PlainCars

FORD ESCORT · model year

1984 FORD ESCORT

27 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1984FORDESCORT carries 27 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 9 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1984 ESCORT is electrical system:ignition:switch with 8 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:engine (5) and electrical system:ignition (3). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.

NHTSA currently has 2 investigation files overlapping the 1984 ESCORT. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

27
Complaints
0
Crashes
9
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

27 filings

Crashes Reported

0 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH8
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE5
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION3
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY2
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING2
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR2
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE1
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST:VACUUM1
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE1
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM:INJECTORS1

Recent Complaints

20030417FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM:INJECTORS

WHEN THE GAS PEDAL WAS PRESSED THERE WAS A DELAY IN ACCELERATION. THE CONSUMER HAD TO SLAM ON THE GAS PEDAL TO GET THE VEHICLE TO MOVE. THE VEHICLE WOULD LUNGE FORWARD UNEXPECTEDLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TOT HE DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE FUEL INJECTORS WERE CARBONATED UP. *NLM

Mileage: 5,000

20030228SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE

THE SEAT BELT BROKE, THERE WAS A RECALL REGARDING THE ISSUE, HOWEVER CONSUMER WAS NEVER INFORMED.*JB

20030114SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST:VACUUM

VACUUM PUMP (BRAKES) HOUSING IS BROKEN AND PUMP DOES NOT WORK. CONTACTED FORD IN SEPT 2001 BUT HAVE HAD NO SUCCESS IN THEM HELPING TO LOCATE THIS PART. NO SALVAGE YARD OR AUTO PARTS STORE HAS IT. CAR IS IN VERY GOOD CONDITION BUT IT WOULD BE VERY DANGEROUS TO DRIVE WITH BRAKES IN THIS CONDITION.

20010907ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE IT JUST STOPPED RUNNING WITHOUTWARNING. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND THEY STATED IT WAS THE IGNITION. WHEN THE TFI OVERHEATED IT CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO STOP RUNNING. ALSO, DRIVER'S SIDE SEATBELT WILL NOT CONNECT. PASSENGER'S SIDE SEATBACK BROKE AND WILL NOT GO UP. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

20010907SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE IT JUST STOPPED RUNNING WITHOUTWARNING. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND THEY STATED IT WAS THE IGNITION. WHEN THE TFI OVERHEATED IT CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO STOP RUNNING. ALSO, DRIVER'S SIDE SEATBELT WILL NOT CONNECT. PASSENGER'S SIDE SEATBACK BROKE AND WILL NOT GO UP. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

20010906ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

NHTSA RECALL# 09V095000/ MANUFACTURER'S RECALL 89S66. CONSUMER GOT A RECALL NOTICE ON VEHICLE, AND DEALER DIDN'T HAVE PARTS. ALSO, DEALER WILL PUT ANOTHER ENGINE IN CONSUMER'S VEHICLE, BUT CONSUMER HAD TO PAY 1300.00 OUT OF POCKET FOR EXHAUST THAT GOES WITH ENGINE.*AK

19971003ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

RECALL 89V095000; ENGINE GASKETS; WHEN THE RECALL WAS ISSUED GILBERT TOOK THE VEHICLE INTO KENDALL MOTORS. KENDALL MOTORS INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND THER WAS NO PROBLEM. NOW THER IS A LEAKAGE COMING AND CAUSED BY THE RECALLED PART AND KENDALL MOTORS WILL NOT REPAIR THE PROBLEM. *AK

19960711FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH

VEHICLE FIRE. *DH

19960702FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH

ELECTRICAL SHORT IN THE IGNITION SWITCH, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO CATCH FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. *AK *SLC

19960601FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH

IGNITION SWITCH SHORTED, CAUSING FIRE. *DSH

19960502ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH

DUE TO AN ELECTRICAL SHORT IN THE IGNITION SWITCH THE VACUUM PUMP FAILED. *AK

19960502ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH

DUE TO AN ELECTRICAL SHORT IN THE IGNITION SWITCH THE VACUUM PUMP FAILED. *AK

19960426FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH

ELECTRICAL SHORT OR SHOCK IN THE IGNITION SWITCH, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO CATCH ON FIRE. *AK

19960423FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH

VEHICLE STALLED ON THE HIGHWAY, DRIVER SHIFTED TO NEUTRAL, TRIED TO RESTART AND VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. *AK

19960419FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH

VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN AND PARKED, UNDER THE HOOD ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE. *AK

19960418FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION

CONSUMER WAS DRIVING CAR AN IT DIED AND CAUGHT ON FIRE . PLEASE DESCRIBE . *AK

19960418FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION

CONSUMER WAS DRIVING CAR AN IT DIED AND CAUGHT ON FIRE . PLEASE DESCRIBE . *AK

19960307SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR

REAR SEAT BELT RETRACTOR MECHANISM HAS FAILED, DIFFICULT TO LATCH SEAT BELTS. *AK

19960307SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR

REAR SEAT BELT RETRACTOR MECHANISM HAS FAILED, DIFFICULT TO LATCH SEAT BELTS. *AK

19960221ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING

VEHICLE FIRE AROUND THE STEERING WHEEL. *AK

Compare 1984FORDESCORT to Similar Vehicles

ESCORT vs FORDF-150 → ESCORT vs FORDEXPLORER → ESCORT vs JEEPGRAND CHEROKEE → ESCORT vs FORDESCAPE →

NHTSA Investigations

EA87023Engineering AnalysisClosed

SEAT TRACKS

PE87026Preliminary EvaluationClosed

SEAT TRACK FAILURE

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1984 FORD ESCORT have?▼
The 1984 FORD ESCORT has 27 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 9 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1984 FORD ESCORT?▼
The most-complained component for the 1984 FORD ESCORT is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH with 8 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE and ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION.
Is the 1984 FORD ESCORT safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Understanding NHTSA Complaints → Vehicle Recalls Explained → Safest Car Brands 2026 → Most Reliable Used Cars → Lemon Law Guide →

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.

Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.