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1990 Ford EscortProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 101 owner complaints about the 1990 Ford Escort, most often about the electrical system. It is covered by 2 safety recalls.

59
CarFlaw IndexSolid year29% below the Escort median · #12 of 20 years by complaints
Safety recalls2Free fix at dealersOwner complaints10153 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage40kElectrical system, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through August 21, 2010. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 1990 Ford Escort has problems

101 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Electrical system4629
Engine and engine cooling125
Seat belts104
Fuel system, gasoline94
Seats51
Steering52
Power train40
Equipment30
Service brakes, hydraulic32
5 other systems134

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

2 recalls

1990 Ford Escort recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

–no report yet

Electrical system: ignition

Recall 96V-071 · Apr 25, 1996 · 7,900,000 vehicles

Risk. THIS CONDITION COULD CAUSE OVERHEATING, SMOKE, AND POSSIBLY FIRE IN THE STEERING COLUMN AREA OF THE VEHICLE.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Visibility: windshield

Recall 89V-174 · Oct 13, 1989 · 3,300 vehicles

Risk. OMISSION OF THE PRIMER COULD CAUSE THE WINDSHIELD NOT TOBE PROPERLY ADHERED TO BODY, AND VEHICLE WOULD NOT COMPLY WITH FMVSS 212.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Ford.

Best & worst years

1990 vs. every other Escort year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Escort median. How we score

'81'82'83'84'85'86'87'88'89'90'91'92'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
3 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 1990 Ford Escort, and the recalls they led to.

  1. FIRES IN STEERING COLUMNEA95002 · closed Sep 30, 1996
    Led to recall 96V-071
  2. FIRES IN STEERING COLUMNPE94078 · closed Feb 24, 1995
    No recall
  3. FRONT BRAKE FIRESPE94089 · closed Mar 24, 1995
    No recall
In owners' words

What Escort owners report

Recent electrical system complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

VEHICLE WAS PARKED AT GAS PUMP ISLAND, IGNITION OFF. ENGINE COMPARTMENT ERRUPTED INTO FLAMES. ALL COMPONENTS CONTAINED WITHIN THE ENGINE COMPARMENT OTHER THAN METAL COMPONENTS COMPLETELY MELTED OR BURNED. VEHICLE WAS MANUALLY PUSHED AWAY FROM GAS PUMP ISLAND WHILE ABLAZE, THEN EXTINGUISHED BY…
Complaint 10182987 · Feb 19, 2007
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. *AK
Complaint 10037188 · Sep 3, 2003 · 39,786 miles
OWNER HEARD FUNNY NOISE AND PULLED OVER AND SHUT VEHICLE OFF. SAW SMOKE FROM UNDERNEATH HOOD. FEW MINUTES LATER VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. PLEASE DESCRIBE *AK
Complaint 984413 · May 10, 1996

Own a 1990 Escort?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.