IllustrationTHE SEALING LINES ON THE LOWER OUTSIDE OF THE WINDSHIELD ON THE VEHICLE IS BEING PULLED APART BY THE HUMIDITY AND HEAT. *TT *SCC
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
Visibility complaints
16 reportsCONSUMER STATES THE AIR CONDITIONER IS LETTING IN FUMES FROM THE OUTSIDE WHILE DRIVING.*JB DEALER REPLACED THE RELAY MODULE. *TT
WHEN YOU TRY TO USE THE WASHER FLUID IT LEAKS ON THE HOOD OF THE CAR CAUSING THE HOOD TO BECOME DISCOLORED FROM THE WINDSHEILD WASHER FLUID. ALSO WHENEVER YOU ARE AT A STOP THE CAR STARTS TO SHAKE, THEY FORD SAY THAT IT IS FROM THE ENGINE MOUNTS AND THAT IT IS NOT HAZARDOUS SO THEY WILL NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT. LAST THEIR IS PROBL…
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WHEN YOU TRY TO USE THE WASHER FLUID IT LEAKS ON THE HOOD OF THE CAR CAUSING THE HOOD TO BECOME DISCOLORED FROM THE WINDSHEILD WASHER FLUID. ALSO WHENEVER YOU ARE AT A STOP THE CAR STARTS TO SHAKE, THEY FORD SAY THAT IT IS FROM THE ENGINE MOUNTS AND THAT IT IS NOT HAZARDOUS SO THEY WILL NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT. LAST THEIR IS PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISION, WHENEVER YOU ARE MOVING SLOW OR IN A STOP POSITION AND START TO MOVE THE CAR JERKS REALLY BAD. IT MAKES YOU FEEL LIKE SOMEONE RAN INTO YOU OR THAT YOU RAN SOMETHING OVER. I HAVE REPORTED THIS TO THE COMPANY, BUT THEY CAN'T DO NOTHING ABOUT. I HAVE HEARD OTHER PEOPLE WITH THE ECAXT SAME CAR HAVE THE EXACT SAME PROBLEMS
A SEVERE FOGGED FRONT WINDSHIELD CAUSED POOR VISIBILITY. CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO REMOVE OR CLEANED IT. MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED AT THIS TIME. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS ON THIS MATTER. *AK
ON HIGHWAY UNDER SNOWY AND ICY CONDITIONS CONSUMER TRIED TO TURN ON THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS, AND THEY WOULD NOT TURN ON. CONSUMER FELT THIS WAS VERY UNSAFE. *AK
ONGOING P[ROBLEM WITH EXHAUST SMELL COMING INTO VEHICLE WHEN HEATER/DEFOGGER ARE TURNED ON. DEALER / MANUFAXCTURER NOTIFIED. *AK
RADIO DOES NOT WORK.
POOR DESIGN OF EXTERIOR REAR VIEW MIRRORS CAUSES THE DRIVER TO ADJUST MIRRORS WITH HANDS.
SMELL COMES FROM A/C-HEATER VENTS WHEN EITHER ONE IS TURNED ON. MAKES PASSENGER NAUSEOUS. .WAS TOLD BY MY 2 YR. OLD TO TURN OFF, MAKING HIM FEEL SICK. REPORTED TO DEALER. TWICE. NO PROBLEM FOUND. 97/98 COUGAR SAME PROBLEMS AS REPORTED BY FRIEND. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AT A STEADY SPEED OF 65 MPH THE WINDOWS VIBRATE. DEALER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND HAS TRIED TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM 4 TIMES. CONSUMER IS STILL EXPERIENCING THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY 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.