IllustrationVEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A HEAD-ON COLLISION OF 25-20 MPH IMPACT. UPON IMPACT, BOTH AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY UNTIL AFTER DRIVER'S HEAD STRUCK STEERING WHEEL, AND CAUSED DRIVER'S CLOTHES TO CATCH ON FIRE. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER TO CONTACT NHTSA. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *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
What owners actually said
325 reportsTHE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THE ENTIRE VEHICLE IS UNSOUND. THERE ARE BROKEN WELDS, DISTORTED SHEET METAL SUBFRAME COMPONANTS, AND SHIFTING OR FLEXING OF THE BODY THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE VEHICLE. IT HAS SEVERE OVERSTEER AT SPEED WHEN CORNERING OVER ROADS WITH VARYING SURFACES. THE UNDERCARRAIGE WILL TWIST ALLOWING THE GAS TANK T…
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THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THE ENTIRE VEHICLE IS UNSOUND. THERE ARE BROKEN WELDS, DISTORTED SHEET METAL SUBFRAME COMPONANTS, AND SHIFTING OR FLEXING OF THE BODY THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE VEHICLE. IT HAS SEVERE OVERSTEER AT SPEED WHEN CORNERING OVER ROADS WITH VARYING SURFACES. THE UNDERCARRAIGE WILL TWIST ALLOWING THE GAS TANK TO STRAIN AND LOOSEN AT ITS RETAINING STRAPS AND THE BRACKETS THEY ATTACH TO ARE PULLING LOOSE AT THEIR WELDS. THE WINDSHIED ANGLE CHANGES, THE ROOF BULGES AND BUCKLES, THE REAR DOORS DROP AND LIFT AS WELL AS THE REAR HATCH AREA AS THE CAR IS ACCELLERATED OR THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED. WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL IS TURNED LEFT OR RIGHT THE BODY TWISTS. THERE IS A NOTICABLE PULL UNDER ACCELLERATION. ALSO THE INTERIOR SEATS SHIFT AND SWAY SEPERATE FROM THE EXTERIOR. *AK
VEHICLE INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION AT 55 MPH. VEHICLE HIT A CONCRETE DIVIDER AND BOUNCED OFF, STRIKING ANOTHER VEHICLE. UPON IMPACT, BOTH AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPOY. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
WHILE TRAVELING AT 50 MPH ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON. ENGINE STALLED, AND STEERING LOCKED UP. CONSUMER FELT THAT THIS WAS VERY UNSAFE BECAUSE DRIVER WAS UNABLE TO STEER PROPERLY.*AK
WHILE DRIVING AND GETTING CLOSE TO A LIGHT VEHICLE WILL STALL, AND STEERING WHEEL WILL LOCK UP.. SAME PROBLEM HAD HAPPEN MORE THEN TEN TIMES.*AK
VEHICLE STALLS INTERMITTENTLY AND FAILS TO START INTERMITTENTLY. DEALERSHIP SAID THE FIRST TIME THAT IT WAS A FUEL PUMP FAILURE, SECOND TIME IT WAS A DEFECTIVE FUEL PUMP, THIRD TIME IT WAS THE FUEL SENSOR AND FUEL MODULE. NOW DOING IT AGAIN. REPORTED TO THE DEALERSHIP AWAITING REPORT ON THIS FOURTH INCIDENT.
TIRE SIDE WALL COMPLETELY BLEW (TIRESIZE: W18565R14) (TIRESIZE: W18565R14)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: W18565R14 )
VEHICLE HAS CONTINUOUSLY STALLED. DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND VEHICLE WAS BROUGHT IN DUE TO VEHICLE WOULD TURN OFF WHILE IDLE, VEHICLE WOULD NOT GO WHEN THE GAS PEDAL WAS PUSHED AND THEN FINALLY THE VEHICLE JUST WOULD NOT START. DEALER INFORMED THAT THE WIRING HARNEST AS WELL AS THE COMPUTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THIS WAS ABLE …
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VEHICLE HAS CONTINUOUSLY STALLED. DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND VEHICLE WAS BROUGHT IN DUE TO VEHICLE WOULD TURN OFF WHILE IDLE, VEHICLE WOULD NOT GO WHEN THE GAS PEDAL WAS PUSHED AND THEN FINALLY THE VEHICLE JUST WOULD NOT START. DEALER INFORMED THAT THE WIRING HARNEST AS WELL AS THE COMPUTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THIS WAS ABLE TO BE FIGURED OUT AFTER THE THIRD TIME DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT DID NOT COME ON UNTIL THE THIRD TIME, IN WHICH THE DEALER INFORMED THAT THEY COULD NOW FIND WHAT WAS WRONG, UNLIKE PREVIOUS TIMES WHEN THE CAR WOULD NOT STALL FOR THEM.
WHEN DEFROSTING MY WINDSHIELD, THE SECTION DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF ME NEVER FULLY DEFROSTS. WHEN THE SUN HITS IT IT GLARES SO MUCH THAT I CANNOT SEE ANYTHING. DEALERSHIP FOUND NOTHING WRONG. IT ONLY DEFROSTS FROM THE INSIDE IF I WIPE IT OFF, BUT OTHERWISE IT STAYS FOGGED UP.*AK
MY CAR WAS BROADSIDED BY ANOTHER VEHICLE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE DOORS. MY 13 YR. OLD SON WAS IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE, WITH HIS SEAT BELT ON. WHEN WE HIT THE CAR SPUN, HIS DOOR SWUNG OPEN EJECTING HIM. HE LANDED ABOUT 6 FT. FROM THE CAR ON THE GROUND. THERE WERE MARKS LEFT ON HIS NECK FROM THE SEAT BELT. FORTUNATELY HIS I…
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MY CAR WAS BROADSIDED BY ANOTHER VEHICLE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE DOORS. MY 13 YR. OLD SON WAS IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE, WITH HIS SEAT BELT ON. WHEN WE HIT THE CAR SPUN, HIS DOOR SWUNG OPEN EJECTING HIM. HE LANDED ABOUT 6 FT. FROM THE CAR ON THE GROUND. THERE WERE MARKS LEFT ON HIS NECK FROM THE SEAT BELT. FORTUNATELY HIS INJURIES WERE NOT SERVERE. HE HAD A HUGE LUMP ON THE LEFT SIDE OF HIS HEAD FROM WHEN HE HIT THE GROUND. I HAVE CONTACTED THE DEALER WHERE I PURCASED THE CAR, AND HAVE HEARD FROM A LADY IN CHICAGO. MY MAIN CONCERN RIGHT NOW IS THAT THEY INVESTIGATE FOR MALFUNCTION/DEFECTS ON THE SEAT BELT. I WAS ASKED WHAT HIS INJURIES WERE (THE DEALER SHIP NEVER ASKED, JUST TOLD ME THAT IF THE SEAT BELT WAS DEFECTIVE THEY WOULE REPLACE IT) WHAT TYPE OF COMPENSATION I WAS LOOKING FOR AND I TOLD HER "NONE, AT THIS TIME BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW IF MY SON WILL HAVE SOMETHING COME UP 6 MONTHS FROM NOW. SHE STATED THAT I WILL RECEIVE INFORMATION IN THE MAIL, REQUESTING A COPY OF THE ACCIDENT REPORT, MEDICAL RECORDS AND PICTURE OF MY SONS NECK SHOWING THE SEAT BELT MARKS. I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS IS INVESTIGATED, DOCUMENTED AND TOLD OF THE RESULTS. THE CAR IS NOW IN LUFKIN TX. SENT BY MY INSURANCE COMPANY.
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.