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 1996 Ford Escort submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 13 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
ABNORMAL RATE OF REAR SPRINGS ON LATE 90'S FORD ESCORT STATION WAGONS. I AM A MECHANIC WITH BROWNIES AUTO REPAIR IN WALKERSVILLE,MD. I PERSONALLY HAVE REPLACED THE REAR SPRINGS ON AT LEAST 8 ESCORT WAGONS. I HAVE CHECKED OTHER ESCORT WAGONS AND FIND MOST BROKEN IN THE SAME SPOT. COULD PUNCTURE TIRE.
I NEVER HAULED ANYTHING HEAVY IN THE BACK OF MY STATION WAGON. THE REAR COIL SPRINGS WERE HOLLOW NOT SOLID AND FAILED BECAUSE THEY RUSTED THROUGH AS A RESULT OF WATER COLLECTING IN THE BOTTOM OF THE SUPPORT WHICH HOLDS THE BASE OF THE SPRING IN THE CORRECT POSITION. MY MECHANIC SAID THAT MANY TIMES WHEN YOU HIT A BUMP THE BROKEN SPRING WILL TWIST AND PUNCTURE THE SIDEWALL OF THE TIRE THAT IT IS ADJACENT TO THE SPRING. HE ALSO SAID THAT THE SAME SPRING FAILURE OCCURS WITH ALL THE FORD ESCORT STATION WAGONS. FORD SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO ISSUE A RECALL ON ALL THESE STATION WAGONS AND REPAIR THE PROBLEM. NLM
BOTH SPRINGS ALSO BROKE ON A 1995 FORD ESCORT WAGON (SEPARATE REPORT SUBMITTED) OWNED BY OUR AGENCY, ALSO MY DAUGHTERS 1994 FORD ESCORT JUST HAD TWO BROKEN REAR SPRINGS (REPORT NOT SUBMITTED) THAT WERE REPLACED.
WHILE TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY VEHICLE HIT A BUMP AND SHOOK IN FRONT AND REAR. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK
CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO REPAIR SHOP, AND MECHANIC TOLD HER THAT COIL SPRINGS WERE BROKEN, AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK *SLC
REAR COIL SPRINGS HAVE CRACKED. DEALER HAS INSPECTED VEHICLE. PARTS ARE ON BACK ORDER.*AK *JB
BROUGHT VEHICLE TO AUTO CENTER TO GET NEW TIRES AND ALIGNMENT. SERVICE TECH NOTICED THAT THE RIGHT REAR COIL HAD SNAPPED IN TWO PIECES. HAVING BEEN DRIVING FOR 17 YEARS, I WAS MORE THAN SURPRISED BECAUSE I HAD NEVER EVEN HEARD OF A COIL SNAPPING, MUCH LESS EVER HAD IT HAPPEN TO A VEHICLE I OWNED. THE SERVICE TECH MENTIONED THAT HE HAD SEEN IT MORE THAN A FEW TIMES ON THE FORD ESCORT, WHICH LED ME TO BELIEVE IT COULD BE A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT. HE RECOMMENDED HAVING IT REPLACED THAT DAY, AS HE SAID IT WAS A HIGH SAFETY HAZARD. IF THE COIL CAME LOOSE THE JAGGED EDGE COULD RIP INTO THE TIRE, THUS CAUSING A MASSIVE BLOWOUT. THIS COULD BE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS, OR EVEN FATAL, AT HIGH SPEEDS. THE STRANGE THING WAS THAT I DIDN'T KNOW IT HAD HAPPENED. THE ONLY THING I NOTICED WAS A SQUEAK IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE, AND I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST MY STRUTS WEARING OUT. IN OTHER WORDS, I WOULD HAVE CONTINUED DRIVING WITH THIS BROKEN SPRING IF I HADN'T NEEDED NEW TIRES BECAUSE THERE WAS NOTHING OBVIOUS THAT WOULD INDICATE THE BROKEN COIL OTHER THAN A SLIGHT SQUEAKING NOISE.*AK
BOTH REAR COIL SPRINGS SNAPPED JUST ABOVE THE "CUP" SECURING THEM TO THE FRAME. *AK
AT 20,000 MILES SCHEDULE MAINTANICE SERVICE, REAR LEAF SPRING HAD TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE OF BREAKAGE. AT THE 30,000 MILES SCHEDULE MAINTAINCE, RIGHT REAR SPRING WAS REPLACED BECAUSE OF BREAKAGE. DEALERSHIP STATED THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH ESCORTS, AND IS SEEN ALL THE TIME. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
COIL SPRING BROKE, CAUSING THE BACK IN OF THE CAR TO SAG. THIS COULD CAUSE THE TIRES TO GO FLAT. DEALER HAD TO REPLACE COIL SPRING. *AK *ML
THE BACK END SPINS OUT, CAUSING VEHICLE TO GO INTO A SPIN. IT HAPPENED TWICE BEFORE, CAUSING AN ACCIDENT (3 TIMES); THE VEHICLE SPINS OUT OF CONTROL UNTIL IT STOPS OR HITS SOMETHING. DRIVER AND PASSENGER SERIOUSLY INJURED.
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 .