Your vehicle report
1992 Ford Escort
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 162
- Received Jan 1995 to Jun 2022
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline24 complaints · 15% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Seat belt fails to latch or retract21 complaints · 13% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Vehicle catches fire from wiring21 complaints · 13% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #92V117000Fatigue cracks can develop in the solder joint between the fuel return tube and the fuel pump sending unit located at the top of the fuel tank.
- Recall #92V103000The stop lamp switches could intermittently malfunction resulting in the stop lamps not illuminating when the brakes are applied.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 7 crashes, 17 fires, 10 people injured, 1 death.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 15 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 28 |
| 1996 | 34 |
| 1997 | 23 |
| 1998 | 16 |
| 1999 | 18 |
| 2000 | 16 |
| 2001 | 6 |
| 2002 | 6 |
| 2003 | 4 |
| 2004 | 3 |
| 2005 | 2 |
| 2006 | 3 |
| 2007 | 0 |
| 2008 | 1 |
| 2009 | 1 |
| 2010 | 0 |
| 2011 | 0 |
| 2012 | 0 |
| 2013 | 0 |
| 2014 | 0 |
| 2015 | 0 |
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 162 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline | 24 | 15% | – | NHTSA recall #92V117000 |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 21 | 13% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 21 | 13% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 10 | 6.2% | – | |
| Electronic throttle body fails and cuts power | 8 | 4.9% | – | |
| Ignition key sticks or will not turn | 7 | 4.3% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 4 | 2.5% | – | |
| Coil springs break and puncture tires | 3 | 1.8% | – | |
| Fuel pump fails and engine stalls | 3 | 1.8% | – | |
| Manual clutch wears out or fails early | 3 | 1.8% | – | |
| Steering wanders or pulls at highway speed | 3 | 1.8% | – | |
| Head gasket leaks coolant into engine | 3 | 1.8% | – | |
| Brake lights fail or stay on | 3 | 1.8% | – | NHTSA recall #92V103000 |
| Brakes fail intermittently or repeatedly | 3 | 1.8% | – | |
| Transmission fails or loses power while driving | 3 | 1.8% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #92V117000August 19, 199222,000 vehicles affected
fuel system, gasoline
Fatigue cracks Can develop in the solder joint between the fuel return tube and the fuel pump sending unit located at the top of the fuel tank.
Should a crack develop, fuel vapor Can escape from thetank when the tank is full, and a small amount of fuel Can leak from the crack.fuel leaks Can result in fire when exposed to a source of ignition.
Remedy
Install a new fuel pump sending assembly.
NHTSA recall #92V103000July 13, 199243,000 vehicles affected
exterior lighting: brake lights: switch
The stop lamp switches could intermittently malfunction resulting in the stop lamps not illuminating when the brakes are applied.
This could result in following motorists not beingsignaled that the vehicle is braking, and could result in a collision.
Remedy
Replace the faulty stop lamp switches.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 1992 Ford Escort.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN