1997 Ford Escort Engine Problems

VALVE SEAT NO. 4 FELL OUT OF HEAD AND WAS DESTROYED, DAMAGING NO. 4 AND NO. 3 PISTON, AND THE HEAD ITSELF. WE WERE FORTUNATE THAT THE TOTAL FAILURE OCCURRED WHILE PARKED RATHER THAN ON THE INTERSTATE, AT WHICH TIME POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES WOULD HAVE FAILED. THIS IS A WELL KNOWN MODE OF FAILURE FOR THIS ENGINE BUT, APPARENTLY, FORD AND NHTSA TOOK NO STEPS TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM. THE ENGINE WAS DISCONTINUED IN 2005. *TR

NHTSA ID

10554623

Incident

Nov 20, 2013

Mileage

155,941 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 FORD ESCORT. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SHAKE VIGOROUSLY AND STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE ENGINE WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED TWICE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000.

NHTSA ID

10456933

Incident

Apr 1, 2008

Mileage

70,000 mi

ENGINE LIGHT CONTINUALLY COMES ON , EVEN AFTER NUMEROUS TIMES OF TAKING IT TO THE AUTO SHOP TO BE HOOKED TO THE COMPUTER TO SEE WHAT IS WRONG AND AFTER HAVING IT FIXED OVER AND OVER AGAIN. *TR

NHTSA ID

10232425

Incident

Oct 2, 2006

1997 FORD ESCORT FUEL EVAPORATIVE EMISSION CONTROL SYSTEM. PURGE CONTROL VALVE CIRCUIT MALFUNCTIONED. *JB

NHTSA ID

10198475

Incident

Aug 4, 2007

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THERE IS A CRACK LOCATED AT THE BOTTOM OF THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD. THE DEALERSHIP HAS NOT BEEN INFORMED.

NHTSA ID

10163500

Incident

Jul 26, 2006

Mileage

136,000 mi

1997 FORD ESCORT PCV NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AFTER BEING INSTALLED A YEAR AGO. ***NO ANSWER REQUIRED*** *TS *SC

NHTSA ID

10142172

Incident

Sep 1, 2005

DT: WHEN IT RAINS CAR GETS MOLDY, AND A FUNGUS SMELL. IT ACTUALLY CAUSES BREATHING PROBLEMS. ALSO, MY HORN IS GOING OFF AUTOMATICALLY, AND IT DOESN'T STOP UNTIL CONSUMER HITS THE STEERING WHEEL. HORN WAS REPLACED, BUT IT IS STILL AUTOMATICALLY GOES OFF. THE HORN EVENTUALLY STOPPED WORKING . THE REASON SHE HAD TO HAVE IT REPLACED THE FIRST TIME WAS BECAUSE THE HORN BLEW SO MUCH IT WENT COMPLETELY OUT.*AK

NHTSA ID

10123773

Incident

Jun 1, 2005

CAMSHAFT CRACK IN HALF DON'T KNOW WHAT CAUSE THAT TOO HAPPEN

NHTSA ID

10122191

Incident

May 25, 2005

Mileage

12,500 mi

WHILE DRIVING , THE STEERING WHEEL FELT LOOSE AND MADE A LOUD NOISE. THE DEALER REPLACED THE TIE ROD AT OWNER'S EXPENSE. *JB CONSUMER FEELS THAT SHE SHOULD BE REIMBURSED FOR THE COST OF REPAIRS. THE VEHICLE'S REAR COIL SPRINGS BROKE AT 16219 MILES. THE FRONT COIL SPRING BROKE AT 16279 MILES AND WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. CATALYTIC CONVERTER FAILED CAUSING NOISE. *BF *NM

NHTSA ID

10092438

Incident

Sep 16, 2004

Mileage

32,000 mi

HEAD GASKET FAILURE IN 1997 FORD ESCORT. *AK

NHTSA ID

10100998

Incident

Nov 3, 2003

HEAD GASKET FAILURE ON 1997 FORD ESCORT SW. *NM

NHTSA ID

10100480

Incident

Nov 24, 2004

CONSUMER'S DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING AND VEHICLE SHOOK WHEN IN REVERSE. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND THEY TOLD HER TIE RODS WERE DEFECTIVE. ANOTHER DEALER TOLD HER IT WAS THE MOTOR MOUNTS. *AK

