Model year record

1985 Ford Escort

3 recall campaigns on file for this model year. 31 owner complaints on file.

Recalls

Recall campaignNHTSA 89V170000

Seats

Component
Seats
Manufacturer
FORD MOTOR COMPANY
Vehicles affected
1,375,500
Reported to NHTSA
1989-10-13
Owners notified
1989-11-13

Defect description

THE FORWARD OUTBOARD PEDESTAL OF THE SEAT TRACK OF DRIVER'S SEAT MAY BE SUSCEPTIBLE TO FATIGUE FRACTURE.

Safety risk

THIS COULD RESULT IN A LIMITED DEGREE OF ROCKING MOTIONOF THE DRIVERS SEAT ASSEMBLY UPON ACCELERATION OR DECELERATION, WHICH COULDCAUSE AN ACCIDENT.

Manufacturer remedy

INSTALL A REINFORCEMENT ON ALL MODELS AND A NEW SEAT TRACK AS NECESSARY

Recall campaignNHTSA 89V095000

Engine and engine cooling: engine

Component
Engine and engine cooling: engine
Manufacturer
FORD MOTOR COMPANY
Vehicles affected
481,049
Reported to NHTSA
1989-06-12
Owners notified
1989-07-19

Defect description

EXTERNAL CRACKS ABOVE THE NUMBER 3 CYLINDER (1984 MODELS) OR ROCKER ARM COVER GASKETS SPLITTING (1985 MODELS) COULD ALLOW OIL TO LEAK ONTO THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD.

Safety risk

ENGINE OIL LEAKING ONTO A HOT EXHAUST MANIFOLD COULDRESULT IN AN ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE.

Manufacturer remedy

REPLACE CRACKED CYLINDER HEADS (1984 MODELS); REPLACE ROCKER ARM COVER GASKETS (1985 MODELS).

Recall campaignNHTSA 85V054000

Vehicle speed control

Component
Vehicle speed control
Manufacturer
FORD MOTOR COMPANY
Vehicles affected
10,000
Reported to NHTSA
1985-05-01

Defect description

THE THROTTLE LEVER MAY NOT RETURN TO IDLE POSITION DUE TO MISALIGNMENT OF THE AIR CONDITIONER SHUT OFF SWITCH TO THE THROTTLE LEVER PIN. CONSEQUENCE OF DEFECT: A JAMMED THROTTLE COULD RESULT IN A LOSS OF ACCELERATOR CONTROL, WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING, AND AN ACCIDENT.

Manufacturer remedy

ADJUST SHUTOFF SWITCH AND ASSURE PROPER ALIGNMENT TO THROTTLE LEVER PIN.

Owner complaints

A complaint is one person's report to a federal agency. It is not a finding.

ComponentComplaintsMedian mileage
Electrical system: ignition: switch5
Engine and engine cooling: engine: gasoline3
Electrical system: wiring: front underhood2
Fuel system, gasoline2
Seat belts: front: anchorage2
Seats2
Air bags: frontal1
Electrical system: ignition1
Electrical system: ignition: module1
Electrical system: wiring: interior/under dash1
Engine and engine cooling: cooling system1
Engine and engine cooling: engine175,000 mi
Exterior lighting: headlights1
Fuel system, gasoline: fuel injection system1
Fuel system, other1
Parking brake1
Power train: automatic transmission1
Power train: automatic transmission: park/neutral start interlock switch1
Power train: manual transmission1
Seat belts: front: buckle assembly1
Visibility: windshield1

The 1984 model has roughly the same number of complaints as this one. The 1986 model has about half as many complaints as this one. These figures reflect raw complaint counts, not failure rates. Higher-selling model years naturally receive more complaints.

Safety recall repairs are provided free of charge by franchised dealers, regardless of vehicle age or mileage. This page displays aggregated data for the model year. To check recall status for a specific vehicle, search its VIN at nhtsa.gov.