There are suspension problems. I had the front struts replaced, but the back ones need replacing too (struts are very expensive to replace). It cost me over $200.00 for the front two.
LXE's have 4 disc brakes all around the car (expensive if you take it in to have it fixed). I had to have new brake pads and rotors for the front. The back brakes are wearing down also.
I have a crack in the windshield that is slowly working its way up the windshield.
If I hit the brakes too hard when stopping, the car dies.
I had a $150.00 tune-up awhile back. Dealer couldn't find anything wrong with the car or motor.
Sometimes the manual transmission won't go into reverse gear (I find that if you place it in neutral, let the clutch out, then put back in reverse, that will work).
The rubber seal in the driver's window causes the window to not want to roll up.
I haven't seen any LXE reviews. These cars are rare! An LXE is an Escort GT and a four-door Escort put together in one package. I have the GT motor, which has 127 horsepower. I also have four doors, which is nice when moving people around. This is a great family car that packs a punch.
This car has four struts and four disc brakes. The only other types of cars with these features, are usually high- end cars (BMW, Mercedes, etc.).
My car is a dark navy blue, with a gray interior. People are surprised when I tell them that this car is from 1992 (I've noticed that Escorts from 1991 to 1995 look identical).
Driving position is great. The controls are where they should be. This is a great car. It runs great. I commute to work, which is a 30 mile drive one way. I travel over bumpy roads, highways, winding roads, and through the city. I get on average 30 MPG.
I have one complaint about Fords before 1995. The odometers on these cars don't display the sixth digit. I have no idea how many miles are really on the car! I got this car used from a dealer auction. The odometer read 74,000. I have now reached 90,000. I either have low mileage or high mileage. In any case, it runs great! Doesn't leak or burn any oil. Just keeps running.
The problem with the '92 Escort not shifting into reverse; This is not unusual. I have one too; look in the owners manual and it says to shift into neutral for about 3 seconds before going into reverse. I do this and I don't have any problems with it.
I'm about to buy a '92 Escort LX-E with 160K miles on it. The story is that Granny has been driving it for a couple years as a grocery-getter, and that's all. It's super clean inside. From my test drive I could only surmise a couple things I'll need to put into it to make it a daily driver: new brakes and new tires. It also kinda seemed to idle low, so possibly a fuel pump? I really don't know much about cars, but I feel pretty good about this one. We'll see! Wish me luck! If anyone would like to give me any pointers, you can email me at (minus the % signs, hiding from spambots :) ) sold%it%on%CL%@%gmail (dot) %com%
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