1994 Ford Escort LX Wagon from North America - Comments

So far only very minor problems have occurred, beyond normal wear and tear.

After 4 years, the heat shield under the car losened up and started rattling. I got this fixed quickly and cheaply.

The passenger door lock (not power) occasionally sticks and the door can't be opened from the inside (may be due to locking myself out once and having to "slim-jim" the door...)

Car has always made a rattling sound (from in front of the dashboard somewhere) during acceleration. I've also noticed exactly this same noise in 2 other Fords, different models (rented... Taurus and Focus). Is this a Ford pattern?

Car delivers pretty big static shocks when you touch the body after getting out. Another Ford phenomenon.

Otherwise, nothing major has gone wrong yet. Overall it's been exceptionally reliable and cheap to maintain, although 45k miles is pretty low for a 7 year old car.

I'd recommend this to someone looking for a cheap and economical car, for short trips. I drove it on a 6 hour trip once and was absolutely miserable. Wind noise is too loud, and the car isn't terribly comfortable.

The wagon version (mine) is a Godsend. I've fit things in there (furniture, lumber... a whole bathroom door from Hope Depot) that logic says would never fit. I've moved 4 times using just that car. Thank God for wagons!

Overall the car is OK for normal driving. Acceleration is very low (car has only 88 horsepower... low even for a compact, although the '96 and above models were more powerful). Fuel economy is good, and maintenance costs have been minimal. It looks like this car may be driving for a very long time to come, and I'll probably keep it even after I buy my next car (hopefully in a year). Its utility as a wagon is wonderful.

That rattle in the dash is present in my Escort too, it's the black plastic trim that runs along the bottom of the wind shield. Stick a penny or 2 between the black plastic trim and the vinyl dash and it will stop the rattle! Bet ya Ford wouldn't fix the problem for 2 cents!!!

I've got a rattle in my Escort Wagon's dash too, Though I've heard from several others that in Fords and Mercurys the speedometer cable tends to come loose and rattles around a lot, so that is also a possibility. As for that static shock, I get that ALL the time, so much I now end up closing the door by pushing on the window. The only problem I've had with the car is my mechanical seat belt not working right anymore, plus blowing out the speakers :) It's been great for long and short trips, great gas mileage, and its still got some pep for a 4 cylinder.

I have not had as good an experience as the others. I've owned a 1994 Ford Escort Wagon since September 2001. I paid $4300 for it and since then I've put in $4500 worth of repairs. I don't know if I just got a bad car or if this is a problem with Fords in general (the last Ford I owned was also bad) but it has put me off them forever. I've replaced everything from the transmission to the wiring. I wouldn't recommend anyone buy this car.