Owner-reported complaints naming the electrical system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1989 Ford Escort submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 59 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.
The 25 most recent of 59, in the owner's own words
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
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
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
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
VEHICLE WOULD NOT START WHEN HE PLACED THE KEY INSIDE OF THE IGNITION. TS
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
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
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
CAONSUMER RECEIVED NHTSA RECALL 96V07100/MANUFACTURER'S RECALL 95S28/ IGNITION SWITCH FAILURE. DEALER SAID THAT THERE WAS NO RECORD OF THIS RECALL.*AK
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
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
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
WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH VEHICLE STARTED SMOKING AND STALLING. THEN WENT UP INTO FLAMES. FIRE DEPARTMENT CAME AND REPORT FILED. DEALER NOT AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. VEHICLE TOTALLED AND TOWED. PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
HAD PARKED VEHICLE & LEFT. WAS NOTIFIED THAT VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED & PUT FLAMES OUT. HAD NOTICED SEVERAL LARGE HOT SPOTS ON HOOD. THE FLAMES CAME FROM UNDER HOOD. INFORMED POSSIBLY FROM THE BATTERY CABLES. *AK
MULTI-PURPOSE SWITCH FAILED, CAUSING THE HEADLIGHTS AND SIGNAL SWITCH TO BECOME INOPERATIVE, REPLACED MULTI-PURPOSE SWITCH 9 TIMES. THIS REPRESENTS A SAFETY HAZARD, ESPECIALLY WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT WITHOUT HEADLIGHTS AND TURN SIGNAL. IT HAS ALSO OCCURRED TO CONSUMER MOTHER'S 1987 FORD ESCORT GT. FORD MOTOR CUSTOMER SERVICES WAS NON-COOPERATIVE WHEN CONTACTED WITH A FULL HISTORY OF THE VEHICLE. THE FACT THAT ANOTHER ESCORT DISPLAYED THE SAME SYMPTOMS RECEIVED THE ATTENTION OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON ATTORNEY GENERAL, WHO ADVISED CONSUMER TO PURSUE THE ISSUE BY HIRING A PRIVATE ATTORNEY. IN ADDITION, REPLACED BATTERY 3 TIMES/LED PANEL, AND STATOR WITHIN ALTERNATOR ALSO FAILED. *AK
THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS REPLACED BY RECALL, NOW THE REPLACED PART HAS THE SAME PROBLEMS AS THE ORIGINAL PART DID AND IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. FORD HAS FAILED TO PERMANENTLY FIX THE PROBLEM.
IGNITION SWITCH CAUGHT FIRE WHILE VEHILE WAS PARKED AND IGNITION OFF. THE FIRE WAS AUGUST, 1996, RECALL NOTICE WAS RECEIVED DECEMBER, 1996. FORD DENIES RESPONSIBILITY SINCE INSURANCE COMPANY HAD ALREADY PAID.
CAR WAS PARKED AND CAUGHT ON FIRE AND BURNED DOWN HOUSE, INVESTGATOR SAID IT WAS THE ELECTRICAL IGNITION SWITCH . *AK
IGNITION SWITCH FAILURE RESULTING IN FIRE PRIOR TO RECALL NOTICE.
IGNITION SWITCH FIRE.
CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AND CAR STARTED TO SMOKE AND THEN CAUGHT ON FIRE. PLEASE DESCRIBE . *AK
WHILE DRIVING THE ALTERNATOR CAUGHT ON FIRE. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK
CONSUMER SMELLED A FOUL ODOR AND WENT TO SERVICE VEHICLE, SERVICE STATION DISCOVERED THAT HER VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE, CONSUMER HAD SERVICE STATION PERSONNEL PUT OUT THE FIRE. *AK
WHILE DRIVING HOME VEHICLE STALLED THEN RESTARTED TO CONTINUE, WHILE DRIVING A PERSON CALLED TO HER ATTENTION THAT HER CAR WAS SMOKING, SHE GOT OUT, VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. *AK
RECALL WORK HAS NOT BEEN COMPLETED ON THE IGNITION SWITCH DUE TO SCHEDULING PROBLEMS WITH THE DEALER.
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 .