IllustrationONGOING P[ROBLEM WITH EXHAUST SMELL COMING INTO VEHICLE WHEN HEATER/DEFOGGER ARE TURNED ON. DEALER / MANUFAXCTURER NOTIFIED. *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 reportsABS LOCKED UP RESULTING IN VEHICLE COLLISION. YH
LEASED 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
WHILE DRIVING TANSMISSION DISENGAGES.THE DEALER IS AWARE OF THE THIS PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FUTHER INFORMATION. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH REAR ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE, AND ANOTHER VEHICLE REAR ENDED THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE. UPON IMPACT, DRIVER'S SIDE AND PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY. *AK
THE TRANSMISSION FAILS TO SHIFT INTO GEAR. WOULD BE MAKING LOUD NOISES. VEHICLE WAS NOT DRIVABLE. THE ENGINE HAD BLOWN. WAS RUNNING ON 2 CYLINDERS (25 AUG 99). HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALER. THE MECHANIC & WAS INFORMED TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. WOULD NEED TO ORDER A ENGINE. SO FAR NO ENGINE.
NO DEPLOYMENT OF AIR BAG, AND SHUT OFF VALVE FAILED DURING ACCIDENT RESULTING IN HEADACHES FROM HITTING HEAD ON MIRROR, NECKACHES AND UPPER BACK PROBLEMS. NLM
WHILE GOING EAST A CAR GOING WEST DECIDED TO MAKE A LEFT HAND TURN, CONSUMER HIT NEXT DRIVER ON PASSENGER'S SIDE HEAD-ON. UPON IMPACT, AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK
CONSUMER WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY., SHE ATTEMPTED TO CHANGE LANES AND APPLIED BRAKES, PEDAL WENT DOWN TO THE FLOOR, AND THE VECHICLE SWERVED INTO TRAFFIC AND HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE. NO INJURIES REPORTED. *AK
WHILE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN AN UPHILL POSITION WITH EMERGENCY BRAKE ON, VEHICLE ROLLED DOWN THE HILL AND HIT A TREE. *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.