1998 Ford Escort SE from North America - Comments

Struts were bad when I bought the car. I have yet to replace them.

I performed a complete tune-up at 105000.

I flushed the transmission fluid at 105000.

Drivers side caliper seized up at 110000.

Thermostat went out at 115000. I replaced the upper and lower radiator hoses, thermostat, timing belt and water pump as preventative maintenance. I did it myself so it only cost $300 total instead of $1000 at a garage.

Pre-cat oxygen sensor went out at 118000.

My #1 cylinder has fouled out a spark plug, but I have yet to determine the cause.

I used to have a 93 Honda Civic lx 5spd that would get better than 40 mpg MIXED DRIVING CITY AND HIGHWAY. That was a tough act to follow. My Escort barely holds a candle to that miser. She would be a great car if little things didn't keep going wrong. I understand that brakes and thermostats and oxygen sensors are all so common that they can be considered general maintenance, however the fact that they are all breaking on me within a short time makes me question my car's overall reliability. I love the gas mileage. I can get 30-40 on the highway and 20-30 city. The seats are not comfortable at all after more than 2 hours of constant driving. Everything feels cheaply made and paper thin. I'm afraid to drive it hard because it doesn't have the solid feel of some more expensive compact cars. I would seriously have to think long and hard before purchasing another Ford product. I love working on my car, but should I have to be in the garage every other week for something stupid?

Uh, Hello... the car had over 100k on it when you bought it. It is probable that the previous owner neglected the maintenance on this car.

Or simply that is is an American economy car with over 100k miles on it. These Escorts have a general reputation for being quite reliable and long lasting. Just look at the reviews. The ZX2 is another story.

It also sounds like poor part quality, try premium parts and maybe you won't have to replace them all the time.