1991 Ford Escort LX review from North America

Automatic front shoulder belt no longer functional. It would have been very expensive to fix, so I just disconnected it.

Gas gauge gave up at about 80,000 miles. Now I just use the trip reset on the odometer to know when to refuel.

Body rust is starting to become rather unsightly.

Factory sunroof has been leaking for a long time. It's now caulked shut.

Exhaust system torque tube rusted off at about 140,000 mile. New exhaust system cost about $100.

Water pump failed at 150,000 miles. The engine also was leaking oil at the front mail seal (near the water pump) so I had both fixed at the same time.

The car is about due for its second tune-up as the plug wires are arcing and the engine runs really rough in wet weather. A tune-up costs about $100-150.

Most of the serious problems I've had with the car didn't show up until well after 100,000 miles.

I got this car in 1994 as a college graduation present from my parents. I didn't expect to have it very long, as I planned to buy a more expensive vehicle when I started making money. Nine years and 115,000 miles later, this car is still going strong and is now my wife's everyday-to-work driver.

I have to admit that I haven't taken very good care of my Escort - neglected might be a good word. For the past several years, the Escort has been our "second" vehicle. A Mustang convertible and a Nissan Pathfinder have come and gone, but the Escort is still with us. We bought a brand new Saturn SL2 in 1998 and by 50,000 miles that car was starting to exhibit numerous creaks and thumps. Even at 12 years old, our Escort still feels as solid as a tank, even after being repaired from serious collision damage a few years ago.

The three-door hatchback has a surprising amount of cargo room when the back seat is folded down.

If the body holds together, I should be able to get another 50,000 miles out of my Escort.