IllustrationDURING COLLISION THERE WAS NO DEPLOYMENT OF AIR BAGS.
1996 Ford Escort
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Escort years
Owner complaints for the 1996 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: 21 of 205 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 77 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 30 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 19 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
23 crash reports7 fire reports18 injury reports
Air Bags complaints
18 reportsNO DEPLOYMENT OF AIRBAGS DURING COLLISION, CAUSING INJURY.
DRIVER'S AIR BAG DIDN'T OPEN ON TIME DURING A COLLISION, RESULTING IN INJURIES. DUP OF 516816, ADDED ON 28-FEB-98. *AK
VIOLENT DEPLOYMENT OF AIR BAG BURNED AND CUT CONSUMER'S EYE. (ATTORNEY FOR CONSUMER)
DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG DID NOT COME OUT OF MIDDLE OF STEERING WHEEL AS INTENDED, INSTEAD CAME OUT MORE TO RIGHT, OCCUPANT RECEIVED INJURIES. *AK
WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY, HIT A PUDDLE AND VEHICLE STARTED HYDROPLANING, HIT A DOUBLE BEAM HIGHWAY SIGN HEAD-ON AND THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK
DARK ROAD, DRIVER HIT WOODEN BARRACADE AND AIR BAG DEPLOYED, RESULTING IN BURN INJURIES TO THE OCCUPANT. *AK
NO DEPLOYEMENT OF AIR BAG IN AN ACCIDENT, CAUSING INJURIES. 514311 DUP OF 515150; POSTED ON 09-07-1999. *AK
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
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.