1997 FORD ESCORT Electrical Systemhorn Problems

WHILE PARKED HORN WENT OFF ON ITS OWN. OWNER HAD TAKEN FUSE OUT TO STOP HORN FROM BLOWING. SPOKE TO DEALER & INFORMED SMALL PLASTIC PIECE HAD WORN AWAY BETWEEN HORN & AIR BAG MODULE. IT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. SEEMS TO BE A VERY COMMON PROBLEM AND WAS OBVIOUSLY A HAZARD (COULD POSSIBLY PREMATURELY ACTIVATE OR FAIL TO ACTIVATE THE AIRBAG). NO SOLUTION FOR THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN ADDRESS BY THE MANUFATURE TO MY KNOWLEDGE! OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE IS NOT A FACTOR AT ALL, OCCURS ON HOT, COLD OR RAINY DAYS. *AK

DT: WHEN IT RAINS CAR GETS MOLDY, AND A FUNGUS SMELL. IT ACTUALLY CAUSES BREATHING PROBLEMS. ALSO, MY HORN IS GOING OFF AUTOMATICALLY, AND IT DOESN'T STOP UNTIL CONSUMER HITS THE STEERING WHEEL. HORN WAS REPLACED, BUT IT IS STILL AUTOMATICALLY GOES OFF. THE HORN EVENTUALLY STOPPED WORKING . THE REASON SHE HAD TO HAVE IT REPLACED THE FIRST TIME WAS BECAUSE THE HORN BLEW SO MUCH IT WENT COMPLETELY OUT.*AK

THE HORN STUCK WHEN IN USE. CONSUMER HAD TO UNHOOK THE HORN FROM THE BATTERY. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

HORN ACTIVATED ON ITS OWN AND STUCK ON. EVENTUALLY BOTH HORNS FAILED. PROBLEM IS DUE TO THE HORN PAD SWITCH WHICH IS PART OF THE DRIVER AIR BAG. REPLACING THE HORNS AND AIR BAG COSTS IN EXCESS OF $800.*AK

HORN SOUNDS INTERMITTENTLY ON ITS OWN WITHOUT ANY ONE TOUCHING THE MECHANISM.*AK *PH *JB

HORN MALFUNCTIOED, ,DOES NOT STOP,HAD TO PULL FUSE OUT. *AK

THE HORN ACTIVATED BY ITSELF WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED. *NLM

FORD JUST RECENTLY INFORMED ME THAT THE DEFECTIVE HORN REPORTED JUST A FEW WEEKS OUT OF WARRANTY. ALSO INVOLVES THE AIRBAG. ROBIN MARSHALL OF FORD HEADQUARTERS CUSTOMER RELATIONS INFORMED OF THIS SAFETY RISK A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO: (313)845-5831. FORD NEVER INFORMED US OF THE ADDITIONAL AIRBAG SAFETY RISK UNTIL THIS TIME. I REPORTED THE HORN MALFUNCTION (AS IT WAS SETTING IN THE GARAGE THE HORN SUDDENLY SOUNDED AT AROUND 2 A.M.). FORD REFUSES TO FIX THE PROBLEM WITHOUT THE PAYMENT OF AT LEAST $300 AND ONLY RECENTLY AGREED TO EVEN INSPECT THE VEHICLE AT THEIR EXPENSE. AS A RESULT OF THIS INSPECTION (APPARENTLY) WE WERE TOLD OF THE AIRBAG DEFECT WHICH, REMEMBER, HAS EXISTED FOR YEARS NOW.*AK

WHILE TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY AND WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING APPLIED HORN AND THERE WAS NO NOISE. ALSO, DUAL AIRBAGS WILLNOT DEPLOY. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM.

HORN DOES NOT BLOW. WAS TOLD BY A MECHANIC THAT PROBLEM WAS A DEFECTIVE AIR BAG.*AK

HORN STUCK, DOES NOT TURN OFF. TO REPLACE, DEALER MUST REPLACE AIRBAG ALSO. SAYS AIRBAG MAY MALFUNCTION BECAUSE HORN MALFUNCTIONED. ABOUT 7 SIMILAR PROBLEMS ARE LISTED ON THIS WEB SITE. THIS IS A SAFETY FEATURE AND A MALFUNCTION IN THE HORN SHOULDN'T CAUSE PROBLEMS IN THE AIRBAG. PLUS, IT'S NOT A WEAR AND TEAR ITEM THAT'S WRONG WITH THE CAR. HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE HORN WHILE THE CAR WAS UNDER WARRANTY AND THE DEALER DID NOT CATCH THIS PROBLEM WITH THE HORN/AIRBAG. ISN'T THIS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT COULD PUT PASSENGERS AT RISK. WHO WOULD GUESS THAT A PROBLEM WITH THE HORN MAY LEAD TO A DEPLOYMENT PROBLEM WITH THE AIRBAG?*AK

