Owner-reported complaints naming the suspension system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1994 Ford Escort submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 18 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
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THERE WAS A RATTLING NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED. UPON INSPECTION BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, THE MECHANIC NOTICED THE LEFT FRONT AND BOTH REAR COIL SPRINGS WERE BROKEN. THERE WERE PIECES OF METAL FROM THE SPRINGS BROKEN OFF WHICH WAS CAUSING THE RATTLING SOUND. UPDATED 05/16/2006. *AK *NM
FRONT LEFT COIL SPRING WAS CRACKED. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK THE SPRING BROKE WHEN THE CONSUMER ARRIVED HOME. THE VEHICLE MADE A "CLUNK" NOISE WHEN IN DRIVE AND REVERSE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO MIDAS AND THE MECHANIC SHOWED THE CONSUMER THE PROBLEM. WHEN THE SPRING BROKE IT RUBBED AGAINST THE TIRE AND RUINED IT. CONSUMER HAD TO REPLACE THE TIRE IN ADDITION TO BOTH SPRING. *PH
NO DESCRIPTION GIVEN. NLM
DURING ANNUAL SAFETY INSPECTION MECHANIC FOUND RIGHT AND LEFT COIL SPRINGS BROKEN-APPARENTLY DUE TO RUST AND LIGHTWEIGHT CONSTRUCTION
REAR SPRING BROKE OFF BECAUSE OF RUST AND CORRUSION. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK
REAR COIL SPRING HAS A TENDENCY TO RUST WHICH CAUSES THEM TO BREAK WITHOUT ANY WARNING. DRIVER WAS NOTIFIED ABOUT COIL SPRING BEING BROKEN WHEN HE TOOK VEHICLE TO INSPECTION.*AK
BOTH REAR COIL SPRINGS BROKE, VEHICLE WAS REJECTED DUE TO FAILED SUSPENSION SPRINGS.
DURING ROUTINE INSPECTION MECHANIC FOUND REAR COIL SPRINGS BROKEN ON BOTH SIDES. CONSUMER COULD NOT TELL THEY WERE BROKEN WHEN DRIVING VEHICLE. *AK
SPRING SNAPPED AT 60 MPH ON FLAT SMOOTH ROAD NO BUMPS. RUINED LEFT FRONT TIRE. *AK
DURING ANNUAL INSPECTION OUR MECHANIC DISCOVERED AND FAILED THE CAR FOR SAFETY REASONS, THAT THE REAR SPRINGS WERE COLLAPSING ON OUR CAR. HE HAS INFORMED US THAT HIS SHOP HAS BEEN GETTING NUMEROUS ESCORT WAGONS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM AS OURS. HE HAS ADVISED US TO CALL THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP ABOUT THE DEFECT OF THE SPRINGS. ALL THE DEALERSHIP SAID THAT THIS IS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE, BUT GET THEM FIXED ANYWAY AND SAVE THE BILL IN CASE OF A RECALL. OUR VEHICLE HAS 49,000 ODD MILES AND HAS NEVER CARRIED ANYTHING HEAVIER THAN 2 SUIT CASES, A PORT-A-CRIB AND SOME TOYS. IF IT WASN'T FOR A REPAIR SHOP SHOWING ME THE RECORDS OF REPLACEMENT COILS ON THE ESCORTS I WOULD NEVER HAVE THOUGHT OF DOING THIS. THE PROBLEM WITH THE COILS THEY ARE CRACKING AT THE BASE AT THE SUSPENSION, WHICH COULD LEAD TO LOSE OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE.
RIGHT FRONT TIRE WAS MAKING NOISE WHEN CONSUMER STOPPED. CALLED A MECHANIC WHO HAD TOLD HER THAT COIL SPRING WAS BROKEN, AND IF SHE WAS DRIVING FASTER THE TIRE COULD HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT.
THE CONSUMER HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH REAR COIL SPRINGS. REAR COIL SPRINGS BROKE. ALSO, WHILE DRIVING, THE BRAKE LIGHTS ILLUMINATE CONSISTENTLY. IN ADDITION, THE CONSUMER HAS TO START APPLYING BRAKES AT A LONG DISTANCE FROM THE DESTINATION DESIRED TO STOP. *AK
VEHICLE WAS DESIGNED WITHOUT A REAR WHEEL ALIGNMENT KIT, CAUSING THE LEFT REAR TIRE TO POCKET AND THEN OFFSETS THE ALIGNMNET. INSTALLATION OF THE KIT DID NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM, OWNER HAS GONE THROUGH FOUR SETS OF TIRE IN THREE YEARS.
VEHICLE'S TIRES ARE WEARING PREMATURELY DUE TO A DEFECT IN SUSPENSION ALIGNMENT. THE CONSUMER HAD REAR ALIGNMENT KIT INSTALLED ON VEHICLE, HOWEVER PROBLEMS WITH TIRES WEARING OUT IS STILL OCCURRING.
(FOURTH TIME), WHEN CHANGING LANES TO THE LEFT AFTER 55MPH OR MORE THE CAR FISHTAILS (WANDERS), AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE WAS HIT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. *AK
VEHICLE MADE WITHOUT LEFT REAR DOGBONE, MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO ALIGN REAR WHEELS. *DSH
VEHICLE PULLS TO THE SIDE, HAD SIXTEEN TIRES ON VEHICLE BECAUSE OF PREMATURE WEAR. *AK
VEHICLE CONTINUOUSLY VIBRATES/PULLS TO THE LEFT. *SKD
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 .