1990 Ford Escort Electrical Problems

VEHICLE WAS PARKED AT GAS PUMP ISLAND, IGNITION OFF. ENGINE COMPARTMENT ERRUPTED INTO FLAMES. ALL COMPONENTS CONTAINED WITHIN THE ENGINE COMPARMENT OTHER THAN METAL COMPONENTS COMPLETELY MELTED OR BURNED. VEHICLE WAS MANUALLY PUSHED AWAY FROM GAS PUMP ISLAND WHILE ABLAZE, THEN EXTINGUISHED BY HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A SECURE LOCATION, NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO THE VEHICLE SINCE THE FIRE. *NM

NHTSA ID

10182987

Incident

Jan 31, 2007

THE CAR STARTS FINE WHEN COLD. AFTER DRIVING TO TOWN SOMETIMES WON'T START RIGHT OFF,SOMETIMES IT DOES. MOSTOF THE TIME I HAVE TO TRY AND TRY.SOME TIMES WHEN IT DOES START IT REVS UP THEN DIES. THEN TRY TO START AGAIN, SOMETIME THE SAME THING SOMETIME WILL START. WHEN STARTED IT RUNS JUST FINE. *AK

NHTSA ID

10037188

Incident

Sep 3, 2003

Mileage

39,786 mi

WHILE TRAVELING ABOUT 55MPH ON THE HIGHWAY VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING.*AK

NHTSA ID

10026523

Incident

Jul 2, 2003

MERGING INTO TRAFFIC ON FREEWAY, CAR LOST POWER, IT DIDN'T STALL IMMEDIATELY BECAUSE I HAD BRAKES FOR AWHILE TO GET OFF THE ROAD AND STOP. THERE WAS NO WARNING, THE DRIVE-TRAIN JUST LOST POWER. FURTHER INSPECTION SHOWED THAT FUEL WAS BEING INJECTED. I COULD TURN THE KEY, IT WOULD FIRE AND DIE. HAD I BEEN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FREEWAY, THERE LIKELY COULD'VE BEEN AN ACCIDENT. I CALLED FORD, THEY KNEW ABOUT THE SPECIFIC PROBLEM AND SAID "SORRY, WE HAVEN'T BEEN ORDERED TO REPAIR THAT YET." APPARENTLY, THERE HAS BEEN A NUMBER OF THESE PROBLEMS, BECAUSE THE DEALERSHIPS EVEN KNEW EXACTLY WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT, THEY SAID I'D HAVE TO PAY ABOUT $250.00 FOR THEM TO FIX THE DEFECT. ANOTHER PERSON I KNOW HAS HAD TO REPAIR HIS THREE TIMES ALREADY. THIS IS A DANGEROUS PROBLEM THAT FORD KNOWS ABOUT, A SERIOUS ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. IT IS VERY COSTLY TO TOW AND HAVE THE PROBLEM REPAIRED. FORD SAID THAT THEY KNOW THAT A JUDGE IN CA ORDERED THEM TO FIX AND PAY FOR THE PROBLEM, FORD SAID THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO DO WHAT A STATE JUDGE ORDERED OF THEM, ONLY WHAT A FEDERAL JUDGE OR THE NHTSA. PLEASE HELP US ON THIS.*AK

