IllustrationWHILE SWERVING TO AVOID HITTING AN ANIMAL REAR END FAILED. AS A RESULT, VEHICLE COLLIDED INTO A TREE, THEN FLIPPED, AND LANDED ON ALL FOUR TIRES. UPON IMPACT, DUAL AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *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
Suspension complaints
50 reportsREAR COIL STRINGS BROKE AT 70,000 MILES ON 1998 FORD ESCORT WAGON.*AK
WHILE DRIVING 25-30 MPH VEHICLE MADE A CLUNKING SOUND. DROVE VEHICLE TO A REPAIRS SHOP. THE TECHNICIAN INFORMED CONSUMER THAT RIGHT REAR STRUT SPRING BROKE. *AK
FAILURE OF VEHICLE'S REAR SUSPENSION COILS. NAR 08/01/2003*MR *CB
REAR (BOTH) SPRINGS ON 1998 FORD ESCORT BROKE PRIOR TO 55,000 MILES. CAR WAS NOT USED FOR ANY HEAVY DUTY DRIVING.*AK
REAR SPRINGS BROKE AT 25,000 MILES. THE DEALER INDICATED THAT FORD DESIGNED THE SPRINGS TOO THIN. FORD WOULD NOT REIMBURSE THE COST TO ME. *TT
DURING A SAFETY INSPECTION FOR MY 1998 FORD ESCORT, I WAS ADVISED THAT BOTH REAR SPRINGS WERE BROKE, WHICH CAUSED BOTH REAR STRUTS TO WEAKEN. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT THIS HAS BEEN A COMMON OCCURRENCE ON THIS TYPE VEHICLE. *TT
BOTH REAR COIL SPRINGS ON MY 1998 FORD ESCORT SE WAGON WERE FOUND TO BE BROKEN (EACH CRACKED AND BROKE IN TWO PIECES BENEATH THE PLASTIC SLEEVE). VEHICLE HAD 52,715 MILES AT THE TIME, BUT FROM CORROSION EVIDENCE OF BROKEN SPRINGS, IT APPEARS THEY MAY HAVE BEEN BROKEN FOR AWHILE PRIOR TO DISCOVERY. FOUR OTHER INCIDENTS NOTED ON…
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BOTH REAR COIL SPRINGS ON MY 1998 FORD ESCORT SE WAGON WERE FOUND TO BE BROKEN (EACH CRACKED AND BROKE IN TWO PIECES BENEATH THE PLASTIC SLEEVE). VEHICLE HAD 52,715 MILES AT THE TIME, BUT FROM CORROSION EVIDENCE OF BROKEN SPRINGS, IT APPEARS THEY MAY HAVE BEEN BROKEN FOR AWHILE PRIOR TO DISCOVERY. FOUR OTHER INCIDENTS NOTED ON SAME YEAR/MAKE/MODEL VEHICLE WITHIN THIS DATABASE. *JB
WHILE DRIVING THE REAR LEAF SPRING BROKE. CONSUMER STATES DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. CAUSE IS UNKNOWN. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. TS
CONSUMER STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND NO WARNING THE FRONT BALL JOINTS WORN OUT THE FRONT RIGHT TIRE CAUSING IT TO BE HARD FOR THE CONSUMER TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE. DEALER NOTIFIED. MR RIGHT LOWER BALL JOINT AND REAR COIL SPRING HAD TO BE REPLACED. LEFT BRAKE GRABBED. RATTLE NOISE AT RIGHT FRONT AT INITIAL STA…
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CONSUMER STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND NO WARNING THE FRONT BALL JOINTS WORN OUT THE FRONT RIGHT TIRE CAUSING IT TO BE HARD FOR THE CONSUMER TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE. DEALER NOTIFIED. MR RIGHT LOWER BALL JOINT AND REAR COIL SPRING HAD TO BE REPLACED. LEFT BRAKE GRABBED. RATTLE NOISE AT RIGHT FRONT AT INITIAL START. HIGH IDLE AND CLICKING NOISE IN DASH. *TT
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.