IllustrationMOTOR ON RESTRAINT SYSTEM LOCKED UP - SEAT BELT FAILURE - CANT FIND DEALER TO REPAIR
1995 Ford Escort
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Escort years
Owner complaints for the 1995 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: 81 of 576 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 152 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Fuel System, Gasoline. Review the 129 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 67 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
75 crash reports19 fire reports53 injury reports
Seat Belts complaints
152 reportsDRIVERS AND PASSENGERS MOTORIZED SEAT BELTS DO NOT RETRACT OR ONLY PARTIALLY RETRACT. CAUSE UNKNOWN. *ADJ
SEAT BELT GUIDE BROKE OFF FROM THE SIDE OF THE DRIVERS SEAT. NLM
LEFT FRONT MOTORIZED SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY SPORADICALLY FAILS. THERE ARE OVER 50 COMPLAINTS ON THIS MODEL YEAR ALON ON YOUR WEBSITE AND NO INDICATION OF AN INVESTIGATION. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN ONGOING FOR 2 YEARS AND IS EXPENSIVE TO REPAIR. *AK
MOTORIZED SEATBELT IS STUCK AND WON'T BUCKLE WHICH WON'T PROTECT THE OCCUPANT IN EVENT OF A CRASH. MANUFACTURER REPLACED SEATBELT MOTOR ONCE, BUT PROBLEM IS STILL OCCURRING. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
THE AUTOMATIC SHOULDER HARNESS ON THE DRIVERS SIDE INTERMITTENTLY GOES FORWARD TO THE OPEN POSITION WHILE DRIVING AND WILL NOT GO BACK AGAIN UNTILED FORCED BY DRIVER.
DRIVER'S SEA TBELT DOES NOT RETRACT ON THE TRACK. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WILL BE NOTIFIED. *AK
MY AUTOMATIC SEATBELT DOES NOT WORK. I TOOK IT IN TO HAVE IT FIXED AND THEY SAID THE WHOLE THING NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF OVER $700.00. THEY COULD NOT EVEN FIX THE SEATBELT BECAUSE FORD HAS THE PART ON BACKORDER AND COULDN'T EVEN TELL THEM WHEN THE PART WOULD COME IN. I TOOK THIS TO MEAN MANY FORD ESCORT WAGONS HAVE …
Read full complaint
MY AUTOMATIC SEATBELT DOES NOT WORK. I TOOK IT IN TO HAVE IT FIXED AND THEY SAID THE WHOLE THING NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF OVER $700.00. THEY COULD NOT EVEN FIX THE SEATBELT BECAUSE FORD HAS THE PART ON BACKORDER AND COULDN'T EVEN TELL THEM WHEN THE PART WOULD COME IN. I TOOK THIS TO MEAN MANY FORD ESCORT WAGONS HAVE THIS PROBLEM. ALSO, THE PART YOU ATTACH THE SEATBELT TO IS POSITIONED AT THE FRONT SO I CAN'T EVEN MANUALLY PUT MY SEATBELT ON. I PRAY EACH DAY I DRIVE THE CAR THAT I DON'T GET INTO AN ACCIDENT.
CONTINUED AND IIGNORED SAFETY ISSUE BY FORD...PLEASE FIX AND NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
FAILED IN 50 PREVIOUS REPORTS FROM 1995-FIX THIS [XXX] THING. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
Official recalls
497V144000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:storage:tank Assembly
Sep 3, 1997
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 1.9L ENGINES, BUILT AT THE HERMOSILLO OR WAYNE ASSEMBLY PLANTS AND ORIGINALLY SOLD OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN NEVADA, FLORIDA, HAWAII, TEXAS, CALIFORNIA, LOUISIANA, GEORGIA, SOUTH CAROLINA, MISSISSIPPI, OKLAHOMA, ALABAMA AND ARKANSAS. CRACKS CAN DEVELOP IN THE FUEL TANK NEAR THE HEAT SHIELD ATTACHMENT RESULTING IN FUEL LEAKAGE IF THE CRACKS GO THROUGH THE FUEL TANK WALL.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: FUEL LEAKAGE IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE CAN RESULT IN A VEHICLE FIRE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REMOVE THE HEAT SHIELD ATTACHMENTS. THIS WILL NOT AFFECT HEAT SHIELD LOCATION OR FUNCTION, AS THE ATTACHMENTS ARE INTENDED TO KEEP THE SHIELD IN PLACE UNTIL THE FUEL TANK IS INSTALLED IN THE VEHICLE. AFTER INSTALLATION, THE FUEL TANK STRAPS RETAIN THE HEAT SHIELD.
97V145000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:storage:tank Assembly
Sep 3, 1997
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 1.9L ENGINES, BUILT AT THE HERMOSILLO ASSEMBLY PLANT AND ORIGINALLY SOLD OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN ARIZONA. CRACKS CAN DEVELOP IN THE FUEL TANK NEAR THE HEAT SHIELD ATTACHMENT RESULTING IN FUEL LEAKAGE IF THE CRACKS GO THROUGH THE FUEL TANK WALL.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: FUEL LEAKAGE IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE CAN RESULT IN A VEHICLE FIRE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REMOVE THE HEAT SHIELD ATTACHMENTS. THIS WILL NOT AFFECT HEAT SHIELD LOCATION OR FUNCTION, AS THE ATTACHMENTS ARE INTENDED TO KEEP THE SHIELD IN PLACE UNTIL THE FUEL TANK IS INSTALLED IN THE VEHICLE. AFTER INSTALLATION, THE FUEL TANK STRAPS RETAIN THE HEAT SHIELD.
94V218000 · 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.
94V197000 · Air Bags:frontal
Oct 11, 1994
TWO BOLTS THAT ATTACH THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT SYSTEM MODULE TO THE INSTRUMENT PANEL ARE MISSING. IN THE EVENT OF A FRONTAL IMPACT, THE MODULE CAN COME OUT OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS WOULD NOT RESTRAIN THE PASSENGER AND WOULD RESULT IN AN INCREASED RISK OF INJURY.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND, IF NECESSARY, INSTALL AND TORQUE TO SPECIFICATION THE MOUNTING BOLTS FOR THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG.
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
1RQ97010 · Fuel Tank Assembly
Opened Sep 11, 1997 · Closed May 22, 2000
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Fuel System, Gasoline:storage:tank Assembly
There is no summary currently available