1995 FORD ESCORT Complaints

WHILE DRIVING CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS REAR ENDED. DRIVER'S SEAT BELTSNAPPED IN HALF, AND CONSUMER WAS INJURED. *AK

SMELL OF GASOLINE INITIALLY NOTED. APPEARANCE OF GASOLINE UNDER VEHICLE FOLLOWING FILLING OF TANK PROMPTED INVESTIGATION OF SOURCE OF GASOLINE SMELL AND LEAK. *NM NO CONSEQUENCES RESULTED FROM LEAKAGE OF GASOLINE. SOURCE OF GASOLINE SMELL/LEAK WAS TRACED TO DETERIORATED HOSE BETWEEN FILLER PIPE AND GASOLINE TANK. HOSE HAD BECOME BRITTLE AND CRACKED NEAR CONNECTION TO GASOLINE TANK. HOSE WAS REPLACED WITH STANDARD FUEL HOSE PURCHASED FROM RETAIL PARTS STORE. HOSE THAT WAS REMOVED IS AVAILABLE.

HAD TO REPLACE GAS TANK DUE TO LEAK ON 8-02, NOW IT IS LEAKING AGAIN ON 5-04 WITH SAME PROBLEM. FORD MOTOR CO. WILL DO NOTHING ABOUT IT EXCEPT INSTALL ANOTHER AT MY EXPENSE. APPEARS TO BE A PROBLEM THAT SHOULD BE TAKEN CARE OF BY THE COMPANY. A DANGEROUS SITUATION BECAUSE OF THE EXHAUST SO CLOSE TO THE TANK. I HAVE HAD NO FIRES, BECAUSE THE MINUTE I SMELLED GAS I PARKED THE CARE UNTIL IT COULD BE FIXED.*AK

WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE DRIVER SMELLED GAS COMING FROM THE REAR. THE DRIVER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND PULLED OVER. THE DRIVER NOTICED THE FUEL TANK WAS LEAKING GAS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE DRIVER THAT THE FUEL TANK NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *JB THERE WAS A CRACK IN THE PLASTIC TANK AT THE SUPPORT FOR THE HEAT SHIELD. THE GAS LEAKED DOWN THE TANK AND WAS VERY CLOSE TO THE EXHAUST PIPE. RECALL#97V144000. *SC *JB

CONSUMER SMELLED FUEL ODOR WHILE DRIVING. SHE EXAMINED FUEL TANK AND NOTICED THAT WALL WAS CRACKED AND LEAKED GAS. DEALER INDICATED THERE WAS A RECALL IN THIS ISSUE. BUT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO VIN. *AK

FAILURE IN THE DRIVERS SIDE SHOULDER HARNESS MECHANISM ALLOWING ONLY THE LAP BELT TO BE USED. DEALERSHIP STATES IT'S AN EXPENSIVE REPAIR. CONTACTED FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE AND WAS ADVISED THAT THE FAILURE WOULD HAVE TO BE CORRECTED AT MY EXPENSE. I FEEL THIS IS WRONG AS THE HARNESS IS A REQUIRED SAFETY FEATURE.

THE DRIVER'S SIDE RETRACTABLE SHOULDER HARNESS HAS FAILED AND NO LONGER FUNCTIONS. IT LOCKED IN THE MID-TRACK POSITION CAUSING A SIGNIFICANT DRIVING AND SAFETY HAZARD. THE BELT WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY AT 49,000 MILES BY GRASS VALLEY FORD, CA, UNDER WARRANTY AND HAS AGAIN FAILED IN THE SAME MANNER AT 98,000 MILES. FORD WILL NOT REPLACE THE RESTRAINT AFTER 50,000 MILES UNLESS THE CUSTOMER PAYS FOR IT. I GUESS THEY DON'T MIND THE LIABILITY INVOLVED WITH LAWSUITS AND INJURIES CAUSED BY DEFECTIVE BELTS. FORD SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO REPLACE EVERY BROKEN SEATBELT TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC FROM A KNOWN FAULTY DESIGN THAT HAS NOT BEEN CORRECTED. THIS SHOULD BE A MANDATORY RECALL BY NHTSA!!!*AK

