1997 Ford Escort
Family: Escort · filed with NHTSA as ESCORT
Summary
- In its first three years the 1997 Escort drew 155 complaints — 0.9× the median of its generation (1997–2003). It does not stand out from the other years of this generation.
- These are complaint counts, not failure rates: they are not divided by how many cars were sold, because no public source reports U.S. sales by model year.
- Complaints are spread across systems: the largest, Airbags, holds 28% of the 535 that name a component.
- 2 recalls filed for this model year.
- 2 federal defect investigations cover this model year.
At a glance
- Owner complaints
- 543
- Recalls
- 2
- Investigations
- 2
- NCAP overall
- Not rated
- Combined MPG
- 26–28
- Annual fuel cost
- $2,250–$2,400
- Median mileage at complaint
- 78,000 mi (n = 100)
- Crashes / fires / injuries / deaths
- 67 / 83 / 65 / 0
What owners report
Airbags
152 complaints · 28% of complaints that name a component · median 94,645 mi (n = 26)
Owner report SAFETY HORN STICKS AND REMAINS IN ON POSITION CREATING A DRIVING SAFETY RISK. DEALER EXPLAINS THAT THE HORN SWITCH IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE AIR BAG. BASED ON ALL INTERNET COMPLAINTS AND AIR BAG PROBLEMS, MIGHT BE TIME TO FURTHER INVESTIGATE FORD'S COMMITMENT TO SAFETY AND AIRBAG PERFORMANCE. HTTP://WWW.CARCOMPLAINTS.COM/…
Owner report MY MOTHER AND I WERE DRIVING TO MY GRANDPARENTS HOUSE WHEN SHE HIT A BABY DEER GOING ABOUT 35 MPH. I WAS 12 YEARS OLD AT THE TIME AND SITTING IN THE FRONT SEAT. THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED HITTING ME IN RIGHT SIDE OF THE FACE. MY TEETH WENT INTO MY LIP, AND I HAD BURN MARKS FROM THE AIRBAG ON MY CHEEKBONES, AND CHIN, ALSO MY …
Electrical System
114 complaints · 21% of complaints that name a component · median 82,610 mi (n = 23)
Owner report TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 FORD ESCORT. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE POWER STEERING SEIZED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE WIRES AND FUSES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED…
Owner report DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN AN IDLE POSITION A SMELL OF SMOKE WAS OBSERVED COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE DASHBOARD. UPON INSPECTION, THE ENGINE FUSE BOX WAS FOUND TO BE BURNT. BEFORE THE SMOKE ERUPTED, THE AIRBAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED FOR A FEW SECONDS AND THEN BLINKED ONCE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO T…
Engine
67 complaints · 13% of complaints that name a component · median 80,000 mi (n = 10)
Owner report VALVE SEAT NO. 4 FELL OUT OF HEAD AND WAS DESTROYED, DAMAGING NO. 4 AND NO. 3 PISTON, AND THE HEAD ITSELF. WE WERE FORTUNATE THAT THE TOTAL FAILURE OCCURRED WHILE PARKED RATHER THAN ON THE INTERSTATE, AT WHICH TIME POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES WOULD HAVE FAILED. THIS IS A WELL KNOWN MODE OF FAILURE FOR THIS E…
Owner report TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 FORD ESCORT. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SHAKE VIGOROUSLY AND STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE ENGINE WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED TWICE. THE VEH…
1% of complaints name no specific component and are left out of the shares above.
Across the generation (1997–2003)
To compare years fairly, each year is counted over the same span: complaints received up to two calendar years after its model year. A year is compared only when that span is over and it holds at least 50 complaints. Median of the comparable years: 167.
| Model year | All complaints | First three years | Note |
|---|
| 1997 | 543 | 155 | |
| 1998 | 375 | 182 | |
| 1999 | 325 | 167 | |
| 2000 | 98 | 49 | not compared |
| 2001 | 68 | 40 | not compared |
| 2002 | 33 | 16 | not compared |
| 2003 | 10 | 4 | not compared |
Recalls
Whether a recall has been fixed on a specific car depends on its VIN; check it at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
04E048000 · SEAT BELTS:FRONT
Filed 2004-07-12 · 388 vehicles
Defect: CERTAIN TRW DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELTS MANUFACTURED ON DECEMBER 6 AND 9, 2002, FOR USE AS REPLACEMENT EQUIPMENT FOR 1997 FORD ESCORT 4-DOOR AND STATION WAGON PLATFORM VEHICLES, FORD'S P/N F7CZ54611B09AAC. THE SEAT BELT ASSEMBLIES EXHIBIT A NO-LOCK CONDITION WHICH DOES NOT COMPLY WITH FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 209, SEAT BELT ASSEMBLIES.
Risk: IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THE RESTRAINT SYSTEM MAY NOT PROVIDE ADEQUATE PROTECTION TO THE SEAT OCCUPANT, WHICH MAY INCREASE THE RISK OF PERSONAL INJURY.
Remedy: TRW WILL NOTIFY THE CUSTOMERS WHO PURCHASED THE REPLACEMENT SEAT BELT ASSEMBLIES FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 27, 2004.
