IllustrationWHEN MAKING A STOP FUEL IS HEARD SLOSHING BACK AND FOURTH IN THE FUEL TANK. THIS BEGAN HAPPENING ABOUT A WEEK AGO. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP. OWNER WAS TOLD THAT BAFFLES WERE NOT PUT IN THE FUEL TANK FOR ESCORTS THAT YEAR. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
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
What owners actually said
205 reportsAT STOP LIGHT #4 CYLINDER DROPPED VALVE SEAT DESTROYING HEAD AND ALL 4 PISTONS. ALSO ENGINE CHECK LIGHT COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY GIVING CODE 1433. REPLACED SOLENOID AS RECOMMENDED BY TSB AND IT STILL FAILS AT RANDOM INTERVALS. *AK
THE CABLE THAT OPERATES THE DRIVER'S SIDE PASSIVE RESTRAINT SEATBELT STOPPED WORKING AND THEN LITERALLY SNAPPED IN TWO. THE SHOULDER BELT IS NOW NO LONGER OPERABLE. IF I AM IN AN ACCIDENT, I WILL LIKELY GO THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD BECAUSE OF THE DEFECTIVE CABLE. I CONTACTED FORD AND THEY REFUSE TO FIX IT. THE DEALER ALSO SAID HE D…
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THE CABLE THAT OPERATES THE DRIVER'S SIDE PASSIVE RESTRAINT SEATBELT STOPPED WORKING AND THEN LITERALLY SNAPPED IN TWO. THE SHOULDER BELT IS NOW NO LONGER OPERABLE. IF I AM IN AN ACCIDENT, I WILL LIKELY GO THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD BECAUSE OF THE DEFECTIVE CABLE. I CONTACTED FORD AND THEY REFUSE TO FIX IT. THE DEALER ALSO SAID HE DIDN'T WANT BOTHERED WITH IT 'CAUSE IT'S A TOUGH ONE TO FIX AND WILL TAKE A LONG TIME TO DO. HE TOLD ME TO GO TO A JUNKYARD, BUY THE PART AND PUT IT IN MYSELF. FORD MOTOR CO. REFUSED TO DO ANYTHING. IN DOCUMENTING MY COMPLAINT, THEY INDICATED I AM ANGRY BECAUSE I CANNOT AFFORD THE REPAIR. THAT IS NOT TRUE. I WANT THEM TO PAY TO REPAIR IT BECAUSE THEIR PRODUCT IS FAULTY AND PUTS MY LIFE AT RISK EVERY TIME I HAVE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. PLEASE INITIATE A RECALL SOON, BEFORE SOMEONE DIES. THERE ARE DOZENS OF OTHER FORD OWNERS LISTED ON YOUR SITE AS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM.
REAR SEAT BELTS ON DRIVER SIDE FAILED TO RETRACT TO ORIGINAL POSITION. HAD PLACED CHILD SEAT IN SEAT BELT THAT KEPT COMING LOOSE. IT NEEDED A LOCKING FOR CHILD SEAT TO TIGHTEN & SHORTEN THE BELT. *AK
THE WINSHIELD WIPER WILL COME ON AND OFF INTERMITTENLY. WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING THE DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM.
CONSUMER HAS MULTIPLE PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE. ENGINE LIGHT STAYS ON & THE VEHICLE WON'T PASS INSPECTION IF THE DEALER CAN'T FIND OUT WHAT WAS WRONG WITH IT. THERE WERE GAS SMELLS COMING FROM HATCHBACK. HOWEVER, DEALER COULDN'T DETERMINE WERE IT WAS COMING FROM. *AK AS OF THIS DATE 9-13-00 ENGINE LIGHT STILL ON, CONSUME…
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CONSUMER HAS MULTIPLE PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE. ENGINE LIGHT STAYS ON & THE VEHICLE WON'T PASS INSPECTION IF THE DEALER CAN'T FIND OUT WHAT WAS WRONG WITH IT. THERE WERE GAS SMELLS COMING FROM HATCHBACK. HOWEVER, DEALER COULDN'T DETERMINE WERE IT WAS COMING FROM. *AK AS OF THIS DATE 9-13-00 ENGINE LIGHT STILL ON, CONSUMER REPLACED OXYGEN SENSOR, TIMING BELT AND WATER PUMP. KINK WAS FOUND IN GAS LINE CAUSED SMELL COMING FROM FRONT OF THE CAR. BRACKET OFF OF MOTOR MOUNT. *YH
ENGINE LIGHT HAS CAME ON REPEATEDLY, DEALER NEVER FOUND MAJOR PROBLEM, THE LIGHT STARTED COMING ON AGAIN AND VEHICLE WOULD CUT OFF WHEN PUT IN TO GEAR, AT 73000 MILES ENGINE FAILED. *SLC
BOTH REAR COIL SPRINGS SNAPPED JUST ABOVE THE "CUP" SECURING THEM TO THE FRAME. *AK
TRACKING OF SEAT BELT GOT STUCK. DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT IS AUTOMATIC ADJUSTMENT, WHICH HAS TO BE DISCONNECTED FOR THE SEATBELT TO RETRACT. SEATBELT MUST BE MANUALLY CLIPPED. *AK
FUEL LINE TO THE FUEL PUMP HAS A PLASTIC CLIP THAT SECURES THE RUBBER FUEL LINE TO THE FUEL PUMP, PLASTIC CLIP FAILED CAUSING HIGH PRESSURE FUEL TO LEAK AND MASSIVELY. THE LEAK IS UNDER THE BACK SEAT WHERE THE CHILD SITS
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.