Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 1998 Ford Escort, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Air bags75
- Suspension50
- Engine and engine cooling49
- Power train43
- Electrical system43
- Service brakes, hydraulic32
- Fuel system, gasoline19
- Seat belts17
- Steering17
- Visibility16
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 78 injuries and 1 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 14 1998 Escort vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 10 people died inside them, and 2 of the vehicles rolled over. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 1998 Ford Escort failed the safety check 1.91% of the time — 11% more often than the average 1998 passenger car (1.71%). Median odometer at inspection: 100,200 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
In the Netherlands
119 first registered in 1998 are on Dutch roads; 6% arrived later as imports.
Most common APK defects
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde26
- Band onvoldoende profiel21
- Uitlaatsysteem niet gasdicht / onveilige afvoer uitlaatgasse15
- Stofhoes aandrijfas beschadigd en dicht niet af14
- Overmatige vloeistoflekkage overige vloeistoffen13
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld12
- Waarschuwingsinrichting airbag- / gordelsysteem geeft defect9
- Remleiding door corrosie aangetast8
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
236 cars built in 1998 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 2,014 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, 500 of these cars first registered in 1998 took their annual MOT test. 60% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 1998 the figure was 64%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 1998 |
|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 16.2% | 12.4% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 14.2% | 16.0% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 13.6% | 9.3% |
| Brakes | 12.8% | 11.8% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 9.4% | 7.2% |
| Visibility | 7.4% | 6.7% |
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
107 of these cars first registered in 1998 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 51,000 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
84 1998 cars are on the New Zealand register; 1% arrived as used imports, 98% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 6 variants: combined 8.5–9.3 L/100 km (about 25–28 mpg US), CO₂ 196–214 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Escort · Compact · Regular gasoline | 9.7 | 7.0 | 8.5 |
| Escort Wagon · Station wagon: Small · Regular gasoline | 9.7 | 7.0 | 8.5 |
| Escort ZX2 · Subcompact · Regular gasoline | 10.4 | 7.8 | 9.2 |
| Escort · Compact · Regular gasoline | 10.6 | 7.6 | 9.3 |
| Escort Wagon · Station wagon: Small · Regular gasoline | 10.6 | 7.6 | 9.3 |
| Escort ZX2 · Subcompact · Regular gasoline | 10.6 | 7.8 | 9.3 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
No recall campaigns cover the 1998 Ford Escort.
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 1998 Ford Escort: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 637615 | ROUGH IDLE, LOW POWER AND / OR STALL AT IDLE, A MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP ILLUMINATED AND DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES P0300 THROUGH P0304 STORED IN MEMORY. *TT |
| 636089 | SOME VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE 2.0L SPI ENGINE MAY EXHIBIT A MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP (MIL) ILLUMINATED AND DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES (DTC) P0300 THROUGH P0304 STORED. *TT |
| 636065 | INFORMATION REGARDING DISCHARGED BATTERY CHARGING SERVICE TIPS AND GUIDELINES. *TT |
| 630515 | ENGINE OIL SYSTEM PRIMING PROCEDURES, SERVICE TIPS FOR REPORTS OF PREMATURE ENGINE FAILURE. *TT |
| 630001 | SOME ENGINE ASSEMBLIES WITH ALUMINUM CYLINDER HEADS REPAIRED IN-VEHILE HAVE BEEN FOUND TO LEAK COOLANT AND/OR OIL FROM THE CYLINDER HEAD GASKET AREA. *TT |
| 627927 | SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT VACUUM OR AIR LEAKS IN THE INTAKE MANIFOLD AND / OR ENGINE SYSTEM CAUSING DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES P0171 AND OR P0174. *TT |
| 625715 | BRAKE SHIFT INTERLOCK.*JB |
| 623988 | INFORMATION REGARDING TRANSMISSION FLUID USAGE CHARTS. *SLC |
| 623944 | SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT HEATER CORE LEAKS. *SLC |
| 622804 | SOME VEHICLES PRODUCED THROUGH JULY 1999 MAY EXHIBIT REAR SUSPENSION SPRING FAILURE WITH NO RESULTING OPERATIONAL CONCERN. *TT |
| 619329 | SOME VEHICLES WITH 2.0L SPI ENGINE ONLY, MAY EXHIBITA BURNING OIL SMELL NOTED FROM OUTSIDE OR FROM WITHIN THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. *TT |
| 619150 | SERVICE ACTION 00E11, SUPPLEMENT #1 - UPDATE INFORMATION REGARDING ON-BOARD DIAGNOSTIC SYSTEM UPGRADE. *TT |
| 618643 | VEHICLES MAY EXPERIENCE INOPERATIVE OR INCORRECT A/C OPERATION AFTER REPLACING THE CCRM. *JB |
| 616814 | SERVICE ACTION BULLETIN REGARDING ON-BOARD DIAGNOSTIC SYSTEM UPGRADE. *TT |
| 615541 | SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LIGHT ON, STALL AT TIP-IN FROM IDLE, ENGINE HESITATION, AND / OR SURGE CAUSED BY THE MASS AIR FLOW (MAF) SENSOR. *TT |
| 615540 | SUBJECT REGARDING THE NGS FUEL ECONOMY TEST. *TT |
| 615498 | SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT A CLICK SOUND WHEN APPLY THE BRAKES WHILE CHANING DIRECTIONS. ENGINEERING IS INVESTIGATING THIS CONCERN. *TT |
| 615477 | THIS BULLETIN MENTIONS THAT FOR ALL VEHICLES WITH ANTILOCK BRAKE MODULE CONCERNS THAT REQUIRE A MODULE REPLACEMENT, THE TECHNICIAN MUST CALL FOR APPROVAL BEFORE REMOVING AND / OR REPLACING THE MODULE. *TT |
| 615476 | SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT AN ENGINE IDLE VIBRATION CONCERN WHILE IN GEAR AND LOADED (A/C ON, HEADLIGHTS ON, AND / OR REAR DEFROSTER ON). *TT |
| 615454 | BRIEF INFORMATION STATING THAT THE NGS FUEL ECONOMY TEST ON SOME VEHICLES MAY NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY. *TT |
| 615409 | INFORMATION REGARDING VEHICLES EXHIBITING A CLICK SOUND WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES WHILE CHANGING DIRECTION. *TT |
| 615400 | INFORMATION CONCERNING VEHICLES EXPERIENCING AN ENGINE IDLE VIBRATION WHILE IN GEAR AND LOADED (A/C ON, HEADLIGHTS ON, AND / OR REAR DEFROSTER ON). *TT |
| 615385 | INFORMATION CONCERNING CLICK NOISE FROM FRONT CALIPERS DURING BRAKE APPLICATION. *TT |
| 615381 | BRIEF INFORMATION CONCERN IDLE VIBRATION (TYPICALLY IN GEAR) FELT THRU THE STEERING WHEEL AND / OR BODY. *TT |
| 615335 | SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT A HARD START / LONG CRANK, COLD START STALL, COLD ROUGH IDLE CONCERN. *TT |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
AIR BAG NON-DEPLOYMENT
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation