1999 Ford Escort Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Escort years
- Far more complaints than other years 4th of 9 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 325 complaints with NHTSA about the 1999 Ford Escort. That ranks 4th out of 9 Escort model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is air bags (66 complaints, 20%), typically at around 99,000 miles. Complaints mention 79 crashes, 12 fires, 56 injuries. There is 1 safety recall covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 325owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 79complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1999 Ford Escort problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags problems | 66 | 20% | 99,000 | “upon impact” (26%) | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling problems | 62 | 19% | 66,723 | — | — |
| Suspension | 42 | 13% | 63,856 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 39 | 12% | 70,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 35 | 11% | 66,292 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 24 | 7% | 100,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 16 | 5% | 42,150 | — | — |
| Steering | 16 | 5% | 54,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 15 | 5% | 30,075 | — | — |
| Tires | 14 | 4% | 110,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 13 | 4% | 48,890 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 12 | 4% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 8 | 2% | 86,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 8 | 2% | 105,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 7 | 2% | 71,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 6 | 2% | 8,300 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 3 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Engine | 2 | 1% | 171,788 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 2 | 1% | 55,000 | — | — |
| Child Seat | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 1 | 0% | 137,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1999 Ford Escort recalls (1)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Power train:manual transmission:shift pattern indicator
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with the s/r option. The s/r option includes, among other features, a 5-speed manual transmission. On these vehicles, the transmission shift pattern is not displayed in the occupant compartment in view of the driver. This does not comply with the requirements of fmvss no. 102, "transmission shift lever sequence, starter interlock, and transmission braking effect."
Risk: The driver may not be aware of the transmission position of the vehicle.
Fix: Owners will be provided with an adhesive backed plaque containing the shift pattern, along with materials and instructions for locating and affixing the plaque to the vehicle center console, just forward of the shift lever. Owners will also be advised that their dealer can affix the plaque if they prefer.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Air bag non-deployment (DP01001) — opened Apr 19, 2001, closed Nov 1, 2001.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 ford escort. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and no occupant inside, the vehicle rolled backwards and crashed into another vehicle. A police report was filed. The contact stated that the gear shift lever was in the park position at the time. The…
Vehicle airbag light came on and is still activated, won't turn off. There has been no collisions or activity that caused light to be activated.
While driving , the car lost power and the steering wheel was hard to turn, after coming to a stop, we tried to start the car up again it bsounded like it wanted to turn over but didn't after a few tries it stopped making any noise. A mechanic said the engine blew and that it was a on going problem…
Since 2001, i have had my car serviced at ford and sears repair shop to address my complaints that when my car is stationary it has excessive vibration. I was told by many ford shops that it was nothing that i need to replace the motor mounts. It was replaced the mounts and it last long and still…
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 ford escort. The contact stated the vehicle was rusted on the front drivers side brake lines. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 137,000.
Other Ford Escort years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 Escort | 10 | 0 |
| 2002 Escort | 33 | 0 |
| 2001 Escort | 68 | 0 |
| 2000 Escort | 98 | 1 |
| 1999 | 325 | 1 |
| 1998 Escort | 375 | 0 |
| 1997 Escort | 543 | 1 |
| 1996 Escort | 205 | 0 |
| 1995 Escort | 576 | 4 |
See all Ford Escort problems by year, every Ford model, or the Ford VIN decoder.
Similar Ford models
Embed this 1999 Ford Escort badge on your site
Copy this code into your blog or forum post. It shows live complaint and recall counts and links back here.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1999 Ford Escort?
Owners most often report air bags, engine and engine cooling, suspension problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 66 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1999 Ford Escort?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1999 Ford Escort a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Escort model years, the 1999 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.