IllustrationCONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 35MPH ON HIGHWAY AND HYDROPLANED OFF THE ROAD. THEN, SHE WENT DOWN AN ENBANKMENT. AIRBAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY AT ALL, AND CONSUMER SUSTAINED INTERNAL INJURIES, AND SUFFERED POST TRAUMA.*AK
1999 Ford Escort
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Escort years
Owner complaints for the 1999 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
110–25K
1625–50K
2650–75K
1875–100K
18100–150K
3150K+
92 reports with mileage · 233 unknown
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 66 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 62 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Suspension. Review the 42 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
79 crash reports11 fire reports42 injury reports
Air Bags complaints
66 reportsVEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT, AND CAR WAS TOTALLY DAMAGED. ALSO, NEITHER DRIVER'SSIDE NOR PASSENGER'S SIDE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. CONSUMER SUSTAINED INJURIES. *AK
IN THE PROCESS OF STARTING VEHICLE IGNITION SWITCH CAUGHT ON FIRE. AS A RESULT, BOTH AIRBAGS DEPLOYED, AND INTERRIOR OF DASHBOARD WAS RUINED.*AK
VEHICLE WAS INVOLED IN AN ACCIDENT. UPON IMPCT, AIRBAG DEPLOYED, BUT DID NOT INFLATE, THERE WAS NO AIR BAG CAUSING PASSENGER TO HIT WINDSHIELD AND CRACKING IT. *AK *SLC
WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH VEHICLE WAS IN A FRONT END COLLISION AND THE SEAT BELTS DID NOT RESTRAIN PROPERLY. ALSO, AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK *ML
DEFECTIVE DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S AIR BAGS MALFUNCTIONED, AND DID NOT DEPLOY AT A FRONTAL IMPACT OF 30 MPH, WHICH DID NOT PROTECT THE OCCUPANTS IN THIS CRASH. MECHANIC SAID THE AIRBAGS WERE DEFECTIVE. *AK
VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT BY HITTING A SNOW DRAFT, CAUSING VEHICLE TO SPIN AROUND INTO A DITCH AND STRIKE A CONCRETE BARRIER UPON IMPACT, SEAT BELT AND AIR BAG FAILED TO DEPLOY. *AK
WHILE SWITCHING LANES A CAR FROM THE BACK TAPPED BUMPER AND CONSUMER LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE. CAR HIT GUARDRAIL STRIGHT ON AT ABOUT 50 MPH, AND AIRBAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY. *AK
FRONT END HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE'S FRONT END AT ROUGHLY 15 TO 20MPH, AND NEITHER DRIVER'S SIDE NOR PASSENGER'S SIDE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. DRIVER SUSTAINED INJURIES. DEALER HAS NOT SEEN VEHICLE. *AK
CONSUMER TRIED TO REDUCE SPEED TO AVOID REAR ENDING ANOTHER VEHICLE THAT STOPPED IN FRONT OF HER VEHICLE, BUT IT WAS TOO LATE. DURING COLLISION BOTH AIR BAGS EXPERIENCED NO DEPLOYMENT. *AK *YC
Official recalls
199V276000 · Power Train:manual Transmission:shift Pattern Indicator
Oct 12, 1999
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE S/R OPTION. THE S/R OPTION INCLUDES, AMONG OTHER FEATURES, A 5-SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION. ON THESE VEHICLES, THE TRANSMISSION SHIFT PATTERN IS NOT DISPLAYED IN THE OCCUPANT COMPARTMENT IN VIEW OF THE DRIVER. THIS DOES NOT COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS NO. 102, "TRANSMISSION SHIFT LEVER SEQUENCE, STARTER INTERLOCK, AND TRANSMISSION BRAKING EFFECT."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THE DRIVER MAY NOT BE AWARE OF THE TRANSMISSION POSITION OF THE VEHICLE.
Remedy: OWNERS WILL BE PROVIDED WITH AN ADHESIVE BACKED PLAQUE CONTAINING THE SHIFT PATTERN, ALONG WITH MATERIALS AND INSTRUCTIONS FOR LOCATING AND AFFIXING THE PLAQUE TO THE VEHICLE CENTER CONSOLE, JUST FORWARD OF THE SHIFT LEVER. OWNERS WILL ALSO BE ADVISED THAT THEIR DEALER CAN AFFIX THE PLAQUE IF THEY PREFER.
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.