1999 Ford Escort Interior & seats Problems

NOTICED THAT ENGINE WARNING LIGHT WAS COMING UP ON AND OFF, CHANGED SPARK PLUGS,WIRES, LIGHT WOULD GO OFF FOR A PERIOD AND THAN COME BACK ON. I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE FREEWAY BETWEEN 65-70 MILES/HOUR WHEN I HURED A LOUD BANG , PULLED OFF THE FREEWAY, I HAD THE CAR TAKING TO A LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP, SERVICE WRITER TOLD ME THAT THE VALVE SEAT IN THE HEAD HAD SEPERATED AND FELL INTO THE MOTOR. HE ALSO TOLD ME THAT THE 1.9 MOTOR HAD A FLAW IN THE HEAD AND FORD MOTOR COMPANY NEW ABOUT THIS PROBLEM FOR MANY YEARS. THAN HE SHOWED ME ANOTHER ESCORT THAT6 HAD THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM AND THAT THIS WAS NOT THE FIRST CAR HE SEENED WITH THIS PROBLEM. SECOND PROBLEM: I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE 3 TRANSMITIONS WITH IN A YEAR, WHICH WAS COVERED BY FORD MOTOR COMPANY AND POSSIBLY A 4TH. I DON'T KNOW BECAUSE THE MOTOR WENT. THIRD PROBLEM: WHILE AT A STOP SIGN A WAS REAR ENDED AN ABOUT 30-35 MILES/HOUR, MY SEAT BELLT DID NOT HOLD ME AND MY SEAT COLLEPSED ON TOP OF MY CHILD WHO WAS IN A CAR SEAT BEHIND ME. THE CAR WAS IN THE SHOPE ABOUT THE WEEK BEFORE THE MOTOR WENT AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THE PROBLEM HAD TO DO WITH THE TRANSMITION BUT I BELIEVE THAT THE COMPUTER IN THE CAR NEW THAT THE VALVE WAS PREPERING TO FAIL. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY HAD REDESIGNED THE HEAD, SO THIS PROBLEM COULD NOT HAPPEN AGAIN.

NHTSA ID

10127536

Incident

Mar 4, 2003

Mileage

8,300 mi

WHILE DRIVING AND WITH NO WARNING HOOD LATCH SNAPPED,CAUSING HOOD TO FLY OPEN, DISTRACTING CONSUMER'S VIEW, AND CAUSING CONSUMER TO PULL OVER. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK

NHTSA ID

8018272

Incident

Aug 16, 2002

WELDING UNDER DRIVER'S SEAT SNAPPED, AND SEAT ROCKS. DEALER CONTACTED. *AK *YD

NHTSA ID

8004482

Incident

Feb 12, 2002

HOOD LATCH MECHANISM DOES NOT PROPERLY LATCH WHICH COULD CAUSE HOOD TO FLY UP WHILE VEHICLE IS BEING DRIVEN. *AK THE CABLE TO THE HOOD RELEASE IS THE PROBLEM. *SLC

NHTSA ID

889111

Incident

May 1, 2001

THE DRIVER SEAT ROLLS BACK AND FORTH. THE SEAT IS NOT SUPPORTED AND EFFECTS THE CONSUMERS DRIVING. THE DEALER COULDN'T HELP WITH THE CHARGES AND THERE WOULD BE A FEE TO DIAGINOS THE PROBLEM. THE DEALER IS SUPPOSE TO CONTACT THE CONSUMER FOR FURTHER ASSISTANCE.

