1987 Ford Escort: recalls and complaints

NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for the 1987 Ford Escort. The newest campaign is 89V170000. NHTSA received the report on 13 Oct 1989. The NHTSA record gives the component Seats. NHTSA has 56 complaints on file for this model year. 7 NHTSA investigations name this model year.

The NHTSA recall file shows no do-not-drive advisory and no park-outside advisory on these campaigns.

This page cannot show if a recall applies to one vehicle. The NHTSA VIN lookup shows the unrepaired recalls of one vehicle.

Remedy of the newest campaign, 89V170000, in the NHTSA record

Install a reinforcement on all models and a new seat track as necessary

NHTSA VIN lookup

Complaint information entered into NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation vehicle owner's complaint database is used with other data sources to identify safety issues that warrant investigation and to determine if a safety-related defect trend exists.
NHTSA publishes these words. Source: NHTSA Datasets and APIs, section Complaints, read on 1 Oct 2026. Complaint file through 29 Mar 2018. Recall file through 29 Sep 2026.

Since the last update

No tracked figure of this page changed in a data update. What the log tracks

All updates to the register

Recall campaigns

3 campaigns, newest first. 4,975,850 units in total.

89V170000Received 13 Oct 1989. 1,375,500 units.
Seats
Defect, in the NHTSA record
The forward outboard pedestal of the seat track of driver's seat may be susceptible to fatigue fracture.
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
This could result in a limited degree of rocking motionof the drivers seat assembly upon acceleration or deceleration, which couldcause an accident.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Install a reinforcement on all models and a new seat track as necessary
Report filed by FORD MOTOR COMPANY. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 13 Nov 1989.
87V139000Received 4 Sep 1987. 3,600,000 units.
Fuel System, Gasoline / Delivery / Hoses, Lines/Piping, and Fittings
Defect, in the NHTSA record
Spring lock fuel line coupling may not be properly engaged.
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
Coupling could disengage due to fuel pressure,vibration, and engine movements; this would cause loss of fuel which, inpresence of an ignition source, creates a fire risk.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Install retainer clips over the couplings to prevent coupling separation and fuel leakage.
Report filed by FORD MOTOR COMPANY. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 12 Oct 1987.
87V060000Received 27 Apr 1987. 350 units.
Wheels / Lugs/Nuts/Bolts/Studs
Defect, in the NHTSA record
Lug nuts could gall and possibly seize on the wheel studs without providing adequate clamping load on the wheels.
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
Wheel studs could fracture creating a risk of a wheelseparating with little forewarning.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Replace wheel lug nuts and if necessary, replace wheels and wheel studs.
Report filed by FORD MOTOR COMPANY.

The campaign number opens the NHTSA record. Each quotation is the text of the NHTSA recall file.

Recall campaign: One recall in the NHTSA recall file, with one campaign number. A campaign can name many makes, models and model years.

Units: The number of vehicles or products that a recall can include. The manufacturer or the firm reports the number to the agency.

Complaints by component

56 complaints, 65 component mentions.

A complaint can name more than one component. Each component that a complaint names is one component mention. The figure per 1,000 component mentions shows how many of each 1,000 mentions name the component.

1987 Ford Escort
All 1987 vehicles

1987 Ford Escort: complaints by component, per 1,000 component mentions
Component	1987 Escort	All 1987 vehicles	Escort, all years	Mentions
Electrical System	476.9	150.7	174.1	31
Engine and Engine Cooling	215.4	146.2	110.3	14
Steering	46.2	60.3	34.4	3
Suspension	46.2	21.6	62	3
Seat Belts	46.2	116.4	130.6	3
Fuel System, Gasoline	46.2	116.4	77.9	3
Wheels	30.8	9	3.8	2
Seats	30.8	24.2	16.1	2
Equipment	30.8	17.5	13.9	2
Power Train	15.4	62.7	64.2	1

The table shows the 10 components with the most mentions, of 11.

Complaints that report a crash: 1
Complaints that report a fire: 26
Injuries in the complaints: 6
Deaths in the complaints: 0
Date of the newest complaint: 18 Jun 2009

These figures are the entries of the persons who sent the complaints.

Complaint: A report about a possible safety problem that a person sends to NHTSA. This site shows the number of complaints and not their text.

Complaints about the 1987 Ford Escort, by the year NHTSA received them. The largest year is 1996, with 29 complaints.

Investigations

NHTSA investigations that name the 1987 Ford Escort
Number	Type	Subject	Component	Opened	Closed
PE91025	Preliminary evaluation	FUEL PUMP FAILURE	Vehicle Speed Control / Linkages	17 Dec 1990	10 Apr 1991
PE90063	Preliminary evaluation	SAFETY BELT D-RING	Seat Belts	21 Mar 1990	31 Jul 1990
EA90008	Engineering analysis	FAILED PASSIVE RESTRAINT	Seat Belts	27 Dec 1989	31 Dec 1991
PE89143	Preliminary evaluation	PASSIVE BELT FAILURE	Seat Belts	18 Jul 1989	27 Dec 1989
EA88038	Engineering analysis	REAR SAFETY BELT FIT	Seat Belts / Rear/Other	29 Aug 1988	11 May 1990
PE88046	Preliminary evaluation	HEADLAMP SWITCH FAILURE	Exterior Lighting	15 Apr 1988	11 Jul 1988
DP88007	Defect petition	REAR SEAT BELT COMPLIANCE	Seat Belts / Rear/Other	11 Jan 1988	24 Aug 1988

Investigation: A study of a possible safety defect by the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. An investigation with no closing date in the NHTSA file is open.

Other model years

The number under each year is the number of recall campaigns.

A year without a link has fewer than 2 campaigns and fewer than 25 complaints. It has no page.

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Official channels

NHTSA VIN lookupNHTSA shows the unrepaired recalls of one vehicle from its VIN or its license plate.
NHTSA: report a safety problemThe NHTSA form for a complaint about a vehicle, a tire, a child seat or equipment.
NHTSA page of the 1987 Ford EscortThe recalls, the complaints and the investigations that NHTSA shows for this model year.

Cite this page

Recall Register. 1987 Ford Escort: recalls and complaints. https://recallregister.com/vehicle/ford/escort/1987/. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, recall, complaint and investigation files. Data through 29 Sep 2026.

Sources

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Licence: US government work, public domain
Recall file through: 29 Sep 2026
Complaint file through: 29 Mar 2018
First complaint in the file: 1 Jan 1995
Manufacturer in the recall file: FORD MOTOR COMPANY

The NHTSA record is the authority. A complaint count is the number of different complaint numbers for the make, the model and the model year. How the register is made. Report an error.

Questions

How many units are in the recall campaigns for the 1987 Ford Escort?: 4,975,850 units in 3 campaigns. A campaign can name other models and model years, and its units include them.
How many recall campaigns does the Ford Escort have for all model years?: NHTSA lists 35 recall campaigns for the Ford Escort, model years 1981 to 2003. 3 of them name the 1987 model year.
Which component do the complaints about the 1987 Ford Escort name most often?: Electrical System: 31 of 65 component mentions, or 476.9 per 1,000. For all 1987 vehicles the figure is 150.7 per 1,000.
Is an NHTSA investigation of the 1987 Ford Escort open?: No. Each of the 7 investigations that name this model year has a closing date in the NHTSA file.