NHTSA ID

10091851

Incident

Sep 10, 2004

UPON TURNING THE VEHICLE ON IT STALLED . TRIED STARTING IT AGAIN AND IT BLEW UP, BURNING COMPLETELY TO THE BACK SEAT OF THE VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO WARNINGS OR INDICATIONS. *AK

NHTSA ID

10089859

Incident

Aug 18, 2004

I HAVE A 1997 FORD ESCORT THAT IS AT DRBN TOTAL AUTOMOTIVE, 23420 VAN BORN RD.,DBN HTS, MI 48125 FOR A PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE ISSUE. REAR MAIN SEAL LEAK (VERY MINOR AT THIS POINT, A LITTLE SPOT ON TRANS) WAS FOUND BY BELLE TIRE (DRBN, MI). DRBN TOTAL REPLACED FRONT PUMP SEAL & REAR MAIN SEAL FOR $486.85 ON 6/5/04. I RETURNED 6/14/04 (STILL LEAKING, BUT NOW ON THE GROUND). THEY KEPT FOR 9 DAYS, CHANGED THE SEAL & PUT A COVER ON THE CRANK. WHEN I PICKED UP, I GOT 5 MINUTES AWAY & THE TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS POURING OUT OF MY CAR & SMOKING. I HAD CAR TOWED IN 6/24/04 & IT IS STILL THERE. THEY ARE NOW PUTTING A SEAL SAVER ON THE MAIN SEAL. THE MANAGER OF THE STORE ADVISED ME THAT THEY DID NOT KNOW WHAT ELSE TO DO & THEY TALKED TO THE DEALER OF THE CAR. THE DEALER CLAIMS THEY HAVE NEVER HAD THIS PROBLEM WITH AN ESCORT BEFORE. DRBN TOTAL SAYS THEY WILL GIVE ME MY MONEY BACK IF THEY CAN'T FIX IT. I DISAGREE WITH THAT BECAUSE I CAME IN THERE WITH MONEY & A CAR THAT WAS RUNNING WITH A PROBLEM THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN TAKEN CARE OF WITHOUT KEEPING MY CAR FOR 3 GOING ON 4 WEEKS (OFF AND ON) & DESTROYING MY TRANSMISSION. I AM HANDICAPPED & WORK & I WAS RECOMMENDED THIS STORE BY A USMA AUTOMOTIVE MEMBER & I PRIDE MYSELF IN KEEPING UP MY MAINTENANCE ON MY CAR. NOW I'M STUCK, PLEASE HELP!*AK

NHTSA ID

10078993

Incident

Jun 5, 2004

WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH ENGINE VALVE GUIDE DROPPED. AS A RESULT, ENGINE WAS DESTROYED. *AK

NHTSA ID

10072295

Incident

Apr 30, 2004

Mileage

80,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH VEHICLE STALLED. CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO PULL OFF THE ROAD. CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT ENGINE FAILED. *AK

