RoadVitals

1997 Ford Escort Tires & wheels Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the tire or wheel system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Tires & wheels reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
12
Latest Feb 29, 2008
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
2%
of 543 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
1
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1997 Ford Escort submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 12 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.

Owner reports naming tire or wheel

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Other / unspecifiedTires & wheels
Filed Feb 29, 2008

PURCHASED (4) COOPER TIRES(185/65R14 TRENDER SETTER; D.O.T. UT75C2H1602 ON 8-12-2002. A SIDEWALL DEFECT(2X1" BUBBLE) WAS NOTICED AND MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED ON 1/2006. TIRE(SAME TYPE) WAS REPLACED AT OWNER'S COST. ANOTHER TIRE SIDEWALL DEFECT(2X1" BUBBLE) WAS NOTICED ON 1/2008 IN THE SAME LOCATION AS THE FIRST. THIS TIRE WAS RETURNED TO THE MANUFACTURER FOR EVALUATION. THE MANUFACTURER CLAIMED IT WAS NOT DEFECTIVE, BUT CAUSED BY CUSTOMER. THIS CAUSED CUSTOMER TO LOOSE CONFIDENCE IN THE QUALITY OF THE MANUFACURER'S TIRES FOR FEAR OF A SIDEWALL BLOW OUT. ALL TIRES WERE REPLACED WITH A DIFFERENT BRAND AT OWNER'S COST. *TR

NHTSA ID
10219689
Incident
Jan 8, 2008
Mileage
27,585 mi
Tires & wheels
Filed Jan 15, 2008

FAILURE OF AMERICA DISCOUNT TIRE CO. TO HONOR TIRE WARRANTY. SIDE WALL OF TIRES HAVE PREMATURELY DEVELOPED CRACKS SURROUNDING THE BEAD AREA. BASED ON COMMENTS BY THAT COMPANIES REPRESENTATIVE, THE TIRES ARE LIKENED/COMPARED TO A TIME BOMB READY TO GO OFF. *TR

NHTSA ID
10214948
Incident
Jan 15, 2008
Mileage
92,000 mi
Driver assistanceTires & wheels
Filed Dec 3, 2005
Crash reported

DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING CAR, HAD A TIRE BLOW OUT, AND CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED OUT OF CONTROL. SHE TRIED SHIFTING GEARS, USING BRAKES, AND PULLING PARKING BRAKE TO NO AVAIL. SHE CRASHED INTO PARKED CARS AFTER TRAVELING ABOUT 200 YARDS UPHILL. WITNESSES SAY SHE WAS GOING ABOUT 30 TO 40 MPH. AFTER THE BLOWOUT, WHICH HAPPENED AS SHE WAS LEAVING A STOP. CAR WILL NOT BE REPAIRED, WILL BE JUNKED. IT IS TOO DANGEROUS FOR ANYONE TO DRIVE. *JB

NHTSA ID
10144374
Incident
Dec 1, 2005
Mileage
40 mi
Tires & wheels
Filed May 29, 2003

CONSUMER NOTICED CRACKS ON TOP OF FIRESTONE TIRES DUE TO DRY ROTTED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

NHTSA ID
10021847
Tires & wheels
Filed Feb 27, 2002

WHILE HAVING A ROUTINE MAINTENANCE PERFORMED, CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THAT 2 OF THE 4 TIRES WERE COMING APART, ONE OF THE TIRES WAS REPLACED WITH THE SPARE TIRE, THE CONSUMER WAS SHOWN IN 3 PLACES ON THE INTERIOR OF THE SIDEWALL OF THE TIRE THE OUTER RUBBER LAYER HAD SEPARATED, OR WAS ABOUT TO SEPARATE FROM ANOTHER LAYER.(GOODYEAR CONQUEST GL P185/65R14)*JB

NHTSA ID
564490
Incident
Jan 4, 2002
Tires & wheels
Filed Jan 4, 2002

SIDEWALL SEPARATION AT TURN-UP. *AK (DOT NUMBER: MD7J A6WR TIRESIZE: P185/65R14)

