We found the following complaints for FORD ESCORT (1988)
Read complaints for FORD ESCORT (1988)
While child is in child seat seat belts become undone . Consumer contacted manufacturer/ dealer.please provide further information.
After being driven for approx 45 minutes and parked for about 10 minutes automobile caught an fire and burned up.no injuries, everyone was in the house.
Battery replaced.
Vehicle parked; neighbor came & informed owner vehicle on fire. Flames coming from grill area. Fire department arrived & put flames out. Informed owner fireoriginated near battery cable area.
Consumer was traveling for a period of five minutes before noticing smoke coming from under the hood, consumer, therefore, opened the hood and noticed the vehicle was on fire. Consumer has contacted the dealer, dealer stated the cause was due to the alternator.
Alternator belt failed.nlm
Alternator caught on fire. *sd
Alternator wiring harness caught on fire .
Driving vehicle under hood fire broke out, electrical short, replacement of the alterator 9 times,
Alternator started engine fire.tt
Driving vehicle, smelled something burning, saw smoke coming from the hood of vehicle, pulled vehicle over into a parking lot and looked under hood,after raising hood, saw flames coming from the area ofalternator, driver smothered flames w/shirt.
Horn failed.nlm
Horn failed. Driver's door failed.
Horn not working; when attempt to activate horn, smoke started coming steering column; unknown part melted inside steering column.tt
Ignition system sparked, causing fire. *sd
Called (4) dealerships cannot get an appointment until the end of september concerning ignition assembly recall (96v-071).
Ignition system replaced.
Vehicle caught on fire while parked, possible due to ignition short.
No summary listed for above vehicle.
I bought this vehicle from my uncle when it was 3 year old with 40,000miles on it.it began stalling a year or so after i bought it.i had it in to both a ford and independent repair shop with a variety of reasons given for its stalling.i replaced the ignition module three different times on my own on a hunch that it might be the problem.i have mothballed the car for at least three years because i was tired of driving around having to worry about it stopping on me. I didn't sell it because i didn't want to pawn the problem off on someone else and besides i really liked the car otherwise.after hearing of the california recall order, everything fell into place.i believe that the poor engineering on placement of the ignition module on this vehicle is the problem.but i don't know what to do.i guess i feel trapped but am hopping that the recall will eventuallyimpact me in minnesota.thank you for any help you can give me.sincerely, john helland
When driving car will stop without prior notice. Dealership is aware ofproblem.
While traveling, vehicle bounced to left or to right due to uneven wear of tires.front end can not be aligned properly to specification per dealer.vehicle would not start, dealer replaced the ignition coil and module 4 different times.
I bought this vehicle from my uncle when it was 3 year old with 40,000miles on it.it began stalling a year or so after i bought it.i had it in to both a ford and independent repair shop with a variety of reasons given for its stalling.i replaced the ignition module three different times on my own on a hunch that it might be the problem.i have mothballed the car for at least three years because i was tired of driving around having to worry about it stopping on me. I didn't sell it because i didn't want to pawn the problem off on someone else and besides i really liked the car otherwise.after hearing of the california recall order, everything fell into place.i believe that the poor engineering on placement of the ignition module on this vehicle is the problem.but i don't know what to do.i guess i feel trapped but am hopping that the recall will eventuallyimpact me in minnesota.thank you for any help you can give me.sincerely, john helland.
Vehicle was parked, tried to start,under the dash steering column fire, electrical short .
I bought this vehicle from my uncle when itwas 3 years old with 40,000 miles on it. It began stalling a year or so after i bought it.i had it in to both a ford and independent repair shop with a variety of reasons given for it stalling.i replaced the ignition module three different times on my own on a hunch that it might be the problem.i have moth balled the car for at least three years because i was tired of driving around having to worry about it stopping on me.i didn't sell it because i didn't want to pawn the problem, off on someone else and besides i really liked the car otherwise.after hearing of the california recall order, everything fell into place.i believe that the poor engineering on placement of the ignition module on the vehicle is the problem.but i don't know what to do.ifeel trapped but i am hoping that the recall will eventually impact me in minnesota.thank you for any help you can give me.sincerely, john helland.*scc**dimsii ivoq entry posted after 12/12/02 cut-over to artemis*734334
After consumer had the ignition switch replaced, the vehicle is now overheating and smoking from the steering column.recall# 96v071000
Ignition switch failed prior to recall notice.
