1998 Ford Escort Electrical Problems

TL* - THE CONTACT STATED HORN HAS NOT WORKED PROPERLY SINCE SHE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE CURRENTLY HAS 31,000 MILES. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR REPAIRS, AND WAS TOLD THAT THE AIRBAG WAS DEFECTIVE , AND THAT ITWAS CAUSING THE HORN NOT TO WORK. THE HORN HAS BEEN REPLACED, BUT IT STILL DID NOT WORK. THE CONTACT STATED THE HORN WOULD JUST COME ON AND WOULD NOT STOP. THE CONTACT REMOVED THE CIRCUIT BREAKER A FEW WEEKS AGO, BUT NOW THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT WILL NOT TURN OFF. THE DEALER CHECKED THE COMPUTER SYSTEM AND FOUND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. THE DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT HAD A LEAK IN THE FIREWALL. THE CONTACT HAD THE LEAK REPAIRED FOUR TIMES. *AK

NHTSA ID

10177182

Incident

Nov 1, 1998

AFTER EXITING HIGHWAY FROM A 20 MILE TRIP, THE IDLE ON THE VEHICLE BECAME ROUGH WHEN STOPPED. THE BEST DESCRIPTION WAS THAT THE IDLE STARTED TO SURGE AND PULSE WITH THE BRAKE ENGAGED AND THE VEHICLE FULLY STOPPED. JUST PRIOR TO PULLING INTO DRIVEWAY (LESS THAN A MILE FROM HIGHWAY) THE RADIO AND VENTILATION SYSTEM BEGAN TO CUT IN AND OUT. UPON PARKING THE VEHICLE, THE BATTERY WAS DEAD AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. ONE HOUR LATER, VEHICLE WAS STARTED, DASHBOARD BATTERY LIGHT WAS ON, IDLE BECAME ROUGH AND PULSED CLOSE TO A STALL. *JB

NHTSA ID

10135272

Incident

Sep 3, 2005

Mileage

67,000 mi

DT: THERE WAS NO WARNING, NO LIGHTS, NO NOISE BEFORE THE ALTERNATOR FAILED. THE VEHICLE LOST ALL POWER AND WAS CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT WOULD HAPPEN WHILE DRIVING ALONG A CROWDED HIGHWAY. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED FORD AND WAS WAITING FOR A RESPONSE. THIS HAPPENED FRIDAY JULY 15TH, 2005. *AK *NM

NHTSA ID

10129205

Incident

Jul 15, 2005

Mileage

100,000 mi

I OWN A 1998 FORD ESCORT WITH 32,000 MILES AND RECENTLY HAD THE AIR CONDITIONER CONTROL MODULE REPLACED.WHEN THE REPAIR SHOP ATTEMPTED TO LOCATE A NEW PART, THEY WERE TOLD THAT THIS PART WAS ON NATIONAL BACKORDER. THIS LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THAT THERE HAS BEEN MANY PROBLEMS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY AND MAYBE SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED BY THE MANUFACTURER.

NHTSA ID

10127883

Incident

Jul 4, 2005

Mileage

32,400 mi

MY DAUGHTER WAS ON HER WAY TO WORK , WHEN SHE CALLED ME & SAID "DAD MY CAR HAS LOSS POWER & IS RUNNING VERY ROUGH". I TOLD HER TO PULL OVER & I WOULD BE THERE SHORTLY, SINCE SHE WAS ONLY ABOUT 8 MILES DOWN THE ROAD. AS I WAS PREPAIRING TO LEAVE, MY DAUGHTER CALLED ME BACK & SAID THERE WAS A FIRE UNDER THE HOOD. I TOLD HER TO CALL 911 AND GET AWAY FROM THE CAR. IT TOOK ME LESS THAN 10 MINUTES TO GET THERE & BY THAT TIME THE FIREMEN HAD PUT THE FIRE OUT. THE CAR WAS TOTALED. THE CAR HAD BEEN RUNNING GREAT, WITH NO PROBLEMS AT ALL.

