IllustrationSTEERING WHEEL LOCK UP WHILE DRIVING. *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 reportsENGINE SHUTS DOWN WHEN AC IS ON AT STEADY HIGHWAY SPEEDS, VEHICLE ALSO EXPERIENCES SURGING INTERMITTENTLY, UNABLE TO RECTIFY PROBLEMS. MJS
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
WHILE IN MILWAUKEE PREPARING TO GO HOME MADE A STOP AT THE STOP SIGN THEN MADE A TURN, TRAVELING ABOUT 12-15 FT AND STEERING BROKE, SENDING THE AUTOMOBILE OUT OF CONTROL AND HIT A TREE. NO INJURIES. *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
VIBRATION OCCURRED AT IDLE WHILE STOPPED AT RED LIGHTOR STOP SIGN WITH TRANSMISSION IN DRIVE GEAR. VIBRATION IS FELT IN DRIVER'S SEAT/STEERING WHEEL AND FLOORBOARD. VIBRATION APPEARS TO BE CAUSED BY ENGINE IDLE BEING TOO SLOW AND VIBRATING THROUGH DRIVER'S COMPARTMENT. ENGINE WA SCLOSE TO STALLING ONA COUPLE OF OCCASIONS. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT IT WAS NOT RAINING, THERE WERE TWO CARS IN FRONT. CONSUMER SAW ONE OF THE CARS SWERVE TO THE LEFT AND THE OTHER TO THE RIGHT AS THOUGH THEY WERE TRYING TO AVOID HITTING SOMETHING. THEN CONSUMER SAW A CAR STOP DEAD IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. CONSUMER HAD NO WHERE ELSE TO TURN. THE CAR IN FRONT HAD A FLAT, N…
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WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT IT WAS NOT RAINING, THERE WERE TWO CARS IN FRONT. CONSUMER SAW ONE OF THE CARS SWERVE TO THE LEFT AND THE OTHER TO THE RIGHT AS THOUGH THEY WERE TRYING TO AVOID HITTING SOMETHING. THEN CONSUMER SAW A CAR STOP DEAD IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. CONSUMER HAD NO WHERE ELSE TO TURN. THE CAR IN FRONT HAD A FLAT, NO HAZARD LIGHTS WERE ON. CONSUMER REAR ENDED THE OTHER VEHICLE AT ABOUT 50MPH. UPON IMPACT, AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. CONSUMER FELT THAT IF AIRBAG HAD OF DEPLOYED CONSUMER'S HEAD WOULD NOT HAVE HIT THE WINDSHIELD. *AK
WHEN PULLING OFF THERE IS A KNOCKING AND RATTLING NOISE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE, AND THE DEALER CAN'T DETERMINE THE CAUSE. *AK
BRAKES FAILURE AT INTERSECTION. PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR WITH NO RESISTANCE, AND CRASH OCCURRED. *AK
VEHICLE WAS REAR ENDED, AND NONE OF THE VEHICLES SEAT BELTS, FRONT OR REAR, HELD THE PASSENGERS. ALL 3 PASSENGERS WERE THROWN FORWARD. DEALER SAID THE OWNER WAS AT FAULT FOR SEATBELTS NOT WORKING. *AK
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.