IllustrationWHILE DRIVING VEHICLE STALLED OUT AND DIED. PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT, THE SAME PROBLEM HAPPENED, DEALER REPLACED THE FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM AND PUT A LOCK ON THE TANK. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK
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
What owners actually said
576 reportsCONSUMER STATES THAT SEAT BELT IS OFF TRACK AND UNABLE T0 BE USED. MJS
THE SEATBELT RETRACTOR MOTOR STOPS HALF WAY ALONG THE TRACK. ALSO IT HAS LOCKED THE DRIVER IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT. DEALELR DISCONNECTED THE RETRACTOR. MJS
FUEL LEAKING FROM VEHICLE DUE TO A HOLE IN THE GAS TANK. AUTOMOTIVE SHOP REPLACED THE GAS TANK. *AK
THE HEADLIGHT LENSES ARE YELLOWED AND DISCOLLERED. THE AMOUNT OF LIGHT FROM THE HEADLIGHTS HAS BEEN REDUCED BY MORE THAN 50%. THE VEHICLE IS LESS THAN FOUR YEARS OLD, THIS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN ON ANY VEHICLE. I CONTACTED THE DEALER, FORD MOTOR AND THE FORD MOTOR CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTER. THEY SAID IT WAS MY PROBLEM TO FIX.
THE SHOULDER BELT RETRACTOR HAS STOPPED HALF WAY ON THE TRACK, ALLOWING THE OCCUPANT TO BE UNPRTECTED IN CASE OF A CRASH. MOTOR IS STILL RUNNING ON RETRACTOR BUT SHOULDER BELT DOES NOT MOVE AT ALL. DEALER HAS NOT SEEN VEHICLE. *AK
THERE WAS A CRACK IN THE FUEL TANK AT THE MOUNTING BRACKET WHICH WAS CAUSING A FUEL LEAK. TANK WAS REPLACED. THE DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *ML
THE FUEL TANK CRACKED WHICH MAY CAUSE A FUEL LEAK AND RESULT IN A FIRE. THERE IS A RECALL, BUT THIS VEHICLE IS NOT INCLUDED. RECALL 97V145000. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
INTERMITTENTLY SPEEDOMETER FLUCTUATES OVER 65MPH. THE DEALER HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK
DRIVER'S SHOULDER BELT DOES NOT RETRACT OR BECOMES JAMMED WITHIN THE RETRACTING MECHANISM, CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
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