VEHICLE IS EXPERIENCING ERRATIC OPERATION OF HORN. HORN WILL GO OFF WITHOUT CONSUMER ENGAGING IT. DEALERSHIP IS REPLACING AIRBAG AS WELL AS HORN TO FIX THIS. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.*AK

THE HORN WAS INOPERATIVE AND MAKING A CLICKING NOISE WHEN IT IS APPLIED, THE DEALER FOUND THAT THE HORN SWITCH WAS STUCK ON PART OF THE AIR BAG, DEALER REPLACED HORN AND DRIVERS SIDE AIR BAG. NLM

VEHICLE WAS PARKED INSIDE OF THE PARKING LOT. HORN WAS BLOWING CONSTANLY AND THEN IT STARTED BEEPING. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP AND THE MECHANIC TOLD HER THAT SHE LEFT HER VEHICLE PARKED IN THE SUN AND THE SUN DAMAGED THE HORN. AND IN ORDER FOR HER TO FIX IT THE MECHANIC NEEDED TO GO INTO STEERING COLUMN WITH AIRBAG AND THE STEERING COLUMN HAS TO BE REPLACED. *AK

IN OCT OF 1998 HORN STARTED TO ACTIVATE AND WON'T STOP UNLESS DRIVER UNPLUGGED IT, CONSUMER WAS OUT OF AN AIRBAG AND HORN FOR A MONTH, CONSUMER SA0ID THATCURRENTLY PROBLEM WAS BACK, AND DEALER WASTRYING TO CHARGE CONSUMER $700.00 TO FIX THIS PROBLEM.*AK

CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER BECAUSE HORN WAS STUCK. DEALER STATED THAT THE ONLY WAY TO REPAIR IT WAS TAKING THE AIRBAG OUT. CONSUMER WOULD BE CHARGE $ 700-$750. DEALER COULDN'T EXPLAIN WHAT CAUSED IT. *AK

GAS GAUGE DOESN'T SHOW THE CORRECT AMOUNT OF GAS ONCE IT REACHES 1/4 OF A TANK. *AK THE VEHICLE ALSO STALLS ON HIGHWAYS. THE ANTI-THEFT ALARM GOES ON FOR UNKNOWN REASON. THE HORN MALRUNCTIONS TOO. *YH

DEFECTIVE HORN PAD SWITCH CAUSED HORN TO BE INOPERATIVE WHICH IS NEEDED IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY. *AK *ML

HORN HAS BLOWN 2 TIMES IN JUST OVER A YEAR, AND IS NOT UNDER WARRANTY ANYMORE. *AK

05/25/1999; WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH, THE HEAD GASKET ON ENGINE "BLEW OUT" CAR WAS UNDRIVEABLE. ON 07/15/1999; THE HORN STARTED HONKING CONTINUOUSLY ON IT'S OWN, WHEN CAR WAS PARKED & LOCKED. HAD TO REMOVE FUSE TO SHUT OFF. DEALER SAID IT WAS A BAD AIR-BAG MODULE, NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY, COST $ 675.00. 07/25/99, CRANKSHAFT PULLEY BROKE OFF, CAR NOT DRIVEABLE. I NOTE 4 OTHER REPORTS ON THIS WEB-SITE FOR THE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY, AND 1 EACH FOR THE HEAD-GASKET & HORN/AIRBAG PROBLEMS + MANY OTHER AIRBAG PROBLEMS.

VEHICLE WAS PARKED. HORN WENT OFF ON ITS OWN. OWNER HAD TAKEN FUSE OUT TO STOP HORN FROM BLOWING. TOOK TO DEALER & INFORMED SMALL PLASTIC PIECE HAD WORN AWAY BETWEEN HORN & AIR BAG MODULE. IT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK

HORN AUTOMATICALLY SOUNDS BY ITSELF. IT SOUNDS AT VARIOUS SPEEDS INCLUDING PARKED AND IT HAPPENS MOSTLY WHEN OUTSIDE TERMPERATURES ARE HIGH. THE TOP LEFT CORNER OF AIRBAG/HORN BUTTON IS VERY SENSITIVE. THERE APPEARS TO BE AN ELECTRICAL SHORT. *AK

HORN IS VERY DIFFICULT TO FIND IN AN EMERGENCY.

CONSUMER COMPLAINS THAT THE HORN IS INACCESSIBLE IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION.