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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 reportsIN TWO FRONTAL IMPACT THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY WHICH DID NOT PROTECT THE OCCUPANT IN THE CRASHES. DLR CANNOT DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION AND VIN#.
CONSUMER WAS IN AN ACCIDENT AND THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK
PASSENGER'S SIDE UPPER CONTROL ARM BROKE WHILE DRIVING, AND CAUSED A LOSS O CONTROL AND A CRASH. DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION AND VIN#. *AK
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE HESITATED/REVVED, AND FINALLY ACCELERATED, ALMOST CAUSING A REAR END COLLISION. DEALER COULD DETERMINE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR THIS VEHICLE. *AK
WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 30MPH VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A HEAD-ON COLLISION, AND AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WILL BE NOTIFIED. *AK
POOR DESIGN OF EXTERIOR REAR VIEW MIRRORS CAUSES THE DRIVER TO ADJUST MIRRORS WITH HANDS.
CONSUMER WAS IN AN ACCIDENT AND THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY.
WHEN DRIVING DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG LIGHT COMES ON AND WON'T GO OFF. CONSUMER STATES THAT THIS IS A SAFETY DEFECT. *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.