1992 Ford Escort LX review from North America
"Economic reliable car that died too soon"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Replace brakes every 40k miles.
Brake lines blew out from rust at about 110k miles (or 10 years)
Rust on hatchback lid.
Rust around right rear wheel well.
Appears dead at 115k miles -- won't start, as if transmission is not in park. Last week, same problem and it started after shoving the shift lever forward. Now transmission appears locked; suspect it could cost more to fix than car is worth now.
Something else broke in front suspension at about 70k miles; don't recall exactly what it was, but the mechanics needed a torch to cut it out and in the process they burned a hole in air conditioning line.
General comments?
It handled great in the snow.
It ran so reliably I expected to get more service out of it; disappointed by the apparent sudden death.
I thought it handled well.
Was pleasantly surprised by top speeds on freeway -- pinned speedometer on occasions.
Comfortable even driving 20 hours straight (cross-country) ; could have been better with cruise-control.
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| First year of ownership | 1994 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2003 |
| Engine and transmission | 1.8 Automatic |
| Performance marks | 8/10 |
| Reliability marks | 9/10 |
| Comfort marks | 7/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 7/10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 9/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 5000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 115000 miles |
| Previous car | Toyota 4x4 |
| Date of Entry | 14th August, 2003 |