1991 Ford Escort problems & reliability
327 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1991 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.
14 complaints report injuries (16 injured, 2 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1991 Ford Escort vehicles were involved in 2 fatal crashes with 2 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 104 | 32% |
| Seat Belts | 71 | 22% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 59 | 18% |
| Power Train | 30 | 9% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 19 | 6% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 17 | 5% |
| Exterior Lighting | 16 | 5% |
| Steering | 12 | 4% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 9 | 3% |
| Suspension | 9 | 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
“After filling up with gas and still beside the gas pumps I attempted to start the vehicle in park. The car kept cranking but not starting. Turned the ignition switch off and car kept cranking. Pulled the key out and car kept cranking. Put the key back in and got the vehicle in drive while cranking and it stopped…”
Electrical System · filed Jul 20, 2013
“The accelerator stuck to the floor causing the vehicle to be in full throttle. This occurred while stopped at a traffic light. Fortunately it was a manual transmission and out of gear when the incident happened. I had stomped on the gas pedal by mistake. I searched the floor and engine compartment for anything that…”
Engine and Engine Cooling · filed Mar 15, 2010
“Tl* the contact owns a 1991 ford escort. Fatigue cracks have developed in the solder joint between the fuel return tube and the fuel pump sending unit located at the top of the fuel tank. There must have been an internal fire caused by the failure, because the wiring harness had melted. The vehicle identification…”
Fuel System, Gasoline · filed Oct 30, 2009
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- FUEL PUMP WIRING SHORTAGE
Engineering Analysis EA94002 · opened Jan 28, 1994 · closed Jan 31, 1995
- FUEL PUMP WIRING SHORTAGE
Preliminary Evaluation PE93076 · opened Sep 3, 1993 · closed Jan 28, 1994
- INADVERT. STEERING LOCKUP
Engineering Analysis EA93007 · opened Feb 26, 1993 · closed Apr 26, 1993 · led to recall 93V057000
- INADVER. STEERING LOCKUP
Preliminary Evaluation PE92082 · opened Oct 6, 1992 · closed Feb 26, 1993
- FUEL TANK LEAKAGE
Engineering Analysis EA92012 · opened Apr 15, 1992 · closed Sep 17, 1992 · led to recall 92V117000
- FUEL TANK LEAKAGE
Preliminary Evaluation PE91150 · opened Dec 3, 1991 · closed Apr 15, 1992
Technical service bulletins
59 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1991 Ford Escort. The 10 most recent:
This aritlce is to provide information on replacement of old style hood lamp switch to the rvised mechanical hood lamp switch. *tt
01194 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 1, 2001
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
Some vehicles produced through july 1999 may exhibit rear suspension spring failure with no resulting operational concern. *tt
14993 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 1, 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
Subject pertaining to revised door latch switch service procedure. *jb
00187 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 4, 2000
This bulletin provides revised passive restraint system information contained in the workshop manual and the electrical and vaccum troubleshooting manual (evtm). *tt
00124 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 12, 2000
Subject regarding passive restraint system service information. *tt
001204 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 1, 2000
Information regarding the new transmission cooler flusher- service tip. *mjs
0015 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 10, 2000
Some vehicles may exhibit grinding noise, or greater than normal brake roughness, when applying the brakes immediately after installing motorcraft front brake pad part number br-18 (xu2z-2v001-ra). *t
7369 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 1, 1999
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 1991 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 1991 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.