1995 FORD ESCORT Complaints

MY PASSENGER SIDE SHOULDER BELT IS STUCK IN A POSITION SO THAT IT CANNOT BE USEFUL AT ALL IN AN ACCIDENT. IT IS STUCK ALL THE WAY FORWARD SO THAT IT DOESN'T TOUCH THE PASSENGER AT ALL. ALSO, THE DRIVERS SIDE SHOULDER BELT DOESN'T SEEM TO HAVE ANY "STOP" TO IT - I WORRY IN AN ACCIDENT IT WOULDN'T HOLD ME IN. I CAN'T AFFORD TO TAKE THIS IN TO GET IT FIXED AND WOULD LIKE FORD TO FIX IT FOR FREE. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING CONTINUOUSLY IN THE 6 MONTHS I'VE HAD THE CAR. *JB

I OWN A 1995 FORD ESCORT LX [XXX] WHICH HAS A LEAKING FUEL TANK. I CHECKED YOUR (NHTSA) WEB SITE AND FOUND "TWO RECALLS" FOR THIS PROBLEM. I WHEN TO MY LOCAL FORD DEALER FOR REPAIRS,(A.C. COLLINS FORD, PASADENA TEXAS) AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS NO RECALL ISSUED FOR MY CAR BASED ON THE VIN NUMBER. BUT THE VIN NUMBER CLEARLY STATES THE ENGINE SIZE 1.9 L, ASSEMBLY PLANT: WAYNE IND. AND IT WAS SOLD AND STILL IS REGISTERED AND USED IN PASADENA /HOUSTON TEXAS. WHICH IS THE SAME INFORMATION AS SHOWN IN THE NHTSA'S RECALL NOTICE. NOTE: THE MILEAGE AND PURCHASE DATES ARE ESTIMATES DUE TO THE CAR BEING AT THE DEALER AT THIS MOMENT. *JB UPDATED 07/18/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

FUEL TANK HAS HAIR LINE CRACKS ON LEFT SIDE WHERE HEAT SHIELD MOUNTS TO SPACER. 2 RECALLS MY VIN# ISN'T INCLUDED NOT SURE WHY. TALKED TO DEALER AND FORD HOTLINE THEY WONT FIX. SAFETY HAZARD/ MANUFACTURER DEFECT. WOULD LIKE PROBLEM RESOLVED. THANK YOU. *JB

DT: CONTACT STATED THERE WAS A LEAK IN GAS TANK. HE NOTICED THIS ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO. HE SAW A RECALL ON THE INTERNET REGARDING LEAKING GAS TANKS . HE CALLED THE MANUFACTURER, AND THEY TOLD HIM THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO VIN. THE CAR WAS MANUFACTURED IN MEXICO.*AK

THE PLASTIC HEADLIGHT LENSES ON THE HEADLIGHTS OF MY 1995 FORD ESCORT LX HAVE BECOME CLOUDY, YELLOWED AND OPAQUE. THIS CUTS DOWN NOTICEABLY ON THE ABILITY OF THE HEADLIGHTS TO ILLUMINATE THE ROAD AT NIGHT, TRULY A SAFETY HAZARD. *NM

DT: THE VEHICLE HAD A LEAK IN THE FUEL TANK WHICH WAS DISCOVERED AFTER A LONG TRIP. CONSUMER DISCOVERED SMALL DROPLETS OF GASOLINE ON THE GROUND. THERE WAS A STRONG SMELL OF GASOLINE. CONSUMER HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO A DEALER. THE DEALER NOTED THERE WAS A RECALL 97V144000, BUT CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO VIN . NO REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE, BUT CONSUMER HAS BEEN INSTRUCTED NOT TO DRIVE VEHICLE DUE TO THE LEAK AND THE HOT SUMMER CONDITIONS EXPERIENCED IN THE STATE OF ARIZONA WHERE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT. THE DEALER THINKS IT IS SIGNIFICANT ABOUT THE TEMPERATURE CHANGE BECAUSE CONSUMER TRAVELED FORM EAST COAST TO THAT STATE. *AK *NM

STARTED SMELLING PROFUSE GAS FUMES IN MY 1995 ESCORT LX. TOOK IN TO MEINEIKE TO BE REPAIRED. THEY FOUND THAT THE GAS TANK WAS CRACKED DUE TO HEAT SHIELD. THIS IS THE MONTH OF AUGUST IN MISSISSIPPI AND THE HEAT FACTOR HAS BEEN OVER 100 FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS. LOOKED ONLINE AND FOUND THAT CERTAIN ESCORTS HAD NO GAP BETWEEN HEAT SHIELD AND GAS TANK AND WAS UNDER RECALL FROM 1997. THIS MODEL CAME UP NOT UNDER RECALL BUT PROBLEM WAS INDICATIVE OF RECALL MODELS. FORD REFUSES TO INVESTIGATE MY CLAIM. THE REMEDY FOR FIXING RECALLED MODELS WAS TO MAKE A GAP BETWEEN HEATSHEILD AND GAS TANK. THERE IS NO GAP BETWEEN HEAT SHIELD AND GAS TANK ON MY CAR. THIS MODEL SHOULD HAVE BEEN UNDER THE RECALL.

DT: THE CONSUMER OWNS A 1995 FORD ESCORT. RECALL 97V145000 WAS ISSUED BY FORD CONCERNING GAS TANK LEAKAGE. HOWEVER, THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO VIN. *AK THE CONSUMER STATED HE SMELLED GAS AND WHEN HE LOOKED UNDER THE VEHICLE HE DISCOVERED GAS WAS LEAKING FROM THE TANK ONTO THE HEAT SHIELD AND THE EXHAUST. *JB

FUEL TANK OF A 1995 FORD ESCORT, VIN [XXX] IS LEAKING GAS FROM HEAT SHIELD MOUNTS ON FUEL TANK. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM OF ESCORTS IN THIS YEAR, AND FORD HAS ISSUED A RECALL ON 64,000 ESCORTS CITING A POSSIBILITY OF LEAKING FUEL RESULTING IN FIRE. ALTHOUGH MY ESCORT WAS MANUFACTURED IN 1995, HAS THE 1.9L ENGINE, WAS MANUFACTURED IN THE AFFECTED HERMOSILLO, MEXICO PLANT, AND WAS SOLD IN THE COVERED STATE OF FLORIDA, BOTH MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP AND AND FORD'S NATIONAL CUSTOMER SERVICE LINE STATE MY VIN IS INELIGIBLE FOR RECALL SERVICE. THEY STATE IT IS MOST LIKELY NARROWED EVEN FURTHER TO SPECIFIC DATES, BUT NEITHER DEALERSHIP NOR FORD THEMSELVES ARE WILLING TO LOOK INTO THE MATTER, AND NEITHER CAN STATE WITH SURELY THE CAR IS NOT COVERED. THE NHTSA RECALL IN QUESTION IS RECALL NUMBER 97V144000. *NM UPDATED 07/19/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

FUEL TANK LEAK FORD STATED THAT THIS WAS NOT COVERED RECALL #97V144000 & 97V145000 GAS TANK IS LEAKING UNDER REAR PASSENGER