Faults:

1) Timing belt went at around 85,000

2) Check coolant light malfunctioned

3) Gas Gage sensor malfunctioned

4) Catalytic Converter heat shield fell off at around 15000, then again at 90000

5) A random clanking noise coming from the driver side front tire. Ford Dealership couldn't figure out what it was coming from.

6) The trunk of my hatchback leaked after 1,000 miles. Ford "fixed" it, which lasted until the next time it rained. When I went back to get it looked at for the 2nd time, they said that that was all they could do. They then suggested that I drill holes in the bottom of the wheel well and 2 other places.

General Comments:

Essentially, the only good thing that I have to say about this car is that within about a minute of starting up, both the heat and the air conditioning come up fast enough to the point where its effecting the temperature in the car.

As someone who is over 6 feet tall, there is definitely not enough legroom for anyone who is over about 5 foot 7 inches tall. Including if the seat is pushed all the way back and tilted generously.

The speakers for the stereo sounded OK for about a week.

I've heard a few people talking about how they've owned older models of the escort, and saying how happy they were with it and how many miles they've put on it. If this is true then ford must have thrown their standards out the window when they made the 1995 LX model.

Faults:

The only real problem I have had is a water pump failure.

The other piece that broke was the seat belt clip on the drivers side. So what.

General Comments:

The maintenance schedule has been followed almost to the letter.

Oil changes have been done at 5000 mile intervals with tire rotation at 10K. It has not used any oil since day one.

The car was totaled once when an Explorer hit me doing 45 while I was stopped. Despite the damage even the rear window did not break!

It is in the shop now because it has started to leak a few drops of transmission fluid. No complaint though I have over 250K miles on it!!

Faults:

My rear defroster button does not stay in, and needs to be held in by either the passenger or a piece of paper wedged in there somehow.

Recently the hood latch has become temperamental and the hood refused to open due to blockage. However, it was able to be fixed.

General Comments:

This car is reliable and no major problems have occurred.

The interior is comfortable.

The temperature controls are simple to use and very efficient and make the car very comfortable. The defroster is quick to clear the windshield as well.

Faults:

Replaced clutch 3 times within 70000 miles of driving. Dealer told me not to "ride the clutch." If you drive in a big, congested, stop-and-go city, how do you avoid this?

Body pan bent inward at correct Ford-specified jacking points. Mechanic told me to use the base of the steering knuckles for jacking, which works. Like all cars today, even the metal under the body is so thin you can almost see through it.

Engine and body vibrates with lots of noise at 2500+ rpm. Road noise and tire noise add to this and make it impossible to conduct a conversation with a passenger.

Engine now has a mysterious misfire that is increasing to cover the entire rpm range. Ford dealer cannot find the cause, and charged me $100 to look at it.

General Comments:

My 1995 Ford Escort LX has been well maintained all of its life. The body and paint are really nice, and even the driver's seat is tear-free. The custom alloy wheels are beautiful. The oil was changed every 3000 miles. But, I cannot sell it to anyone because of the incurable misfire problem. Two used car dealers offered me $200-250 for it. One dealer said the engine was too "rough" to make an offer. This Escort is ready for the junk yard.