1989 Ford Escort Owner Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1989 FORD ESCORT. THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A CRASH WHERE SHE WAS REAR-ENDED. THE CONTACT SUFFERED INJURIES TO HER HEAD AREA. SHE MENTIONED SHE WAS WEARING HER SEAT BELTS AT THE TIME OF THE CRASH AND BELIEVED THE FAILURE OF THE SEATBELTS CONTRIBUTED TO HER INJURIES. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER AND THERE WERE NO RECALLS ON THE VEHICLE. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED FOR THE INCIDENT. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 100,000.

NHTSA ID

10318126

Incident

Sep 3, 2008

Mileage

100,000 mi

1989 FORD ESCORT CAUGHT ON FIRE. *KB THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE STARTED TO SMOKE AND ONCE HE/SHE PULLED OVER, THE VEHICLE BECAME ENGULFED IN FLAMES. *JB

NHTSA ID

10169105

Incident

Aug 15, 2006

1989 FORD ESCORT HATCHBACK - A PASSENGER EXITING THE VEHICLE FROM THE REAR SEAT STEPPED ON AN ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR LOCATED UNDER THE CARPET WHICH CAUSED THE +12V AND GROUND WIRES TO SHORT TOGETHER. THIS CONNECTOR IS PART OF THE ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP HARNESS. THE CONNECTOR MELTED, THE WIRE HARNESS BURNED AND THE CARPET SINGED. THERE WAS SMOKE INSIDE THE VEHICLE. *JB

NHTSA ID

10086882

Incident

Aug 10, 2004

Mileage

150,000 mi

ALTERNATOR CAUGHT ON FIRE. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP WHO REPLACED ALTERNATOR. ALSO, THE SECOND ALTERNATOR CAUGHT ON FIRE AT THE GAS PUMP. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS NOTIFIED AND EXTINGUISHED THE BLAZE. CONSUMER CLAIMED IT MAY HAVE BEEN THE INSTALLATION THAT CAUSED THE FIRE. *AK

NHTSA ID

10057546

Mileage

120,000 mi

BATTERY CHARGING LIGHT GOING ON & OFF AT TIMES. ALSO ON 2 SEPARATE OCCASIONS WHEN VEHICLE WAS STARTED FUEL GAUGE WILL REGISTER ABOVE FULL & AT SAME TIME TEMPERATURE. GAUGE GOES UP TO MAXIMUM. NEITHER BEING CLOSE TO BE CORRECTED. DURING THIS TIME I NOTICED KEYS & IGNITION BECOME VERY HOT. IF TURNED ON & OFF COUPLE TIMES IT IS OK AGAIN . EXCEPT OCCASIONAL CHARGING LIGHT ON & OFF WITH NO LOSS OF POWER. CAN'T FIND CAUSE! *LA

NHTSA ID

10041688

Incident

Oct 19, 2003

Mileage

25 mi

MHTSA#92-V-117-000:FATIGUE CRACKS CAN DEVELOP IN THE SOLDER JOINT BETWEEN THE FUEL RETURN TUBE AND THE FUEL PUMP SENDING UNIT LOCATED AT THE TOP OF THE FUEL TANK. CONSUMER HAS THE SAME PROBLEM. HOWEVER,THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT RECALLED BECAUSE YEAR OF MANUFACTURING, 1989. *AK

NHTSA ID

10024430

Incident

Jun 19, 2003

WHILE MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING OUR 1989 FORD ESCORT SHE TURNED L TO PULL INTO A DRIVE WAY AND SHE SMELLED SMOKE. SHE ONLY GOT A FEW YARDS AND THE CAR BURST INTO FLAMES. I DID CONTACT MY INSURANCE COMPANY, BUT SINCE THE CAR WAS NOT INSURED FOR FIRE. THEY RECOMMENDED I CONTACT FORD. WHEN ASKED IF THERE WERE ANY DEFECTS THAT WOULD CAUSE THE CAR TO BURST INTO FLAMES. I WAS TOLD NO THERE WAS NOT. SO THERE WAS IT WAS NOT INVESTIGATED. WHILE LOOKING OVER THIS WEB SITE I HAVE FOUND MANY FIRES. AND I WAS WONDER IF ANY ACTION COULD BE TAKEN. I DO NOT SOMEONE ELSE'S DAUGHTER DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND POSSIBLY BURNING TO DEATH. AND I FEEL FORD SHOULD HAVE BEEN HONEST WITH ME. THANK YOU, [XXX]. *NLM INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ID

