IllustrationTHE LEFT, OUTER TIE ROD BROKE, TRAVELING ON A STAIGHT, SMOOTH ROAD AT ABOUT 35 MPH. A POLICE REPORT IS AVAILABLE. UNABLE TO STEER THE VEHICLE, IT WENT OUT OF CONTROL AND LEFT THE ROAD. IT CAME TO A STOP AGAINST A TREE, CAUSING SLIGHT BODY DAMAGE.*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 reportsSPEEDOMETER BECAME ERRATIC, DISPLAYED WRONG SPEED, AT BETWEEN 20000 - 30000 MILES. HAD DEALER REPLACE UNDER WARRANTY. NEW SPEEDOMETER IS DOING SAME ERRATIC BEHAVIOUR AT 90000 - 100000 MILES. THIS IS EXTREME SAFETY HAZARD. CAN NOT DETERMINE SAFE SPEED WHILE ON HIGHWAY. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY DEFECTIVE DESIGN, SINCE TWO MANUFACTUR…
Read full complaint
SPEEDOMETER BECAME ERRATIC, DISPLAYED WRONG SPEED, AT BETWEEN 20000 - 30000 MILES. HAD DEALER REPLACE UNDER WARRANTY. NEW SPEEDOMETER IS DOING SAME ERRATIC BEHAVIOUR AT 90000 - 100000 MILES. THIS IS EXTREME SAFETY HAZARD. CAN NOT DETERMINE SAFE SPEED WHILE ON HIGHWAY. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY DEFECTIVE DESIGN, SINCE TWO MANUFACTURER PROVIDED SPEEDOMETERS HAVE FAILED IN IDENTICAL MANNER. SAFETY CONCERN!! CONTACTED FORD MOTOR CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE CENTER @ 1-800-392-3673. THEY WILL NOT LISTEN OR REPLACE DEFECTIVE DESIGNED EQUIPMENT. *AK
CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 70MPH ON A SIDE STREET I WAS TRAVELING ON NORTHBOUND, AND HE WAS TRAVELING ON SAME LANE, BUT OPPOSITE STREET. SEAT BELTS DID NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY. *AK
CONSUMER SAW SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE DASH AND COULD SMELL ELECTRICAL WIRES BURNING, CONSUMER DISCONNECTED A FUSE TO STOP THE FIRE, WIRE IS BURNED FROM UNDER THE DASH BACK TO THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE, CLAIM 05-4562-613. *SLC
TREAD ON RIGHT REAR TIRE PARTIALLY SEPARATED, WHILE DRIVING ON FREEWAY (DOT NUMBER: HY8JNJB466 TIRESIZE: P175/65R14)
BROUGHT VEHICLE TO AUTO CENTER TO GET NEW TIRES AND ALIGNMENT. SERVICE TECH NOTICED THAT THE RIGHT REAR COIL HAD SNAPPED IN TWO PIECES. HAVING BEEN DRIVING FOR 17 YEARS, I WAS MORE THAN SURPRISED BECAUSE I HAD NEVER EVEN HEARD OF A COIL SNAPPING, MUCH LESS EVER HAD IT HAPPEN TO A VEHICLE I OWNED. THE SERVICE TECH MENTIONED TH…
Read full complaint
BROUGHT VEHICLE TO AUTO CENTER TO GET NEW TIRES AND ALIGNMENT. SERVICE TECH NOTICED THAT THE RIGHT REAR COIL HAD SNAPPED IN TWO PIECES. HAVING BEEN DRIVING FOR 17 YEARS, I WAS MORE THAN SURPRISED BECAUSE I HAD NEVER EVEN HEARD OF A COIL SNAPPING, MUCH LESS EVER HAD IT HAPPEN TO A VEHICLE I OWNED. THE SERVICE TECH MENTIONED THAT HE HAD SEEN IT MORE THAN A FEW TIMES ON THE FORD ESCORT, WHICH LED ME TO BELIEVE IT COULD BE A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT. HE RECOMMENDED HAVING IT REPLACED THAT DAY, AS HE SAID IT WAS A HIGH SAFETY HAZARD. IF THE COIL CAME LOOSE THE JAGGED EDGE COULD RIP INTO THE TIRE, THUS CAUSING A MASSIVE BLOWOUT. THIS COULD BE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS, OR EVEN FATAL, AT HIGH SPEEDS. THE STRANGE THING WAS THAT I DIDN'T KNOW IT HAD HAPPENED. THE ONLY THING I NOTICED WAS A SQUEAK IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE, AND I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST MY STRUTS WEARING OUT. IN OTHER WORDS, I WOULD HAVE CONTINUED DRIVING WITH THIS BROKEN SPRING IF I HADN'T NEEDED NEW TIRES BECAUSE THERE WAS NOTHING OBVIOUS THAT WOULD INDICATE THE BROKEN COIL OTHER THAN A SLIGHT SQUEAKING NOISE.*AK
# 4 PISTON DISENTIGRATED RUINING ENGINE BLOCK. STOPED FOR RED LIGHT AND CAR ACTED AS IF IT WAS GOING TO STALL. DROVE TO BANK PARKING LOT 1 BLOCK AWAY AND TURNED CAR OF. TRIED TO RESTART CAR AND MADE ENGINE NOISE. TURNED CAR OFF CALLED WESTERN SLOPE FORD TO SPEAK WITH SERVICE DEPARTMENT TO SEE IF I COULD GET IT TOWED INTO GARA…
Read full complaint
# 4 PISTON DISENTIGRATED RUINING ENGINE BLOCK. STOPED FOR RED LIGHT AND CAR ACTED AS IF IT WAS GOING TO STALL. DROVE TO BANK PARKING LOT 1 BLOCK AWAY AND TURNED CAR OF. TRIED TO RESTART CAR AND MADE ENGINE NOISE. TURNED CAR OFF CALLED WESTERN SLOPE FORD TO SPEAK WITH SERVICE DEPARTMENT TO SEE IF I COULD GET IT TOWED INTO GARAGE. NO RETURN CALL FROM THEM. HAD ANOTHER SHOP TOW AND INSPECT. *AK
THE ENGINE WAS REPLACED DUE TO BROKEN VALVE SEATS INSIDE THE CYLINDER WHICH DAMAGED THE PISTONS, THE CONSUMER FEELS THAT FORD SHOULD PAY FOR THIS EXPENSE DUE TO THE LOW MILEAGE OF THE VEHICLE AND BECAUSE THE VEHICLE IS VERY WELL MAINTENANCED. *SLC
BOTH REAR SHOULDER BELTS WILL NOT RETRACT; LEAVING OCCUPANTS WITHOUT ANY RESTRAINT. DEALER NOTIFIED AND INFORMED THAT VEHICLE WAS OUT OF ITS WARRANTY, AND ANY REPAIRS WOULD BE AT CONSUMER COST. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
BOTH REAR SEAT SHOULDER BELTS WILL NOT RETACT IN RETRACTORS; DEALER NOTIFIED AND INFORMED THAT VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER A RECALL. ANY REPAIRS WOULD BE AT CONSUMER'S COST. *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.