1995 FORD ESCORT Complaints

CONSUMER HAD SEEN DRIPPING GAS FROM THE FUEL TANK. VEHICLE CHECKED BY LOCAL MECHANIC, WHO ADVISED CONSUMER THERE WERE CRACKS IN FUEL TANK. CURRENT RECALL 97V144 DID NOT INCLUDE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE DUE TO VIN. *AK CONSUMER HAD VEHICLE CHECKED AND WAS TOLD BY MECHANIC THAT THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE FUEL TANK AND THE SUPPORTING TABS FOR A HEAT SHIELD WAS CRACKED, CONSUMER IS REQUESTING THAT FORD REPLACE THE GAS TANK. *SCC

THERE WAS A GAS SMELL, THE NEXT DAY WENT IN FOR A ROUTINE CHECK. DEALER STATED THERE WAS A GAS LEAK. DEALER REMOVED HEAT SHIELD AND HELD DOWN THE END TABS, AND REPLACED THE GAS TANK. *AK THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE GAS TANK WAS CRACKED FROM THE TABS. THE VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO THE DEALER BECAUSE THERE WAS STILL A STRONG GAS SMELL. THEY SAID THAT THEY COULD NOT SMELL IT. (DEALER CHECKED COMPLETELY AND CLEANED PADS UNDER TANK AND SAID THAT SHOULD TAKE CARE OF THE SMELL) AS OF 7-31-02, THE SMELL STILL EXISTS. THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE SAID THAT THE PADS SHOULD CONTINUE TO DRY AND THE SMELL SHOULD GO AWAY, THEY FOUND NO LEAKS. *SCC

GAS TANK HEAT SHIELD THAT IS ATTACHED TO FUEL TANK IS WARPED AND LEAKING GASOLINE FROM GAS TANK. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK THE DEFECTIVE GAS TANK HEAT SHIELD WAS ON RECALL BUT THE MANUFACTURER WAS UNWILLING TO COVER THE CONSUMERS VEHICLE BECAUSE THE VIN NUMBER WAS NOT PART OF THE RECALL. *YH

WHILE FILLING GAS TANK FUEL WAS SPILLING OUT FROM BOTTOM DUE TO A CRACK . CAUSE UNKNOWN. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK

FUEL TANK HAS A CRACK ON THE INSIDE. THERE IS GASOLINE LEAKING FROM UNDERNEATH OF VEHICLE. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK

WHILE TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY THERE IS A SMELL OF GASOLINE COMING THROUGHOUT VEHICLE. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM. *AK RIGHT OUTER TIE ROD WAS FIXED. VALVE COVER GASKET WAS REPLACED. *YH

BOTH REAR COIL SPRINGS ON THIS VEHICLE ARE BROKEN. THE CAR DOES NOT CARRY HEAVY LOADS, AND THE ROADS TRAVELED UPON ARE NOT ROUGH. THE CAR HAS RELATIVELY LOW MILAGE, 88,000. WHEN INSPECTED, THE MECHANIC INVOLVED INDICATED THAT THIS WAS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THE FORD ESCORT. THIS COMMENT WAS FURTHER SUBSTANTIATED BY ANOTHER MECHANIC AND THE AUTO PARTS DEALER WHERE THE REPLACEMENT PARTS WERE PURCHASED. WHEN CONTACTING A FORD DEALERSHIP, THE SERVICE MANAGER I SPOKE WITH SEEMED FAMILIAR WITH THE PROBLEM, STATING THAT IF THE CAR HAD LESS THAN 100,000 MILES, I WOULD BE COVERED. HOWEVER, SHE LATER CAME BACK AND SAID THERE WAS NO RECALL IN EFFECT. IF THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM, I WOULD EXPECT THERE WOULD BE SOME SORT OF RECALL NOTICE. FURTHERMORE, I WAS TOLD, THAT IF THE SPRING SHIFTED WHILE DRIVING, IT COULD COME INTO CONTACT WITH THE TIRE, CAUSING A SEVERE BLOWOUT AND ACCIDENT.*AK

WHILE BACKING OUT OF DRIVEWAY, LEFT FRONT TIRE BLEWOUT. A PIECE OF COIL SPRING HAD PUNCTURED TIRE. CONSUMER SAW SMOKE COMING FROM TIRE.*AK *YD

CONSUMER HEARD A CLUNKING SOUND, UPON INSPECTION HE SAW THAT COIL SPRINGS HAD BROKEN. *AK. CONSUMER STATES THE REAR COIL SPRING BROKE ON DEC-7-2000, AND THE FRONT COIL SPRING ON MARCH 25, 2002 WHICH CAUSED DAMAGE TO A BRAND NEW TIRE.*JB

WHILE PARKING CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO ROTATE STEERING WHEEL 360 DEGREES. NLM *YH