U.S. public vehicle records

1999 Ford ESCORT problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

261 owner complaints analyzed

1 distinct recall campaigns

67,856 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 1999 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 92 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Air Bags:Frontal is the most frequently named component, appearing in 35 of 261 complaints (13.4%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Transmission and shifting	29	11.1%
Braking behavior	26	10.0%
Engine operation	23	8.8%
Steering behavior	19	7.3%
Electrical and battery issues	14	5.4%
Fuel system concerns	11	4.2%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Air Bags:Frontal

Power Train:Automatic Transmission

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline

Suspension:Rear:Springs

Suspension:Rear:Springs:Coil Springs

Air Bags

Tires

Component breakdown data
Category	Count
Air Bags:Frontal	35
Power Train:Automatic Transmission	25
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine	21
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline	15
Suspension:Rear:Springs	13
Suspension:Rear:Springs:Coil Springs	13
Air Bags	12
Tires	11

Air Bags:Frontal: 35; Power Train:Automatic Transmission: 25; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine: 21; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline: 15; Suspension:Rear:Springs: 13; Suspension:Rear:Springs:Coil Springs: 13; Air Bags: 12; Tires: 11

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 11; 25,000 to 49,999: 16; 50,000 to 74,999: 26; 75,000 to 99,999: 18; 100,000 to 149,999: 18; 150,000 and above: 3

50,000 to 74,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (26). 169 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2012

2014

2017

2019

2000: 56; 2001: 47; 2002: 29; 2003: 29; 2004: 26; 2005: 22; 2006: 17; 2007: 8; 2008: 8; 2009: 5; 2010: 4; 2012: 3; 2014: 3; 2017: 3; 2019: 1

Pattern summary

Air Bags:Frontal leads the component reports. Transmission and shifting appears in 29 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 26 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 23 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10002893 · 2003-01-18 (January 18, 2003)

WITH NO WARNING OR EARLY SIGNS, TRANSMISSION BURNED UP. DROVE FINE THE NIGHT BEFORE, WOKE UP THE NEXT MORNING AND HAD NOT TRANSMISSION. TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS BLACK. HAD TO GET ENTIRE TRANSMISSION REBUILT.

Owner-reported narrative. 81,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10002893 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10006211 · 2003-02-03 (February 3, 2003)

WHEN VEHICLE IS PUT INTO REVERSE GEAR, IT DOES NOT ENGAGE. THE DEALERSHIP INDICATED THE PROBLEM WAS THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION AND THAT IT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.

Owner-reported narrative. 3,300 miles reported. Look up ODI 10006211 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10010716 · 2003-03-18 (March 18, 2003)

1) HEADLAMPS: ORIGINALLY THOUGHT THERE WAS A LOOSE WIRE BECAUSE RIGHT LIGHT WOULD WORK PERIODICALLY. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, MY MECHANIC FOUND THE CONNECTION TO WHICH THE "BULB" WAS PLUGGED HAD MELTED SOME WHAT. HE SUGGESTED THAT I RETURN TO THE DEALER TO ASK IF THERE WERE ANY RECALLS ON THIS PARTICULAR PROBLEM, WHICH I INTEND TO DO TOMORROW. 2) BRAKE PEDAL: RECENTLY I FOUND IT NECESSARY TO HAVE NEW BRAKE PADS INSTALLED. PART OF THE PROBLEM (FOR ME) WAS THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS TOO SOFT AND TOO LOW (THE BRAKES WERE BAD ALSO). THE REPAIRS WER…

Owner-reported narrative. 37,300 miles reported. Look up ODI 10010716 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10022103 · 2003-07-03 (July 3, 2003)

WHEN THE VEHICLES CRUISE CONTROL WAS SET THE VEHICLE STALLED WHICH CAUSED THE ENGINE LIGHT, FUEL LIGHT AND BRAKE LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE. THE DEALER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE BUT COULD NOT DUPLICATE OR CORRECT THE PROBLEM. *AK *CB *NLM

