Owners filed 8 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the structure › body › door. No safety recall has been issued.
| Component | Reports | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Unknown or Other | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Suspension | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Structure › Body › Door | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Seats | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Power Train › Automatic Transmission › Gear Position Indication (prndl) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline › Belts and Associated Pulleys | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Air Bags › Frontal | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
THE PLASTIC COVER ON THE SEAT-BACK RELEASE HANDLE ( PASSENGER SIDE) OF MY 1998 FORD ESCORT ZX2 HAS BECOME BROKEN AND WILL POP OFF WHEN THE SEAT BACK IS RELEASED. AS A RESULT, ON TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20TH, I SEVERELY LACERATED MY FINGER ON THE SHARP METAL LEVER INSIDE THE PLASTIC COVER WHILE RELEASING THE SEAT BACK. THIS IS A VERY UNSAFE CONDITION. *TR
A STALLED SUBURBAN IN THE #1 LANE AT A TRAFFIC SIGNAL BECAME VISIBLE WHEN THE VAN DIRECTLY AHEAD OF ME SWERVED AT THE LAST MOMENT. I HIT THE BRAKES BUT HIT THE SUV AND TOTALED MY ESCORT. THE DRIVER'S AIR BAG FAILED TO DEPLOY AND THE SEATBELT CAUSED A BROKEN STERNUM, CRACKED RIBS. ALSO HAD RIGHT ARM BROKEN IN 3 PLACES WHILE BRACING FOR IMPACT. PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG DID DEPLOY, ALTHOUGH THERE WAS NO PASSENGER. *TR
CAR MAKES HIDIOUSLY LOUD SCREECHING SOUND. MECHANICS CAN'T FIND WHERE IT IS. I REPLACED MANY PARTS BUT THE SOUND CONTINUES TO COME OUT.
CLOSE CALL: THE SERPENTINE BELT SLIPS OFF AND THE CAR LOOSES POWER STEERING.*AK
I HAVE A '1998 FORD ZX2. IT'S REALLY MAKING SQUEAKING SOUND SINCE AROUND 2 YEARS AGO, I AM SURE THAT THIS IS NOT AN USUAL SQUEAKING SOUND YOU IMAGINE. I HAD MY CAR INSPECTED AT FORD DEALERSHIP AND OTHER CAR REPAIR CENTER. BEFORE INSPECTION, EVERY MECHANICIAN GUARANTEED HE COULD FIX IT. BUT AFTER LOOKING AT MY CAR, THEY JUST WONDERING WHY, AND THEY GAVE UP, AND I JUST SHOULD PAID. I TRIED TO REPLACE ALL KINDS OF BELTS AND COMPRESSA(?), BUT I JUST WASTED MY MONEY ABOUT $2,000 FOR THAT. AND THERE'S STILL LOUD SOUND OF PROBLEM. WHEN I REPORTED AT FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE ABOUT MY CAR, THEY E-MAIL ME THAT THEY WOULD CONTACT WITHIN 3 BUSINESS DAY, BUT THEY DIDN'T.HE FORD IS SO "IRRESPONSIBLE". I THINK I DID EVERY THING I CAN.*AK EVERYBODY ON THE ROAD IS LAUGHING AT ME AND MY CAR, WHILE I AM DRIVING. I SHOULD SELL MY CAR NOW, BUT WHO CAN BUY THIS KIND OF BAD FORD CAR? PLEASE TELL ME WHAT SHOULD I DO. THANKS.
CONSUMER STATES WHEN ACCELERATING VEHCILE MAKES A VERY WIERD NOISE. TOOK TO DEALER, AND THE DEALER WAS NOT ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK
WHILE DRIVINH 65 MPH PASSENGER TAPPED GEARSHIFT AND VEHICLE JUMPED FROM DRIVE INTO NEUTRAL WITHOUT GEARSHIFT BUTTON BEING PUSHED. THIS HAS HAPPENED AT LEAST 6 TIMES. *AK
DRIVER APPARENTLY LOOKED AWAY AND RAN OFF THE ROAD WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE, FLIPPED OVER AND THE DRIVRERS SIDE DOOR BECAME AJAR AND THE DRIVER WAS CRUSHED, INVESTIGATOR SAID THE DOOR SHOULD NOT HAVE COME OPEN. NLM
8 of 8 complaints, reproduced as filed.
1 death reported in complaints filed with NHTSA.
Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Most recent recall on file: none. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.