After consumer had recall repair work done, the vehicle would not cut off and the key would not release from the ignition.recall#96vo71000.consumer was charged for repairs.
Ignition switch failed.
Consumer was parking car and it caused a fire.
Car cut off and caught on fire . Please describe .
Ignition switch failed prior to recall notice.
Driving vehicle under hood fire broke out, electrical short, replacement of the alterator 9 times,
Driving vehicle under hood fire broke out, electrical short, replacement of the alterator 9 times,
Ignition switch failed causing lock up.
Ignition switch was repaired under recall 96v071000, two years later, ignition switch will not turn off.dealer will be notified.
Ignition switch repaired, then vehicle caught on fire,.
A fire started under the hood near the windsheild. Please describe.
Ignition switch fire.
Ignition switch failed resulting in vehicle fire prior to recall notice.
Consumer was driving and the ingintion started to smoke and caught on fire, please describe .
Electrical short in the ignition switch, causing the vehicle to catch fire.
Had recall work done, afterwards had again problems with electrical system.
Ignition switch defect.
Electrical short or shock inthe ignitions switch causing the vehicle to catch fire in the steering column.
While driving saw under the hood smoke coming the vents, under the dash compartment fire.
Ignition switch fire. *sd
Ignition switch failed.
Recall related, ignition switch fire, vehicle was parked, under the hood compartment fire 96v071000.
Ignition switch failure resulted in vehicle fire prior to recall notice.
Ignition switch: on listening to radio when someone pulled up and told her vehicle was on fire. Please describe details.
Consumer had recall repair of the ignition switch (95s28) perormed but experienced an ignition switch fire after recall repair.nlm
Ignition switch was replaced under recall #98s28 on 05-oct-98. On 19-nov-98, consumer had parked the vehicle after traveling and the vehicle burst into flames due to an electrical problem,according tothe fire department. Dealer has been contacted.
Purchased car used,consumer drove car, smelled smoke,parked car and it caught on fire . Received recall letter after car burnt, manufacturer said can't do anything. Recall (96v071).please describe .
A short circuit could develop in the ignition switch that could lead to overheating, smoke, and possibly fire in the steering column area. Ford recommends that the ignition switch be replaced with a revised design.
Wife took vehicle into work, parked, about 20 mins. Later was informed vehicle was engulfed in flames.
Owner received a recall notice for the igniton switch and had it repaired,vehicle then caught fire.
Vehicle may not start at times.sometimes fuel pump won't work,ignition switch is faulty,and sometimes switch sticks in on position instead of returing to right position.
Electrical short or shock in the ignition switch, causing the vehicle to catch on fire.
The rack and pinion steering came lose . Consumer states she was driving and then stopped at a stop sign as she was about to pull off to vross the street vehicle would not fo anywhere, consumer checked the emergency brake and it was down so she tried to give it some gas and turned the steering wheel toward the left and the vehicle went to the right, finally consumer got out of the vehicle because there were trucks coming toward her, so vehicle had to be pushed to the side of the road, consumer also had to gt starter replaced prior to this incident.
Starter solenoid failed after recall repair.
Cooling fan wires caught fire.
Electrical short, causing the wiring harness to melt, resulting in a fire and the head lights to fail.
Car caught on fire while parked believe it was an electrical fire. Please describe details.tt
Leaving work, stop at bank, funny smelled coming thru vent, parked vehicle/went in bank, lady came in bank, informed someone blue ford engulfed in flames.
Wiring harness malfunctioned, causingheadlights to go on and off, causing visibility problems,and may result in a crash.please provide further information.
Vehicle under recall (396v071000); had no problem in beginning.took to dealer and was told vehicle was repaired. Picked vehicle up, drove vehicle and problem reoccurred, had vehicle towed, dealer charged for repairs (electrical wiring).
