Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (struts, shocks, control arms, ball joints, springs).
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).
Rear coil spring failure. 2 separate rear coil spring failures within 2 months. 1 of which punctured the tire at highway speeds. The car lost control and went into the median. Luckily nobody was injured and there were no other vehicles involved. Repair shop noted this is a common problem with escorts.
When I took my car (1999 Ford Escort stationwagon VIN.#[redacted]) in for its oil change & inspection. It failed inspection because a rear coil spring was completely cracked in half. The car is 5 years old, but only had 8,953 miles on it. I am a senior citizen and only drive the car on a limited basis, usually for shopping or to a doctor's office. I was told the the spring was not covered under any warranty and was charged a total of $412.99 (plus tax) for this repair. I was told to contact Ford directly to see if anything could be done to compensate me. My son called Ford's customer relations # and was told to see the service manager at the dealer, who would then submit the claim for me. After 2 seperate visits to the dealer, my son was told: 1) the manager had gone home early that day & that only the manager could deal with the problem. …
Our 1999 Ford Escort with only 11,904 miles on the odometer (we drive a Subaru forester mostly), received its annual inspection (nys law) on August 11, 2005. The inspection revealed that both rear coil springs were broken. I asked the technician how that could happen with such low mileage and so little use and both he and the service manager (they are a highly regarded, after-market, auto repair business, servicing all makes of vehicles, and have no cause for bias) said that in their experience Ford escorts are notorious for having weak and defective rear coil springs and that they had replaced many over the past few years (more than any other make or model). To a lesser degree they also noted that the taurus had the same problem. Before having the work done I had called the dealer (sam dell Ford of liverpool, ny) and the Ford consumer complaint office. …
1-courtesy check by a local tire & auto service center during a tire rotation. Suggest replace rear coil springs. 2-we were told one of the rear coil springs is broken, these have to be replaced in pairs. 3-this is a design flaw and should not be a regular item that needs to be maintained. We should not have to pay for a pair of coils and a suspension alignment. We are looking for a recall instead of paying money out of our pocket for an item that should not need to be replaced. Apparently this is true because of other complaints for the same reason for years of 1997-2001 for Ford escorts/sedans and Mercury tracer/sedans.
I took my 99 Ford Escort to a auto repair shop to fix one front tie rod (another frequent problem on Escort) and the mechanic told me that one of the spings in the rear suspension was broken. I did not notice anything different when driving and I don't know for how long it has been broken. The mechanic also said that this is a frequent problem with Escort, and advised me to check the existance of a recall with a Ford dealer. To this date (jan 2006) there is no recall. He also advised me to keep the receipt of the repair ($ 750 to replace the springs and struts on both sides) in case a recall will be made in the future.
Dt: the vehicle was a 1999 Ford Escort. Both of the back coil springs were broken. Consumer found this out when getting the brakes inspected. The front brake rotors, tie rods and the rear struts including the coil springs needed to be replaced. The inspection took place on 7-8-05. Consumer took the vehicle to a Ford dealer to have all the parts replaced. They were replaced on 7-20/22-05. Vehicle was shaking before hand. Consumer knew that Ford company issued a recall issue concerning this problem with some of their other models. Updated 11/02/2005.
Defective vehicle back springs. Both back springs were broken and I paid to have them replaced. Ford knew they were defective since they had re-designed the springs. The new springs were put on and now the whole vehicle bounces on the road. Handling is bad and if I have to travel on a bumpy road I have to take a draminine. I have paid to have installed 6 new springs and 8 struts but I still get seasick driving my car. It is so bumpy my neck hurts riding in my car.
I bought a used 1999 Ford Escort stations wagon with only 16K miles on it. At 30K miles I took it to a local Ford dealer for an oil change and they gave me an estimate for $585 to replace the rear coil springs that are broken, saying it was a safety hazard. Note I never asked for more than a simple oil change. In reading all the complaints here for broken springs I believe Ford has gotten away with a major safety defect that even its dealers are well aware of.
Took vehicle in for service, and technician found that both rear springs were broken. I was unaware of this damage, though I had noticed some suspension noise when turning. Also, the handling of the vehicle was much "looser" in the rear. Technician informed me that the springs could further deteriote and the body of the vechicle could collapse onto the chassis. The estimate for repairs was $750.00, though no repairs have been made to date.
Tl contact owns a 1999 Ford Escort. The contact heard an unfamiliar noise coming from the rear of the vehicle. At the repair shop, it was discovered that the rear passenger side coil springs failed. The shop stated that the failure was due to the coils spring rusting. The contact has not notified the manufacturer or the local Ford dealer. The current and failure mileages were 52,000.
Suspension complaints in other Escort years
Frequently asked questions
How common are suspension problems on the 1999 Ford Escort?
NHTSA has 42 complaints about the suspension of the 1999 Ford Escort, 13% of the model year's 325 complaints. The component named most often is rear › springs (13 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1999 Ford Escort suspension problems?
No. NHTSA lists no suspension 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 suspension problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 68,000 miles, and 13% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 0 fires and 1 injury to suspension 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.