Ford Escort Suspension Problems
Owners have filed 231 complaints with NHTSA about suspension problems on the Ford Escort across 9 model years. The 1997 model year has the most (67). The words owners use most often: “rear coil” (28% of reports).
- 231suspension complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 6mention a crash
- 6mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $910typical repair cost reported by owners
- 34%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Rear coil: mentioned in 64 of 231 complaints (28%)
- Springs broken: mentioned in 51 of 231 complaints (22%)
- Spring broke: mentioned in 15 of 231 complaints (6%)
- Please provide further: mentioned in 12 of 231 complaints (5%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical suspension repair on the Ford Escort at $910, and half of them between $720 and $1,200.
Based on 12 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2001–2014), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do suspension problems happen?
Based on 80 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 231 complaints, 6 mention a crash, 6 an injury.
Ford Escort suspension complaints by model year
| Model year | Suspension complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 Escort | 1 | 10% | 3,000 |
| 2002 Escort | 4 | 12% | 46,822 |
| 2001 Escort | 9 | 13% | 23,619 |
| 2000 Escort | 8 | 8% | 33,000 |
| 1999 Escort | 42 | 13% | 63,856 |
| 1998 Escort | 50 | 13% | 55,000 |
| 1997 Escort | 67 | 12% | 67,005 |
| 1996 Escort | 13 | 6% | — |
| 1995 Escort | 37 | 6% | 51,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists suspension for the Ford Escort. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Took car in for oil change. Tech discovered both rear springs are broken. Was quoted $1200 to replace, including struts (still good). I am in minnesota and this car has no traction in the snow. I can drive at 10 mph and the back still breaks traction. I have spun out more driving this car than i…
Tl*the contact owns a 1998 ford escort. The contact stated that the rear coil springs broke in 2003 and were repaired. The vehicle was at a repair shop getting an oil change when the contact was informed that the rear coil springs had broken again. The vehicle had not been inspected or repaired…
I bought a used 1999 ford escort stations wagon with only 16k miles on it. At 30k miles i took it to a local ford dealer for an oil change and they gave me an estimate for $585 to replace the rear coil springs that are broken, saying it was a safety hazard. Note i never asked for more than a simple…
Failure of the rear springs on 1998 ford escort first in 2003 at 12,195miles and the replacements both failed again in 2009 at 36, 000 miles. Failure appears due to salt corrosion enhancement due to covered spring surface. Ford was contacted and even though there is a tsb on this issue they would…
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 ford escort purchased april 2002. The rear coil springs, struts, and egr valve were placed at an expense of $870.00. After the repair the front coil springs, and struts failed, they then added that this failure was common for her model type. The failure and current…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Ford Escorts have suspension problems?
No. NHTSA has 231 owner complaints about suspension for the Ford Escort. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Ford Escort suspension?
No recall currently lists suspension for this vehicle.
How much does it cost to fix suspension problems on the Ford Escort?
Owners report a typical cost of $910 (half paid between $720 and $1,200), from 12 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about suspension problems on the Ford Escort?
The most frequent phrase is “rear coil”, in 64 of 231 complaints, followed by “springs broken” (51).
Other Ford Escort problems
See all Ford Escort problems.