1998 Ford Escort air bags problems
75 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the air bags on the 1998 Ford Escort — 20% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“My son was driving my 1998 ford escort lx on a 35 mph road when the driver in front of him slammed on his brakes. My son immediately tried to stop the car, but he rear-ended the other car before he could come to a complete stop. During the impact, the driver's seat belt did not lock in place and…”
filed Oct 29, 2008
“Tl*the contact owns a 1998 ford escort. While driving between 35-40 mph, rear ended another vehicle. At the time of the crash, the air bags failed to deploy. Both occupants were wearing seat belts, but that did not prevent them from being thrown to the front of the vehicle and injured. The driver…”
filed Aug 26, 2008
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Air Bags problems in other Escort years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 Escort | 2 | 6% |
| 2001 Escort | 9 | 13% |
| 2000 Escort | 18 | 18% |
| 1999 Escort | 66 | 20% |
| 1997 Escort | 152 | 28% |
| 1996 Escort | 18 | 9% |
| 1995 Escort | 67 | 12% |
| 1994 Escort | 54 | 19% |
| 1993 Escort | 2 | 1% |
| 1991 Escort | 1 | 0% |
| 1985 Escort | 1 | 4% |
Other reported problem areas on the 1998 Ford Escort
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints naming this component group. Complaints are unverified owner reports; mileage is computed only from complaints that included a usable odometer reading.