FaultScore

1995 Ford Escort steering problems

19 of the 725 complaints about the 1995 Ford Escort are about the steering — 3% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 70,000 miles.

B

19

Complaints

2

Crashes

0

Fires

0

Injuries

Exactly what failed

Steering 5 26.3%
Steering Wheel/Handle BAR 4 21.1%
TIE ROD Assembly 4 21.1%
Hydraulic Power Assist System 2 10.5%
Rack AND Pinion 2 10.5%
Linkages 1 5.3%
Gear BOX (Other Than Rack AND Pinion) 1 5.3%

Steering across every Ford Escort year

1988 11 8.1%
1991 12 8.8%
1993 15 11.0%
1994 11 8.1%
1995 19 14.0%
1996 10 7.4%
1997 25 18.4%
1998 17 12.5%
1999 16 11.8%

What owners said

Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.

at 70,000 miles Parma, MI

STEERING:LINKAGES:TIE ROD ASSEMBLY

WHEN ON HIGHWAY 55 MPH OR MORE TRANSMISSIONS ACTS LIKE IT GOES INTO NEUTRAL HAVE NO OVERDRIVE OR DRIVE THEN ALSO SLIPS IN AND OUT. ALSO HAVE LIKE POWER SURGES WHEN USING THE HEATER IN THE CAR THE ENGINE REVS UP AND DOWN LIKE YOU ARE STEPPING ON THE GAS PEDAL EVEN WHEN IN PARK HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIND THE CAUSE OF THESE ISSUES YET. ALSO HAVE HAD THE REAR WIPER MOTOR AND STUFF REPLACED AND STILL DO NOT GET WASHER SOLVENT TO REAR WIPER THE BRAKE LIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF BACK WINDOW DOES NOT WORK EITHER CAUSES STILL UNKNOWN IT IS A 1995 FORD ESCORT LX WAGON WITH ONLY 73000 MILES 1.9 L.

NHTSA complaint #10156484 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Dallas, TX

STEERING:LINKAGES:TIE ROD ASSEMBLY

WHILE TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY THERE IS A SMELL OF GASOLINE COMING THROUGHOUT VEHICLE. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM. *AK RIGHT OUTER TIE ROD WAS FIXED. VALVE COVER GASKET WAS REPLACED.

NHTSA complaint #8011517 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Knoxville, TN

STEERING

WHILE PARKING CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO ROTATE STEERING WHEEL 360 DEGREES. NLM

NHTSA complaint #8006517 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Fort Collins, CO Crash

STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR

WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH STEERING WHEEL MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL WHICH RESULTED IN A MINOR COLLISION. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.

NHTSA complaint #8002938 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Altoona, IA

STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR

WHILE ADJUSTING DRIVER'S SEAT STEERING COLUMN WAS PULLING TOWARDS CONSUMER . DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.

NHTSA complaint #896369 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Tualatin, OR

STEERING

FORD HAS RECEIVED THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS REGARDING FAULTY SPEEDOMETERS IN ESCORTS, WINDSTARS, TAURUSES, AND THUNDERBIRDS FOR THE 1994-1996 MODEL YEARS. THIS IS A VERY HAZARDOUS CONDITION, ESPECIALLY FOR OLDER DRIVERS WHO HAVE POOR DEPTH PERCEPTION AND WHO RELY HEAVILY ON THEIR SPEEDOMETERS TO JUDGE THEIR SPEED IN TRAFFIC. I AM A POLICE OFFICER AND I AM DISTURBED BY FORD'S SEEMINGLY UNSYMPATHETIC ATTITUDE TOWARD THIS PROBLEM.

NHTSA complaint #744767 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FT. Pierce, FL

STEERING:RACK AND PINION

RACK AND PINION STEERING HAS FAILED WHILE DRIVING AT 20MPH AND WITHOUT WARNING, CASUING LOSS OF STEERING. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO GET VEHICLE OVER TO SIDE OF ROAD.

NHTSA complaint #881092 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Sunland, CA Crash

STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR

WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 40 MPH STEERING WHEEL GOT STUCK. AT TIMES STEPPED ON THE BRAKES, AND LOST CONTROL. VEHICLE CRASHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE THAT WAS PARKED. CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. ALSO, UPON IMPACT, NEITHER OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED.

