2000 Ford Escort Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe transmission trouble — slipping, delayed or harsh shifts, and complete failures at relatively low mileage — followed by air bag non-deployment in crashes and belt-tensioner and buckle problems. A recurring pattern in the engine-cooling group is a broken serpentine belt or idler pulley that takes out the water pump housing and other accessories, and several complaints describe rough running or vibration that dealers struggled to diagnose.

1. 1
   Air bags

   Air bags that did not deploy or deployed abnormally

   • 17 complaints (17%)
   • median 82,192 mi at 6.0 yrs old (4 state mileage, few)
   • 17 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2000–2015

   Owners describe crashes at moderate speed — front-end, side and rear impacts — in which the front air bags did not deploy, and passengers struck the windshield or steering wheel. A few reports describe bags that deployed partially, with one owner reporting flames from the driver-side bag and another describing an unusually forceful deployment that resulted in facial and chest injuries. Several note the air bag warning light was not on beforehand. Reported at a wide range of mileages, from low mileage to beyond 150,000 miles, and in varied crash conditions.

   What to check: Check that the air bag warning light comes on briefly at start-up and then goes out; a light that stays on or never illuminates warrants a diagnostic scan. Ask whether the air bags have ever been serviced or replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My daughter hydroplaned and was slung into a guard rail. On impact two seatbelts popped open. The airbags opened but didn't prevent the driver and passenger from hitting the windshield. I thought airbags were supposed to prevent people from hitting the windshield.”

   NHTSA complaint #762190, filed 2002-05

   “I had an accident in east grand forks, minnesota on 02/28/06 I was going north on 5th ave n.e. And t-boned the other vehicle traveling westbound on 10th st n.e. They failed to stop at a stop sign. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10152000, filed 2006-03
2. 2
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Transmission slipping, harsh shifting or failure

   • 15 complaints (15%)
   • median 59,563 mi at 3.8 yrs old (12 state mileage)
   • filed 2000–2016

   Complaints describe the automatic transmission slipping, hesitating between gears, shifting harshly, or failing outright, in some cases with the car moving in Park or Reverse or refusing to engage second gear without manual shifting. Several owners report replacements or rebuilds, one as early as roughly 40,000 miles, and some say they were told by the dealer the repair would not be covered once the vehicle was past warranty. A few describe fluid loss after a coolant line clamp came apart, leaving the transmission low on fluid. Most reports fall between about 36,000 and 90,000 miles, with a few at higher mileage.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Drive the car cold and hot through every gear, watching for delayed or harsh engagement, and check transmission fluid level and color. Ask whether the fluid and filter were ever serviced and whether any transmission work was done.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The transmission on my 2000 Ford Escort zx2 has gone bad. I took it to a Ford dealership and they told me that they have experienced this problem before and that it can occur from 15,000 miles+. The problem is that the 2 bands that control the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th gears have broke. And it is going to cost me at least $1,000 to fix it.”

   NHTSA complaint #10036655, filed 2003-08, 88,000 miles

   “The first defect is about the shifting gears light. I can not see the shifting gears at night unless I turn the car's light on or sometimes I use a light app to see them. This is because the shifting gears don't show up on the screen and also there's no LED lights for the shifting gears the other problem I want to report is that these cars have always had loud noises and I am suspecting there's transmission/engine defects. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10781190, filed 2015-10, 152,000 miles
3. 3
   Engine cooling

   Rough idle, vibration and stalling

   • 16 complaints (16%)
   • median 36,855 mi at 4.0 yrs old (5 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2000–2004

   Owners describe the engine running rough and vibrating, sometimes strongly felt through the steering wheel while idling, and in some cases stalling at intersections or failing to restart easily. Several report repeat dealer visits and parts replaced — fuel pump, spark plugs, bearings, and in a few cases the engine — with the symptom returning. One owner reports a mechanic pointing to a variable cam timing bulletin after diagnostics found nothing. Reported from very low mileage (a few hundred miles) up to about 100,000 miles.