10018561

Incident

Apr 21, 2002

Mileage

89,000 mi

VEHICLE WOULD NOT START WHEN HE PLACED THE KEY INSIDE OF THE IGNITION. TS

NHTSA ID

10001060

Incident

Dec 11, 2002

CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE WAS STALLING DUE TO THE PLACEMENT OF AN ELECTRONIC MODULE ON THE DISTRIBUTOR, WHEN THE ENGINE GOT HOT, IT CAUSED PROBLEMS WITH THE MODULE, CONSUMER IS REQUESTING SOME KIND OF COMPENSATION DUE TO THE RULING IN ALAMEDA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA, CONSUMER NO LONGER OWNS THE VEHICLE. *SLC

NHTSA ID

565681

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID

758978

Incident

Oct 2, 2001

IT RAN LIKE A CHARM UNTIL 1 DAY I SLOWED TO GO TO DRIVEWAY, AND STALLED. IT STARTS BACK UP. *AK

NHTSA ID

746355

THE ENGINE OVERHEATED RESULTING IN ENGINE FIRE (OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT). *MJS

NHTSA ID

559641

Incident

Dec 21, 2000

GAS TANK FAILED TWICE. NLM

NHTSA ID

559377

RETURNED VEHICLE TO DEALER AND WAS TOLD THE INSURANCE WOULD TAKE CARE OF IT. I REMOVED LOWER CRANKSHAFT PULLY AND RETURNED IT TO DEALER. THEY FINALLY REPAIRED PROBLEM AFTER MUCH INCONVIENCE TO ME. *AK

NHTSA ID

740207

Incident

May 8, 1990

VEHICLE STALLS ALOT, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT RAINS. OWNER HAS TO BLOW DRY DISTRIBUTOR CAP BEFORE VEHICLE WILL START AGAIN. ALSO, WHEN DEPRESSING CLUTCH PEDAL, VEHICLE STALLS. THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. CLUTCH HAS BEEN REPLACED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

NHTSA ID

873477

IN TRYING TO BUY RECYCLEED PARTS I ENCOUNTERED MANY INSTANCESES OF THE SAME PROBLEM

NHTSA ID

733961

Incident

Sep 14, 2000

WHILE DRIVING FOR ABOUT 15 MINUTES CONSUMER STARTED SMELLING SMOKE, AND 5 MINUTES LATER, SAW FIRE COMING FROM THE UNDER THE HOOD. ALSO, BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON AFTER SHE SMELLED THE SMOKE. CONSUMER INDICATED THAT ALTERNATOR CAUGHT ON FIRE.*AK

NHTSA ID

863391

Incident

Jun 9, 2000

CAONSUMER RECEIVED NHTSA RECALL 96V07100/MANUFACTURER'S RECALL 95S28/ IGNITION SWITCH FAILURE. DEALER SAID THAT THERE WAS NO RECORD OF THIS RECALL.*AK

