IllustrationCONSUMER STATES WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKE PEDAL, IT GETS REALLY HARD, CONSUMER HAS TO USE LOTS OF FORCE TO STOP. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*JB
2002 Ford Escort
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Fewer warning signs than most model years
Owner complaints for the 2002 Ford Escort are lower than the model-year median of 101.
Counts are not adjusted for sales, age, mileage exposure or reporting. A lower count does not establish that a car is problem-free.
About this comparison →33Owner complaints
Model-year median: 101
0Recall campaignsView recall details →
0InvestigationsView investigation details →
Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗ Model-level counts do not show whether a particular VIN is affected or repaired.
Inspection summary
2002 Ford Escort
NHTSA snapshot: September 18, 2026. 33 owner complaints · 0 recall campaigns · 0 investigations.
Counts are not failure probabilities and are not adjusted for sales, age, mileage exposure or reporting. One report may name several categories. Comparison method and limitations.
Top reported categories (up to 5)
- Engine And Engine Cooling: 11 reports
- Power Train: 5 reports
- Suspension: 4 reports
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic: 3 reports
- Steering: 3 reports
Full reported-category list and vehicle report
Recall links
No recall campaigns in this snapshot.
Check a VIN with NHTSA. Model-level history does not establish whether a particular VIN is affected or repaired.
Print the top reported categories, recall links, snapshot date and comparison limits.
How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Escort years →Counts vary with age, sales, mileage exposure 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
Limited mileage data: 18 of 33 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
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.
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 11 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Suspension. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
4 crash reports1 fire reports3 injury reports
What owners actually said
33 reportsTHE ALARM SYSTEM GOES OFF WITHOUT ANYTHING GETTING NEAR THE VEHICLE. IT HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP AT LEAST 4 TIMES NOW THE ALARM WONT GO OFF AT ALL. THERE WAS A POPPING NOISE UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE WHICH WAS CAUSED BY THE BRAKE CLIPS COMING OFF BRAKE CHAMBERS. THE DEALERSHIP DAMAGED MY VEHICLE WHEN IT WAS IN FOR SERVICE. 2 DENTS ON …
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THE ALARM SYSTEM GOES OFF WITHOUT ANYTHING GETTING NEAR THE VEHICLE. IT HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP AT LEAST 4 TIMES NOW THE ALARM WONT GO OFF AT ALL. THERE WAS A POPPING NOISE UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE WHICH WAS CAUSED BY THE BRAKE CLIPS COMING OFF BRAKE CHAMBERS. THE DEALERSHIP DAMAGED MY VEHICLE WHEN IT WAS IN FOR SERVICE. 2 DENTS ON DRIVERS SIDE AND A SCRATCH ON THE DRIVERS DOOR. THE GOODYEAR TIRES HAD A BELT BROKEN IN THE RIGHT REAR, THEY INSTALLED A WHEEL BEARING, HUB KITS AND A SAFETY VIBRATION HARNESS BUT THE TIRE STILL MADE THE SAME NOISE. THEN THEY ROTATED THE TIRE TO THE PASSENGER FRONT. I HAD TO LITERALLY PITCH A FIT TO GET THEM TO CHANGE THE TIRES AND REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE TIRES. I FINALLY TOLD THEM I WAS NOT TAKING THE CAR OFF THE LOT SO THEY GOT ME A RENTAL AT THAT POINT. WELL THERE IS STILL A POPPING NOISE WHEN YOU TURN THE STEERING WHEEL AND THE ALARM WONT GO OFF NOW. THIS WILL BE THE FIFTH TIME I HAVE REPORTED THESE PROBLEMS.*AK
THE STEERING WHEEL/COLUMN SHAKES AND VIBRATES. THIS HAPPENS USUALLY WHEN THE VEHICLE IS IDLING. THIS HAPPENS EVERY TIME I DRIVE IT. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT IT IS NORMAL, IT IS BECAUSE THE VEHICLE HAS RUBBER MOTOR MOUNTS, THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. I HAVE HAD IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP 5 TIMES AND NOTHING HAS BEEN FIXED. I FEEL…
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THE STEERING WHEEL/COLUMN SHAKES AND VIBRATES. THIS HAPPENS USUALLY WHEN THE VEHICLE IS IDLING. THIS HAPPENS EVERY TIME I DRIVE IT. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT IT IS NORMAL, IT IS BECAUSE THE VEHICLE HAS RUBBER MOTOR MOUNTS, THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. I HAVE HAD IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP 5 TIMES AND NOTHING HAS BEEN FIXED. I FEEL THAT I WAS MISLEAD AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE. WHEN I MENTIONED THE SHAKING STEERING WHEEL TO THE SALESMAN, HE DIDN'T SAY IT IS A CHARACTERISTIC OF CAR, HE SAID WE WILL FIX IT. I WOULD NOT HAVE BOUGHT THE CAR FOR $17720.00 IF I HAD KNOWN THAT IT WOULD DO THAT ALL THE TIME. I WOULD HAVE TAKEN THAT MONEY AND BOUGHT A BETTER CAR OR KEPT THE ONE I TRADED IN.*AK
Recall campaigns
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
Defect investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
An investigation is not a finding of a defect, and closure does not prove a vehicle is problem-free.