NHTSA ID

740177

Incident

Jan 28, 2000

I HAVE GONE THROUGH 14 ALTERNATORS AND 6 BATTRIES SINCE I DROVE IT OFF THE SHOWROOM FLOOR IN THE FALL OF 1990! RUSTY ECK SEARCHED FOR THE PROBLEM BUT COULD NEVER FIND IT1 EVEN SUGGESTED TAKING IT TO "ELECTRICAL SPECIALTY SHOPS" THEY TOO CAN NOT FIND THE PROBLEM! IT HAS BEEN SUGGESTED THAT THE PROBLEM MAY BE BURIED IN THE "WIRING LOOM"! NO ONE KNOWS FOR SURE, BUT I HAVE ALL OF THE WORK-ORDERS AND RECEIPTS FROM OVER THE YEARS AS PROOF! I AM HANDICAPPED AND THIS CAR WORKS WONDERFULLY FOR ME OTHERWISE! IT IS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION AND RUNS PERFECT -- AGAIN, OTHERWISE! HOWEVER, I CANNOT TRUST IT ON THE OPEN-ROAD! WHEN THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT COMES ON, ITS ABOUT TO BLOW ANOTHER ALTERNATOR -- LIKE NOW -#15!!! WHY CAN'T FORD FIND THIS PROBLEM AND FIX IT? HAS IT EVER BEEN A PROBLEM ON OTHER 1990 ESCORTS? I BOUGHT MY DAUGHTER AN 1989 ESCORT LX AND IT NEVER HAD ANY MAJOR PROBLEMS, NOT ONE! SHE DROVE IT FOR WELL OVER 125,000 MILES THEN TRADED IT IN ON A 1998 SABLE RECENTLY! PLEASE HELP ME! I CAN'T AFFORD TO PURCHASE ANOTHER AUTO, BESIDES I DON'T WANT ANOTHER ONE! SINCERELY, DR. JAMES A. GRAY, SR.*AK

NHTSA ID

735938

AFTER I PURCHASED MY FORD ESCORT, THE FIRST THING I NOTICED WAS THE WINDSHIELD MADE NOISE AS I WOULD DRIVE, IT SOUNDED LIKE IT WAS POPPING OUT OF THE CAR,AND THEN THE WINDSHEILD CRACKS AT THE TOP SEAM OF THE CAR . I CALLED FORD TO BE TOLD THEY WERE NOT RESPONSIBLE. NEXT MY IGNITION STARTS MALFUNCTIONING, SOMETIMES THE KEY WONT GO IN, OTHER TIMES THE IGNITION WILL TURN ON WITHOUT A KEY , THE KEY IS TORN UP, THE IGNITION UNIT RECENTLY WONT TURN THE KEY IN IT , I HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN STUCK IN PUBLIC CAUSE THE IGNITION WOULD NOT WORK. I REALLY DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY? BUT BOTH MY BUCKET SEATS IN THE CAR BREAK AT THE SAME TIME? I'M DRIVING THE CAR, AND THE NEXT THING I KNOW IS THAT I'M LAYING IN MY DAUGHTERS LAP IN THE BACK SEAT., THIS WAS A VERY, SCARY EXPERIENCE. THANK GOD NO ONE WAS HURT, ARE THE SEATS SUPPOSED TO MALFUNCTION IN THIS WAY? LAST MY HATCHBACK RATTLES , IT ACTS LIKE THE HINGES AT THE TOP ARE BREAKING , AND THE HATCHBACK LOCK STOP UNLOCKING THE HATCHBACK, I CALLED FORD AND WAS TOLD THEY WOULD SEND ME INFORMATION, BUT THIS NEVER HAPPENED. CAN YOU HELP ME?

NHTSA ID

730174

Incident

Jan 1, 2000

SINCE THE IGNITION SWITCHED HAS BEEN REPLACED VEHICLE STILL STALLED OUT.NOTICED THAT THE ENGINE AT IDLE SPEED LOOPS OR IDLES ERRATICALLY.TRANSMISSION ALSO SHIFTS SLOPPY HAVE TAKEN THE CAR TO TWO TRANSMISSION PLACES AND FOUND NOTHING.ALSO COSMETIC LIGHT ON PASSENGER SIDE VISOR STAYS LIT WHEN FLAP IS CLOSED.