NHTSA ID
756420
Incident
Jan 4, 2002
Tires & wheels
Filed Sep 28, 2001

GOODYEAR, CONQUEST TIRE DOT MDJ1AGWR246, 195/65R14 SIZE. TIRES HAD RIPPED FROM INSIDE ALONG SIDEWALL. TIRES WERE ORIGINALS ON A 1997, FORD, ESCORT. *AK *SLC

NHTSA ID
897034
Incident
Dec 22, 1999
Tires & wheels
Filed Apr 7, 2001

THE ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT TIRES ON MY 1997 FORD ESCORT STATION WAGON ARE CRACKING ON THE INSIDE SIDEWALL OR HAVE CRACKED THROUGH TO EXPOSE THE STEEL CORD. I HAVE CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP WHO SAID THAT THEY DO NOT WARRANTY THE TIRES AND THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. I HAVE CONTACTED THE LOCAL AUTHORIZED GOODYEAR DEALER WHERE THEY INSPECTED THE TIRES AND INDICATED THAT THE FAILURE LOOKED LIKE A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. THEY SAID THAT GOODYEAR WOULD AUTHORIZE THEM TO GIVE ME A PARTIAL CREDIT FOR THE TIRES IF I REPLACED THEM WITH ANOTHER SET OF GOODYEAR TIRES BUT THAT THEY WOULD NOT EXCAHNGE THEM FOR NEW TIRES AT NO COST.*AK (DOT NUMBER: MD7J TIRESIZE: 185/65R14)

NHTSA ID
743668
Incident
Mar 31, 2001
Tires & wheels
Filed Jan 18, 2001

VEHICLE WAS SITTING INSIDE OF DRIVEWAY, CONSUMER WAS INSPECTING TIRES, AND NOTICED THAT BOTH REAR TIRES WERE SPLITTING IN SEAMS. ALL FOUR TIRES WERE DRY ROTTED AND WERE REPLACED . UNIROYAL AWP TIGER PAW, P185/65R14, DOT AP7JJKUU426. *AK 2 YEARS AFTER REPLACING TIRES, CONSUMER HAD TO REPLACE 4 MORE DUE TO SPLITTING AROUND THE TREAD PART OF TH TIRE. *SLC

NHTSA ID
878522
Incident
May 19, 1998
Tires & wheels
Filed Sep 13, 2000

IF MY CAR WASN'T SITTING STILL WHEN THIS PART CAME LOSE I COULD HAVE BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT. THIS SHOULD HAVE NEVER HAPPENED WITH THIS CAR. IT SHREDDED THE BELT THAT WAS ATTATCHED TO THIS AND CAME TO REST ON MY TIMING BELT AND IT HAD TO BE REPLACED. I KNOW THAT THE WARENTY IS UP AND THERE IS NOTHING THAT THE DEALERSHIP CAN DO BUT I FEEL AS THOUGH THE CAR SHOULD BE RECALLED BEFORE THIS HAPPENS AGAIN! *AK

NHTSA ID
731317
Incident
Sep 12, 2000
Tires & wheels
Filed Aug 12, 1998

WHILE DRIVING DOWN HIGHWAY HAD A TIRE BLOWOUT THAT CRACKED THE RIM, CAUSING VEHICLE TO LOSE CONTROL. *AK

NHTSA ID
826630
Incident
Aug 1, 1998
Heating & air conditioningEngineTires & wheels
Filed Oct 21, 1997

VEHICLE WOULD STALL OUT AT DIFFERENT SPEEDS. ALMOST REARENDED BECAUSE OF STALLING UNEXPECTEDLY. HAD VEHICLE TOWED BACK TO DEALER. WAS INFORMED COULD NOT FIND PROBLEM FOR STALLING, EVEN HAD VEHICLE TEST DRIVEN. *AK AIR CONDITIONER BLEW HOT AIR, DEALER REPAIRED WIRING ASSEMBLY. TIRES EXPERIENCED WEAR, CONSUMER DID NOT GIVE SPECIFIC TIRE INFORMATION. ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND VEHICLE WAS HARD TO RESTART, VEHICLE ALSO LOST POWER AND DEALER HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *SLC

NHTSA ID
818691
Incident
Apr 21, 1997

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.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .