Faults:

New fuel pump at around 70,000 miles.

New struts around 150,000.

Front end work done just last summer (2006), my husband replaced everything.

General Comments:

This has been the best car I have ever owned. We bought it brand new with only 6 miles on it in 1993. The factory battery lasted for 8 years! Still, 14 years later, it runs great! It has approximately 188,000 miles on the engine and really hasn't had that many major repairs. When it hit 100,000 miles we wondered how much longer it would last. We have been amazed at the durability of this little 1.9L engine. It now gets about 32 miles per gallon which I think is great @ $3.39 per gallon for gas. I think the reason it has lasted so long is the simple fact that my husband has maintained it very well. Nothing but synthetic oil since the second oil change in this little jewel. We are now ready to buy a newer vehicle, but I will still keep my escort as my daily driver. I hope my next car holds up this well.

Faults:

Lets see, what has gone wrong with this car? It's easier to list the things that haven't gone wrong with this car. Here is a list of just a few things that have gone wrong with this car.

1: bad transmission/torque converter

2:brake caliper falling off the car

3:electrical system is fried

4:power seat belt on passenger side broke

5:radio shorted out.

General Comments:

This car is the slowest car I have ever had although the car don't handle all that bad.

The interior has just basic gauges and the seats feel like you're siting on blocks of concrete. this car is not suited for long distance driving.

Faults:

With increased mileage, the expected things have been replaced:

Timing Belt/Water Pump.

Clutch.

Rear Springs.

General Comments:

Bought this car for its low mileage - I just happened to buy it right before it's mid life maintenance period - timing belt, clutch, springs - major repairs, but worth it.

Had never owned a Ford before, good first experience.

I drove it from OH to NY 3 times in one summer without incident. (800+ miles each trip)

As most other Escort owners can tell you, the timing belt and clutch will probably need to be replaced sometime after 80,000 miles.

If you are a rough driver, as I am, be prepared to make the above repairs sooner than later, but once those major things have been replaced the car will basically be new again.

Suprisingly roomy, quiet, and fuel effecient (nearly 30 mpg even with A/C full blast.) The 1.9L SOHC engine won't win any races and the GT models feel much more powerful, but with a manual transmission the LX holds its own and combines the right mix of confidence and effiency.

Exterior is plain yet still looks fine after all this time - simple, handsome styling, not as rust prone as earlier models, and the car seems invisible and unnoticable to most.(Good for speeding past cops, bad for huge SUV's that pull out in front of you because they don't see you or don't care because the Escort is tiny.) Black trim on windows is peeling - most Escorts from this time have that same problem.

Interior is basic yet very comfortable for an older car of this class. Thoughtful lighting and convenience features make the LX seem almost posh for a subcompact class car - especially when compared to the Cavalier/Sunbird, Dodge Shadow or Nissan Sentra from the same year.

The more one reads about and asks owners about the Escort and its Mercury and Mazda counterparts, he or she will find that 100,000 miles is barely the halfway point for these cars.