Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 1983 Ford Escort, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Service brakes, hydraulic2
- Electrical system2
- Fuel system, gasoline1
- Unknown or other1
- Seat belts1
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 3 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
In the Netherlands
195 first registered in 1983 are on Dutch roads; 16% arrived later as imports.
Most common APK defects
- Overmatige vloeistoflekkage overige vloeistoffen14
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde9
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld9
- Stuur- of fuseekogel met slijtage kleiner of gelijk 1,0 mm6
- Band onvoldoende profiel5
- Ruitenwisserinstallatie geeft onvoldoende zicht5
- Slijtage/beschadiging wiellager hoorbaar of voelbaar5
- CO meer dan wettelijk toegestaan5
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
370 cars built in 1983 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 597 more were declared off the road (SORN).
Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124, year of manufacture) · Open Government Licence v3.0
MOT test results in Great Britain
In 2023, 225 of these cars first registered in 1983 took their annual MOT test. 85% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 1983 the figure was 75%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 1983 |
|---|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 10.2% | 14.0% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 4.4% | 5.3% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 4.0% | 5.8% |
| Visibility | 4.0% | 6.3% |
| Brakes | 3.6% | 8.4% |
| Suspension | 3.6% | 7.1% |
DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023 (Department for Transport) · Open Government Licence v3.0 · first tests only; a fix made at the test station within the hour still counts as a fail
In Finland
36 of these cars first registered in 1983 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 57,000 km on the odometer at their last inspection.
Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency), open data on vehicles in use · CC BY 4.0
In New Zealand
2 1983 cars are on the New Zealand register; 50% arrived as used imports, 0% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Recalls in Canada
7 Transport Canada recalls for the 1983 Ford Escort.
| 1988066 17 May 1988 | Seats And Restraints THE FORWARD SCREW WHICH PROVIDES PART OF THE ATTACHMENT BETWEEN THE DRIVER`S SEAT BACK ASSEMBLY AND THE SEAT CUSHION FRAME COULD FRACTURE AND PERMIT THE DRIVER'… |
| 1985074 14 Jun 1985 | Not Entered THE REAR SEAT BELT RETRACTORS MAY ALLOW TWISTED WEBBING TO ENTER THE RETRACTOR HOUSING. TWISTED WEBBING MAY WEDGE BETWEEN THE RETRACTOR SPOOL AND HOUSING PRODUC… |
| 1984081 28 Jun 1984 | Not Entered THE FRONT SLEEVE BUSHINGS OF THE COOLING FAN MOTORS ARE SUSCEPTIBLE TO EXCESSIVE CORROSION IN AREAS OF HIGH ROAD SALT USE. THIS MAY INCREASE THE ROTATIONAL FRI… |
| 1984078 19 Jun 1984 | Not Entered WHEN SEVERELY LOADED BY A FRONTAL IMPACT, THE SEAT BELT WEBBING MAY CONTACT THE LEADING EDGE OF THE FRONT SEAT-BACK STELL REINFORCEMENT PLATES. THIS MAY CAUSE … |
| 1983087 18 Oct 1983 | Not Entered SOME OF THE VEHICLES (EQUIPPED WITH 1.6 LITRE ENGINES, CALIBRATION 3-03B-R10) MAY HAVE BEEN BUILT AND SHIPPED WITH EXHAUST AIR SUPPLY AIR CONTROL VALVE HOSES RE… |
| 1983068 10 Aug 1983 | Not Entered THESE VEHICLES MAY NOT COMPLY WITH CMVSS 1103 - EXHAUST EMISSIONS. |
| 1983060 22 Jun 1983 | Not Entered TWO DOOR MODELS. FATIGUE CRACKS MAY OCCUR IN THE DOOR LOCK PILLARS AT THE FRONT DOOR LATCH STRIKER REINFORCEMENT ATTACHMENT LOCATIONS. THE FATIGUE CRACKS MAY P… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
THE DIAPHRAGM MATERIAL OF THE MECHANICAL FUEL PUMPS MAY DETERIORATE AND ALLOW THE DIAPHRAGM TO RUPTURE.
REAR SEAT BELT RETRACTORS MAY ALLOW TWISTED WEBBING TO ENTER THE RETRACTOR HOUSING AND JAM THE RETRACTOR. CONSEQUENCE OF DEFECT: A JAMMED RETRACTOR WOULD INTERFERE WITH WEBBING RETRACTION AND WITHDRAWAL. THIS WILL DISCOURAGE SEAT BELT USAGE.
SEAT FRAME STRUCTURE COULD SEVER FRONT SEAT BELTS IF VEHICLE IS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT, DEPENDING ON FORCE OF IMPACT.
DOOR LOCK PILLARS COULD DEVELOP FATIGUE CRACKS FROM NORMAL USAGE OF DOOR, AT THE POINT WHERE DOOR LATCH STRIKER REINFORCEMENTS ARE ATTACHED.
DURING A CRASH BARRIER TEST, THE RUBBER HOSE CONNECTING THE FUEL TANK AND THE METAL FILLER PIPE VENT TUBE WAS CUT, RESULTING IN FUEL LEAKAGE. THE INVOLVED VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 301, "FUEL SYSTEM INTEGRITY".
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Ford told its dealers about the 1983 Ford Escort: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 69012 | UNKNOWN |
| 623988 | INFORMATION REGARDING TRANSMISSION FLUID USAGE CHARTS. *SLC |
| 604059 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY HAS RELEASED A NEW ELECTRICAL GREASE ( F8AZ - 19G208-AA ) TO REDUCE THE POSSIBILITY OF MOISTURE CORROSION AT THE TERMINALS. *YC |
| 601238 | INFORMATION ON A NEW TRANSMISSION FLUID USAGE CHART. *YC |
| 51945 | FLUID- TRANSMISSION FLUID USAGE CHARTS. *JD |
| 45947 | SHEET METAL-ROOF PANEL AND DRIP RAIL REPLACEMENT- SEAM SEALER APPLICATION PROCEDURE.*SD |
| 39900 | ROUGHNESS CONCERN DURING BRAKE APPLICATION. *TW |
| 3011600 | UNKNOWN |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
STALLING
SEATBACK FAILURE
STALLING AND CARBURETOR MALFUNCTIONS
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation