Owner-reported complaints naming the engine system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1988 Ford Escort submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 23 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
CAR HAS BEEN STALLING REGARDLESS OF SPEED. TOOK TO MECHANIC TO DETERMINE PROBLEM. MECHANIC HAS (SO FAR) IDENTIFIED BAD HEAD GASKET. I AM SECOND OWNER OF THIS VEHICLE AND IT HAS ONLY 67,000 MILES ON IT. VERY FEW MILES FOR AN EXPENSIVE HEAD GASKET REPAIR!! *JB
VEHICLE STALLS AT ANY SPEED, HAS STALLED 4 TIMES. INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP REPLACED IGNITION MODULE 4 TIMES.*AK *JB
KNOCKING NOISE IN THE ENGINE BEGAN - DEALER CONTACTED AND STATED NOISE PROBABLY DUE TO BENT ROD. KNOCK SEEMS TO LESSEN DURING COLD WEATHER AND WHEN OIL IS SERVICED. WINDSHIELD WIPERS STOP INTERMITTENTLY DURING OPERATION. REPLACED THE WIPER MOTOR - PROBLEM STILL EXISTS.*AK
VEHICLE STALLS AT ANY TIME AND ANY SPEED.*AK
RADIATOR COOLING FAN MALFUNCTIONED WHILE DRIVING, CAUSING WIRE HARNESS TO CATCH ON FIRE, AND BLOW THE FUSEABLE LINK THAT SHUTS FUEL PUMP OFF. THIS COMPLETELY CAUSED VEHICLE TO SHUT DOWN. FORD HAS BEEN CONTACTED.*AK
CONSUMER GOT STUCK ON ICE AND WHEN TRYING TO ROCK THE VEHICLE OUT, THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT CAUGHT ON FIRE, CLAIM 38-J494-074. *SLC
THE CONSUMER HAS EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH ENGINE. VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE WHILE IT WAS PARKED OUTSIDE OF CONSUMER'S HOUSE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CAME TO THE SCENE AND DETERMINED THAT THE FIRE WAS CAUSED BY A DEFECT IN THE ENGINE. THE MANUFACTURER HAS YET TO BE CONTACTED. *AK *ML
VEHICLE STALLS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD WHEN DRIVING BETWEEN 10-40 MPH. HAD A TUNE UP THE THAT DIDN'T REMEDY THE PROBLEM. *AK
ENGINE HESTITATES AND STALLS.
IGNITION SWITCH FAILED PRIOR TO RECALL NOTICE.
MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH WIRING MELTED, CAUSING LOSS OF HEADLIGHTS.
BRAKE LIGHTS INOPERATIVE.
CONSUMER HAD RECALL REPAIR OF THE IGNITION SWITCH (95S28) PERORMED BUT EXPERIENCED AN IGNITION SWITCH FIRE AFTER RECALL REPAIR. NLM
THE VEHICLE HAD A FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WHILE BEING DRIVEN. *AK
DRIVER NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE WAS ON HOT WHEN THE VEHICLE "DIED."
MISALIGNMENT OF VEHICLE.
TIMING BELT FAILED.
VEHICLE EXPERIENCED CONTINUED PROBLEMS WITH STALLING.
CATALYTIC CONVERTER CLOGGED, CAUSING FUMES TO ESCAPE INTO PASSENGER COMPARTMENT AFTER RECALL REPLACEMENT. *DH
ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE. *SD
THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND THE OWNER WENT INTO THE STORE AND WHEN SHE CAME OUT AND IT WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK
ENGINE FIRE.
CONSUMER WAS DRIVING CAR, SMELLED SMOKE, WAS ON HER WAY HOME, PARKED CAR IN DRIVEWAY AND CAUGHT ON FIRE PLEASE DESCRIBE . *AK
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.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
Data on this page last refreshed .