Defect
THE IGNITION SWITCH COULD EXPERIENCE AN INTERNAL SHORT CIRCUIT.
Consequence
THIS CONDITION COULD CAUSE OVERHEATING, SMOKE, AND POSSIBLY FIRE IN THE STEERING COLUMN AREA OF THE VEHICLE.
Remedy
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE IGNITION SWITCH.
1989 Ford Escort Recalls
Recalls on record Updated July 2026
The 1989 Ford Escort has 1 NHTSA recall campaign affecting an estimated 7,900,000 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 199 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the electrical system. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Recall campaigns
Complaints by component
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
28fires2injuries1deaths
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
10fires
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR
9fires
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH
6fires
SEAT BELTS
1crashes1injuries
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
2fires
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
6fires
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
5fires
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER
2crashes1injuries
Total complaints199
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.
“Tl* the contact owns a 1989 ford escort. The vehicle was involved in a crash where she was rear-ended. The contact suffered injuries to her head area. She mentioned she was wearing her seat belts at the time of the crash and believed the failure of the seatbelts contributed to her injuries. The…”
“1989 ford escort caught on fire. *kb the consumer stated the vehicle started to smoke and once he/she pulled over, the vehicle became engulfed in flames. *jb”
“1989 ford escort hatchback - a passenger exiting the vehicle from the rear seat stepped on an electrical connector located under the carpet which caused the +12v and ground wires to short together. This connector is part of the electric fuel pump harness. The connector melted, the wire harness…”
“Battery charging light going on & off at times. Also on 2 separate occasions when vehicle was started fuel gauge will register above full & at same time temperature. Gauge goes up to maximum. Neither being close to be corrected. During this time I noticed keys & ignition become very hot. If turned…”
“Mhtsa#92-v-117-000:fatigue cracks can develop in the solder joint between the fuel return tube and the fuel pump sending unit located at the top of the fuel tank. Consumer has the same problem. However,this vehicle was not recalled because year of manufacturing, 1989. *ak”
“Vehicle would not start when he placed the key inside of the ignition. Ts”
“While my daughter was driving our 1989 ford escort she turned l to pull into a drive way and she smelled smoke. She only got a few yards and the car burst into flames. I did contact my insurance company, but since the car was not insured for fire. They recommended I contact ford. When asked if…”
“No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak”
Defect investigations
Investigation DP91003 Opened 1990-11-29 · closed 1991-01-31
ENGINE STALLING
ENGINE STALLING
Investigation EA90008 Opened 1989-12-27 · closed 1991-12-31
FAILED PASSIVE RESTRAINT
WE HAVE RECEIVED NUMEROUS REPORTS WHICH ALLEGE A MALFUNCTION OR FAILURE OF THE PASSIVE RESTRAINT SYSTEM.ADDITIONAL REPORTS ALLEGE THAT THE PASSIVE RESTRAINT SYSTEM FAILED TO RESTRAIN/ADEQUATELY PROTECT THE OCCUPANT DURING AN ACCIDENT
Sources & methodology
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 1989 Ford Escort as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.