Ford Escort problems by year
4,316 complaints across 11 model years, 1990–2000. 1997 draws the most at 729; 1990 the fewest at 128.
Read this first
Complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold as much as how reliable they were. A popular model year will always look worse than a rare one. Compare the dominant failure system between years rather than the raw totals.
Every model year
| Year | Complaints | Top reported system | Crashes | Fires | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 128 | Electrical system (45.3%) | 8 | 49 | 0 |
| 1991 | 413 | Electrical system (29.5%) | 22 | 70 | 3 |
| 1992 | 222 | Electrical system (19.8%) | 7 | 20 | 1 |
| 1993 | 480 | Seat belts (23.3%) | 37 | 17 | 7 |
| 1994 | 351 | Seat belts (23.4%) | 65 | 18 | 5 |
| 1995 | 725 | Seat belts (22.3%) | 106 | 27 | 1 |
| 1996 | 257 | Seat belts (31.1%) | 30 | 11 | 0 |
| 1997 | 729most | Air bags (20.9%) | 78 | 133 | 0 |
| 1998 | 470 | Air bags (16.2%) | 102 | 17 | 1 |
| 1999 | 413 | Air bags (16.7%) | 99 | 14 | 5 |
| 2000 | 128 | Engine and engine cooling (18.0%) | 31 | 2 | 0 |