1998 Ford Escort SE review from North America
"The Ford Escort has never let me down, it still starts and goes anywhere after three accidents"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
The brake system is in my opinion cheap, but the Escort is an inexpensive car.
The door and trim panels do not like to be removed more than two or three times. I have had to remove mine many times for car audio and security wiring, also for vandalism repair and sound deadening with Dynamat Extreme.
General comments?
For the price you can't beat the Ford Escort. It can compete with the Honda's and other comparable foriegn cars with no problem.
The Escort that I drive has been in three accidents, one before I purchased it and two that were my fault. Both accidents were slow speed (approx 5 mph.). the first accident required replacing the hood, bumper cover, bumper support, header panel, a/c condenser, radiator, a/c accumulator, and a little tweaking of the uni-body metal. The second accident required replacing all of the above minus the hood, and radiator. I haven't decided if I will fix the beast this time due to me wanting a truck and the local unavailability of the bumper support.
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| First year of ownership | 2000 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2003 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.0L Automatic |
| Performance marks | 8/10 |
| Reliability marks | 10/10 |
| Comfort marks | 7/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 5/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 52000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 79000 miles |
| Previous car | Chevrolet Monte Carlo |
| Date of Entry | 13th May, 2003 |