1990 Ford Escort electrical problems

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH

THE CAR STARTS FINE WHEN COLD. AFTER DRIVING TO TOWN SOMETIMES WON'T START RIGHT OFF,SOMETIMES IT DOES. MOSTOF THE TIME I HAVE TO TRY AND TRY.SOME TIMES WHEN IT DOES START IT REVS UP THEN DIES. THEN TRY TO START AGAIN, SOMETIME THE SAME THING SOMETIME WILL START. WHEN STARTED IT RUNS JUST FINE.

NHTSA complaint #10037188 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION

WHILE TRAVELING ABOUT 55MPH ON THE HIGHWAY VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING.

NHTSA complaint #10026523 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION

MERGING INTO TRAFFIC ON FREEWAY, CAR LOST POWER, IT DIDN'T STALL IMMEDIATELY BECAUSE I HAD BRAKES FOR AWHILE TO GET OFF THE ROAD AND STOP. THERE WAS NO WARNING, THE DRIVE-TRAIN JUST LOST POWER. FURTHER INSPECTION SHOWED THAT FUEL WAS BEING INJECTED. I COULD TURN THE KEY, IT WOULD FIRE AND DIE. HAD I BEEN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FREEWAY, THERE LIKELY COULD'VE BEEN AN ACCIDENT. I CALLED FORD, THEY KNEW ABOUT THE SPECIFIC PROBLEM AND SAID "SORRY, WE HAVEN'T BEEN ORDERED TO REPAIR THAT YET." APPARENTLY, THERE HAS BEEN A NUMBER OF THESE PROBLEMS, BECAUSE THE DEALERSHIPS EVEN KNEW EXACTLY WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT, THEY SAID I'D HAVE TO PAY ABOUT $250.00 FOR THEM TO FIX THE DEFECT. ANOTHER PERSON I KNOW HAS HAD TO REPAIR HIS THREE TIMES ALREADY. THIS IS A DANGEROUS PROBLEM THAT FORD KNOWS ABOUT, A SERIOUS ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. IT IS VERY COSTLY TO TOW AND HAVE THE PROBLEM REPAIRED. FORD SAID THAT THEY KNOW THAT A JUDGE IN CA ORDERED THEM TO FIX AND PAY FOR THE PROBLEM, FORD SAID THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO DO WHAT A STATE JUDGE ORDERED OF THEM, ONLY WHAT A FEDERAL JUDGE OR THE NHTSA. PLEASE HELP US ON THIS.

NHTSA complaint #740177 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR

I HAVE GONE THROUGH 14 ALTERNATORS AND 6 BATTRIES SINCE I DROVE IT OFF THE SHOWROOM FLOOR IN THE FALL OF 1990! RUSTY ECK SEARCHED FOR THE PROBLEM BUT COULD NEVER FIND IT1 EVEN SUGGESTED TAKING IT TO "ELECTRICAL SPECIALTY SHOPS" THEY TOO CAN NOT FIND THE PROBLEM! IT HAS BEEN SUGGESTED THAT THE PROBLEM MAY BE BURIED IN THE "WIRING LOOM"! NO ONE KNOWS FOR SURE, BUT I HAVE ALL OF THE WORK-ORDERS AND RECEIPTS FROM OVER THE YEARS AS PROOF! I AM HANDICAPPED AND THIS CAR WORKS WONDERFULLY FOR ME OTHERWISE! IT IS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION AND RUNS PERFECT -- AGAIN, OTHERWISE! HOWEVER, I CANNOT TRUST IT ON THE OPEN-ROAD! WHEN THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT COMES ON, ITS ABOUT TO BLOW ANOTHER ALTERNATOR -- LIKE NOW -#15!!! WHY CAN'T FORD FIND THIS PROBLEM AND FIX IT? HAS IT EVER BEEN A PROBLEM ON OTHER 1990 ESCORTS? I BOUGHT MY DAUGHTER AN 1989 ESCORT LX AND IT NEVER HAD ANY MAJOR PROBLEMS, NOT ONE! SHE DROVE IT FOR WELL OVER 125,000 MILES THEN TRADED IT IN ON A 1998 SABLE RECENTLY! PLEASE HELP ME! I CAN'T AFFORD TO PURCHASE ANOTHER AUTO, BESIDES I DON'T WANT ANOTHER ONE! SINCERELY, DR. JAMES A. GRAY, SR.

