IllustrationIE98074; DRIVER'S SEATBELT IS INOPERATIVE DUE TO THE SEATBELT BEING "STUCK" IN THE A POSITION WHICH WON'T PROTECT THE OCCUPANT IN EVENT OF A CRASH. NEEDS TO REPLACE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT AT OWNER'S EXPENSE. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
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
Seat Belts complaints
79 reportsNO SUMMARY.
DRIVER'S SIDE LAP BELT FAILED. MJS
ON JUNE 22, 1999 CONSUMER'S MOTORIZED SEAT BELT DID NOT WORK PROPERLY, RETRACTOR IS INOPERATIVE. *AK
SRS LIGHT COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY. (IE98074) ALSO SHOULDER BELT ON DRIVERS SIDE HESITATES WHEN RETRACTING/REAR DEFROSTER SWITCH IS INOPERABLE. DEALER IS NOT AWARE OF PROBLEMS, PROBLEMS STILL EXIST. PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
CONSUMER MOTORIZED SEAT BELT STICKS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TRACK, CAUSING BELT TO REST AGAINST CONSUMERS NECK, RESULTING IN POSSIBLE INJURY IF AN ACCIDENT ACCURED. *YC
I KNOW THIS DRIVERSIDE SEAT BELT IS A PROBLEM NOT ONLY WITH MYSELF BUT WITH OTHERS ALSO. IN FACT, I HAVE TWO FRIENDS THAT HAVE 94--95 ESCORTS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. THE SELTBELT IS OFF TRACK, AND I CAN'T USE IT PROPERLY. I WENT TO A FORD DEALERSHIP AND TOLD THEM ABOUT IT AND THEY BRUSHED ME OFF. EVEN AFTER TELLING THEM OF THE OT…
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I KNOW THIS DRIVERSIDE SEAT BELT IS A PROBLEM NOT ONLY WITH MYSELF BUT WITH OTHERS ALSO. IN FACT, I HAVE TWO FRIENDS THAT HAVE 94--95 ESCORTS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. THE SELTBELT IS OFF TRACK, AND I CAN'T USE IT PROPERLY. I WENT TO A FORD DEALERSHIP AND TOLD THEM ABOUT IT AND THEY BRUSHED ME OFF. EVEN AFTER TELLING THEM OF THE OTHER 2 ESCORTS. PLEASE DO SOME RESEARCH ON THIS MATTER. THANKS, LAUREN HEBERT. *AK
CONSUMER CANNOT FIND ANYONE TO PERFORM AIRBAG ON/OFF SWITCH ASSEMBLY.
MY SHOULDER BELT ON THE DRIVERS SIDE AND WENT FORWARD AS NORMAL WHEN I OPENED MY DOOR AND THEN WHEN I WENT TO RESHUT THE DOOR THE SHOULDER BELT HAD FAILED TO GO ALL THE WAY BACK. IT STOPPED ABOUT 3/4 WAY BACK. I HAD READ THE MANUEL AND DID THE PROCEDURES LISTED IN THE OWNERS MANUEL. THIS DIDN'T HELP THE PROBLEM. I HAD TO PU…
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MY SHOULDER BELT ON THE DRIVERS SIDE AND WENT FORWARD AS NORMAL WHEN I OPENED MY DOOR AND THEN WHEN I WENT TO RESHUT THE DOOR THE SHOULDER BELT HAD FAILED TO GO ALL THE WAY BACK. IT STOPPED ABOUT 3/4 WAY BACK. I HAD READ THE MANUEL AND DID THE PROCEDURES LISTED IN THE OWNERS MANUEL. THIS DIDN'T HELP THE PROBLEM. I HAD TO PULL THE FUSE APART THAT IS LOCATED IN THE WHOLE BETWEEN THE FRONT DOOR AND THE BACK DOOR ON THE INSIDE OF THE CAR. I ABSOLUTELY FEEL THAT THIS IS A MECHANICAL FAILURE. I KNOW ATLEAST THREE INDIVIDUALS THAT THEY HAVE HAD THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM WITH THEIR DRIVERS SIDE SHOULDER BELT, AND IT FAILED IN THE SAME EXACT SPOT. THIS IS TO WEIRD. I HAD CALLED THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY AND THE LADY THAT I HAD SPOKE WITH HAD TOLD ME THAT THERE HAS NOT BEEN A RECALL ON THE SHOULDER BELTS. SHE SAID THAT SHE HAS HEARD ABOUT THIS FAILURE ON THE ESCORTS BEFORE, AND EVEN THAT MORNING SHE HAD SOMEONE CALL IN WITH A COMPLAINT THAT THIS HAPPENED ON THEIR FORD VAN. I HOPE THAT YOU WILL INVESTIGATE INTO THIS A LITTLE FURTHER BECAUSE IT REALLY SOUNDS LIKE A MECHANICAL FAILURE TO ME. I AM A SINGLE PARENT AND CANNOT AFFORD TO HAVE THIS REPLACED BECAUSE IT IS RELATIVELY A VERY EXPENSIVE PART TO HAVE REPLACED. THANK YOU VERY MUCH
THE MOTOR ASSEMBLY ON THE AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT TRACK FAILED TO WORK. THE SEAT BELT WAS STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TRACK. I AM TOLD THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE '94 ESCORT. I WAS CHARGED $228.71 TO REPAIR THIS. I BELEIVE THAT A SEAT BELT IS A NESSECITY AND IT SHOULD BE EXPTECTED TO WORK FOR THE LIFE OF THE CAR. AERO…
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THE MOTOR ASSEMBLY ON THE AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT TRACK FAILED TO WORK. THE SEAT BELT WAS STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TRACK. I AM TOLD THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE '94 ESCORT. I WAS CHARGED $228.71 TO REPAIR THIS. I BELEIVE THAT A SEAT BELT IS A NESSECITY AND IT SHOULD BE EXPTECTED TO WORK FOR THE LIFE OF THE CAR. AERO FORD TOLD ME THAT AS OF YET THERE HAS BEEN NO RECALL, AND THAT I HAD TO PAY TO GET IT FIXED. I AM NOT BLAMING THE DEALER; I THINK FORD MOTOR CO. SHOULD REIMBURSE ME FOR MY EXPENSE. THANK YOU. *AK
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.