Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1999 Ford Escort owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 Ford Escort. The contact stated that the rear heater blower failed and sparks were shooting from the wiring harness. The contact was able to disconnect the harness before a fire ignited. The contact located a manufacturers recall for defective wiring of the defroster system, in which he believed to be the cause of the failure, but did not confirm if there were any recalls on his particular vehicle. The vehicle was neither inspected nor repaired. The VIN was not available. The failure and current mileage was 105,000.
On 06/30/99 at 02:10 hours the crystal fire department responded to a vehicle fire in the back lot of elk county Ford. The department found a new, 1999 Ford Escort se (VIN #[redacted]) burning in the area of the left front tire and wheel well area. The cause of the fire was determined to be a short in the wiring in the vicinity of a "block" of relays and fuses in the left side of the engine compartment. This caused the wiring to burn and ignited nearby plastic items and the left front tire. The vehicle was just manufactured (June 1999) and had only been sitting on the lot for about 5 days. The vehicle had not been operated recently (2:00 am in a small community car dealership). Although the vehicle did not belong to any consumer, this report is being filed in order to document a potential problem. [redacted] , fire chief, crystal fire department.
I purchased my se in November of 2006 with less than 83K miles on it. Three months after purchasing it, one of the head gaskets cracked. I had the head repaired, and less than two months after that the head cracked again. I had the engine replaced. I have now had new heads, new engine, new fuel pump and a new alternator installed and now am having a new problem. When I pulled out from a stop, the brake light would come on until the brakes were applied. The engine is now emitting a grinding noise when stopped, and I feel it is unsafe to drive. This is all in addition to the violent shaking, faulty front headlight, transmission that needs flushed and loud engine noise. I have spent more on repairs than I paid for the vehicle, and now have to put more money in to it, and it still has less than 94K miles on it. This is my first Ford, and will be my last.
I was out of town, drove for 2 1/2 hrs then parked for shopping. Was on way back home..10 min into drive, when my Ford Escort zx2 just lost all power while driving on the highway. I had little warning..a minute before it was running rough then nothing..no gauges or steering etc. I had the alternator replaced (did not think to keep the old part) and have replaced several fuses "just because" since it keeps doing this and the scary part is I bought it for my son who is a new driver and he had it happen to him twice in one day and twice to myself the next day. We were able to get it back home after jumping it twice in 8 miles the last two times it quit. It is now parked fearing we will be stranded or worse lose control and end up in an accident due to loss of headlights, steering etc.
I purchased a 1999 Ford Escort from carmax in May of 2001. About 2-3 wks later I constantly had problems with the headlight going out. I got ticketed by the police several times because I was unaware of the problems. Then one day driving from work my engine died. Without any warning at all. I took it to carmax and they then took it to another repair shop. Whenever I put the ac on there is a rumbling coming from the front end of the vehicle. Frankly the car is a lemon and I had no idea because there was no reports on the car and I remembered asking the sales rep. If there was anything about the car that I needed to know and I was told no. Please let me know if there is anything that I can do because I am spending money on this car for manufacturer problems. Thank you.
My car has 55000 miles and its a 1999 Escort.y transmission needs to be replaced. I have replaced the timing belt, this at less than 55000 miles? I was driving on a very busy street and the car died and would not restart. The shop replaced the timing belt and the pully's. Now I have gone to work Monday morning and came out to go home, the car would not start again, just tried to turn over. I had it towed to the shop again, now its the fuel pump. There is no way that any of these problems should have started to happen yet on this car. There are major problems with it, I need some resolution on the problems that are happening.
Tl contact owns a 1999 Ford Escort. The contact stated that her horn does not work. She was unable to place her vehicle in drive because of blown out fuses, including the horn fuse. The vehicle was towed to the dealer who stated that the wires to the cruise control were blown. A few weeks later, the horn failed to work again. The local Ford dealer stated that there were no recalls for the vehicle and nothing could be done. The dealer advised her to purchase a Ford fusion and to contact the federal trade commission. The current and failure mileages were 70,000.
Membrane switch for horn stuck in closed position causing horn to blow constantly. Wire to horn had to be pulled to remedy problem. Membrane switch not available from dealer. Dealer states entire air bag assembly must be replaced at a cost of over $500. Not having an operational horn or logical and economical way to repair is a safety hazard. I have read several of the same complaints which seems to indicate some sort of defect in safety equipment. Dealer benefiting by huge replacement cost. Part should be made available or mandatory recall is necessary.
Consumer has been experiencing problems with horn. When consumer they applies horn, it's hard to make it make a sound. Because of this, the consumer was almost involved in an accident. Could not let other drivers be aware of vehicle's presence. The manufacturer has yet to be contacted.
When vehicle was involved in a minor front end crash, a fire started behind the left headlamp, and engulfed the engine compartment. Vehicle was totalled from the fire. Please give any further information. Report given by julie good, insurance claim representative.
Electrical complaints in other Escort years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 1999 Ford Escort?
NHTSA has 39 complaints about the electrical system of the 1999 Ford Escort, 12% of the model year's 325 complaints. The component named most often is horn (8 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1999 Ford Escort electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 1999 Ford Escort, though it has 1 recall for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 1999 Ford Escort electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 70,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 7 fires and 1 injury and 1 death to electrical system problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.