The 1999 Ford Escort has 1 NHTSA recall campaign affecting an estimated 106 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 413 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the air bags. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Recall campaigns
POWER TRAIN99V2760001999-10-12106 affected
Defect
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE S/R OPTION. THE S/R OPTION INCLUDES, AMONG OTHER FEATURES, A 5-SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION. ON THESE VEHICLES, THE TRANSMISSION SHIFT PATTERN IS NOT DISPLAYED IN THE OCCUPANT COMPARTMENT IN VIEW OF THE DRIVER. THIS DOES NOT COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF…
Consequence
THE DRIVER MAY NOT BE AWARE OF THE TRANSMISSION POSITION OF THE VEHICLE.
Remedy
OWNERS WILL BE PROVIDED WITH AN ADHESIVE BACKED PLAQUE CONTAINING THE SHIFT PATTERN, ALONG WITH MATERIALS AND INSTRUCTIONS FOR LOCATING AND AFFIXING THE PLAQUE TO THE VEHICLE CENTER CONSOLE, JUST FORWARD OF THE SHIFT LEVER. OWNERS WILL ALSO BE ADVISED THAT THEIR DEALER CAN AFFIX THE PLAQUE IF THEY PREFER.
Complaints by component
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
52
48crashes3fires38injuries2deaths
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
30
1crashes
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
28
2crashes1fires2injuries
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
22
1crashes2injuries
AIR BAGS
14
10crashes10injuries
SUSPENSION:REAR:SPRINGS
13
SUSPENSION:REAR:SPRINGS:COIL SPRINGS
13
1crashes
TIRES
13
1crashes2injuries1deaths
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
10
1fires
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
10
3crashes
Total complaints413
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“Vehicle airbag light came on and is still activated, won't turn off. There has been no collisions or activity that caused light to be activated.”
“While driving , the car lost power and the steering wheel was hard to turn, after coming to a stop, we tried to start the car up again it bsounded like it wanted to turn over but didn't after a few tries it stopped making any noise. A mechanic said the engine blew and that it was a on going…”
“Since 2001, I have had my car serviced at ford and sears repair shop to address my complaints that when my car is stationary it has excessive vibration. I was told by many ford shops that it was nothing that I need to replace the motor mounts. It was replaced the mounts and it last long and still…”
“Tl* the contact owns a 1999 ford escort. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and no occupant inside, the vehicle rolled backwards and crashed into another vehicle. A police report was filed. The contact stated that the gear shift lever was in the park position at the time. The…”
“Tl* the contact owns a 1999 ford escort. The contact stated the vehicle was rusted on the front drivers side brake lines. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 137,000.”
“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…”
“Took car in to have the muffler fix and they said the frame was busted and coming up through the floor boards separating from the car. Also the frame under doors are eroding. They said it is unsafe to drive and if I hit one big pothole I would be in big trouble. *tr”
“Tl* the contact owns a 1999 ford escort. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled without warning. A local mechanic diagnosed that the timing belt was defective. In addition, the motor failed. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer were notified of the failures. The vehicle was not repaired.…”
Defect investigations
InvestigationDP01001 Opened 2001-04-19 · closed 2001-11-01
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 1999 Ford Escort as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.