NHTSA ID

886943

Incident

Mar 15, 2001

WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM WORK AT 65 MPH, BOTH HOOD LATCH AND SAFETY LATCH FAILED ALLOWING HOOD TO OPEN AND WRAP OVER THE TOP OF THE CAR. *AK

NHTSA ID

737315

Incident

Nov 27, 2000

DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT LATCH ASSEMBLY SHATTERED AFTER BEING UNDER LOAD IN FRONT END COLLISION. *AK

NHTSA ID

717127

WHILE SITTING AT A STOP AND MAKING A LEFT TURN ANOTHER VEHICLE REAR ENDED CONSUMER'SVEHICLE, IN WHICH CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS AIR BOUND ABOUT 50 FEET, CAUSING DRIVER'S SEAT AND PASSENGER'S SEAT TO GO BACKWARDS. ALSO, SWITCH FOR THE GAS UNIT SYSTEM DIDN'T SHUT DOWN, AND THE MOTOR KEPT RUNNING. *AK

NHTSA ID

851788

Incident

Oct 16, 1999

OWNER'S CHILD BUMPED HIS HEAD ON THE SEATBACK IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE, AND THE CHILD'S HEAD BEGAN TO BLEED DUE TO A BOLT THAT HOLDS THE SEATBACK ON IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE WAS STICKING THROUGH THE SEAT. THIS COULD INJURE A PASSENGER IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE IF INVOLVED IN A REAR END COLLISION. DEALER HAS NOT SEEN VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID

846945

SINCE THE CAR WAS FIRST BOUGHT THE ENGINE HAS BEEN EXTREMELY LOUD AS WELL AS SHAKING OCCASIONALLY WHEN STOPPING AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT. I SPOKE WITH MY SALESPERSON, WHO WAS FRIENDLY AND TOOK IT ON A TEST DRIVE AGAIN, AND HE FOUND NOTHING WRONG. HE SAID IT WAS PROBABLY DUE TO THE COLD WEATHER, BUT TOLD ME TO TAKE IT TO MY LOCAL DEALER TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT AS A PRECAUTION. I WENT TO THE LOCAL DEALER AND THEY WOULD NOT SEE ME THEN SO I ASKED TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT FOR A BETTER TIME. I WAS TOLD THAT NO APPOINTMENTS COULD BE MADE AND THEY ACCEPTED CARS ON A FIRST COME FIRST SERVED BASIS. SINCE NEITHER DEALER IS LOCATED CLOSE TO ME, I DECIDED TO WAIT A WHILE TO SEE IF IT WAS JUST THE WEATHER. IN FEBRUARY, THE AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON AND WOULD NOT GO OFF FOR 2 DAYS AND SINCE THEN IT WILL COME ON AND STAY ON FOR A WHILE, AND SOMETIMES IT WILL TURN OFF AFTER A FEW DAYS. THIS IS A MAJOR CONCERN BECAUSE I DON'T WANT IT TO COME OUT UNEXPECTEDLY OR TO FAIL WHEN NEEDED. I WENT TO THE SAME LOCAL DEALER 2 DAYS AGO AND THEY WOULD NOT SEE ME. AT FIRST, THE MAN TRIED TO MAKE ME THINK IT WAS ALL IN MY HEAD, BUT AFTER INSISTING ON HAVING IT CHECKED OUT ANYWAY, HE TOLD ME THEY COULD NOT SEE ME AND THAT I WOULD HAVE TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT. I EXPLAINED THAT I HAD TRIED TO BEFORE, BUT WAS TOLD I COULDN'T AND HE BASICALLY TOLD ME TO CALL LATER TO SET UP AN APPOINTMENT. SINCE A FAILURE COULD CAUSE A TRAGIC ACCIDENT I DON'T KNOW WHERE ELSE TO TURN TO HAVE FORD CHECK THE CAR. IT IS ONLY 3 MONTHS OLD AND THIS IS THE 4TH TIME I HAVE HAD TO SEE ABOUT IT WHICH MAKES ME LEARY OF EITHER THE QUALITY OF FORDS OR THAT MY CAR IS NOT UP TO THE SAME SAFETY STANDARDS AS IT SHOULD BE. PLEASE HELP. I ALSO SAW ON THE NEWS LAST NIGHT THAT SEVERAL FORD CARS ARE BEING RECALLED NOW DUE TO SAFETY CONCERNS SO I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE SURE MY CAR IS SAFE BEFORE ME OR SOMEONE ELSE GETS HURT. I WOULD APPRECIATE ANY ASSISTANCE YOU CAN GIVE ME, AND PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT STEPS TO TAKE. *AK

NHTSA ID

704999