NHTSA ID

10127682

Incident

Jun 5, 2005

Mileage

10,200 mi

HORN SOUNDS AT ALL HOURS. UNPLUGGED. *AK

NHTSA ID

10086166

Incident

Jul 6, 2004

CAR WILL LOOSE POWER ABOUT 1 TO 2 MILES AFTER SLOWING DOWN FROM HIGH SPEEDS (55-75 MPH) TO PASS THROUGH AN AUTOMATED EPASS SYSTEM (35MPH). THERE IS NO BUCKING OR SURGING, SIMPLY A LOSS OF POWER. YOU CAN PUT THE ACCELATOR TO THE FLOOR TO NO AVAIL. ONCE DOWN BELOW 10 MPH THE CAR WILL STALL OUT. AFTER WAITING 1/2 HOUR THE CAR CAN BE RESTARTED. THE FIRST TIME THIS OCCURED THE CAR WAS TOWED TO SUN STATE FORD. THE FUEL PUMP WAS REPLACED TO NO AVAIL. THE SECOND TIME THE CAR WAS ALLOWED TO SIT AND THEN DRIVEN TO CAR MAX (PLACE OF PURCHASE) WHERE THE IGNITION COIL AND WIRES WHERE REPLACED. THE 3RD OCCURENCE WAS TODAY. THE CAR WILL BE TAKEN BACK TO CAR MAX. ALL OF THESE OCCURENCES HAVE TAKEN PLACE OVER THE LAST 2 WEEKS.

NHTSA ID

10049176

Incident

Dec 1, 2003

Mileage

51,950 mi

FAX FWD FM FMCSA FM ELOISE J. QUINN (CT) SEEKING ASSISTANCE IN GETTING FORD TO REIMBURSE HER FOR THE REPAIR OF THE IGNITION MODULE ON HER 1998 FORD ESCORT.*MR THE VEHICLE STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC, THE CONSUMER WAS FORCED TO REPLACE THE IGNITION MODULE. FORD REFUSE TO REIMBURSE CONSUMER. *TS *JB

NHTSA ID

10042029

Incident

Mar 21, 2001

CONSUMER STATED THE ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE STALLED, DUE TO ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE.*JB

NHTSA ID

10003820

Incident

Jan 14, 2003

CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE PARKED AND WITH NO WARNING THE HORN WILL OPERATE INTERMITTENTLY. THE HORN HAS BEEN DEACTIVATED BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT BECAUSE THE HORN WOULD NOT GO OFF. CONSUMER ALSO, STATES THAT THIS IS A REOCCURING PROBLEM. ALSO THE DIRECTIONALS ARE INOPERABLE. WHEN THE CONSUMER ACTIVATES THE DIRECTIONALS THEY WILL NOT AUTOMATICALLY GO OFF. DEALER NOTIFIED. BLN

NHTSA ID

8020120

Incident

Jun 7, 2002

WHILE DRIVING HIT THE HORN AND IT STUCK. HAD TO UNPLUG FUSE TO CUT HORN OFF. DEALER CONTACTED. TARGO SWITCH INSIDE STEERING WHEEL PAD BROKE.*AK

NHTSA ID

8015874

Incident

Aug 5, 2002

HORN WENT OFF ON ITS OWN,. DEALER REPLACED HORN ASSEMBLY. IN JUNE 2002, HORN SOUNDED AGAIN ON ITS OWN, HAD TO BE REPLACED A SECOND TIME.*AK

NHTSA ID

8012561

Incident

May 15, 2001

WHILE IN MOTION, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. THE MECHANIC INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THE IGNITION MODULE HAD CAUSED A SURGE OF ELECTRICAL POWER THAT IMPACTED THE ALTERNATOR AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO STOP. CONSUMER IS REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT OF MONIES PAID. *JG

NHTSA ID

565768

Incident

Aug 9, 2001

HORN BLOWS CONTINUOUSLY WITH VEHICLE PARKED. MUST REMOVE FUSE TO TURN OFF HORN.*AK

NHTSA ID

760506

Incident

Apr 9, 2002

AFTER TURNING VEHICLE OFF KEY GOT STUCK IN IGNITION. NO MATTER WHAT CONSUMER DID , KEY WOULD NOT COME OUT. CONTACTED DEALER. *AK