   What to check: Start the car cold and let it idle, watching for shaking or a fluctuating tachometer, and take a test drive that includes stop-and-go driving. Ask for service records showing what was already replaced for rough running.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Ford Escort I was having running a miss during warranty also when on a long trip we had a loss of power we took it to the dealer they looked and did nothing. So they said it was just the car. At 36,000 miles we had stalling at intersections and hard starting I had replaced fuel pump and everything was ok now. We at no time run fuel below 1/4 of a tank. I contacted Ford they said they did not care because it was beyond warranty. I feel that during warranty they could have fixed it Ford did not. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10054794, filed 2004-01, 36,855 miles

   “I'm not sure that my car problem would be classified as a failure, but I bought my vehicle with seven miles on it. At approximately 400 miles I began experiencing a rough idol. My entire car would vibrate. I notified my dealership at approximately 3000 miles and shortly after my entire engine was replaced. The first few hundred miles after the replacedment were fine, however the problem is back and worse than before. I again contacted my dealership was informed that there was nothing more they could do for me. …”

   NHTSA complaint #730844, filed 2000-09
4. 4
   Seat belts

   Seat belts that fail to hold or tighten

   • 8 complaints (8%)
   • median 50,800 mi at 5.5 yrs old (1 states mileage, few)
   • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2000–2005

   Complaints describe seat belts that popped open on impact, failed to lock in a rear-end collision, or progressively tightened on an occupant until the belt had to be cut to free them. One owner received a recall notice for the belt buckles but reports the dealer still had to check whether replacement was needed. Reported at mileages around 50,000 where stated, mostly in crash or in-use situations.

   Recall 00V228001

   What to check: Pull each belt out fully and check that it retracts smoothly, latches securely and locks when tugged sharply; ask whether recall 00V228001 for the belt buckles was completed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The left rear shoulder/lap belts constantly tightened on 9 year old child while driving 70 MPH on the highway. The seat belt got so tight that the consumer saught assistance from a near by police officer, who had to cut the seat belt to free their child.”

   NHTSA complaint #10117190, filed 2005-03, 50,800 miles

   “Consumer's was traveling on the highway another vehicle crossed over into consumer's vehicle lane and hit it head on. The driver 's side seat belt failed to hold the driver in. Upon impact, both frontal airs bags did not deploy. Driver sustained head injuries. The ambulance was called, but the driver refused to go to the hospital by ambulance. She went on her on the same day. Vehicle was towed and totaled by the insurance company.”

   NHTSA complaint #10099906, filed 2004-11
5. 5
   Engine cooling

   Serpentine belt or pulley breaks, damaging water pump

   • 6 complaints (6%)
   • median 60,480 mi at 4.1 yrs old (3 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2001–2004

   Complaints describe a snapping serpentine or timing belt and a broken idler pulley or tensioner that lets the belt wrap around the water pump housing, sometimes cracking the aluminum housing. Owners report sudden loss of power steering, charging and cooling as a result, requiring a tow. Several say their mechanics found the failure unusual, and one report describes the belt coming off after the air conditioning bracket cracked. Mostly reported between about 35,000 and 90,000 miles.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Inspect belt, idler pulley and tensioner condition, and ask whether the timing belt and idler pulley were replaced; a service bulletin describes replacing the idler pulley during cylinder head work on the 2.0L engine.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My 2000 Ford zx2 idler pulley broke causing damage to the belt tensioner and water pump housing. The mechanic says that this is very unusual, he has never heard of such problems with any vehicle. I don't know if this is a fluke or a design flaw. Could you check into it.”

   NHTSA complaint #10049151, filed 2003-12, 86,000 miles

   “While driving about 30 MPH power steering went out. Dealer found serpentine belt had snapped, causing bracket to water pump housing to break. Tension rod and waterpump housing were replaced at cosnumer's cost.”

   NHTSA complaint #881231, filed 2001-02

Buying note. On a car this age, service history matters more than the badge: confirm transmission service and any replacement, have the belts, pulleys and cooling system inspected, and verify the seat belt buckle recall was performed. A pre-purchase inspection by an independent shop is worthwhile given how often owners report symptoms that dealers could not pin down.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.