1999 Ford Escort

1-COURTESY CHECK BY A LOCAL TIRE & AUTO SERVICE CENTER DURING A TIRE ROTATION. SUGGEST REPLACE REAR COIL SPRINGS. 2-WE WERE TOLD ONE OF THE REAR COIL SPRINGS IS BROKEN, THESE HAVE TO BE REPLACED IN PAIRS. 3-THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW AND SHOULD NOT BE A REGULAR ITEM THAT NEEDS TO BE MAINTAINED. WE SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR A PAIR OF COILS AND A SUSPENSION ALIGNMENT. WE ARE LOOKING FOR A RECALL INSTEAD OF PAYING MONEY OUT OF OUR POCKET FOR AN ITEM THAT SHOULD NOT NEED TO BE REPLACED. APPARENTLY THIS IS TRUE BECAUSE OF OTHER COMPLAINTS FOR THE SAME REASON FOR YEARS OF 1997-2001 FOR FORD ESCORTS/SEDANS AND MERCURY TRACER/SEDANS. *JB

I TOOK MY 99 FORD ESCORT TO A AUTO REPAIR SHOP TO FIX ONE FRONT TIE ROD (ANOTHER FREQUENT PROBLEM ON ESCORT) AND THE MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT ONE OF THE SPINGS IN THE REAR SUSPENSION WAS BROKEN. I DID NOT NOTICE ANYTHING DIFFERENT WHEN DRIVING AND I DON'T KNOW FOR HOW LONG IT HAS BEEN BROKEN. THE MECHANIC ALSO SAID THAT THIS IS A FREQUENT PROBLEM WITH ESCORT, AND ADVISED ME TO CHECK THE EXISTANCE OF A RECALL WITH A FORD DEALER. TO THIS DATE (JAN 2006) THERE IS NO RECALL. HE ALSO ADVISED ME TO KEEP THE RECEIPT OF THE REPAIR ($ 750 TO REPLACE THE SPRINGS AND STRUTS ON BOTH SIDES) IN CASE A RECALL WILL BE MADE IN THE FUTURE. *NM

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE HAD A BROKEN REAR SPRING ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE. DEALER FOUND IT BROKEN WHILE DOING A SAFETY INSPECTION. THERE WAS NO INDICATION THAT THE SPRING WAS BROKEN. MANUFACTURER SAID THERE WAS NO RECALL. THE CONTACT HAS NOT HAD IT FIXED BECAUSE OF THE EXPENSE. CONTACT BELIEVED IT WAS A FACTORY DEFECT. *AK UPDATED 11/29/2005 -*NM

OUR 1999 FORD ESCORT WITH ONLY 11,904 MILES ON THE ODOMETER (WE DRIVE A SUBARU FORESTER MOSTLY), RECEIVED ITS ANNUAL INSPECTION (NYS LAW) ON AUGUST 11, 2005. THE INSPECTION REVEALED THAT BOTH REAR COIL SPRINGS WERE BROKEN. I ASKED THE TECHNICIAN HOW THAT COULD HAPPEN WITH SUCH LOW MILEAGE AND SO LITTLE USE AND BOTH HE AND THE SERVICE MANAGER (THEY ARE A HIGHLY REGARDED, AFTER-MARKET, AUTO REPAIR BUSINESS, SERVICING ALL MAKES OF VEHICLES, AND HAVE NO CAUSE FOR BIAS) SAID THAT IN THEIR EXPERIENCE FORD ESCORTS ARE NOTORIOUS FOR HAVING WEAK AND DEFECTIVE REAR COIL SPRINGS AND THAT THEY HAD REPLACED MANY OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS (MORE THAN ANY OTHER MAKE OR MODEL). TO A LESSER DEGREE THEY ALSO NOTED THAT THE TAURUS HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. BEFORE HAVING THE WORK DONE I HAD CALLED THE DEALER (SAM DELL FORD OF LIVERPOOL, NY) AND THE FORD CONSUMER COMPLAINT OFFICE. NEITHER WERE AT ALL HELPFUL, DENYING ALL KNOWLEDGE OF A DEFECT WITH THE REAR COIL SPRINGS. I AM ATTACHING A MEMO FROM THE INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP, DOCUMENTING THEIR EXPERIENCE WITH THE ESCORT.

DT: 1999 FORD ESCORT. THE CONSUMER STATED THE REAR SPRINGS WERE DEFECTIVE. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN IN FOR INSPECTION THE REAR SPRINGS WERE BROKEN. WHEN THE CONSUMER CALLED FORD, THEY DID NOT KNOW OF THIS PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TAKEN TO AN AFTER MARKET REPAIR SHOP. THEY STATED THIS WAS SEEN ALL OF THE TIME. THE ESCORTS WERE NOTORIOUS FOR BAD REAR SPRINGS. THIS VEHICLE HAS 11,904 MILES ON IT. THE REAR SPRINGS WERE REPLACED. *AK

DT: THE VEHICLE WAS A 1999 FORD ESCORT. BOTH OF THE BACK COIL SPRINGS WERE BROKEN. CONSUMER FOUND THIS OUT WHEN GETTING THE BRAKES INSPECTED. THE FRONT BRAKE ROTORS, TIE RODS AND THE REAR STRUTS INCLUDING THE COIL SPRINGS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE INSPECTION TOOK PLACE ON 7-8-05. CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A FORD DEALER TO HAVE ALL THE PARTS REPLACED. THEY WERE REPLACED ON 7-20/22-05. VEHICLE WAS SHAKING BEFORE HAND. CONSUMER KNEW THAT FORD COMPANY ISSUED A RECALL ISSUE CONCERNING THIS PROBLEM WITH SOME OF THEIR OTHER MODELS. *AK UPDATED 11/02/2005. *NM

TOOK VEHICLE IN FOR SERVICE, AND TECHNICIAN FOUND THAT BOTH REAR SPRINGS WERE BROKEN. I WAS UNAWARE OF THIS DAMAGE, THOUGH I HAD NOTICED SOME SUSPENSION NOISE WHEN TURNING. ALSO, THE HANDLING OF THE VEHICLE WAS MUCH "LOOSER" IN THE REAR. TECHNICIAN INFORMED ME THAT THE SPRINGS COULD FURTHER DETERIOTE AND THE BODY OF THE VECHICLE COULD COLLAPSE ONTO THE CHASSIS. THE ESTIMATE FOR REPAIRS WAS $750.00, THOUGH NO REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE TO DATE.