Tl* the contact owns a 1998 ford escort. While driving 20 MPH, the vehicle caught fire under the hood without warning. The fire department arrived and extinguished the fire. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. There were no injuries. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and did not assist. The failure mileage was 144,998.
Ford Escort fire or smoke problems
169 of the 3,480 owner complaints about the Ford Escort describe fire, smoke or burning smell, most of them for the 1997 model year.
- owner complaints
- 169
- worst model year
- 1997
- typical mileage
- 82,000
Is there a fix? There are 2 recalls for this area of the car. See below
By model year
Often reported together
Stalling 5Fuel pump 5Airbag light 5Overheating 4Tire blowout 2Fuel leak 2Grinding brakes 2Ball joint 2
What owners say
Tl*the contact owns a 1993 ford escort. While the vehicle was parked in a mechanic's garage, it caught fire. The fire destroyed the vehicle, the other vehicles in the garage, and the garage itself. The fire department stated that the fire originated under the dashboard of his vehicle, possibly the ignition switch. A police and fire report were filed. The vehicle was at the shop for new brakes and tie rods. Updated 02/01/08.
Vehicle was parked at gas pump island, ignition off. Engine compartment errupted into flames. All components contained within the engine comparment other than metal components completely melted or burned. Vehicle was manually pushed away from gas pump island while ablaze, then extinguished by hillsborough county fire department. Vehicle was towed to a secure location, nothing has been done to the vehicle since the fire.
Dt: the contact states while parked with the engine off vehicle caught on fire. The vehicle had been sitting for over two hours. He smelled smoke and checked in the garage where the vehicle was parked. The fire was coming from under the hood in front of the steering compartment. The fire was extinguished by the fire department. The vehicle was totaled. There was extensive damage to the garage and the contact's house. The preliminary report indicated the fire started in the engine compartment. Reports were taken by the police, fire department, and insurance company.
Dt: the contact stated the heater core ruptured, which caused water to get into the electrical system, and vehicle caught on fire. The vehicle has not been inspected to determine the cause of the problem. *ak upodated11/29/05.
Dt: the vehicle had an electrical short and burned up all of the wiring. *ak when the consumers wife started the vehicle she notice smoke coming from the steering column.
Dt: the contact owns a 1995 ford escort. She stated that vehicle caught on fire. She put the key into the ignition, and when she done this it exploded and caught on fire. Everything got jammed up after this, even the steering wheel. The tow truck driver stated that he had a hard time towing the vehicle because of this problem. The contact called two ford dealership and told them that this was not a problem.
Consumer was driving when suddenly smoke came from the steering wheel. He pulled to the side of the road and saw flames. The fire department responded to put the fire out.
While standing idle for more than three hours vehicle caught on fire, with the dashboard and engine compartment fully engulfed. Although exact cause of malfunction has yet to be determined, this vehicle should never have just caught on fire.
While parked on dealer 's property for repairs the vehicle caught on fire. The cause was an electrical malfunction. Consumer stated she only owned the vehicle for three weeks, and dealer claimed no responsibility.
Related recalls
Electrical system: ignition
- What is wrong
- The ignition switch could experience an internal short circuit.
- Risk
- This condition could cause overheating, smoke, and possibly fire in the steering column area of the vehicle.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the ignition switch.
Recall number 96V071000 · Recall details
Electrical system: ignition: anti-theft: control module
- What is wrong
- The roll pins securing the ignition lock in the steering column housing can separate or move out of position.
- Risk
- The ignition lock cylinder may disengage from thesteering column housing which could cause the steering column to lock up,resulting in loss of vehicle control and a possible accident.
- Remedy
- If one or both of the roll pins are missing or not fully inserted, the ignition lock housing will be replaced, along with the door-locks and the liftgate or deck-lid locks so that key compatibility is maintained. If both pins are present and fully inserted, a plastic snap-on sleeve will be installed as a precaution to prevent the roll pins from coming out.
Recall number 93V057000 · Recall details
Questions about the Ford Escort fire or smoke
Which Ford Escort years have fire, smoke or burning smell problems?
The model years with the most reports are 1997 (47 complaints), 1990 (33 complaints) and 1991 (28 complaints).
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