02V323000 · AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE-INACTIVE
Filed 2002-12-09 · 396,217 vehicles
Defect: ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE INTEGRATED AIR BAG MONITOR (IABM) CAN BE CONTAMINATED WITH WATER OR OTHER LIQUIDS AND COULD EXPERIENCE INTERNAL ELECTRICAL SHORTING.
Risk: THIS MAY, IN TURN, CAUSE THE AIR BAG READINESS LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE AND IN VERY RARE OCCURRENCES, AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT, MELTED WIRING, OR FIRE MAY OCCUR.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL THE SHIELD OVER THE IABM AND APPLY NYOGEL GREASE TO THE CONNECTOR. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN FEBRUARY 11, 2003. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT FORD AT 1-866-436-7332.
Federal investigations
| Action | Component | Opened | Closed | Recall |
|---|
| EA02008 | AIR BAGS | 2002-06-10 | 2002-12-11 | 02V323000 |
| PE02010 | AIR BAGS | 2002-01-30 | 2002-06-10 | |
EA02008: WATER INTRUSION INTO AIRBAG MONITOR
PE02010: INTEGRATED AIR BAG MONITOR WATER
Engines and fuel economy
| Version | Engine | Transmission | Drive | City | Hwy | Combined | Fuel cost / yr |
|---|
| Escort | 2.0L 4cyl | Automatic 4-spd | Front-Wheel Drive | 23 | 31 | 26 | $2400 |
| Escort | 2.0L 4cyl | Manual 5-spd | Front-Wheel Drive | 24 | 34 | 28 | $2250 |
| Escort Wagon | 2.0L 4cyl | Automatic 4-spd | Front-Wheel Drive | 23 | 31 | 26 | $2400 |
| Escort Wagon | 2.0L 4cyl | Manual 5-spd | Front-Wheel Drive | 24 | 34 | 28 | $2250 |
Fuel cost is EPA's estimate at the fuel prices of its last update, not today's.
Crash test ratings (NCAP)
| Variant | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover |
|---|
| 1997 Ford Escort 4-DR. | Not Rated | Not Rated | Not Rated | Not Rated |
Service bulletins
Ford issued 150 service bulletins listed against this model year, most often about engine and engine cooling.
A bulletin tells dealers how to fix a known condition. It is not a recall and not a defect finding. Most bulletins cover several model years at once, so one listed here may not be specific to this year. The number of bulletins tracks how long and how widely a model was sold, so it is not a measure of reliability.
| Date | Component | Summary |
|---|
| 2004-12-13 | POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM) | GENERAL (PCM) POWER TRAIN CONTROL MODULE PROGRAMMING PROCEDURES. *TT |
| 2004-08-12 | SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR | TRW VEHICLE SAFETY SYSTEMS, INC. IS RECALLING CERTAIN SERVICE REPLACEMENT SEATBELT RETRACTORS (DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT RETRACTOR IN GRAY) MANUFACTURED IN DECEMBER 2002 AND SOLD AS A SERVICE REPLACEMENT PART BETWEEN DECEMBER 2002 AND JULY 2004. … |
| 2004-05-17 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | ROUGH IDLE, LOW POWER AND / OR STALL AT IDLE, A MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP ILLUMINATED AND DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES P0300 THROUGH P0304 STORED IN MEMORY. *TT |
| 2003-09-15 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | REMOTE KEYLESS ENTRY (RKE) - SERVICE TIPS. *TT |
| 2003-08-04 | ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | IDLE VIBRATION ON VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 2.0L SPI OR ZETEC ENGINE ONLY. *TT |
| 2003-05-12 | FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER | MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP (MIL) ILLUMINATION WITH DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES P0442, P0455, P0456, P0457, P1442 OR CHECK FUEL CAP LAMP ILLUMINATED WITH DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE P0457. *TT |
| 2002-10-14 | EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER | CLIMATE CONTROL A/C SERVICE TECH TIPS. *EH |
| 2002-09-02 | EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH | LAMP-BRAKE-INVADVERTENT DISABLING OF BRAKE SHIFT INTERLOCK. *MJ |
| 2002-05-13 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | SOME VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE 2.0L SPI ENGINE MAY EXHIBIT A MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP (MIL) ILLUMINATED AND DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES (DTC) P0300 THROUGH P0304 STORED. *TT |
| 2002-01-21 | ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | SOME ENGINE ASSEMBLIES WITH ALUMINUM CYLINDER HEADS REPAIRED IN-VEHILE HAVE BEEN FOUND TO LEAK COOLANT AND/OR OIL FROM THE CYLINDER HEAD GASKET AREA. *TT |
How to read this page
Complaint counts are not failure rates. A model that sells more cars draws more complaints, and owners file more often after news coverage or a recall. That is why this page compares a model year only with other years of the same generation, never with other models.
Each complaint is counted once, even when it names several components; a complaint that names several systems appears under each of them. Owner reports are quoted as filed and have not been verified by NHTSA or by us.
Every model year of this Escort, including the ones without a page of their own, is listed on the Ford Escort model page.
Sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation: complaints, recalls and investigations (bulk files, data as of 2026-10-28).
- NHTSA New Car Assessment Program: crash test ratings.
- U.S. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov: engines, transmissions and fuel economy.
MotorAlmanac is independent and not affiliated with NHTSA, EPA or any manufacturer. This page summarises public records; it is not a mechanical inspection. Before buying a used car, check its VIN for open recalls and have it inspected.