Ford Escort won't start problems

Filed Mar 17, 2008 · Electrical · 98,000 miles · NY

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford focus. For one month, the key didn't fit into the ignition and when it was in the ignition, it would not turn. Due to the failure, the vehicle will not start. As of march 16, 2008, the vehicle will no longer start. The vehicle will be towed to the dealer to be diagnosed. The current and failure mileages were 98,000.

Filed Apr 10, 2006 · Electrical · OR

My patient had gone to his dialysis appointment and when he got back into the car and turned the key it would not start. He waited for a bit and tried it again and it started. As he was driving home, the car just shut off. He had some people help push it around the corner and called me to get it towed to his house. When I arrived at the vehicle I tried it and it seemed as though it had a dead battery. I called aaa to come give me a jump and waited for an hour. When they aaa got there and got out of their truck, they got in the drivers seat and turned the key and it started right up with no jump. We took a look at the ignition when we got home and turned the key and it was sticking but it turned on. I was having the car brought into a shop to get it checked out and it died again. When tried to restart the pin in the end of the ignition snapped off and the car wouldn't start. I ended up having it towed to the shop and they replaced the ignition. Over the course of the last 9 months the ignition has started doing it again. I was told that it was the alternator at first but after it was replaced found out that it wasn't that. It over charges the battery and has serious power surges and then just dies like nothing while driving down the street. This has happened on various occasions and now it just wont start at all. I know it isn't the battery, starter or alternator. I believe it to be the ignition switch. The started doesn't engage when you turn the key but all the power comes on.

Filed Sep 3, 2005 · Electrical · 67,000 miles · 00

After exiting highway from a 20 mile trip, the idle on the vehicle became rough when stopped. The best description was that the idle started to surge and pulse with the brake engaged and the vehicle fully stopped. Just prior to pulling into driveway (less than a mile from highway) the radio and ventilation system began to cut in and out. Upon parking the vehicle, the battery was dead and the vehicle would not start. One hour later, vehicle was started, dashboard battery light was on, idle became rough and pulsed close to a stall.

Filed Jun 29, 2005 · Electrical · CA

Dt: the contact owns a 1995 ford escort lx. She has had a lot of problems with some of the problems involved the electrical system. When she touched the car it would shock her, especially while touching the medal side of the car, and could hear the sound of it shock her. Also, could smell some type of chemical in the vehicle, and the service department told her that they could not find anything. Because of the electrical system problem it could be the spark plugs, balancing of the car. Since she has had the vehicle she could not use the alarm system because it wore out the battery. There was vibration in the car sometimes it would not start. These problems occurred even the first week after she purchased the vehicle.

Filed Oct 27, 2004 · Electrical · 54,000 miles · UT

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.

Filed Aug 31, 2004 · Electrical · 8,000 miles · WI

The battery cable broke off and the consumer was unable to start the vehicle unless she taped the cable in place. The vehicle was taken to ford and the consumer was told that the part was no longer available. *ak the consumer was driving the vehicle when the engine shut off. There was a special grounding wire from the computer to the cable post wire. The consumer was concerned with the fact that the grounding wire was not connected to the frame instead of the battery and suggested that without this bracket harness wire, the vehicle would not start. *sc

Filed Sep 17, 2003 · Airbags · MN

Consumer called complaining about having problems with the vehicle having electrical problems. The vehicle was taken into a dealer and stayed over night. The consumer went to pick up the car and when he got in the car it would not start. The mechanic told him to get into the vehicle. When he started it he realized that the air bag light was on. He was told to pump the gas pedal at which time both frontal air bags deployed. The manufacturer was contacted, as well as the dealer, and told consumer that it was caused for after market products that were install in the vehicle.

Filed Sep 3, 2003 · Electrical · 39,786 miles · OH

The car starts fine when cold. After driving to town sometimes won't start right off,sometimes it does. Mostof the time I have to try and try.some times when it does start it revs up then dies. Then try to start again, sometime the same thing sometime will start. When started it runs just fine.

Filed Sep 13, 2002 · Electrical · MI

The key was put into the ignition but the vehicle would not start, the ignition remained locked. Nlm

Filed Jul 8, 2001 · Fuel system · MA

The fuel pump shorted while driving the vehicle. Smoke came out of the dasboard when driving, and the vehicle stalled and would not start. Later investigation by the mechanic showed the fuel pump caused an electrical short, causing the wiring to overheat because ford did not put a fuse in the power lines to the fuel pump. The fuel connections inside the gas tank were melted and could have caused an explosion. The entire wiring harnes to the fuel pump melted because of the electrical short and needs to be completly replaced. I'm appauled that there is no fuse or circuit breaker to prevent such a dangerous hazard. None of the fuses in the fuse block were blown. Tracing the wiring from the fuel pupm shows that it completely bypasses the fuse block. The fuel cut-off switch never tripped, nor does it seem to be designed to address electrical shorts to the pump. This design poses serious threats to life, as an electrical short can cause an explosion in the fuel tank. My family feels lucky to be alive. I have replaced the fuel pump, and now am trying to replace the wiring harness. This was the original fuel pump as the rust around the pump seals indicates. I'm holding on to the pump to show the melted connections which indicate a potential explosion hazard as well as the melted wiring connections/connector and wires to the pump.