NHTSA ID

730027

Incident

Aug 29, 2000

HAD JUST PARKED VEHICLE IN GARAGE & LEFT. HALF HOUR LATER SMELLED SMOKE & CHECKED OUT WINDOW. NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE GARAGE. CALLED FIRE DEPARTMENT WHO ARRIVED AND EXTINGUISHED THE FLAMES. ONLY INDICATION OF ORIGIN WAS ELECTRICAL WIRES COULD HAVE CAUSED FIRE. VEHICLE WAS COMPLETELY TOTALED. *AK

NHTSA ID

851836

Incident

Oct 9, 1999

ABOUT ONE HOUR AFTER ARRIVING HOME FROM WORK SOMEONE KNOCKED ON MY DOOR TO NOTIFY ME THAT THE 1990 FORD ESCORT THAT I HAD PURCHASED USED ON MARCH 31,1999 WAS SMOKING. I CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, BY THIS TIME FLAMES WERE SHOOTING FROM UNDER THE HOOD AND THE HORN WAS BLARING. THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUSHED , BUT THE CAR IS NOW TOTALLY USELESS. *AK

NHTSA ID

706372

Incident

May 7, 1999

THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH IGNITION SWITCH. WHEN DRIVER TURNS VEHICLE OFF, THE VEHICLE STILL CONTINUES TO RUN. THE MANUFACTURER HAS YET TO BE CONTACTED. *AK

NHTSA ID

831571

Incident

Nov 25, 1998

THERE WAS A RECALL LISTED ON THIS MAKE AND YEAR, BUT THE OWNER NEVER RECEIVED A NOTICE. ON APR.9,1998, THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE AROUND THE STEERING COLUMN. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTAL LOSS. CONTACTED THE DEALER AND THEY WILL NOT GET BACK IN TOUCH WITH THE OWNER. WOULD LIKE TO HAVE AN ENGINEER CALL AND TALK ABOUT THIS PROBLEM (96V-071000). *AK

NHTSA ID

823115

Incident

Apr 9, 1998

IGNITION SWITCH FIRE PRIOR TO RECALL. (96V-071)

NHTSA ID

524604

Incident

Mar 16, 1995

ALTERNATOR FAILED FOUR TIMES, TWICE SETTING VEHICLE ON FIRE. *AK

NHTSA ID

518936

Incident

Jun 24, 1997

CONSUMER'S VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE DUE TO ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. INVESTIGATOR DETERMINED THE THE FIRE STARTED IN THE IGNITION. VEHICLE WAS TOTALLY LOST. *AK

NHTSA ID

815074

Incident

Mar 3, 1995

AT A STOP THE VEHICLE WILL CUT OFF, HAVE A HARD TIME IN STARTING AND IT BACKFIRES. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK

NHTSA ID

807093

CAR CAUGHT ON FIRE, POSSIBLE DUE TO FAULTY IGNITION SWITCH.

NHTSA ID

511928

Incident

Oct 1, 1996

DEFECTIVE STARTER.

NHTSA ID

509965

Incident

Oct 4, 1996

ALTERNATOR REPLACED 11 TIMES.

NHTSA ID

509730

Incident

Jun 1, 1995

WHILE DRIVING WAS ALERTED BY PASSING MOTORIST OF FIRE UNDER HOOD ON PASSENGER'S SIDE RIGHT NEAR FRONT TIRE.*AK

NHTSA ID

802854

IGNITION SWITCH FIRE. *SD

NHTSA ID

507309

Incident

Jul 8, 1996

THE CAR CAUGHT ON FIRE UNDER HOOD. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK

NHTSA ID

984329

Incident

Mar 31, 1996

OWNER HEARD FUNNY NOISE AND PULLED OVER AND SHUT VEHICLE OFF. SAW SMOKE FROM UNDERNEATH HOOD. FEW MINUTES LATER VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. PLEASE DESCRIBE *AK

NHTSA ID

984413

Incident

Apr 30, 1996

IGNITION SWITCH SHORTED, CAUSING FIRE. *DSH

NHTSA ID

504280

Incident

Mar 27, 1996

IGNITION FAILED. *SD

NHTSA ID

504148

Incident

May 3, 1996

DRIVING VEHICLE, NOTICED SMOKE FROM UNDER HOOD, PARKED VEHICLE NEXT DAY AT JOB, TURNED TO GO TO BLDG, INFORMED VEHICLE WAS IN FLAMES. *AK

NHTSA ID

983762

Incident

Apr 1, 1996