Most common 1997 Ford Escort problems
Share of the 543 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Ford Escort complaints by model year
Best Escort years: 2003, 2002, 2001. Years to avoid: 1997, 1995, 1998, 1999. Compare all years →
1997 Ford Escort recalls (1)
Air bags › Frontal › Sensor/control module-inactive
On certain passenger vehicles, the integrated air bag monitor (iabm) can be contaminated with water or other liquids and could experience internal electrical shorting.
Remedy: Dealers will install the shield over the iabm and apply nyogel grease to the connector. Owner notification began February 11, 2003.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 2 possible defects involving the 1997 Ford Escort:
Integrated air bag monitor water
Water intrusion into airbag monitor
By letter of December 6, 2002, Ford notified the agency that it would conduct a safety recall on all 1997 Ford escort and Mercury tracer vehicles.Ford found that electrical shorting of the integrated air bag monitor (iabm)due to liquid intrusion of water or engine coolant can occur in the subject vehicles.Ford and Lincoln Mercury dealers will install a protective shield over the iabm and apply nyogel grease to it's…
What 1997 Ford Escort owners say
Air bags all 152 →
Tl contact owns a 1997 Ford Escort. The contact smelled a strong burning odor while driving 60 MPH. The dealer stated that the part would be ordered and replaced under NHTSA campaign id number 02V323000 (air bags:frontal:sensor/control module). The contact smelled the odor again the following day and the vehicle shut down. The vehicle was towed to a Chrysler dealer. Chrysler notified Ford and informed them that the air bag monitor burned and caused the vehicle to shut off. Ford stated that the failure was not related to the air bag monitor. Ford also advised Chrysler to have the vehicle towed to them, but any additional damage would not be repaired. The manufacturer filed a report and stated that it would be sent to the legal department and a response would be received in writing. The powertrain was unknown. The current and failure mileages were 146,808.
I am the service manager at c.h.urness motor co in the dalles,or, I purchased a 1997 Ford Escort for my daughter on 06/02/2007,then on 06/04/2007,the car had a fire under the dash,upon inspection we found an open recall "02s44"for this exact failure,I contacted the local Ford dealer(ray schultens Ford and was told they could not help me because the airbag module was no longer available!. I then contacted Ford motor co. Customer relations(case # 1433871927).on 07/23/07 I received a letter stating "Ford motor co. Was unable to offer any assistance at this time"the customer service rep told me over the phone that I should make the dealer I bought the car at "buy it back,after all you work for them"this car has an unrepaired recall and is unable to be repaired due to no parts available,what is my next step in this process?
Electrical system all 114 →
While driving at 60 MPH both frontal air bags deployed inadvertently. Consumer drove vehicle to dealer. While talking to a manufacturer's representative via phone vehicle caught on fire less then 15 minutes while parked. The fire appeared to have started under the hood on the passenger's side. The local fire department arrived to extinguish the fire. The cause of the fire was determined to be electrical.
When the vehicle was parked, the consumer noticed smoke was coming from the vehicle, whic eventually caught on fire. The consumer called the fire department to extinguish the fire. There were no injuries. The fire department informed the consumer that the fire was electrical, and started under the dashboard.
Engine & cooling all 67 →
Problems with vehicle stalling out. The check engine light came on, which caused the vehicle to idle and almost stall at every stop. The vehicle was service five times for the check engine light. The spark wires were replaced the fuel injection system was cleaned, the fuel injector was replaced, however the problem continued, the dealer then diagnosed the problem as carbon build up, and it was explained in the service bulletin the new heads should have revised valve guides and exhaust valves to prevent carbon build up
Valve seat no. 4 fell out of head and was destroyed, damaging no. 4 and no. 3 piston, and the head itself. We were fortunate that the total failure occurred while parked rather than on the interstate, at which time power steering and power brakes would have failed. This is a well known mode of failure for this engine but, apparently, Ford and NHTSA took no steps to solve the problem. The engine was discontinued in 2005.
1997 Ford Escort engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | FWD | 24 / 34 / 28 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 23 / 31 / 26 |
EPA ratings. Class: Compact car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 1997 Ford Escort a good car?
Based on 543 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 1997 Escort rates avoid: 3.6× as many complaints as a typical year of the Escort at the same age. It is one of the Escort years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 1997 Ford Escort?
The air bags — 152 complaints, 28% of all complaints for this model year, most often about frontal. Next are the electrical system (114) and engine & cooling (67).
How many recalls does the 1997 Ford Escort have?
There is 1 recall for the 1997 Ford Escort, the most recent from December 9, 2002 (sensor/control module-inactive). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Ford Escort?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2003, 2002 and 2001. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 1997, 1995, 1998 and 1999. See the full Ford Escort years comparison.
At what mileage do 1997 Ford Escort problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 78,000 miles; 22% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.