NHTSA ID

10072277

Incident

Apr 30, 2004

I PURCHASED A NEW 1997 FORD ESCORT IN SEPTEMBER 1996. AFTER DRIVING THE CAR FOR ABOUT A WEEK THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE CAR WAS LOSING BRAKE FLUID. THIS HAPPENED A COUPLE OF TIMES. I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER AND WAS ADVISED THAT THE BRAKE FITTING WAS MISSING SOME THREADS. DEALER FIXED PROBLEM. THIS PAST JANUARY I GOT A LETTER FROM FORD ABOUT THE RECALL FOR THE AIR BAG MONITOR/SENSOR PROBLEM AND HAD TO TAKE IT TO THE LOCAL DEALER TO HAVE THAT PROBLEM CORRECTED. NOW THE CAR HAS A SLOW COOLANT LEAK. I TOOK IT TO A REPAIR SHOP AND WAS ADVISED THAT THE HEAD GASKET IS LEAKING. THE CAR ONLY HAS ABOUT 62,850 MILES ON IT AND HAS BEEN VERY WELL MAINTAINED. IT WILL COST APPROXIMATELY $800.00 - $1000.00 TO REPLACE THE HEAD GASKET. I FEEL THIS HEAD GASKET FAILURE IS PREMATURE AND FORD SHOULD PAY FOR IT. THIS WAS THE FIRST FORD VEHICLE I EVER PURCHASED AND IT WILL PROBABLY BE THE LAST. I WANT TO KNOW WHY THEY CANNOT PUT A $14,000 CAR TOGETHER CORRECTLY AND ASSURE ITS QUALITY TO LAST. I LOOKED AT SOME OF THE SERVICE BULLETINS AND PREVIOUS COMPLAINTS ON THE NHTSA WEB SITE REGARDING THE 1997 FORD ESCORT AND THEY ARE DISTRESSING TO SAY THE LEAST. MY NEXT VEHICLE WILL BE A GM PRODUCT.*AK

NHTSA ID

10037367

Incident

Sep 6, 2003

THE VEHICLE MADE A LOUD NOISE WHILE DRIVING. CONSUMER STATED A RUBBER PIECE WAS LOOSE INSIDE THE ENGINE. *AK THE DAMP ASSEMBLY SEPARATED AND MOVED FORWARD INTO THE FENDER WALL THROUGH THE SERPENTINE BELT. *SCC *JB

NHTSA ID

10027276

Incident

Jul 10, 2003

Mileage

40,000 mi

PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE STALLING OUT.*MR THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO IDLE AND ALMOST STALL AT EVERY STOP. THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICE FIVE TIMES FOR THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. *TS. THE SPARK WIRES WERE REPLACED THE FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM WAS CLEANED, THE FUEL INJECTOR WAS REPLACED, HOWEVER THE PROBLEM CONTINUED, THE DEALER THEN DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS CARBON BUILD UP, AND IT WAS EXPLAINED IN THE SERVICE BULLETIN THE NEW HEADS SHOULD HAVE REVISED VALVE GUIDES AND EXHAUST VALVES TO PREVENT CARBON BUILD UP *JB

NHTSA ID

10029631

Incident

Feb 1, 2002

Mileage

44,532 mi

ENGINE SERVICE LIGHT STAYS ON WHILE DRIVING. THIS IS CAUSED BY AN OIL SENSOR FAILURE DUE TO A HOLE IN THE OIL PAN WHICH RUSTED THE BELTS PER MECHANIC.*AK

NHTSA ID

10026248

Incident

Jun 23, 2003

Mileage

95,000 mi

THE VEHICLES CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP AND GIVEN A TUNE UP. A DAY LATER THE ENGINE SIEZED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TOT HE DEALER AND THEY REPLACED THE ENGINE. *NLM

NHTSA ID

10019381

THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE UNDER THE HOOD. *JB

NHTSA ID

10014572

Incident

Mar 23, 2003

A FIRE ERUPTED UNDER THE HOOD, WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED.*JB

NHTSA ID

10008733

Incident

Feb 3, 2003

Mileage

80,000 mi

CONSUMER STATES THERE IS A FINE MIST COMING OUT OF RIGHT CLIMATE VENT, DEVELOPING FILM ON OUTSIDE OF WINDSHIELD, POSSIBLE HEATER CORE, A/C LEAK OR A/C CONDENSTATION. ALSO GETTING A NOISE WHEN BLOWER MOTOR IS RUNNING. HEATER/AIR CONDITIONER BLOWER MOTOR, AIR CONDITIONER BLOWER RESISTOR, AND BLOWER MOTOR WIRING HARNESS HAVE BEEN REPLACED. AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM DISODORIZED. *TT

NHTSA ID

567461

Incident

Jul 29, 2002

CONSUMER STATED THERE WAS A VERY FINE MIST COMING FROM THE VENT AND THERE WAS A NOISE WHEN BLOWER MOTOR WAS ON, THE DEALER REPLACED MOTOR ASSEMBLY FOR THE AIR CONDITIONER AND HEATER.*JB

NHTSA ID

567157