NHTSA ID

8003656

Incident

Jan 1, 2002

CONSUMER WAS TURNING OFF THE IGNITION AND NOTICED THAT THERE WAS FIRE UNDER THE STEERING WHEEL AREA, CONSUMER AND HER DAUGHTER TRIED TO PUT OUT THE FIRE THEMSELVES, HOWEVER COULD NOT, CLAIM 14-1385-223. *SLC

NHTSA ID

6900806

Incident

Mar 29, 2001

WHILE DRIVING, FLAMES STARTED COMING FROM UNDER THE DASH, CLAIM 13-7568-816. *SLC

NHTSA ID

6900805

Incident

Dec 7, 2001

CONSUMER NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM BEHIND THE STEERING COLUMN, CLAIM 24-125-333. *SLC

NHTSA ID

6900804

Incident

Jul 28, 2000

WHILE DRIVING, FLAMES STARTED COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE DASH, CLAIM 13-7568-816. *SLC

NHTSA ID

6900504

Incident

Dec 7, 2001

CAR STALLS WHILE ACCELARATING FROM LOW SPEED -0-5MPH, CAR HAS STALLED WHILE ON 605 FREEWAY WHILE TRAVELING AT LOW SPEED, STARTS AFTER WAITING ABOUT 20 MIN. HAVE REPORTED TO SERVIC DEPT. CANNOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG.*AK

NHTSA ID

752566

Incident

Sep 25, 2001

VEHICLE SUDDENLY STALLED AND WOULD NOT RESTART, VEHICLE WAS TOWED, AND CONSUMER WAS THEN INFORMED THAT THE ALTERNATOR AND BATTERY WERE INOPERATIVE AND IT APPEARED THAT THEY WERE HIT BY A SURGE OF ELECTRICAL POWER. JB

NHTSA ID

562650

Incident

Aug 9, 2001

THE IGNITION KEY AND LOCK WERE EXTREMELY HOT TO TOUCH WHEN CONSUMER WENT TO TURN THE ENGINE OFF, VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP AND THEY COULD NOT EXPLAIN WHAT MAY HAVE CAUSED THE PROBLEM, CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS.*JB

NHTSA ID

562108

Incident

Jul 11, 2001

MY SON WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT IN WHICH ANOTHER VEHICLE HIT HIS VEHICLE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE WHILE HE WAS MAKING A LEFT TURN. MY SON'S CAR SPUN 90 DEGREES AND LANDED ON THE SIDE OF AN EMBANKMENT. THE CAR DID NOT FLIP AND LANDED RIGHT SIDE UP. BOTH AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. MY SON NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. LUCKILY, HE WAS NOT KNOCKED UNCONSIOUS AND WAS ABLE TO GET OUT OF THE CAR QUICKLY. WITHIN LESS THAN 5 MINUTES, HE NOTICED FLAMES COMING FROM THE FLOORBOARD ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. THE CAR WAS TOTALLY ENGULFED IN FLAMES WITHIN 10-15 MINUTES. IF THIS ACCIDENT HAD HAPPENED ON A REMOTE ROAD AND MY SON WOULD OF BEEN INJURED MORE SERIOUSLY, AND NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET OUT OF HIS CAR, AND WOULD HAVE BURNED TO DEATH. I DON'T KNOW WHAT CAUSED THE CAR TO START ON FIRE. EVEN THE INSURANCE ADJUSTER SAID THE CAR SHOULDN'T HAVE STARTED ON FIRE.*AK

NHTSA ID

743696

Incident

Apr 6, 2001

WHILE TURNING OFF IGNITION, CONSUMER NOTICED A FIRE UNDER THE STEERING WHEEL AREA, CLAIM 14-1385-223. *SLC

NHTSA ID

6900505

Incident

Mar 29, 2001

WHILE DRIVING HORN KEPT GOING OFF WHICH MIGHT STARTLE OCCUPANT AND CAUSE A CRASH. DEALER SAID IT WAS DUE TO AIRBAG SYSTEM WHICH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT 59,000 MILES. AIRBAG LIGHT DID NOT COME ON. COMMON PROBLEM. *AK

NHTSA ID

878922

Incident

Jan 15, 2001