Owner-reported narrative. 53,700 miles reported. Look up ODI 10022103 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10004983 · 2003-01-30 (January 30, 2003)

MY DAUGHTER PURCHASED A USED 1999 FORD ESCORT FROM COOPER FORD, CAMDEN N.Y., FIRST 9 MONTHS WITH CAR OKAY BUT AS SOON AS COLD WEATHER SET IN SHE STARTED HAVING FUEL PUMP FAILURES. THIS FAILURE CAUSES SUDDEN SHUT DOWN OF VEHICLE, TOTAL LOSS OF POWER. THE FIRST OCASSION WAS WINTER OF 2001-2002, PROBLEM RE-OCCURRED 12-27-02 AND 1-28-03. DEALER INSISTED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS FUEL RELATED THAT THESE FUEL PUMPS WERE SENSITIVE TO ADDITIVES IN FUEL. I BELIEVE THERE IS AN UNDERLYING PROBLEM THAT IS BEING OVERLOOKED OR TROUBLSHOOTING BY TECHNICIANS IS IN…

Owner-reported narrative. 48,890 miles reported. Look up ODI 10004983 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10051322 · 2003-12-30 (December 30, 2003)

NHTSA#10003194/612956/606433/6092008/615400/615476/615381 ENGINE VIBRATION FELT THRU STEERING WHEEL WHILE IN GEAR

Owner-reported narrative. 43,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10051322 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10105844 · 2005-01-06 (January 6, 2005)

DRIVING IN THE RAIN, RUNNING THROUGH PUDDLES CAUSES MY SERPENTINE BELT TO COME OFF. HAD A MECHANIC PUT THE BELT BACK ON. NO PROBLEMS WITH THE BELT OR THE TENSION. APPARENTLY JUST GETTING THE BELT WET IS ENOUGH TO HAVE IT WALK OFF THE BOTTOM PULLEY. WHEN THIS HAPPENS I OF COURSE LOSE MY POWER STEERING AND IT RUNS MY BATTERY DOWN.*AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10105844 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10014778 · 2003-03-31 (March 31, 2003)

THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE, POSSIBLE ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 128,239 miles reported. Look up ODI 10014778 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10040177 · 2003-09-17 (September 17, 2003)

CONSUMER CALLED COMPLAINING ABOUT HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE HAVING ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN INTO A DEALER AND STAYED OVER NIGHT. THE CONSUMER WENT TO PICK UP THE CAR AND WHEN HE GOT IN THE CAR IT WOULD NOT START. THE MECHANIC TOLD HIM TO GET INTO THE VEHICLE. WHEN HE STARTED IT HE REALIZED THAT THE AIR BAG LIGHT WAS ON. HE WAS TOLD TO PUMP THE GAS PEDAL AT WHICH TIME BOTH FRONTAL AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED, AS WELL AS THE DEALER, AND TOLD CONSUMER THAT IT WAS CAUSED FOR AFTER MARKET PRODU…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10040177 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10008247 · 2003-02-28 (February 28, 2003)

AT APPROX. 30000 MILES THE CAR HAD THE FIRST INCIDENT OF NOT STARTING (AUG. 2001). TOOK IT TO AUTO SHOP AND WAS TOLD THAT THIS MIGHT BE A ONE-TIME INCIDENT. ABOUT 1/2 YEAR LATER THE SAME THING HAPPENED. HAD IT TOWED TO AUTO SHOP, THEY COULD NOT FIND THE PROBLEM AND TOLD ME TO CALL THEM IF IT HAPPENED AGAIN. THEN IT HAPPENED AGAIN LATE 2002 AND I TOOK THE CAR TO ANOTHER AUTO SHOP. THEY COULD NOT EXPLAIN THE REASON EITHER - EVERYTHING SEEMED FINE AND AFTER A WHILE IT STARTED AGAIN AND WAS RUNNING NORMALLY. IT HAPPENED AGAIN LATE JANUARY 2003 AND …

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10008247 at NHTSA ↗