IllustrationLEASED VEHICLE: WHILE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY AN INDEPENDENT REPAIRS SHOP. MECHANIC INFORMED CONSUMER THATE DRIVESHAFT BUSHING WAS DETERIORATING AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.ALSO, DEALER REPLACED POWER STEERING RACK BUSHING *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
Steering complaints
17 reportsSTEERING COLUMN COUPLING MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL. *AK
NUTS THAT HOLD CLAMPS WHICH HOLD POWER STEERING UNIT HAVE COME OFF, CAUSING POWER STEERING TO BECOME LOOSE, AND WOULD NOT RETURN BACK TO THE CENTER. *AK
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE AT VARIOUS SPEEDS OR TURNING, THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD LOCK UP WITHOUT ANY WARNING. WOULD HAVE NO CONTROL OF VEHICLE. WHEN STEERING WHEEL LOCKS UP, VEHICLE WOULD GO INTO A SLIDE. CAN TURN VEHICLE OFF & RESTART IT & STEERING WHEEL WOULD WORK JUST FINE. HAS TAKEN TO DEALER & WAS INFORMED THAT THE RACK & PINIO…
Read full complaint
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE AT VARIOUS SPEEDS OR TURNING, THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD LOCK UP WITHOUT ANY WARNING. WOULD HAVE NO CONTROL OF VEHICLE. WHEN STEERING WHEEL LOCKS UP, VEHICLE WOULD GO INTO A SLIDE. CAN TURN VEHICLE OFF & RESTART IT & STEERING WHEEL WOULD WORK JUST FINE. HAS TAKEN TO DEALER & WAS INFORMED THAT THE RACK & PINION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. CALLED THE MANUFACTURER & NOTHING WAS DONE. CLAIMS IMAGINATION. THIS HAS HAPPENED AT LEAST 4 DIFFERENT TIMES SO FAR. A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. *AK
STEERING COLUMN LOCKED CAUSING A VEHICLE COLLISION.
DRIVING ON A STRAIGHT ROAD, VEHICLE VEERED TO THE RIGHT, LOST CONTROL, OVERCORRECTED, AND HIT A GUARDRAIL ON LEFT SIDE OF ROAD, BECAME AIRBORN AND FLEW 60 FEET OVER CREEK. TWO WERE INJURED, AND VEHICLE SUFFERED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE.
VEHICLE ROUNDED A TURN AND LOST CONTROL. FIRST IT SWERVED TO THE RIGHT AND THEN TO THE LEFT, RESULTING IN A COLLISION AND INJURIES. IN ADDITION, VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. *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.