IllustrationCONSUMER HAS REPLACED IGNITION SWITCH TWICE. THIS WILL BE THIRD TIME REPLACING IGNITION SWITCH. FORD CLAIMS THERE IS NO RECALL OR COMPLAINTS. VEHICLE IS STALLING AND KEY DOESN'T WANT TO COME OUT OF IGNITION. *AK FIRST ONE WAS COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. *SLC
1994 Ford Escort
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Escort years
Owner complaints for the 1994 Ford Escort are substantially higher than the model-year median of 101.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Escort years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
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: 14 of 279 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.
- Seat Belts. Review the 79 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 54 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 30 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
51 crash reports16 fire reports34 injury reports
Electrical System complaints
30 reportsNO SUMMARY
DEALERSHIP IS GIVING TROUBLE: FIXED UNDER WARRANTY BUT STILL HAVE TO PAY AROUND $250
AIRBAG'S SENSOR WARNING LIGHT CAME ON WHILE DRIVING. ALSO A BUZZING NOISE AND A SMELL OF ELECTRICAL SMOKE CAME FROM THE VEHICLE. DEALER HAS REPAIRED VEHICLE.
CONSUMER WAS DRIVING 10 MPH WHEN REAR ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE. UPON IMPACT, FENDER WAS BENT, AND DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED. CONSUMER COULDN'T USE THE HORN DUE TO THE AIR BAG DEPLOYING, DRIVER'S AIR BAG IS LOCATED ON THE SPACE WHERE THE HORN IS, AND HORN DOESN'T WORK. *AK *ML
ELECTRICAL SHORT CAUSES FUSE TO BLOW, WHICH RESULTS IN LIGHTING SYSTEM FAILING. DEALER REPAIRS WOULD WORK FOR A SHORT TIME THEN THE FUSE WOULD BLOW AGAIN. NOW THE CIRCUITS WILL NOT WORK AT ALL.
FOR NO APPARENT REASON WHILE VEHICLE WAS PARKED THE CAR CAUGHT ON FIRE IN THE STEERING COLUMN AREA. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. *AK
BATTERY CRACKED, CAPS FLEW OFF, LEAKING BATTERY ACID.
WHILE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN DRIVEWAY IT CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND THE DASH BROAD AREAS WERE BURNED. VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN DRIVEN IN ABOUT (4) HOURS. FIRE DEPARTMENT STATED THAT THE FIRE WAS ELECTRICAL. VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. *AK
THE LATCH ON TRUNK STICKS.
Official recalls
194V218000 · Air Bags:frontal
Nov 10, 1994
THE DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG MODULE CAN HAVE AN INADEQUATELY WELDED INFLATOR CANISTER.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IN THE EVENT OF A COLLISION, THE WELD SEAM CAN SEPARATE, CAUSING THE AIR BAG TO FAIL TO DEPLOY PROPERLY AND HOT GASES TO BE EXPELLED FROM THE BACK OF THE STEERING WHEEL. THIS CAN RESULT IN AN INCREASED RISK OF PERSONAL INJURY FROM THE HOT GASES AND THE AIR BAG FAILURE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A NEW AIR BAG MODULE.
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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.