The 1994 Ford Escort has 1 NHTSA recall campaign affecting an estimated 240 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 351 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the seat belts. Last updated July 5, 2026.
THE DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG MODULE CAN HAVE AN INADEQUATELY WELDED INFLATOR CANISTER.
IN THE EVENT OF A COLLISION, THE WELD SEAM CAN SEPARATE, CAUSING THE AIR BAG TO FAIL TO DEPLOY PROPERLY AND HOT GASES TO BE EXPELLED FROM THE BACK OF THE STEERING WHEEL. THIS CAN RESULT IN AN INCREASED RISK OF PERSONAL INJURY FROM THE HOT GASES AND THE AIR BAG FAILURE.
DEALERS WILL INSTALL A NEW AIR BAG MODULE.
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.
“Automatic seatbelt is jammed and seatbelt no longer works”
“1994 ford escort. Consumer writes in regards to passive restraint shoulder belt not working for a couple of years. *tgw the consumer stated the seat belt would intermittently stop at mid-track and bouncing the door against the hinge would get it to move. Two weeks ago, it stopped in the middle of…”
“Tl* the contact owns a 1994 ford escort. The contact stated that the air bag warning indicator illuminated on the instrument panel. The dealer and manufacturer were contacted and explained that the vehicle was not included in the recall associated with nhtsa campaign id number: 94v218000 (air…”
“Driver side automatic seat belt inoperative while the passenger side automatic seat belt remains operative. Nothing has been done to remedy this fault. *tr”
“Tl*the contact owns a 1994 ford escort. The contact was unable to start the vehicle when the key was inserted into the ignition. The instrument panel lights illuminated, however, the vehicle failed to start. The contact had to disconnect the battery in order to dim the instrument panel lights. The…”
“Tl*- the contact owns a 1994 ford escort. The driver side seatbelt isn't working properly when the door is closed. The driver's side seatbelt is jammed. The contact's seatbelt is motorized and when you close the door it retracts half way and is stuck, it wont move left or right. Seatbelt will not…”
“After we came home our car locked into park, it would not move. When my husband removed the cover , the spring inside is totally screwed up. It would be fatal if this locked up while on the highway. We have two kids this it a ford safety issue. This is the second time this has happened.*jb”
“I have a 1994 ford escort station wagon, the driver side retractable seat belt failed and will not work. *nm”
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 1994 Ford Escort as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.