IllustrationHORN BLOWS CONTINUOUSLY WITH VEHICLE PARKED. MUST REMOVE FUSE TO TURN OFF HORN.*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
What owners actually said
375 reportsWHILE VEHICLE WAS GETTING INSPECTED DISCOVERED THAT REAR COIL SPRINGS WERE DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. MECHANIC STATED THERE WAS LOW MILEAGE IN VEHICLE TO HAVE COIL SPRINGS REPLACED.*AK
VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A COLLISION, HITTING A POLE AT 45 MPH, UPON IMPACT DRIVER AND PASSENGER AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK THERE WAS ONE INJURY. *YD
TRANSMISSION SLIPS IN EVERY GEAR AND SHIFTS HARD, ESPECIALLY ON COLD MORNINGS. VEHICLE TAKEN TO DEALER 2 TIMES, CANNOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM. *AK
WHEN VEHICLE GETS STARTED UP IT WILL NOT MOVE OUT OF PARK. VEHICLE WILL JUST SIT THERE AND NOT MOVE ANYWHERE.*AK
AFTER TURNING VEHICLE OFF KEY GOT STUCK IN IGNITION. NO MATTER WHAT CONSUMER DID , KEY WOULD NOT COME OUT. CONTACTED DEALER. *AK
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…
Read full complaint
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
CONSUMER WAS TURNING OFF THE IGNITION AND NOTICED THAT THERE WAS FIRE UNDER THE STEERING WHEEL AREA, CONSUMER AND HER DAUGHTER TRIED TO PUT OUT THE FIRE THEMSELVES, HOWEVER COULD NOT, CLAIM 14-1385-223. *SLC
WHILE DRIVING, FLAMES STARTED COMING FROM UNDER THE DASH, CLAIM 13-7568-816. *SLC
CONSUMER NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM BEHIND THE STEERING COLUMN, CLAIM 24-125-333. *SLC
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.