NHTSA complaint #735938 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY

I HAVE GONE THROUGH 14 ALTERNATORS AND 6 BATTRIES SINCE I DROVE IT OFF THE SHOWROOM FLOOR IN THE FALL OF 1990! RUSTY ECK SEARCHED FOR THE PROBLEM BUT COULD NEVER FIND IT1 EVEN SUGGESTED TAKING IT TO "ELECTRICAL SPECIALTY SHOPS" THEY TOO CAN NOT FIND THE PROBLEM! IT HAS BEEN SUGGESTED THAT THE PROBLEM MAY BE BURIED IN THE "WIRING LOOM"! NO ONE KNOWS FOR SURE, BUT I HAVE ALL OF THE WORK-ORDERS AND RECEIPTS FROM OVER THE YEARS AS PROOF! I AM HANDICAPPED AND THIS CAR WORKS WONDERFULLY FOR ME OTHERWISE! IT IS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION AND RUNS PERFECT -- AGAIN, OTHERWISE! HOWEVER, I CANNOT TRUST IT ON THE OPEN-ROAD! WHEN THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT COMES ON, ITS ABOUT TO BLOW ANOTHER ALTERNATOR -- LIKE NOW -#15!!! WHY CAN'T FORD FIND THIS PROBLEM AND FIX IT? HAS IT EVER BEEN A PROBLEM ON OTHER 1990 ESCORTS? I BOUGHT MY DAUGHTER AN 1989 ESCORT LX AND IT NEVER HAD ANY MAJOR PROBLEMS, NOT ONE! SHE DROVE IT FOR WELL OVER 125,000 MILES THEN TRADED IT IN ON A 1998 SABLE RECENTLY! PLEASE HELP ME! I CAN'T AFFORD TO PURCHASE ANOTHER AUTO, BESIDES I DON'T WANT ANOTHER ONE! SINCERELY, DR. JAMES A. GRAY, SR.

NHTSA complaint #735938 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION

SINCE THE IGNITION SWITCHED HAS BEEN REPLACED VEHICLE STILL STALLED OUT.NOTICED THAT THE ENGINE AT IDLE SPEED LOOPS OR IDLES ERRATICALLY.TRANSMISSION ALSO SHIFTS SLOPPY HAVE TAKEN THE CAR TO TWO TRANSMISSION PLACES AND FOUND NOTHING.ALSO COSMETIC LIGHT ON PASSENGER SIDE VISOR STAYS LIT WHEN FLAP IS CLOSED.

NHTSA complaint #730027 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION

AFTER I PURCHASED MY FORD ESCORT, THE FIRST THING I NOTICED WAS THE WINDSHIELD MADE NOISE AS I WOULD DRIVE, IT SOUNDED LIKE IT WAS POPPING OUT OF THE CAR,AND THEN THE WINDSHEILD CRACKS AT THE TOP SEAM OF THE CAR . I CALLED FORD TO BE TOLD THEY WERE NOT RESPONSIBLE. NEXT MY IGNITION STARTS MALFUNCTIONING, SOMETIMES THE KEY WONT GO IN, OTHER TIMES THE IGNITION WILL TURN ON WITHOUT A KEY , THE KEY IS TORN UP, THE IGNITION UNIT RECENTLY WONT TURN THE KEY IN IT , I HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN STUCK IN PUBLIC CAUSE THE IGNITION WOULD NOT WORK. I REALLY DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY? BUT BOTH MY BUCKET SEATS IN THE CAR BREAK AT THE SAME TIME? I'M DRIVING THE CAR, AND THE NEXT THING I KNOW IS THAT I'M LAYING IN MY DAUGHTERS LAP IN THE BACK SEAT., THIS WAS A VERY, SCARY EXPERIENCE. THANK GOD NO ONE WAS HURT, ARE THE SEATS SUPPOSED TO MALFUNCTION IN THIS WAY? LAST MY HATCHBACK RATTLES , IT ACTS LIKE THE HINGES AT THE TOP ARE BREAKING , AND THE HATCHBACK LOCK STOP UNLOCKING THE HATCHBACK, I CALLED FORD AND WAS TOLD THEY WOULD SEND ME INFORMATION, BUT THIS NEVER HAPPENED. CAN YOU HELP ME?