Car caught on fire while parked believe it was an electrical fire. Please describe details.tt
Radiator cooling fan malfunctioned while driving, causing wire harness to catch onfire, and blow the fuseable link that shuts fuel pump off. This completely causedvehicle to shut down. Ford has been contacted.
Engine compartment fire occurred after being parked for 20 minutes. Please describe details.tt
Vehicle was parked and when started up the engine caught on fire. Flames and smoke under hood. Police officer put the fire out. Dealer or manufacturer have not been contacted. Not aware as to whether or not the vehicle was totalled, no warranty.
Engine compartment fire caused by electrical system harness failure.tt
Consumer was driving the tackometer/odometer went wild,pulled over to check hood and the car was on fire.
The headlamp wire burned and caused a shortage in the headlamps. Please describe.
Wiring harness malfunctioned, causingheadlights to go on and off, causing visibility problems,and may result in a crash.please provide further information.
An electrical short or shock is causing the headlights to fail.please describe.
Wk (801) 546-7950; drove (2) blocks from house and parked. Once returned steering column was in flames. Please describe details.
Vehicle began to smoke, turned off ignition, made a quick exit vehicle burst into flames.
While driving vehicle caught on fire starting from steering wheel column.tt
While driving she noticed smoke from the steering column. The 5 minutes later the entire car went up in flames. Please describe.tt
Defect in wiring harness, caused headlight switch to melt and fail.
When you blow the horn smoke appears from the steering wheel. Please describe.
There was a fire in steering column, burned entire car.tt
While driving vehicle saw smoke coming from steering column, and vehicle complete burned.tt
Wk (801) 546-7950; drove (2) blocks from house and parked. Once returned steering column was in flames. Please describe details.
Car was parked over night it caught on fire it was from the instrument panel .tt
Replaced three water pump and timing belts before 75,000 miles.
Water pump was noisy and had to be replaced.
Radiator cooling fan malfunctioned while driving, causing wire harness to catch onfire, and blow the fuseable link that shuts fuel pump off. This completely causedvehicle to shut down. Ford has been contacted.
Replaced three water pump and timing belts before 75,000 miles.
The timing belt failed.
Head gasket replaced due to leak.
Car has been stalling regardless of speed.took to mechanic to determine problem.mechanic has (so far) identified bad head gasket.i am second owner of this vehicle and it has only 67,000 miles on it.very few miles for an expensive head gasket repair!!
Knocking noise in the engine began - dealer contacted and stated noise probably due to bent rod.knock seems to lessen during cold weather and when oil is serviced.windshield wipers stop intermittently during operation.replaced the wiper motor - problem still exists.
Driver noticed smoke coming from the engine compartment and the temperature gauge was on hot when the vehicle "died."
Consumer was driving car, smelled smoke, was on her way home, parked car in driveway and caught on fire please describe .
Intermittent stalling.
The vehicle was parked and the owner went into the store and when she came out and it was engulfed in flames. Please describe.
Vehicle experienced continued problems with stalling.
The vehicle had a fire in the engine compartment while being driven. Please describe.
Vehicle stalls in the middle of the road when driving between 10-40 mph.had a tune up the that didn't remedy the problem.
The vehicle had a fire in the engine compartment while being driven.
Vehicle stalls at any speed, has stalled 4 times. Independent repair shop replaced ignition module 4 times.
Engine fire.
The consumer has experienced problems withengine.vehicle caught on fire while it was parked outside of consumer's house.the fire department came to the scene and determined that the fire was caused bya defect in the engine.the manufacturer has yet to be contacted.*ml
The vehicle was parked and the owner went into the store and when she came out and it was engulfed in flames. Please describe.
Engine hestitates and stalls.
Vehicle stalls at any time and any speed.
Engine compartment fire. *sd
Timing belt failed.
Exhaust system failed.
Catalytic converter repair after recall.
Catalytic converter clogged, causing fumes to escape into passenger compartment after recall replacement. *dh
Pcv valve failed. Nlm
Air conditioner repaired.
Light dimmer switch overloads and lights turn off. When using driving lights, they can only be turned on for about 5 to 8 minutes before headlights begin to blink on and off. With continuing use the lights will go completely off, leaving driver in the dark. In addition, fog lights malfunctioned.
