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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

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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

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

Vehicle Speed Control complaints

8 reports
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86,000 miles · Sep 18, 2006
Vehicle Speed ControlCrash

ON TWO OCCASIONS, AS I WAS WAITING AT A RED LIGHT, FOOT ON BRAKE, MY VEHICLE TRIED TO ACCELERATE ON ITS OWN ACCORD. IN ONE OF THESE INSTANCES I HIT THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO EITHER VEHICLE. *NM

NHTSA ODI #10168550

99,000 miles · Aug 28, 2006
Power TrainVehicle Speed Control

WHEN PRESSING GAS ACCELERATOR PEDAL, CAR DOES NOT MOVE. CAR HESITATES WHEN STARTING FROM A STOP. OCCASIONALLY (ABOUT 1 OF 2 TIMES) THE CAR WILL SHUT DOWN AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS AND OTHER SERVICE LIGHTS APPEAR. THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED ONCE ALREADY ON 11/29/00. TRANSMISSION FURTHER COMPLAINED ABOUT ON 1/15/01 AND 8/9/01 -…

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WHEN PRESSING GAS ACCELERATOR PEDAL, CAR DOES NOT MOVE. CAR HESITATES WHEN STARTING FROM A STOP. OCCASIONALLY (ABOUT 1 OF 2 TIMES) THE CAR WILL SHUT DOWN AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS AND OTHER SERVICE LIGHTS APPEAR. THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED ONCE ALREADY ON 11/29/00. TRANSMISSION FURTHER COMPLAINED ABOUT ON 1/15/01 AND 8/9/01 - TOLD THERE WAS NO PROBLEM. THE CAR HAS BEEN TOWED BY AAA TWICE IN PAST TWO WEEKS. 5 MECHANICS CANNOT DIAGNOSIS THE PROBLEM. ALSO, WHEN CAR IS IDLING, IN GEAR, THE WHOLE CAR SHAKES. *NM

NHTSA ODI #10166813

Mileage unknown · Jul 11, 2004
Power TrainService Brakes, HydraulicVehicle Speed Control

OUR ZX2 HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT TROUBLE! ON 9-10-02 (29,183 MILES) $342.30 WORTH OF WORK WAS DONE ON THE BRAKE SYSTEM: FRICTION RELINE, DISC PADS, BRAKE SHOES, ROTORS, DRUMS, DISC HARDWARE (WHICH WAS BROKEN), SHIM KIT, RETURN SPRINGS (WEAK), BLEED & ADJUST, AND BEARING PACK. ON 6-19-03 (37,829 MILES) WE HAD TO HAVE THE COMPLETE TRA…

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OUR ZX2 HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT TROUBLE! ON 9-10-02 (29,183 MILES) $342.30 WORTH OF WORK WAS DONE ON THE BRAKE SYSTEM: FRICTION RELINE, DISC PADS, BRAKE SHOES, ROTORS, DRUMS, DISC HARDWARE (WHICH WAS BROKEN), SHIM KIT, RETURN SPRINGS (WEAK), BLEED & ADJUST, AND BEARING PACK. ON 6-19-03 (37,829 MILES) WE HAD TO HAVE THE COMPLETE TRANSMISSION REPLACED. THE COST FOR THIS WAS $1560.07, BUT SINCE OUR WARRANTY HAD JUST EXPIRED OUR LOCAL MECHANIC HAD FIREND AT A FORD DEALER WHO GAVE US THE 'GOOD FAITH' POLICY AND WE ONLY PAID HALF. GEE...WHAT A BARGAIN FOR A 4 YEAR OLD CAR. 2 MONTHS LATER, OUR A/C WENT OUT. W DELAYED REPAIR DUE TO $. ON 2-10-04 (44,000 MILES) THE HOUSING AND WATER PUMP BROKE. THIS IS A HUGE METAL PIECE WHICH THE MECHANIC SAID HE'D HAD NEVER SEEN BREAK. IT SNAPPED LIKE PLASTIC. THE COST OF THIS WAS $509.47. ON 2-24-04 (44,428 MILES) WE HAD TO HAVE THE BATTERY AND CABELS REPLACED WHICH COST $117.58. ON 3-22-04 WE REPAIRED THE A/C (45,524 MILES). THE TECHNICIAN FOUND CONSTANT CONTROL RELAY MODULE FAULTY. THIS COST $375.76. ON 4-25-04 (@ 45,700 MILES) ANOTHER HUGE METAL PIECE BROKE! IT WAS THE SERP. TENSION HOUSING AND BELT. THE MECHANIC AGAIN SAID HE HAS NEVER SEEN THAT PROBLEM, SPECIAL ORDERED THE PART FROM A FORD DEALER WHO WAS ALSO SHOCKED. THIS COST US $195.96. SO FAR, WE HAVE SUNK $2321.11 INTO THIS CAR. THE WORST PART IS THAT WE STILL OWE ON IT. MAY OF '04 WE WENT TO LOU GRUBB FORD AND WERE TOLD THAT THEY WERE NOT RESPONSIBLE BECAUSE OUR OIL CHANGES WERE NOT DONE AT A FORD DEALER! FORD FIELD ENGINEER DENIED SEEING US. THE FORD C.S. WOMAN SAID, "WELL, I GUESS IT'S TIME TO TRADE IN THE CAR. PEOPLE TRADE IN BAD CARS ALL THE TIME". I HAVE ISSUES KNOWING THAT SOME POOR SOUL WILL OWN THIS MONEY TRAP. WE HAVE WRITTEN 3 LETTERS TO THE FORD HEADQUARTERS IN DEARBORN, MI, BUT HAVE HAD NO RESPONSE. IT SHAKES & IDLES LIKE IT COULD DIE AT ANY TIME! I WOULD LOVE TO SEE A CLASS ACTION SUIT. I WILL NEVER BUY A FORD AGAIN IF THIS IS THEIR IDEA OF 'BUILT FORD TOUGH'. *AK

