1989 Ford Escort problems & reliability
152 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1989 Ford Escort. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
7 complaints report injuries (9 injured, 2 deaths reported).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 64 | 42% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 22 | 14% |
| Seat Belts | 19 | 13% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 12 | 8% |
| Exterior Lighting | 9 | 6% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 9 | 6% |
| Power Train | 8 | 5% |
| Steering | 7 | 5% |
| Seats | 6 | 4% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 4 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“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 vehicle had not been…”
Seat Belts · filed Mar 9, 2010
“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”
Engine and Engine Cooling · filed Sep 22, 2006
“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 burned and the carpet…”
Electrical System · filed Aug 15, 2004
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- ENGINE STALLING
Defect Petition DP91003 · opened Nov 29, 1990 · closed Jan 31, 1991
- FAILED PASSIVE RESTRAINT
Engineering Analysis EA90008 · opened Dec 27, 1989 · closed Dec 31, 1991
Technical service bulletins
27 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1989 Ford Escort. The 10 most recent:
Information regarding transmission fluid usage charts. *slc
01157 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 6, 2001
Some vehicles may exhibit heater core leaks. *slc
01156 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 6, 2001
Concerns with premature failure occuring on the 1.9l motorcraft remanufactured longblock assembly and shortblock assembly due to ingestion of foreign objects remaining in the transferred intake system from the original…
00188 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 4, 2000
Information regarding the new transmission cooler flusher- service tip. *mjs
0015 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 10, 2000
Subject on a wire harness terminal repair kit available for repairing electrical wiring harnesses. *tt
99222 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 18, 1999
Information on identifying non-approved / alternate refrigerants which could cause safety, and performance concerns if installed in ford a/c systems. *tt
99196 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 20, 1999
Information on the new flush and fill tool available through rotunda. *tt
99152 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 26, 1999
Ford motor company now recommends sae 5w-30 viscosity grade for servicing any ford gasoline-powered vehicle regardless of model year. *tt
99816 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 3, 1999
Ford motor company has released a new electrical grease ( f8az - 19g208-aa ) to reduce the possibility of moisture corrosion at the terminals. *yc
98246 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 7, 1998
Information on a new transmission fluid usage chart. *yc
9888 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 27, 1998
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1989 Ford Escort in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1989 Ford Escort?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.