NHTSA ID

858229

ENGINE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON,THE CAR STALLS AND JERKS.I WAS WITH MY CAR IN TWO SERVICES. THE FIRST:PYRAMID SHELL SERVICE CHARGED ME WITH 400$ FOR SOME IGNITIONS MODULES WHO WERE REPLACED.AFTER I PICKED UP MY CAR IN ONE HOUR I MET THE SAME PROBLEMS.I BROUGHT THE CAR BACK AND THEY CHECKED AGAIN AND SAID THAT WILL COST ME ANOTHER 400$ BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO CHANGE THE COMPUTER.ISAID NO,BECAUSE I HAD NO TRUST IN THEM AND I WENT TO JOHN WEST FORD .O.K.THEY CHANGED AGAIN ALMOST THE SAME PARTS AND CHARGED ME WITH 620$.I PAID EVERYTHING.I JUST THOUGHT THAT WILL BE GOOD. NO WAY.AFTER A FEW HOURS,WHEN I DROVE MY CAR HOME ON THE HYWAY IT START TO SHOW THE SAME NICE PROBLEM.STALLS ,JERKS.BUT NO DIFFERENCIES.IT WAS THE SAME LIKE ON THE FIRST TIME.WHAT CAN I DO?MY CAR IS STILL BAD.MY MONEY ARE GONE.WHO WILL BE RESPONSABLE FOR THAT?ME?I GAVE MY MONEY WISHING TO SEE MY CAR FIXED,REPAIRD.THOSE GUYS TOOK MY MONEY AND DIDN'T DO THE RIGHT THING.I AM THE GREAT LOOSER AND THEY WILL BE ALWAYS THE WINNERS.HOW CAN I TAKE MY MONEY BACK OR SEE MY CAR REPAIRD?SORRY FOR MY WRONG ENGLISH.THANK YOU AND PLEASE HELP ME. *AK

NHTSA ID

719698

A CLAMP FROM THE THROTTLE BODY DISLODGED AND ENTERED THE ENGINE RESULTING IN COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE. *ET

NHTSA ID

784530

SINCE REPLACEMENT OF THE IGNITION SWITCH PER RECALL 96V071 THE CONSUMER SOMETIMES NOTICES THAT WHEN HE TURNS THE KEY IN THE IGNITION, THE KEY CAN BE TURNED WITHOUT ANY PLAY IN THE SWITCH AND THE BATTERY TURNS OVER BUT DOES NOT START. NLM

NHTSA ID

550351

I BOUGHT THIS 1989 ESCORT GT FROM A FAMILY MEMBER AND THE DRIVER'S SEAT WAS BROKEN WHEN HE HAD THE CAR. I HAVE TRIED TO LOCATE ANOTHER SEAT, BUT APPARENTLY THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH ESCORT GTS SEATS SINCE I CANNOT FIND ANOTHER ONE IN STOCK ANYWHERE OR IN ANY LOCAL JUNKYARDS. THE BACK OF THE SEAT IS BROKEN AND I HAVE TO PUT THE SPLIT-BACK SEAT IN THE DOWN POSITION (LEAVING THE TRUNK EXPOSED FROM THE INTERIOR OF THE CAR) TO HOLD THE BACK OF THE DRIVER'S SEAT IN THE UPRIGHT POSITION. IF I HAVE MORE THEN TWO PASSENGERS IN THE CAR, I HAVE TO PUT THE BACK SEAT BACK UP, LEAVING THE DRIVER'S SEAT LEANING TOO FAR BACK TO BE IN A POSITION TO DRIVE SAFELY. *AK

NHTSA ID

715133

CONSUME R WAS DRIVING VEHICLE AND FUMES WERE COMING THROUGH THE HEATER VENT. THEN HE NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICL. HE PULLED OVER AND TURNED THE CAR OFF. LIFTED THE HOOD UP AND FLAMES CAME SHOOTING OUT, AND THE ALTERNATOR WAS ON FIRE. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED. *AK

NHTSA ID

852144

Incident

Oct 21, 1999

VEHICLE WAS PLACED IN THE PARK POSITION FOR ONE HOUR AND VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE AROUND THE STEERING COLUMN AREA, TOTALING THE VEHICLE. CONSUME HAS YET TO CONTACT THE MANUFACTURER. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

NHTSA ID

851425

VEHICLE HAS AN AUTOMATIC FUEL SHUT OFF SWITCH. PREVIOUSLY, AUTOMATIC SHUT OFF SWITCH WAS NOT EFFECTIVET DURING AN ACCIDENT. PRESENTLY, TWO YEARS LATER, THE FUEL IS SHUT OFF SWITCH SHUTS OFF BY ITSELF WHILE THE VEHICLE IS MOVING. DEALER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED. *AK

NHTSA ID

850332