2002 Ford Zx2 (escort) Recalls

No recalls on record Updated July 2026

No NHTSA recalls on record for the 2002 Ford Zx2 (escort). That means NHTSA has no open safety campaign for this vehicle — it does not guarantee the absence of problems. Owners have filed 14 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the power train. Last updated July 5, 2026.

Complaints by component

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
4
AIR BAGS
1
1crashes2injuries
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL
1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE
1
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
1
FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM
1
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:COOLING UNIT AND LINES
1
SEAT BELTS
1
SEATS:MID/REAR ASSEMBLY
1
1injuries
Total complaints14

What owners report

Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.

“Re: 2002, ford zx2 we own a 2002 standard model ford zx2 that has only 35,500 miles on it. There are three notable problems: 1.the engine idles very roughly 2.the transmission shifts very hard 3.the front driver door has sagged and won?t close completely. All of these issues are the result of poor…”

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION · reported 2009-11-16

“Re: 2002, ford zx2 we own a 2002 standard model ford zx2 that has only 35,500 miles on it. There are three notable problems: 1.the engine idles very roughly 2.the transmission shifts very hard 3.the front driver door has sagged and won?t close completely. All of these issues are the result of poor…”

STRUCTURE · reported 2009-11-16

“We bought a new 2002 zx2, one month after we had it the transmission started slipping. Now the transmission won't shift into 3rd or 4th. We were told we need to rebuild ours.”

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION · reported 2009-01-21

“Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford escort zx2. When the contact attempted to use the rear passenger side seat belt, she noticed that it would not extend outwards or retract to its normal position. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic and the contact was informed that the seat belt retractor…”

SEAT BELTS · reported 2008-09-14

“Car having started having a "pull" when accelerating from stop signs. The pull keeps getting worse and feels now like not switching gears properly on automatic transmission. Almost stops and bumps before continuing to next gear. Took to transmission center, there is nothing wrong with…”

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION · reported 2008-02-10

“2002 ford zx2 head gasket is leaking, mileage is only 54400. *jb”

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING · reported 2006-12-05

“In may 2002, I purchased a ford escort zx2. Since that time I have put 21,000 miles on the car. Recently, I started experiencing problems where the automatic transmission would slip, especially when going up an incline. Yesterday, my engine light went on and I scheduled an appointment with miller…”

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:COOLING UNIT AND LINES · reported 2005-11-08

“I was involved (along w/ passenger) in a hit and run accident. The driver of the other car turned right. When I saw that the car had successfully turned I accelerated to 45-50 mph. When I came upon the road, which the car had turned, the other car did a complete "u turn" and came out onto the main…”

AIR BAGS · reported 2005-07-16
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 2002 Ford Zx2 (escort) as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.