WE ARE RETIRED AND HAVE A 95 FORD ESCORT STATION WAGON, GARAGE KEPT. IN AUGUST OF 2003 WE NOTICED A VERY STRONG ODOR OF GASOLINE IN OUR GARAGE, WHICH IS PART OF THE BASEMENT. IT WAS SO STRONG AT TIMES I DID NOT USE THE ELECTRIC DOOR OPENER. I CHECKED MANY TIMES AND COULD NOT FIND THE CAUSE. ABOUT THIS TIME I ALSO NOTICED I WAS NOT GETTING AS GOOD AS GAS MILEAGE AS I USED TO. ON THANKGIVING DAY, I WENT TO MY LOCAL GAS STATION, AND FILLED THE TANK AS I ALWAYS DO. I THEN WENT INSIDE TO GET A NEWS PAPER. WHEN I CAME OUT I NOTICED A LARGE WET SPOT UNDER THE MIDDLE OF THE CAR, MAYBE ABOUT 3 FT IN DIA. I THOUGHT SOMEONE SPILLED SOMETHING THERE. I WENT HOME AND I STARTED TO THINK ABOUT IT. I WENT BACK DOWN TO THE GARAGE, STARTED TO CHECK THE TANK, AND FOUND THE FUEL FILLER PIPE RUSTED OUT NEAR THE TOP. 1.5 INCH BY ABOUT 8 INCH. SO WHEN I FILLED THE TANK, THE FUEL NOZZLE WAS ALSO PUTTING FUEL OUT THE ROTTED OUT AREA, WHICH THEN RAN DOWN A PLASTIC SHIELD AND RAN ON THE GROUND, WHERE YOU WOULD NOT SEE IT IF YOU JUST FUELED THE CAR. I TOOK IT TO A FORD DEALER AND TOLD HIM I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A FORD DISTRICT REP. LOOK AT IT. THE SERVICE REP HARDLY LOOKED UP AND SAID THE CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY. I TOLD HIM THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WHEN THE CAR HAS THE ORGINAL EXHAUST SYSTEM, BUT THE FILLER PIPE RUSTED OUT. I HAD THEM REPLACE IT. THEY CHARGED ME FOR TWO HOURS OF LABOR, WHEN THEY ONLY HAD THE CAR FOR ONE HOUR, AND ONLY SPENT 45 MINUTES WORKING ON THE JOB. WHEN I GOT HOME I CHECKED THE JOB AND FOUND THEY ONLY PUT TWO OF THE THREE FASTNERS TO HOLD THE SHIELD ON. WE TRANSPORT TWIN GRANDCHILDREN TO SCHOOL AND OTHER PLACES IN THIS CAR, AND ONE OF THEM IS HANDYCAPPED. THE CAR COULD HAVE CAUGHT ON FIRE, OR OUR HOME BLOW UP. I HAVE THE REMOVED PIPE, AND I TOLD THEM IT WAS DEFECTIVE IN THE WELDING PROSSES. NO ONE CARED. I CHECKED THE NEW PIPE ON 3-6-04, THREE MONTHS AFTER IT WAS INSTALLED, AND THE NEW PIPE IS STARTING TO RUST ON EACH SIDE OF THE WELD SEAM. *AK

CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL REGARDING FUEL TANK. CONSUMER NOTICED A STRONG SMELL OF FUEL WHILE DRIVING OR WHEN VEHICLE WAS PARKED. INSPECTION WAS MADE, AND NOTICED FUEL LEAKAGES COMING FROM THE CRACK ON THE TAB OFF THE HEAT SHIELD, WHICH WAS MOLDED INTO THE PLASTIC FUEL TANK. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO VIN. *AK

AUTOMATIC SHOULDER SEAT BELT DID NOT RETRACT BACK INTO LOCKING POSITION, MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR CONSUMER TO WEAR PROPERLY A SEAT BELT. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK