AI Damage1999 Ford ZX2 (escort): common problems
Owners of the 1999 Ford ZX2 (escort) filed 15 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and cooling and powertrain. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 15
- involving a crash
- 3
What fails most often
- 1 Engine and cooling 40% of all complaints
- 2 Powertrain 20% of all complaints
- 3 Air bags 13% of all complaints
- 4 Visibility 13% of all complaints
- 5 Electrical system 7% of all complaints
- 6 Equipment 7% of all complaints
- 7 Exterior lighting 7% of all complaints
- 8 Fuel/propulsion system 7% of all complaints
- Engine and cooling: 6 complaints (40% of all).
- Powertrain: 3 complaints (20% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Air bags: 2 complaints (13% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Visibility: 2 complaints (13% of all).
- Electrical system: 1 complaints (7% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 15 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and cooling | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Air bags | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Visibility | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Hit frout end at air bag sencers thay did not deployed copps said thay sould of my feainca has bruiseing to chest wall and pulled muscials in his neck
The design of passenger side airbag cover breaks front windshield on escort zx2's. The cover flips up when it could flip down without damaging the windshield. Every zx2 I've seen or heard about where airbags deployed has had to have windshield replaced. A real money maker for dealerships or glass shops.
While driving on a state route road,going up a hill in third gear and shifting into fourth gear, vehicle suddenly turned into a 360 degree angle and landed in a ditch. Didn't contact dealer. Was told that the unibody was crooked. Car had been back about 1 week later.
Control module procedures ok. So if there is a programming procedure if it fails you have the nerve to then tell me your going to charge me 50 dollars to tell me the procedure let me calm down. Your kidding right.
I was out driving the other day, and I heard something dragging on the ground, I pulled over to check, and upon inspection, found that the fuel tank support straps had rusted out, one of them so badly that it had split in two, and the other is close to failure.
Tl contact owns a 1999 ford escort zx2. While driving 65 mpg the cruise control failed and the speedometer fluctuated. Approximately 30 seconds later the speedometer became steady then completely failed and went to zero. The contact stated the horn also failed. The current and mileages were 130,788 miles.
1999 ford zx2, rough idle and vibration. Took to mechanic to check why it was idling so rough, could not diagnose the problem. Found tsb 031515, which says that the bushings on the engine mount were defective. Ford replaced the defective mount in cars made after mine was bought. Repair cost approximately $400.
My son's cooper tire separated at the point where the sidewall meets the tread while he was traveling on the highway, causing him to swerve and run off the road. Both he and I checked the tire and saw no puncture.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 9,288 of 36,659 model years in the NHTSA data (top 25% most complained about).
On average one model year of the ZX2 (escort) has 11 complaints (6 years in the data). This year has 15, above average.
What to check before buying
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Visibility. Wipers, mirrors, defrosters, cracked glass.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1999 Ford ZX2 (escort)?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine and cooling, powertrain, air bags. Total complaints: 15. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: vibration (20%), brake failure (7%), engine failure or replacement (7%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1999 Ford ZX2 (escort)?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 1999 Ford ZX2 (escort) from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 1999 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-06.