Headlights continually shut off while driving.
Recall performed on ignition switch.immediately after the recall was performed the low beam headlights failed to come on.dealer stated that it could not not be related.the ford tech that did the replacement disturbed other areas in the steering column causing the failure.he/she failed to connect everything in the column.
Electrical short, causing the wiring harness to melt, resulting in a fire and the head lights to fail.
Head lights failed.
Moisture inside headlight, headlight bulb goes out when it get wet.tt
Light dimmer switch overloads and lights turn off. When using driving lights, they can only be turned on for about 5 to 8 minutes before headlights begin to blink on and off. With continuing use the lights will go completely off, leaving driver in the dark. In addition, fog lights malfunctioned.
The headlight switch has been replaced about 4 times in the last 3 years.it looks like it is due to excessive heat or an electrical short in the wire connectors.the dimmer switch located inside the steering column has been replaced twice in the last year due to the same problem.the connectors to the headlight switch and the dimmer switch have turned brown due to the excessive heat and melting of the plastic connectors.after the headlight switch is replaced, the headlights work for about 4-6 months until they begin to short out, and intermittently flicker.sometimes, the high beams are the only headlights that work.the mechanic i have taken my car to for the last 5 years while living in maryland states that this kind of problem is very typical for ford escorts around the time my car was manufactured.
When headlights are ontaillights will not work. When moving switch tail lights will work, but headlights wii not. This is the third switch. Contacted dealer, and dealer will replace switch at consumer's expense.
Headlight switch and wires to switch failed, tailights also failed. Nlm
Head light switch failure, while driving headlight go out, replace switch.tt
The headlight switch has been replaced about 4 times in the last 3 years.it looks like it is due to excessive heat or an electrical short in the wire connectors.the dimmer switch located inside the steering column has been replaced twice in the last year due to the same problem.the connectors to the headlight switch and the dimmer switch have turned brown due to the excessive heat and melting of the plastic connectors.after the headlight switch is replaced, the headlights work for about 4-6 months until they begin to short out, and intermittently flicker.sometimes, the high beams are the only headlights that work.the mechanic i have taken my car to for the last 5 years while living in maryland states that this kind of problem is very typical for ford escorts around the time my car was manufactured.
Headlight switch and wires to switch failed, tailights also failed. Nlm
When headlights are ontaillights will not work. When moving switch tail lights will work, but headlights wii not. This is the third switch. Contacted dealer, and dealer will replace switch at consumer's expense.
Multi-function switch wiring melted, causing loss of headlights.
Fuel leak, causing engine fire. *sd
Vehicle was totally destroyed by fire.tt
Fuel line hose defective.
Vehicle may not start at times.sometimes fuel pump won't work,ignition switch is faulty,and sometimes switch sticks in on position instead of returing to right position.
Radiator cooling fan malfunctioned while driving, causing wire harness to catch onfire, and blow the fuseable link that shuts fuel pump off. This completely causedvehicle to shut down. Ford has been contacted.
Fuel pump failed, causing vehicle to stall.
Fuel pump failed.
Fuel pump replaced.
Fuel pump inside the tank failed, vehicle stopped running.
Fuel filter failed.nlm
Fuel pump failed, causing vehicle to stall.
Passenger's side door was locked and vehicle impacted at 1:00,speed 75 mph, passenger's door popped open, causing the passenger to be ejected from vehicle.
Estimated speed 35 mph and was rear ended. Collision resulted in rear hatch/gate to fly open. Car phone or anything in rear got sucked out.tt
Speedometer inoperative.
Welds at base of spindle surrounding planetary gear failed, resulting in transmission failure.
Transmission locks up.
Transmission failed twice. *dh
Transmission failed.
Upper strut bearings failed.
Was putting vehicle into reverse from park, made clunking noise, gave it gas & took foot off accelerator it still made noise; took to mechanic & was informed that universal joints were making noise.
When opening the doors on the driver's or passenger's side the automatic seat belts will not retract properly.also, at times the belts will come all the way up, but will not lock into positon, causing the seatbelt light to come on, indicating the belts are not being used. The door light also comes on, saying that a door is ajar.
