1996 FORD ESCORT — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 FORD ESCORT. WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE, THERE WAS A FUEL ODOR IN THE CABIN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUEL FILLER LINE FAILED AND WOULD NEED TO BE REPAIRED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ONCE PREVIOUSLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000.

THE DRIVER SIDE MOTORIZED SEAT BELT HAS CEASED FUNCTIONING AND IS NOW STUCK MIDWAY ALONG THE TOP PART OF THE SEAT BELT TRACK. THIS BEING THE CASE THE SEAT BELT WILL NOT PROTECT THE DRIVER IN THE EVENT OF A SUDDEN STOP. IN THIS POSITION IT IS LIKELY THAT IN A SUDDEN STOP THE DRIVER'S HEAD WOULD HIT THE WINDSHIELD AND A MORE SEVERE THAN NORMAL WHIPLASH IN THE NECK WOULD OCCUR. I HAVE NOTED THAT THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS SEAT BELT ISSUE FOR THIS VEHICLE ONLINE. I CONTACTED FORD CORPORATE AND THERE IS NO RECALL NOTICE OR CUSTOMER SATISFACTION. I THINK THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE ON FORD'S PART. AS A HEALTH CARE PROVIDER, WHO HAS WORKED IN A HOSPITAL NEUROSURGERY UNIT, THE POTENTIAL FOR A SERIOUS HEAD INJURY RESULTING FROM A MALFUNCTIONING SEAT BELT SUCH AS REPORTED ABOVE IS VERY REAL. IT SHOULD NOT BE AN OPTION FOR FORD TO NOT REPLACE SUCH A FAULTY SAFETY DEVICE - FORD SHOULD BE MANDATED TO REPLACE SUCH DEFECTIVE SAFETY DEVICES AND THERE SHOULD BE NO TIME LIMIT ON SUCH A REPLACEMENT OR RECALL. A MEDICAL LEGAL LIABILITY CASE WOULD COST FORD MORE THAN THE COST OF REPLACING THE DEFECTIVE SEAT BELT. *TR

I AM ADDING ANOTHER COMPLAINT TO THE VAST LIST OF PREVIOUS COMPLAINTS REGARDING MY 1996 FORD ESCORT AND THE FAILURE OF MY PASSIVE RESTRAINT SHOULDER BELT. IT HAS BEEN GIVING ME PROBLEMS FOR PROBABLY THE LAST 8-10 YEARS. IT WOULD INTERMITTENTLY STOP MID-TRACK AND "BOUNCING" THE DOOR AGAINST THE HINGE WOULD GET IT TO MOVE. TWO WEEKS AGO, IT STOPPED DEAD IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TRACK. I, TOO, COULD HEAR THE MOTOR TRYING TO MAKE IT GO. I LEFT IT ALONE AND ABOUT 4 DAYS LATER, IT RESUMED OPERATING. NOW A WEEK LATER, IT HAS FROZEN AGAIN, A LITTLE MORE FORWARD IN THE TRACK THAN PREVIOUSLY. I AM DISHEARTEN TO LEARN THAT OTHERS WHO HAVE TRIED THE PROCESS EXPLAINED IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL TO MANUALLY MOVE THE BELT IN THE TRACK HAS FAILED. I AM AT A LOSS AS TO WHY FORD, HAVING BEEN NOTIFIED OF SO MANY COMPLAINTS REGARDING THIS SAME EXACT FAILURE OF THEIR SAFETY EQUIPMENT, HAS CHOSEN TO IGNORE IT! I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER FORD PRODUCT IF THIS IS EVIDENCE OF HOW THEY TREAT THEIR FAITHFUL CUSTOMERS! CAN ANYTHING BE DONE ABOUT THIS??? *TR

1996 FORD ESCORT, UNIT 1 WAS TRAVELING WEST BOUND ON THE OHIO TURNPIKE. UNIT 1'S HOOD OPENED AND STRUCK THE WINDSHIELD. UNIT 1 CONTINUED ON TO THE NEXT EMERGENCY PULL OFF TO FILE THE REPORT. BF (OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT # 10-0142-90)*JB UPDATED 04/22/11 *BF

MY WIFE & I HAVE A 1996 FORD ESCORT WAGON THAT WE PURCHASED USED IN 2008. AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE IT HAD A SET OF 4 BRIDGESTONE INSIGNIA SL TIRES THAT STILL HAD REASONABLE TREAD DEPTH REMAINING, SO WE DECIDED TO CONTINUE TO USE THE TIRES UNTIL THE TREAD HAD WORN DOWN MORE AND NEEDED REPLACING. ON FRIDAY, JULY 30, 2010, MY WIFE WAS DRIVING DOWN THE FREEWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH WHEN PART OF THE REAR PASSENGER-SIDE TIRE TREAD SEPARATED FROM THE TIRE AND SHOT AGAINST THE SHEET METAL ON THE INSIDE OF THE WHEEL WELL. IT RIPPED A LARGE HOLE IN THE VEHICLE'S SHEET METAL, SHOT MANY SMALL PIECES OF TIRE THROUGH THE HOLE INTO THE INTERIOR CARGO AREA IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE, AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO STALL AT THE SAME TIME. THANKFULLY MY WIFE WAS ABLE TO HANDLE THE CAR DURING THIS CATASTROPHIC EVENT AND SUCCESSFULLY MANEUVER IT ONTO THE SHOULDER OF THE FREEWAY. WE HAD THE CAR TOWED HOME SINCE IT WOULD NO LONGER START, AND WHEN IT ARRIVED I NOTICED THE LARGE HOLE THAT HAD BEEN MADE INSIDE THE WHEEL WELL BY THE TREAD SEPARATION. THE TIRE STILL HAD PRESSURE, BUT AT THAT TIME I SAW THAT ABOUT HALF OF THE TREAD WAS COMPLETELY MISSING. SINCE THE FORD ESCORT HAS ITS FUEL CUTOUT SWITCH INSTALLED AGAINST THE PASSENGER-SIDE WHEEL WELL, I CHECKED TO SEE IF THAT HAD TRIPPED AND IT HAD. ONCE IT WAS RESET THE CAR WAS ABLE TO START AND THE ENGINE RAN NORMALLY. AS A RESULT OF THIS CATASTROPHIC TIRE FAILURE MY WIFE WAS PLACED IN AN INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS SITUATION, STRANDED ON THE ROAD, AND SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE WAS DONE TO OUR VEHICLE. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING AS A FORMER AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEER THAT TIRE FAILURES OF THIS KIND ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE AND ANY TIRE THAT IS SUSCEPTIBLE TO THIS FAILURE MUST NOT BE USED. I HAVE REPLACED ALL 4 TIRES WITH NEW TIRES OF A DIFFERENT BRAND AND AM WORKING ON HAVING THE CAR REPAIRED. APPROXIMATELY 2 WEEKS PRIOR TO THIS EVENT I HAD CHECKED THE PRESSURE IN ALL 4 TIRES AND HAD INFLATED THEM JUST UNDER THE MAXIMUM LISTED ON THE SIDE OF THE TIRE (44 PSI). *TR