1998 Ford Escort Air Bags:frontal Problems

NHTSA component category: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL · data through 07/12/2026

59Air Bags:frontal complaints

15.7%Of all 375 complaints

#1Most-reported category

Source: U.S. NHTSA complaint data. Complaints are unverified reports from vehicle owners — a complaint is not a confirmed defect.

How air bags:frontal ranks on this vehicle

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL59 · 15.7%

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE26 · 6.9%

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION24 · 6.4%

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM19 · 5.1%

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE15 · 4%

Share of the 375 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 1998 Ford Escort overview page.

What owners report

“WHILE TRAVELING AT 50 TO 55 MPH VEHICLE HIT A TREE HEAD-ON, AND NEITHER AIR BAG DEPLOYED. FORD HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED.”NHTSA complaint 867814 — filed 08/15/2000

“CONSUMER HAS CAR TO DEALER 6 TIMES FOR A LOOSE AIRBAG, CONSUMER SAYS IT JIGGLES A LOT WHEN DRIVING DOWN THE STREET BECAUSE THE PANEL…”NHTSA complaint 864763 — filed 07/05/2000

“WHEN VEHICLE REAR ENDED A SUV WHILE TRAVELING AT 45 MPH, THERE WAS NO DEPLOYMENT OF DRIVER'S SIDE OR PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAGS. PLEASE PROVIDE…”NHTSA complaint 859388 — filed 03/29/2000

Excerpts are shortened and scrubbed of personal details; they are individual, unverified reports.

Air Bags:frontal complaints by year filed

Frequently asked questions

Does the 1998 Ford Escort have air bags:frontal problems?

Air Bags:frontal is the most-reported problem area on the 1998 Ford Escort: 59 of 375 complaints on file (15.7%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.

How many complaints does the 1998 Ford Escort have in total?

375 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/12/2026. Across all categories, 84 involved a crash, 11 involved a fire, 78 reported injuries, and 1 reported deaths.

What does NHTSA's air bags:frontal category include?

NHTSA assigns each complaint to standard component categories; this page reports the AIR BAGS:FRONTAL category exactly as NHTSA defines and records it.

About this data — Complaint figures on this page are consumer reports submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a U.S. government agency. NHTSA does not verify individual complaints; a complaint is not proof that a defect exists, and counts reflect what owners chose to report, not confirmed failure rates. Recall information comes from official NHTSA safety recall campaigns; recall repairs are free at authorized dealers. Always check your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. CarModelProblems.com is an independent site and is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. Data through 07/12/2026.