Owner-reported complaints naming the steering system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1996 Ford Escort submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 10 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
WHILE DRIVING IT WAS HARD TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. DEALERSHIP INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THE PROBLEM PERTAINED TO THE STEERING FLUID LEAKAGE. THE PROBLEM HAD NOT BE RESOLVED. *AK
TIE ROD FAILURE ON THE LEFT SIDE. THE TIE RODS ON BOTH SIDES WERE REPLACED ABOUT 3 YEARS AGO. WHEN TAKEN IN TO THE SHOP THEY FOUND THE RIGHT SIDE WAS VERY BAD ALSO. THIS CAR HAS 59,000 MILES. THE FAILURE HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING. PRETTY SCARRY STUFF...*JB
THE LEFT, OUTER TIE ROD BROKE, TRAVELING ON A STAIGHT, SMOOTH ROAD AT ABOUT 35 MPH. A POLICE REPORT IS AVAILABLE. UNABLE TO STEER THE VEHICLE, IT WENT OUT OF CONTROL AND LEFT THE ROAD. IT CAME TO A STOP AGAINST A TREE, CAUSING SLIGHT BODY DAMAGE.*AK
SPEEDOMETER FAILED TO OPERATE (15,000), SECOND SPEEDOMETER HAS NOW FAILED(35800MI). *AK
THEERE IS A LOUD CRACKING NOISE COMING FROM THE STEERING GEAR. ALSO, CONSUMER IS HAVING PROBLEM WITH BRAKES, AND THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP TWO TIMES. DEALER CAN'T DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. *AK
WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY THE HARMONIC BALANCER CAME OFF, CAUSING STEERING TO MAKE LOUD NOISES. *AK
TIE ROD FAILED.
RACK AND PINION HAS BEEN CHANGED TWICE AND THE VEHICLE STILL HAS PROBLEMS WITH STEERING AND PULLING TO THE LEFT OR THE RIGHT. *AK *JB
DURING VEHICLE OPERATION A SEVERE PULL TO THE LEFT IS EXPERIENCED. THE RACK AND PINION, RIGHT FRONT SHOCKS, AND THE FRONT BRAKES HAVE BEEN REPLACED AS A RESULT.*AK
BRAKE FAILURE, PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR, LOSS OF COMPLETE EFFECTIVENESS. *AK WHEEL BEARING FAILURE. CV JOINT FAILURE. STEERING WHEEL OFF CENTER. *SLC
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 .