IllustrationFRAME BROKE FROM UNDER PASSENGER'S SIDE SEAT. CAN'T MOVE SEAT UP OR BACKWARDS. FRAME RUSTED OUT FROM UNDER SEAT. DEALER CONTACTED. *AK
1998 Ford Escort
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Escort years
Owner complaints for the 1998 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: 57 of 375 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.
- Air Bags. Review the 75 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Suspension. Review the 50 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 49 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
84 crash reports11 fire reports63 injury reports
Seats complaints
9 reportsI WAS REAR-ENDED BY A MOVING TRUCK (LIKE A RYDER TRUCK) WHO WAS TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH WHEN HE HIT ME. I WAS ALMOST AT A COMPLETE STOP. THE PROBLEM THAT I AM ASKING ABOUT, BECAUSE I WANT TO KNOW IF THERE HAVE BEEN ANY OTHER PROBLEMS LIKE THIS REPORTED, IS THAT MY SEAT, THE DRIVER'S SEAT, BROKE AND TWISTED ON IMPACT.…
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I WAS REAR-ENDED BY A MOVING TRUCK (LIKE A RYDER TRUCK) WHO WAS TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH WHEN HE HIT ME. I WAS ALMOST AT A COMPLETE STOP. THE PROBLEM THAT I AM ASKING ABOUT, BECAUSE I WANT TO KNOW IF THERE HAVE BEEN ANY OTHER PROBLEMS LIKE THIS REPORTED, IS THAT MY SEAT, THE DRIVER'S SEAT, BROKE AND TWISTED ON IMPACT. AFTER THE IMPACT THE SEAT WAS LEFT BENT BACKWARDS AND TWISTED TO THE RIGHT CONSISTENT WITH MY INJURIES. I GUESS WHAT I REALLY WANT TO KNOW IS, SHOULD THE SEAT HAVE DONE THAT AT THAT IMPACT SPEED WITH A WOMAN SITTING IN THE SEAT THAT IS 5' 5" AND WEIGHT 140 LBS? I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN ANSWER MY QUESTION OR IF THIS IS EVEN THE RIGHT PLACE TO ASK BUT I JUST THOUGHT THAT I WOULD TRY. THANKS FOR ANY HELP THAT YOU CAN GIVE ME.*AK
DRIVER/PASSENGER HEADRESTS HAVE STAPLES AT BOTTOM & THEY ARE COMING OUT. PART OF HEADREST IS SEWN. BOTTOM OF HEADREST IS NOT COMING APART EVEN THOUGH IT WAS LOSING STAPLES. HAVE NOT TAKEN VEHICLE TO DEALER. HAD CONTACTED DEALERSHIP & WAS INFORMED TO BRING VEHICLE IN TO BE CHECKED. TOOK VEHICLE A FEW MONTHS LATER, AND REPRESENT…
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DRIVER/PASSENGER HEADRESTS HAVE STAPLES AT BOTTOM & THEY ARE COMING OUT. PART OF HEADREST IS SEWN. BOTTOM OF HEADREST IS NOT COMING APART EVEN THOUGH IT WAS LOSING STAPLES. HAVE NOT TAKEN VEHICLE TO DEALER. HAD CONTACTED DEALERSHIP & WAS INFORMED TO BRING VEHICLE IN TO BE CHECKED. TOOK VEHICLE A FEW MONTHS LATER, AND REPRESENTATIVE CHECKED IT OUT. TOOK DOWN SOME INFORMATION & NOTHING ELSE. *AK
CAR "TOTALED" IN REAR-END WRECK. PASSENGER SEATBACK COLLAPSED WHEN HIT FROM REAR, HARD CONTACT WITH 3-POINT SEAT BELTS WHEN THROWN FORWARD WHEN CAR CRASHED INTO VEHICLE STOPPED IN FRONT. GOT RIDE TO HOSPITAL IN AMBULANCE! DRIVER SIDE SEAT BACK DID NOT COLLAPSE, DRIVER OKAY.
NO SUMMARY
THIS VEHICLE WAS IN A REAR END ACCIDENT WERE THE DRIVER'S SEAT BECAME TOTALLY DISCONNECTED FROM VEHICLE. DRIVER OF THE VEHICLE DIED. VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING AT 70 MPH AND WAS STRUCK FROM THE REAR. MANUFACTURER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED. *AK *ML
ENGINE TIMING IS MISSING, SLIGHT HESITATION. MGM
OWNER TALL; HEADREST DOES NOT COME UP TO MEET HEAD, REACHES NECK AREA ONLY. *AK
DURING REAR IMPACT AT 20 MPH, THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT FRAME BROKE, CAUSING SEAT TO GO OFF SEAT TRACK. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *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
1DP01001 · Air Bag NON-DEPLOYMENT
Opened Apr 19, 2001 · Closed Nov 1, 2001
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Air Bags
No summary supplied.