EA92012 · Fuel Tank Leakage

Opened Apr 15, 1992 · Closed Sep 17, 1992

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Vehicle Speed Control:linkages

There is no summary currently available

PE91150 · Fuel Tank Leakage

Opened Dec 3, 1991 · Closed Apr 15, 1992

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Vehicle Speed Control:linkages

There is no summary currently available