NHTSA complaint #870063 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Trussville, AL

STEERING:RACK AND PINION

HEARD GROANING NOISE WHEN TURNED WHEELS A COMPLETE STOP. ALSO WHEN IT WEATHER IS COLD, CAN HEAR GROANING NOISE WHEN TURNING IN A CURVE. CAR ALSO SLIPS MOMENTARILY LIKE IT IS SLIDING. REPORTED TROUBLE TO DEALER IN JAN 1997 AND THEY SAID STEERING WAS OK. I ASSUMED THAT THE TIRES JUST NEEDED TO BE WARMED UP. ON DEC 24, 1999 I HAD NATIONAL TIRE AND BATTERY AND 2 OTHER AUTO MECHANICS CHECK CAR AND WAS TOLD THAT BUSHING IN RACK AND PINION STEERING WAS WORN OUT. ONE MECHANIC POINTED OUT THAT ONE OF THE CLAMPS HOLDING THE RACK AND PINION TO THE BODY WAS ABOUT TO FALL OFF AND HE TIGHTENED CLAMP, WHICH MADE PROBLEM A SOME BETTER. I AM TAKING CAR TO HAVE IT REPAIRED TOMMORROW ( 12-27-99)

NHTSA complaint #716449 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Anniston, AL

STEERING:LINKAGES:TIE ROD ASSEMBLY

PREMATURE INNER TIE ROD FAILURE CAN CAUSE LOSS OF CONTROL WITH LITTLE WARNING.

NHTSA complaint #516360 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Maple Grove, MN

STEERING:LINKAGES

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR THIS VEHICLE.

NHTSA complaint #707444 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Pinebrook Pines, FL

STEERING

THE CONSUMER HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING STEERING PROBLEMS. WHEN DRIVER STEERS STEERING WHEEL IN ONE DIRECTION, IT TURNS INTO THE OTHER DIRECTION. THE MANUFACTURER HAS YET TO BE CONTACTED.

NHTSA complaint #831478 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Pennbroke Pines, FL

STEERING

THE CONSUMER HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH STEERING. WHEN CONSUMER MANEUVERS THE STEERING WHEEL IN ONE DIRECTION, VEHICLE TURNS IN ANOTHER DIRECTION. THE CONSUMER OWNS TWO OF THE SAME VEHICLES THAT ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEMS. THE MANUFACTURER HAS YET TO BE CONTACTED.

NHTSA complaint #831480 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Marlborough, NH

STEERING:LINKAGES:TIE ROD ASSEMBLY

SYMPTOM: NOISE LIKE A MUFFLER BRACKET FAILURE WHEN GOING OVER BUMPY ROADS. STEERING NOT CHANGED. DEALER REPORTED TIE ROD CATASTROPHIC FAILURE WAS IMMINENT. PART REPLACED OUT OF WARRANTY 1/2 COST COVERED BY FORD. DEALER REPORTS NO ACTUAL ROAD FAILURES OF ESCORT TIE ROD ENDS BUT SEVERAL (INCLUDING THIS ONE) HAVE BEEN AT THE POINT OF FAILURE (PRINCIPALLY HELD TOGETHER BY THE RUBBER MOUNTING IN THE TIE ROD END). TIE ROD FAILURE IS VERY SERIOUS SINCE THE DRIVER LOSES ALL STEERING CONTROL.

NHTSA complaint #700730 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Morgantown, WV

STEERING:GEAR BOX (OTHER THAN RACK AND PINION)

GEAR BOX DEFECTIVE.

NHTSA complaint #602889 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

East Patchogue, NY

STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR

ON GOING PROBLEM WITH SHAKING IN THE STEERING WHEEL AFTER GOING 65 MPH, DEALERS CANNOT FIND THE PROBLEM. PLEASE DESCRIBE PROBLEM.

NHTSA complaint #806438 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Boulder, CO

STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE, THE VEHICLE HAS IRREGULAR STEERING CONTROL AND ROUGH RIDING, INAPPROPIATE TIRE WEAR. *AK CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE CAN NOT BE ALIGNED PROPERLY DUE TO THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL ASSEMBLY DESIGN WHICH IS CAUSING IRREGULAR STEERING AND TIRE WEAR. *SLC

NHTSA complaint #805791 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

West Hollywood, CA

STEERING

VEHICLE WILL STALL DUE TO AN ELECTRICAL SHORT, VEHICLE WILL NOT START. *AK DEALER REPLACED NEUTRAL SAFETY SWITCH. WHEN TURNING LEFT/RIGHT, VEHICLE MAKES A GROANING NOISE. *SLC

NHTSA complaint #800534 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Brooklyn, NY

STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM

CONSUMER RENTED A CAR FROM BUDGET RENT CAR THE STEERING LOCK UP CONSUMER TRY TO TURN RIGHT CAR WHEN LEFT. TT

NHTSA complaint #961645 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Other 1995 Ford Escort problems

← Full 1995 Ford Escort report