Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2002 Ford Escort, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Engine and engine cooling11
- Power train5
- Suspension4
- Service brakes, hydraulic3
- Tires3
- Steering3
- Electrical system2
- Air bags2
- Wheels2
- Service brakes1
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 9 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 2002 Ford Escort failed the safety check 3.04% of the time — 52% more often than the average 2002 passenger car (2.00%). Median odometer at inspection: 92,767 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
In the United Kingdom
0 cars built in 2002 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 2 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, 362 of these cars first registered in 2002 took their annual MOT test. 62% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2002 the figure was 58%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 2002 |
|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 17.7% | 15.8% |
| Brakes | 16.9% | 13.6% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 14.9% | 20.8% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 13.3% | 9.7% |
| Visibility | 8.8% | 7.7% |
| Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 6.6% | 3.4% |
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
Recalls
No recall campaigns cover the 2002 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 2002 Ford Escort: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 637708 | SUBJECT REGARDING FUSE BOX COVER AND #7 FUSE LOCATION. *TT |
| 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 |
| 630507 | SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP ILLUMINATED WITH DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE P1744 WITH NO DRIVEABILITY CONCERNS PRESENT. *TT |
| 630088 | INFORMATION REGARDING NO START DUE TO A SEIZED CAMSHAFT. *YH |
| 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 |
| 625715 | BRAKE SHIFT INTERLOCK.*JB |
| 623988 | INFORMATION REGARDING TRANSMISSION FLUID USAGE CHARTS. *SLC |
| 623944 | SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT HEATER CORE LEAKS. *SLC |
| 10019076 | REPLACE TIMING BELT IDLER PULLEY DURING 2.0L ZETEC ENGINE CYLINDER HEAD REPLACEMENT - SERVICE TIP. *TT |
| 10014086 | GENERAL (PCM) POWER TRAIN CONTROL MODULE PROGRAMMING PROCEDURES. *TT |
| 10014062 | REAR WINDOW DEFROSTER GRID/INTEGRAL ANTENNA DIAGNOSIS AND REPAIR - TERMINAL TAB REPAIR. *TT |
| 10013116 | MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP (MIL) ILLUMINATED - SYSTEM LEAN DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES (DTC'S) - SERVICE TIPS. VARIOUS MODELS INCLUDING 2004 F-SERIES. *TT |
| 10013060 | CLIMATE CONTROL A/C SERVICE TECH TIPS. *EH |
| 10011159 | REAR WINDOW DEFROSTER GRID/INTEGRAL ANTENNA DIAGNOSIS AND REPAIR - TERMINAL TAB REPAIR. *TT |
| 10009870 | TRW VEHICLE SAFETY SYSTEMS, INC. IS RECALLING CERTAIN SERVICE REPLACEMENT SEATBELT RETRACTORS (DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT RETRACTOR IN GRAY) MANUFACTURED IN DECEMBER 2002 AND SOLD AS A SERVICE REPLACEMENT PART BETWEEN DECEMBER 2002 AND JULY 2004. *TT |
| 10009321 | INOPERATIVE ELECTRIC REAR WINDOW DEFROSTER (HEATED BACKLITE) GRID LINES, INTEGRAL ANTENNA CONCERNS. *TT |
| 10008580 | LAMP-BRAKE-INVADVERTENT DISABLING OF BRAKE SHIFT INTERLOCK. *MJ |
| 10004027 | REMOTE KEYLESS ENTRY (RKE) - SERVICE TIPS. *TT |
| 10003194 | IDLE VIBRATION ON VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 2.0L SPI OR ZETEC ENGINE ONLY. *TT |
| 10002780 | MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP (MIL) ILLUMINATION WITH DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES P0442, P0455, P0456, P0457, P1442 OR CHECK FUEL CAP LAMP ILLUMINATED WITH DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE P0457. *TT |
| 10002649 | HIGHER THAN NORMAL IDLE SPEED, RUNS ROUGH AT IDLE AND/OR DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE (DTC) P0171. *TT |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)