NHTSA complaint #730174 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION

SINCE THE IGNITION SWITCHED HAS BEEN REPLACED VEHICLE STILL STALLED OUT.NOTICED THAT THE ENGINE AT IDLE SPEED LOOPS OR IDLES ERRATICALLY.TRANSMISSION ALSO SHIFTS SLOPPY HAVE TAKEN THE CAR TO TWO TRANSMISSION PLACES AND FOUND NOTHING.ALSO COSMETIC LIGHT ON PASSENGER SIDE VISOR STAYS LIT WHEN FLAP IS CLOSED.

NHTSA complaint #730027 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION

AFTER I PURCHASED MY FORD ESCORT, THE FIRST THING I NOTICED WAS THE WINDSHIELD MADE NOISE AS I WOULD DRIVE, IT SOUNDED LIKE IT WAS POPPING OUT OF THE CAR,AND THEN THE WINDSHEILD CRACKS AT THE TOP SEAM OF THE CAR . I CALLED FORD TO BE TOLD THEY WERE NOT RESPONSIBLE. NEXT MY IGNITION STARTS MALFUNCTIONING, SOMETIMES THE KEY WONT GO IN, OTHER TIMES THE IGNITION WILL TURN ON WITHOUT A KEY , THE KEY IS TORN UP, THE IGNITION UNIT RECENTLY WONT TURN THE KEY IN IT , I HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN STUCK IN PUBLIC CAUSE THE IGNITION WOULD NOT WORK. I REALLY DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY? BUT BOTH MY BUCKET SEATS IN THE CAR BREAK AT THE SAME TIME? I'M DRIVING THE CAR, AND THE NEXT THING I KNOW IS THAT I'M LAYING IN MY DAUGHTERS LAP IN THE BACK SEAT., THIS WAS A VERY, SCARY EXPERIENCE. THANK GOD NO ONE WAS HURT, ARE THE SEATS SUPPOSED TO MALFUNCTION IN THIS WAY? LAST MY HATCHBACK RATTLES , IT ACTS LIKE THE HINGES AT THE TOP ARE BREAKING , AND THE HATCHBACK LOCK STOP UNLOCKING THE HATCHBACK, I CALLED FORD AND WAS TOLD THEY WOULD SEND ME INFORMATION, BUT THIS NEVER HAPPENED. CAN YOU HELP ME?

NHTSA complaint #730174 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH

THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH IGNITION SWITCH. WHEN DRIVER TURNS VEHICLE OFF, THE VEHICLE STILL CONTINUES TO RUN. THE MANUFACTURER HAS YET TO BE CONTACTED.

NHTSA complaint #831571 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH

TURN IGNITION ON, HEARD CRACKLING SOUND, THEN NOISE WENT TO A POPLIN SOUND, SMOKE CAME FROM HOOD AND VENT INSIDE, FLAMES NOW EVITABLE, RESULTING IN TOTALLED.

NHTSA complaint #524604 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH

CAR CAUGHT ON FIRE, POSSIBLE DUE TO FAULTY IGNITION SWITCH.

NHTSA complaint #511928 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION

AT A STOP THE VEHICLE WILL CUT OFF, HAVE A HARD TIME IN STARTING AND IT BACKFIRES. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS.

NHTSA complaint #807093 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR

ALTERNATOR REPLACED 11 TIMES.

NHTSA complaint #509730 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:STARTER ASSEMBLY

DEFECTIVE STARTER.

NHTSA complaint #509965 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION

IGNITION FAILED.

NHTSA complaint #504148 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.