Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Our database contains 4 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1982 Ford Escort, most frequently naming the electrical, steering and body & structure categories. 5 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year; 5 NHTSA investigations name it; and 8 manufacturer communications are on file.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
When owners filed reports about this model year
| Month | Complaints filed | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|
| Apr 1996 | 1 | 1 |
| May 1996 | 1 | 2 |
| Jul 1996 | 1 | 3 |
| Oct 1996 | 1 | 4 |
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
5 campaigns cover this model year
Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.
Check a VIN on NHTSA.govSEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER
SEATS
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
NHTSA inquiries naming this vehicle. An investigation is not a finding of a defect.
FAILURE OF SEAT BACK SECURING BOLTS
FAILURE OF SEAT BACK SECURING BOLTS
STALLING AND CARBURETOR MALFUNCTIONS
STALLING AND CARBURETOR MALFUNCTIONS
TIMING CHAIN FAILURE
TIMING CHAIN FAILURE
FRONT SEATBACK FAILURE
STATUS: DISCUSSING WITH CANADA.===
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
IGNITION SWITCH LOCKED UP WITH KEY IN IT, WOULD NOT RELEASE KEY. (SECOND VEHICLE ON 509613, 601627)
IGNITION SWITCH FIRE.
UNDERHOOD FIRE WHILE PARKED IN PARKING LOT; VEHICLE TOTALED; CAUSE UNKOWN. *AK
VEHICLE PARKED AND SUDDENLY BURST INTO FLAMES. *AK
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
INFORMATION REGARDING TRANSMISSION FLUID USAGE CHARTS. *SLC
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
FORD MOTOR COMPANY HAS RELEASED A NEW ELECTRICAL GREASE ( F8AZ - 19G208-AA ) TO REDUCE THE POSSIBILITY OF MOISTURE CORROSION AT THE TERMINALS. *YC
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
INFORMATION ON A NEW TRANSMISSION FLUID USAGE CHART. *YC
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
FLUID- TRANSMISSION FLUID USAGE CHARTS. *JD
STRUCTURE:BODY
SHEET METAL-ROOF PANEL AND DRIP RAIL REPLACEMENT- SEAM SEALER APPLICATION PROCEDURE.*SD
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION; ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM; EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL; SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC; STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR; VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:FAN/MOTOR
UNKNOWN
Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Investigations | Issue Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 37.7 |
| 2002 | 33 | 1 | 0 | 43.4 |
| 2001 | 68 | 1 | 0 | 47.6 |
| 2000 | 98 | 2 | 0 | 54.2 |
| 1999 | 325 | 2 | 1 | 61.5 |
| 1998 | 375 | 1 | 1 | 55.2 |
| 1997 | 543 | 2 | 2 | 65.3 |
| 1996 | 205 | 1 | 0 | 47.7 |
| 1995 | 576 | 5 | 1 | 61.0 |
| 1994 | 279 | 2 | 0 | 56.7 |
| 1993 | 379 | 3 | 1 | 59.1 |
| 1992 | 162 | 3 | 1 | 59.4 |
| 1991 | 327 | 4 | 6 | 69.4 |
| 1990 | 101 | 2 | 3 | 70.2 |
| 1989 | 152 | 1 | 2 | 62.7 |
| 1988 | 143 | 2 | 5 | 71.7 |
| 1987 | 56 | 3 | 7 | 75.1 |
| 1986 | 45 | 2 | 7 | 73.2 |
| 1985 | 26 | 3 | 9 | 73.4 |
| 1984 | 21 | 3 | 6 | 73.8 |
| 1983 | 7 | 5 | 3 | — |
| 1982Viewing | 4 | 5 | 5 | — |
| 1981 | 1 | 10 | 4 | — |
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.