NHTSA ODI #10080805

53,700 miles · Jul 3, 2003
Vehicle Speed Control

WHEN THE VEHICLES CRUISE CONTROL WAS SET THE VEHICLE STALLED WHICH CAUSED THE ENGINE LIGHT, FUEL LIGHT AND BRAKE LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE. THE DEALER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE BUT COULD NOT DUPLICATE OR CORRECT THE PROBLEM. *AK *CB *NLM

NHTSA ODI #10022103

Mileage unknown · Dec 14, 2001
Power TrainVehicle Speed ControlCrash

VEHICLE LUNGED FORWARD WHILE IN NEUTRAL, CAUSING A FRONT END COLLISION WITH GARAGE WALL. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT OIL PAN WAS DENTED. ALSO, VEHICLE WILL NOT SHIFT INTO REVERSE. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

NHTSA ODI #8000720

Mileage unknown · Apr 22, 2001
Vehicle Speed Control

ACCELERATOR CAUSES CAR TO SURGE FORWARD OR BACKWARD AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED, DEPENDING ON GEAR. HAPPENS 9 TIMES OUT OF 10. HAVE LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE THREE TIMES ON ICE THIS WINTER, AND HAD REPEATED CLOSE CALS, ESPECIALLY WHEN REVERSING. TOOK CAR TO FORD DEALER WHERE BOUGHT, AND TOLD IT IS MODEL DEFECT AND NOT FIXABLE. NOTE ON…

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ACCELERATOR CAUSES CAR TO SURGE FORWARD OR BACKWARD AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED, DEPENDING ON GEAR. HAPPENS 9 TIMES OUT OF 10. HAVE LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE THREE TIMES ON ICE THIS WINTER, AND HAD REPEATED CLOSE CALS, ESPECIALLY WHEN REVERSING. TOOK CAR TO FORD DEALER WHERE BOUGHT, AND TOLD IT IS MODEL DEFECT AND NOT FIXABLE. NOTE ONE SIMILAR IN YOUR RECORDS, SEE: ODI ID:854752. *AK

NHTSA ODI #744384

Mileage unknown · Oct 5, 2000
Vehicle Speed Control

WHILE TRAVELING AND WHEN DEPRESSING GAS PEDAL VEHICLE WOULD NOT TRAVEL, VEHICLE HAD STALLED. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. *AK THE CONSUMER BELIEVES THE DEALER SOLD A LEMON VEHICLE. *YH

NHTSA ODI #872353

Mileage unknown · Jan 6, 2000
Power TrainVehicle Speed Control

THE VEHICLE WILL NOT PROPERLY ENGAGE INTO REVERSE. WHEN IT DOES ENGAGE IT ACCELERATES SUDDENLY . DEALER HAS INSPECED AND REPAIRED THE VEHICLE SEVERAL TIMES. *AK

NHTSA ODI #854752

Official recalls

1

99V276000 · 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

1

DP01001 · Air Bag NON-DEPLOYMENT

Opened Apr 19, 2001 · Closed Nov 1, 2001

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Air Bags

No summary supplied.