Driver's motorized seat belt inoperative. *sd
Driver's side automatic seatbelt failure, driver is unprotected in case of accident.tt
Automatic seat belts fail to retract when vehicle is turned off.
The drivers side automatic seatbelt had just stopped working. Please explain.tt
Left front motorized seat belt failed. Yh
Driver's side automatic seat belt failure.tt
Passenger side seat belt failure seat belt will not come forward.tt
Seat belt buckle failure.
The rear passenger seatbelts go under the seats and can't get them back up and the drivers seatbelt as well. Please describe.tt
Passenger front shoulder/lap belt buckle disengages when leaning forward.tt
Driver's seat belt buckles inoperative, buckle won't latch, male portion won't go into female, pops open, not fixed.
Driver's side female part of lap belt jammed; will not release; use only shoulder harness while driving.tt
Seatbelt latch stuck, wouldn't stay buckled.tt
Consumer was in accident and the passenger side seat belt retractor didn't restrain the person she was injuried .tt the passenger and driver wereinjured during the accident.
Driver's side lap/shoulder failed,impact 6:00, speed unknown , guide loopbroke,causing belts not to retract.
When vehicle was involved in accident driver's side shoulder belt did not hold driver. Please describe details.
Drivers side seat does not work properly.
Seat back broke during rear end collision. *sd
Driver's and passenger's side seat back collapsed upon being rear ended.tt
No summary listed for above vehicle.
Front disc brake replaced.
Brake rotors replaced.
Rear brakes replaced.
Steering wheel retainer bolt will work its way out,causing steering column to be moveable. Tsb has been issued for redesigned bolt. Consumer failed safety inspection due to this defect.
Horn is inoperative due to brushes in the column of steering wheel.tt
Power steering belt failed.nlm
Left front steering knuckle cracked, causing loss of control.
Left front steering knuckle cracked, allowing the ball joint to separate from the lower control arm, causing loss of control.
Inner tie rods replaced.
Inner and outer tie rods failed.
While turning smoke came from underneath. Fluid ran onto hot catalytic converter. Service manager states rack and pinion and could have caused fire.tt
Rack and pinion failed.
The rack and pinion steering came lose . Please describe .
The rack and pinion steering came lose . Consumer states she was driving and then stopped at a stop sign as she was about to pull off to vross the street vehicle would not fo anywhere, consumer checked the emergency brake and it was down so she tried to give it some gas and turned the steering wheel toward the left and the vehicle went to the right, finally consumer got out of the vehicle because there were trucks coming toward her, so vehicle had to be pushed to the side of the road, consumer also had to gt starter replaced prior to this incident.
Rear wheel wells rusted resulting in shock absorbers to become detached.
Severe damage to bumper in miner collision. *sd
Horn failed. Driver's door failed.
Suspension noise.
Misalignment of vehicle.
The rear control arm is too thin . Please describe .
The rear control arm is too thin . Please describe .
Ford admitted to newspaper columist that ball joints on many escorts and tempos were defective.missouri required annual safety inspections which caught many of these defective ball joints but many states did not require inspections.ford covered this problem up, so there is no way of knowing how many accidents were caused by failed ball joints.
Consumer states while having vehicles oil changed the mechanic noticed him the lower arm shaft was rusted and need to be replaced.nlm
Struts replaced.
Front struts replaced.
While traveling, vehicle bounced to left or to right due to uneven wear of tires.front end can not be aligned properly to specification per dealer.vehicle would not start, dealer replaced the ignition coil and module 4 different times.
Vehicle began to burn 45 minutes after being parked.fire started underhood near battery.
Wrong lamp assembly in dashboard.
Vehicle experienced sudden acceleration.
Misadjusted base idle.
Vehicle experienced sudden acceleration, resulting in an accident.
While driving approximately 20 mph, suddenly heard crushing noise entire rear passenger' window shattered, cause unkown.
Driver side window collapsed.tt
Windshield wiper blade replaced.
Knocking noise in the engine began - dealer contacted and stated noise probably due to bent rod.knock seems to lessen during cold weather and when oil is serviced.windshield wipers stop intermittently during operation.replaced the wiper motor - problem still exists.
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